EP0575772B1 - Imprimante thermique - Google Patents

Imprimante thermique Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0575772B1
EP0575772B1 EP93108629A EP93108629A EP0575772B1 EP 0575772 B1 EP0575772 B1 EP 0575772B1 EP 93108629 A EP93108629 A EP 93108629A EP 93108629 A EP93108629 A EP 93108629A EP 0575772 B1 EP0575772 B1 EP 0575772B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
labels
markings
thermal printer
scanner
thermal
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP93108629A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Other versions
EP0575772A1 (fr
Inventor
Ulf Koch
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Meto International GmbH
Original Assignee
Esselte Meto International GmbH
Esselte Meto International Produktions GmbH
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Esselte Meto International GmbH, Esselte Meto International Produktions GmbH filed Critical Esselte Meto International GmbH
Publication of EP0575772A1 publication Critical patent/EP0575772A1/fr
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0575772B1 publication Critical patent/EP0575772B1/fr
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
    • B41J2/315—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material
    • B41J2/32—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads
    • B41J2/35—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by selective application of heat to a heat sensitive printing or impression-transfer material using thermal heads providing current or voltage to the thermal head

Definitions

  • the invention relates to a thermal printer.
  • a thermal printer has become known from WO 92/00194, in which the sheets to be printed are provided with visible markings on the front.
  • the thermal printer is equipped with a sensor that detects the markings.
  • the markings which represent the amount of energy required to achieve optimum print quality, are used to control the energy supplied to the printhead during the printing process.
  • the markings can also convey the size of the area to be printed to the printer.
  • the object of the present invention is therefore to provide a thermal printer, the control of which automatically adapts to the type of label paper inserted in the printer, the text printed on the labels not to be disturbed by markings.
  • a thermal printer with a thermal printhead with a number of electrically controllable heating elements which are held on a counter-pressure roller, with labels to be printed between the heating elements and the Counter pressure roller can be passed, one device for holding a supply roll and one take-up roll for thermal transfer ink ribbon, which can be passed over deflection rollers between the heating elements and the labels, a control circuit connected to the thermal print head for controlling the thermal printer, a processor connected to the control circuit, one with the Processor-connected read-write memory for storing information to be printed on the labels, a data input device connected to the read-write memory and the processor, wherein the labels or a carrier tape holding the labels are provided with at least one marking which is suitable for the human eye is not recognizable, and the thermal printer has a scanner connected to the processor for scanning the markings.
  • the processor Based on the markings, the processor recognizes via the scanner whether normal paper labels are inserted in the thermal printer so that it has to trigger the transport of the thermal transfer ink ribbon during the printing process, or whether labels made of temperature-sensitive paper are inserted into the printer, so that the use of Thermal transfer ink ribbon is unnecessary.
  • a thermal print head can be controlled with less energy in thermal transfer printing than in direct thermal printing.
  • the processor can recognize the type of label paper inserted and cause the control circuit to control the thermal print head with more or less energy.
  • the text printed on the labels is not disturbed by markings, since these are not recognizable to the human eye.
  • With appropriate markings can be prevented in the thermal printer Labels are inserted that are not intended for this or are completely unsuitable for this.
  • Markings of any size which nevertheless do not disturb the typeface on the labels, can be applied to the side of the labels to be printed with visible text if the scanner is designed as a sensor sensitive to infrared light signals or UV light signals and the markings are on the labels are printed with ink that reflects only infrared light or UV light.
  • a large amount of information can be stored on the labels for a wide variety of purposes if at least one magnetic strip with magnetically stored markings is arranged on each of the labels or on the label carrier tape and if the scanner is designed as a magnetic strip reading head.
  • the markings are designed as electrical resonant circuits arranged between two paper layers, which vibrate at predetermined frequencies when they are illuminated by a frequency-variable electromagnetic field, and which in this case emit fields at the predetermined frequencies, which can be detected by a scanner designed as a magnetic field receiver are, where the frequency levels are the carriers of the information content of the markings, there are labels that are also used to secure in grocery stores goods for sale against theft can be used.
  • the markings have a size in which they cannot be seen by the human eye and if the markings are applied to the front of the labels or to the back of the label carrier tape.
  • the thermal printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 has a thermal print head 2 which is electrically connected to a processor 4 via a control circuit 3. Electrically controllable heating elements 5 are arranged on the underside of the thermal print head 2 and are held in contact on a counter-pressure roller 6. The heating elements 5 are preferably arranged in a straight row perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. Between Heating elements 5 and the counter-pressure roller 6, a label tape 7 can be passed, which is unwound during printing from a label tape supply roll 8 and is output via an outlet opening 9 of the thermal printer 1 after it has been printed with the information provided therefor.
  • the label tape 7 can consist of temperature-sensitive paper which is printed by moving it forward on the partially heated, punctiform heating elements 5 and thus blackening it by heating at the locations provided for this purpose.
  • the label tape 7 can also consist of conventional writing paper, whereby it is necessary to pass between the label tape 7 and the heating elements 5 of the thermal print head 2 thermal transfer ink ribbon 10, which is coated with temperature-sensitive ink, which melts at the points that are on the heated heating elements 5th be moved past. The melted ink adheres to the label tape 7 and thereby forms the desired print image.
  • the thermal transfer ink ribbon 10 is preferably accommodated in a cassette 11 with a supply roll 12 and a take-up roll 13, which is arranged in the thermal printer 1 via devices 14, 15 for holding the rolls 12, 13.
