FR2918490A1 - Bar code printing system i.e. multi format printer, for e.g. transport ticket, has support separation units disposed at upstream or downstream of printing units, where units separate connection between supports - Google Patents

Abstract

The system i.e. printer, has printing units disposed at a level of a central feeding channel. Support e.g. transport ticket, separation unit (31) i.e. movable blade, and a support separation unit (32) i.e. counter blade, are disposed at an upstream or downstream of the printing units. The units separate a connection between supports (33, 34) by rupture when the connection has a cut. The units separate the connection between the supports by cut when the connection is without the cut.

Description

-1- Printing system comprising a separation device

print media

  The present invention relates to a printing system comprising a device for separating printing media. The present invention relates more particularly to a system for printing on multi-format media, in particular transport tickets or luggage tags. The field of the invention is that of printing systems, or printers, on multi-format media. Most of the time, the tickets are printed on media of continuous form, that is to say in a form in which the supports are interconnected. These titles are generally inserted into the printing system in this continuous form without prior separation.

  The supports in a continuous form can generally be classified into two categories: a first category of supports that are interconnected so that their separation requires a cut at their link and a second category of supports that are interconnected by a connection having a precut facilitating the separation of the supports. There are currently many media printing systems in continuous form. Among these systems, a first category of systems is identified that does not include any media separation means. In the case of this first category of systems the separation of the supports is carried out by an operator after printing the supports. Among the current systems is also identified a second category comprising media separation means by cutting the connection between the supports when this connection has no precut, and a third category of systems comprising media separation means by breaking of the connection between the supports when the connection comprises a precut. The disadvantage of the known printing systems is that they are limited to the printing of media in a continuous form in which they are connected by a predefined connection, i.e. either a link with a precut or a link with no precut. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing system comprising a media separating device in a continuous form and carrying out the treatment of media whatever the type of connection between the supports. The invention thus proposes a system for printing media, in particular tickets or tickets, in a continuous form in which said supports follow one another and have a connection between them with or without a precut, said system comprising means printing system of each of said supports characterized in that said system further comprises a separation device provided to achieve: - a separation by breaking the connection between two supports when said connection has a pre-cut, or - a cut separation of the connection between two supports when said link does not have a precut. Thus, the printing system according to the invention makes it possible to print the supports in continuous form and the separation of the supports whatever the type of connection between the supports, namely with or without precut. Advantageously, the separating device may comprise two separating members, said by rupture, provided for effecting the separation of two supports by breaking the connection between these two supports, the rupture separating members being directed towards the faces of the supports to be separated. separating, one of the rupture separating members being disposed on one side of the supports to be separated and the other side of the other of the supports to be separated. The rupture separating members have between them, in the rest position, a passage gap allowing one of the supports to pass between the members, one of the rupture separation members being provided for exerting a force on a face of one of the two supports to be separated and the other of the rupture separating members being provided to exert a force on the opposite face of the other of the two supports. During the separation 2918490 - 3-- of the supports by breaking the connection between the supports, the latter are locked in translation relative to the direction of passage. Moreover, the two rupture separating members may have an offset between them in the direction of passage of the supports. This offset is intended to place the connection comprising the precut between the rupture separating members in the direction of passage. In addition, at least one of the rupture separation members is driven in a translation movement along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the supports towards a face of one of the two supports thus exerting a first effort on this face and causing the another of the two supports in contact with the other of the two rupture separation members which in turn exerts a second force on the opposite face of the other of the two supports thus achieving the separation of the two supports by breaking the connection having a precut between the two supports. Advantageously, at least one of the rupture separation members may have an inclination such that the separation by breaking of the connection comprising a pre-cut can be done gradually. Thus, the edge of one of the two members, intended to come into contact with one of the faces of one of the two supports, may have an inclination to effect the breakage of the connection presenting the precut progressively over the width. link. For example, the breakage of the precut can start from one edge and continue progressively towards the opposite edge. Thus, the effort to be made to achieve the breaking of the link will be lower than in the case where the breaking of the link is made simultaneously over the entire width of the link. The separating device may further comprise means for blocking the supports to be separated during the break in connection with the precut. The system according to the invention comprises means for printing media and means for conveying the media to the printing means or to the printing means. Advantageously, at least part of the