  • 1 deflection rollers 16, 17 are provided in the thermal printer, which ensure that the thermal transfer ink ribbon 10 is moved past the heating elements 5 at the optimal angle.
  • a data input device 30 is connected to the processor 4 via a control line 18 and a read / write memory 25 is connected via data lines 19.
  • the data input device 30 is with a schematically illustrated computer keyboard 31 and a memory card reading device 32 equipped.
  • the thermal printer 1 has a scanner 20 which is arranged near the label strip 7 and is connected to the processor 4 via a data line 21.
  • the scanner 20 can be designed as a sensor sensitive to infrared light signals or as a sensor sensitive to UV light signals if the markings to be scanned by the scanner are applied to the labels 7 or to their carrier tape either with infrared light or with UV light reflecting ink. If it is intended to apply the markings on the labels 7 by means of magnetic strips 29, a magnetic strip reading head is to be used as scanner 20.
  • the scanner 20 can be arranged either near the label front side or near the back of the carrier tape.
  • a magnetic field receiver can be used as scanner 20, which can be designed as a coil connected to a frequency analyzer. If such a label 7 is used by a magnetic field transmitter 22, which consists of a coil 24 connected to an oscillator 23 can exist, irradiated with a high-frequency electromagnetic field, the frequency of which is changed periodically between a maximum value and a minimum value, the characteristic frequency of the resonant circuit must lie between these two values, the label begins to oscillate at the characteristic frequency. This frequency is analyzed by the frequency analyzer and the resulting value provides information about the type of label paper used, for example.
  • the markings applied to the labels have a size in which they are no longer recognizable to the human eye.
  • a laser scanner 20 is required, which has the advantage that the laser beam scanning the markings can be bundled very strongly and thus can read even the smallest markings, for example in the form of a bar code.
  • the information to be printed on the labels 7 is first read into the read / write memory 25, controlled by the processor 4, via the data input device 30.
  • the computer keyboard 31 can be used alone or together with the memory card reading device 32.
  • the scanner 20 then scans the inserted labels 7, also controlled by the processor 4.
  • the resulting signals which say, for example, that normal paper labels are inserted, for the printing of which thermal transfer ink ribbon 10 is required are supplied to the processor 4.
  • the latter now fetches the information and to be printed on the labels 7 from the read / write memory 25 supplies this to the control circuit 3 together with control data which state that conventional paper labels are to be inserted which are to be printed with less energy than thermal labels.
  • the control circuit 3 then causes the thermal print head 2 to start the printing process.
  • the processor 4 causes electrical lines and driver circuits, not shown in the figure, to transport both the electromotively driven counterpressure roller 6, the label tape 7 past the heating elements 5 of the thermal print head 2, and the electromotively driven take-up roller 13 to further transport the thermal transfer ink ribbon.
  • the labels 7 printed in this way are discharged through the outlet opening 9.
  • FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a label 7 'which has two marking fields 24 and 26.
  • a marking 27 is printed on the marking field 24 with ink reflecting only infrared light or UV light, which marking is thus invisible to the human eye and can only be scanned by a scanner 20 which is designed as a sensor sensitive to infrared light or UV light .
  • the marking field 26 contains the goods-specific information 28 provided for the customer, which is printed in a conventional manner on the label 7 'by means of the thermal print head 2.
  • the marking 27 and the goods-specific information 28 can be printed one above the other, which results in a good utilization of the printing surface of the label 7 '.
  • FIG. 3 shows an example of a label 7 ′′, on one side of which a conventional magnetic strip 29 is glued on.
  • Such magnetic stripes have a storage capacity that is sufficient, in addition to the 7 '' data that characterizes itself, to also store price information or other goods-specific information on the label.
  • the label 34 consists of a printable top layer 35 which is arranged on the first elements 33 '(FIG. 4) of the electrical resonant circuit.
  • An insulation layer 36 is located between the first and the second elements 33, 33 'of the electrical resonant circuit.
  • the elements 33 of the resonant circuit are covered by a printable underlayer 37.
  • the resonant circuit consists of a first capacitor 38, the capacitor plates 38 'and 38' 'of which are arranged opposite one another on the two sides of the insulation layer 36.
  • the capacitor plate 38 ′′ is connected to the start of the turns of a coil 40, the end of which is connected to a first capacitor plate 41 ′ of a second capacitor 41.
  • the second capacitor plate 41 ′′ of the second capacitor 41 is arranged on the side of the insulation layer 36 opposite the first capacitor plate 41 ′.
  • the capacitor plates 41 ′′ and 38 ′ are electrically connected to one another.
  • Such an oscillating circuit has a resonance frequency which is dependent on the capacitance of the capacitors 38 and 41 and on the inductance of the coil 40 and with which the oscillating circuit oscillates when it is of an electromagnetic one Field is illuminated with exactly this frequency.
  • This resonance frequency can be set by changing the capacitance or inductance values of the capacitors 38, 41 or the coil 40.
  • a label 34 is now illuminated with an alternating electromagnetic field, the frequency of which is periodically changed between a maximum value and a minimum value in a sawtooth manner, it being necessary to ensure that the values of all possible resonance frequencies of the labels 34 are within these maximum and minimum values, the resonant circuit of which begins to vibrate when the alternating field takes on the value of the resonant frequency of the resonant circuit, and then radiates a field with this frequency itself.
  • This field can be recognized and evaluated by a frequency analyzer via a magnetic field sensor, so that the processor 4 connected to the frequency analyzer can influence the control of the thermal printer 1 on the basis of this data.
  • a first frequency f 1 may mean, for example, that the printable upper layer 35 of the label 34 consists of temperature-sensitive paper, whereas a second frequency f 2 may mean that the label paper 35 is insensitive to temperature and can only be printed using a thermal transfer ink ribbon.
  • the processor 4 can decode the above information and use it to control the thermal printer 1, for example by activating the drive of the thermal transfer ink ribbon 10 when it measures the frequency f 2.

Landscapes

  • Electronic Switches (AREA)
  • Accessory Devices And Overall Control Thereof (AREA)
  • Record Information Processing For Printing (AREA)

Claims (8)

  1. Imprimante thermique (1) avec
    a) une tête d'impression thermique (2) avec une série d'éléments chauffants (5) commandables électriquement, qui sont maintenus en application sur un contre-rouleau d'impression (6), les étiquettes (7) à imprimer pouvant passer entre les éléments chauffants (5) et le contre-rouleau d'impression (6),
    b) un dispositif (14, 15) respectif pour la fixation d'un rouleau de réserve (12) et d'un rouleau d'enroulement (13) pour ruban encreur à transfert thermique (10), qui peut passer sur des galets de renvoi (16, 17) entre les éléments chauffants (5) et les étiquettes (7),
    c) un circuit de commande (3) relié à la tête d'impression thermique (2) pour la commande de l'imprimante thermique (1),
    d) un processeur (4) relié au circuit de commande (3),
    e) une mémoire vive (25) reliée au processeur (4) pour la mémorisation d'informations à imprimer sur les étiquettes,
    f) un dispositif de saisie de données (30) relié à la mémoire vive (25) et au processeur (4),
    g) les étiquettes (7) ou une bande-support maintenant les étiquettes (7) étant pourvues d'au moins un marquage qui n'est pas décelable par l'oeil humain et
    h) l'imprimante thermique (1) comportant un scanner (20) relié au processeur (4) pour la détection des marquages.
  2. Imprimante thermique selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que le scanner (20) est configuré en capteur sensible aux signaux à lumière infrarouge et les marquages (27) sur les étiquettes (7') sont appliqués avec de l'encre réfléchissant exclusivement la lumière infrarouge.
  3. Imprimante thermique selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que le scanner (20) est configuré en capteur sensible aux signaux à lumière ultraviolette et les marquages (27) sur les étiquettes (7') sont appliqués avec de l'encre réfléchissant exclusivement la lumière ultraviolette.
  4. Imprimante thermique selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que sur les étiquettes (7'') ou sur la bande-support d'étiquettes est placée au moins une bande magnétique (29) avec des marquages mémorisés magnétiquement et en ce que le scanner (20) est configuré en tête de lecture de bande magnétique.
  5. Imprimante thermique selon l'une des revendications 1 à 4, caractérisée en ce que les marquages sont appliqués sur la face arrière de la bande-support d'étiquettes, accessible au scanner (20).
  6. Imprimante thermique selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que les étiquettes (7) sont en carton, les marquages lisibles par le scanner (20) étant appliqués sur leur face non prévue pour l'impression.
  7. Imprimante thermique selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que les marquages sont configurés en circuits oscillants électriques (33, 33'), placés dans chaque cas entre deux couches de papier (35, 37), qui oscillent à des fréquences données, lorsqu'ils reçoivent un champ électromagnétique à fréquence variable, et qui dans ce cas émettent des champs avec les fréquences données, qui sont détectables par un scanner (20) configuré en récepteur de champ magnétique, les valeurs des fréquences étant les supports des informations contenues dans les marquages.
  8. Imprimante thermique selon la revendication 1, caractérisée en ce que les marquages présentent une grandeur dans laquelle ils ne sont pas décelables par l'oeil humain, et en ce que les marquages sont appliqués sur les faces avant des étiquettes (7) ou sur la face arrière de la bande-support d'étiquettes.
EP93108629A 1992-06-19 1993-05-28 Imprimante thermique Expired - Lifetime EP0575772B1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE4220002 1992-06-19
DE4220002A DE4220002A1 (de) 1992-06-19 1992-06-19 Thermodrucker