printing means and / or means for conveying the supports can carry out the clamping of the supports by pinching during the breaking of the link comprising a pre-cut. In fact, the printing means may comprise a print head supporting one of the supports to be separated against a printing anvil lying on the other side of the print head with respect to this support, thus achieving the blocking by pinching of the support. Furthermore, the conveying means may comprise at least one motor roller and a motor counter-roller arranged facing each other, on one side and the other side of one of the supports to be separated, the roller engine and the engine against-roller performing the blocking by pinching the support. The rupture separating members may be arranged downstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out after printing thereof. In this case, one of the supports is blocked by the print head pressing the support against a printing anvil and the other support is blocked by a motor roller and a motor counter-roller arranged opposite each other, and downstream of the printing means. In this case the separate support 15 is the one blocked by the motor roller and the motor counter-roller. The rupture separation members may be arranged upstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out before printing thereof. In this case, one of the supports is blocked by the print head pressing the support against a printing anvil and the other support is blocked by a motor roller and motor counter-roller arranged opposite each other, and upstream of the printing means. In this case, the separate medium is the one blocked by the print head and the printing anvil. Furthermore, the separating device may comprise two separation members, said by cutting, for the separation of two supports by cutting the connection between the two supports, the cutting separation members being directed towards the faces of the supports to be separated. , one of the cut-off members being disposed on one side of the supports to be separated and the other of the cut-off members on the other side of the supports to be separated. The cutting separation members have between them, in the rest position, a passage gap allowing one of the supports to pass between the separation members by cutting. Furthermore, at least one of the two separation members by cutting is driven in a translation movement along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the supports, substantially at the level of the connection between the supports to be separated, thus exerting a first force on the link thus bringing the link into contact with the other of the two separation members by cutting, being on the other side of the two supports, which in turn exerts a second force on the link, the second effort being in the same direction but in the opposite direction to the first force, the assembly thus achieving the separation by cutting of the two supports substantially at the level of the connection. At least one of the cutting members has an inclination at its edge, which exerts a pressure on the connection between the two supports, the inclination being such that the edges of the separation members by cutting, in contact with the link between the two supports, form a pair of scissors for separating the two supports by progressive cutting. Thus the cutting of the connection between the supports is carried out gradually. For example, the cutting of the connection can start from one edge and continue progressively towards the opposite edge. Thus, the effort to perform to cut the link 20 will be lower than in the case where the cutting of the link is performed simultaneously over the entire width of the link. In addition, in this case, the cut is made with better quality. The cutting separation members may be arranged downstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support then being carried out after printing thereof. The cutting separation members may also be arranged upstream of the printing means. In this case, the complete separation of a support is performed before printing thereof. In a preferred embodiment, the two rupture dividers 30 may be the two cut-off members. The system according to the invention may then comprise means for selecting the function of the two organs, namely: separation by breaking the bond between two supports when the bond has a precut, or separation by cutting the connection between two supports when the connection has no precut. The selection means may comprise means realizing: the spacing of the two separation members when the function of these members is to effect the separation by breaking of the supports, and the bringing together of the separation members so that they form a pair of scissors when the function of the organs is to achieve the separation by cutting the supports. Thus, the two functions are carried out by the same separation members which may for example be two blades disposed facing each other and spaced apart to effect the separation by breaking of a connection when it comprises a precut and the separation by cutting a link when it does not include precut. The spacer means may comprise at least one part, called the opening cam, rigidly attached to one of the two separating members, this separating member having a freedom in rotation. The opening cam is designed to be actuated so as to drive the separating member in rotation so that this separating member 20 can: - deviate from the other of the separation members in order to separate the supports by breaking of the connection between the supports, when this connection comprises a pre-cut, or - approaching the other of the separation members to achieve the separation of the supports by cutting the connection between the supports, when this connection does not include any pre-cut. Advantageously, the opening cam can be actuated by the printing head when it passes into the printing position against the printing anvil, thus realizing the separation of the separating members for the separation by rupture of two supports. In this position, the print head also realizes the blocking of one of the two supports to be separated by pinching the support against the printing anvil. In this preferred embodiment, the separation members may be arranged upstream or downstream of the printing means. Furthermore, the system according to the invention may further comprise detection means adapted to detect whether the connection between two supports has a pre-cut or not. These detection means comprise at least one optical sensor.