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0575772A1 EP0575772A1 (fr) 1993-12-29
EP0575772B1 true EP0575772B1 (fr) 1996-04-17

Family

ID=6461322

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP93108629A Expired - Lifetime EP0575772B1 (fr) 1992-06-19 1993-05-28 Imprimante thermique

Country Status (3)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0575772B1 (fr)
DE (2) DE4220002A1 (fr)
ES (1) ES2085679T3 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6938976B2 (en) 1999-06-16 2005-09-06 Eastman Kodak Company Printer and method therefor adapted to sense data uniquely associated with a consumable loaded into the printer

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2790421A1 (fr) * 1999-03-01 2000-09-08 Gemplus Card Int Machine d'impression graphique pour support de memorisation de type carte, procede d'impression graphique desdits supports de memorisation et supports de memorisation
DE102008058273A1 (de) * 2008-11-20 2010-05-27 Bizerba Gmbh & Co. Kg Vorrichtung zur Verarbeitung von Etiketten- und/oder Bonrollen
CN104139904B (zh) * 2013-05-08 2015-12-16 苏州弘邦资通物贸有限公司 可在线打印标签的贴标设备
EP3711965B1 (fr) * 2019-03-19 2024-01-17 Bizerba SE & Co. KG Imprimante de papier d'étiquetage sans fin

Family Cites Families (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE7707072U1 (fr) * 1900-01-01 Fleischhauer Datentraeger Gmbh, 4640 Wattenscheid
US4422376A (en) * 1980-02-09 1983-12-27 Teraoka Seikosho Co., Ltd. Printing control apparatus for a label printer
DE3143208C2 (de) * 1981-10-30 1984-07-05 Max-E. Dipl.-Ing. 7320 Göppingen Reeb Identifizierungsanordnung in Form eines an einem Gegenstand anbringbaren etikettartigen Streifens und Verfahren zu deren Herstellung
US4402424A (en) * 1981-12-04 1983-09-06 Ohio Electronics Machinery, Inc. Label dispensing machine
DE3241489A1 (de) * 1982-11-10 1984-05-10 Dirk H Dickfeld Verfahren zur markierung und identifizierung von durchsichtigen behaeltern fuer fluessige arzneimittel u.dgl.
JPS6327271A (ja) * 1986-07-18 1988-02-04 Shinko Electric Co Ltd 熱転写式プリンタ
US5085529A (en) * 1988-10-17 1992-02-04 Insignia Systems, Inc. Thermal printing system with encoded sheet set
DE4036606A1 (de) * 1989-12-19 1991-06-20 Esselte Meto Int Gmbh Etikettendrucker

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6938976B2 (en) 1999-06-16 2005-09-06 Eastman Kodak Company Printer and method therefor adapted to sense data uniquely associated with a consumable loaded into the printer

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE59302237D1 (de) 1996-05-23
ES2085679T3 (es) 1996-06-01
DE4220002A1 (de) 1993-12-23
EP0575772A1 (fr) 1993-12-29

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