  This optical sensor can also be used for other functions such as for example the measurement of the width of the supports.

  Other advantages and features will appear on examining the detailed description of a non-limiting embodiment, and the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation in isometric sectional view of a system of FIG. impression seen from the front; Figure 2 is a schematic representation in an isometric sectional view of a printing system seen from its rear face; Figure 3 is a schematic representation of the printing means. Fig. 4 is a schematic representation of a media positioning module for printing in a view from the back side of the printing system; Fig. 5 is a schematic representation of a media positioning module for printing according to a view from the front face of the printing system; - Figure 6 is a schematic representation of a media separation module when the separation module is in the rest position in a separation mode by cutting a link between two supports having no pre-cut; Figure 7 is a schematic representation of a media separation module when in the rest position in a separation mode by breaking a link between two supports having a pre-cut; Fig. 8 is a representation of the separation module in its machine environment; Figure 9 is a sectional representation of a media delivery module; Fig. 10 is an isometric sectional representation of the media delivery module in its machine environment; Figure 11 is a representation of a radio frequency processing module; and Fig. 12 is a representation of a validation front module.

  The particular and in no way limiting example detailed below relates to a multi-format printer for media such as transport tickets and / or luggage tags. FIGS. 1 and 2 show two representations in an isometric sectional view of the printer 10. In FIG. 1, the printer 10 is seen from its front face and in FIG. 2 the printer 10 is seen from its rear face . The printer 10 performs barcode printing on media which may further be provided with a radio frequency tag or chip which may be encoded. The printer 10 comprises four modules, namely: a positioning module for transport tickets for printing; a module for separating the tickets: o by breaking the connection between the tickets when the link comprises a precut, and o by cutting the connection between the tickets when this connection does not include pre-cut; a ticket issuing module; a radiofrequency processing module provided for radiofrequency processing of a radiofrequency tag or chip on a ticket. Each of the modules described above are driven by an electronic card with three communication channels, one USB and two RS232. In addition, a protocol adapter in the form of a small electronic card can be integrated into the printer. 2918490 - 9-- The supports are introduced into the printer 10 by four introduction openings 11 on the rear face 12 of the printer 10. After printing the supports are extracted from the printer 10 by an opening of extraction 13 associated with an extraction channel 113 and 5 located on the front face 14 of the printer 10, and opening into an ejection receptacle 15 located on the upper front of the printer 10. Each of the openings introduction 11 leads to a channel transport] .11 supports. All the routing channels 10 terminate on a central routing channel 112. The printing means are arranged at this central routing channel 112. The printing means are common to each of the introduction openings 11 and perform the printing of the media introduced by these introduction apertures 11. After printing the supports are evacuated 15 by an evacuation channel 131 opening into the extraction aperture 13. A display screen 16 and a keyboard 17 mounted on the front face 14 of the printer 10, are used for the operation, control and maintenance of the printer 10. In addition, an introduction opening 18, called validation, on the front face 14 of the printer 10 and opening on a routing channel 19, allows introduction of the media from the front face 14 of the printer 10 for validation or reprint media. When a print of a medium introduced by the feed opening 18 is required, the carrier is conveyed to the printing means through the conveyor channel 19 and then a conveyor channel 114. After printing the support, the latter is extracted from the printer 10 by the extraction opening 13. The printer comprises in all: - four insertion openings 11 on the rear face 12 of the printer 10 and opening on four routing channels 111 and - a validation opening 18 located on the front face 14 of the printer 10 and opening onto a routing channel 19. Each channel 111 and the channel 19 has an optical sensor. monitoring of documents or supports and a motorization carried out by an elastomer roller equipped with a counter-roller. The printer may further comprise a routing channel selection module 111 associated with each of the insertion openings 11 located on the rear face 12. The design of this selection module makes it possible to mix wide and narrow documents by the routing channels 1.11. It is thus possible to obtain the following combinations: - 2 wide channels - 2 narrow channels; 3 wide channels - 1 narrow channel; or - 4 narrow channels. The passage from a wide channel to a narrow channel is done by assembling (in the factory or in the workshop) a simple narrowing plate of the routing channel 11.1. The drive roller of each channel is rotated by the main motor of the printer via an electromagnetic clutch. The choice of the routing channel 111 is made by selecting the supply of one of the four clutches.

  When the media is in the form of a continuous web with or without pre-cuts, each media is routed to the printer's internal modules via the routing channels 111 and 112. When a medium has been printed and separated from the the remainder of the band, the selection system performs the park, that is to say the return to the waiting position, the media strip of the channel used. This systematic parking allows, during successive editions on the same channel, to obtain a secure and precise synchronization for each support. The control of the movements of the supports is carried out by means of a synchronization sensor C1. The latter serves to monitor the passage of the support for controlling the printing process synchronized with the movement of the support and, during the return path, the disoccultation this sensor controls the parking movement of the web in its routing channel 111. The media presence sensor of each routing channel 111 is arranged at the edge of the outer edge of the support and allows, for example for documents of 82mm width, to realize a recognition of the presence of the rounded corners and thus, an automatic determination of the length of the presented formulas. To satisfy the processing of short titles, for example 80 mm in length, an intermediate motor comprising a drive roller and a counter roller, is present between the drive rollers of the introduction channels and the printing means. This motorization is arranged at the level of the central channel 112. The synchronization sensor C1 is located after this intermediate motorization so as to benefit from the double motorization, motorization of a channel of introduction and motorization of the central channel, at the time of taking print synchronization. The intermediate drive roller is rotated by the main motor of the machine via a particular clutch.

  The printing means are shown diagrammatically in FIG. 3. They comprise: a thermal printing head 115 mounted on a mobile support 116, and a motorized anvil 117 cut to allow the printing of wide and narrow documents. The movable support 116 of the print head 115 is moved by an electromagnet (not shown) which applies it to the medium to be printed. The printing force is calibrated by a calibrated spring 118, so it is made independent of the thickness of the medium to be printed. The position of the print head 115 is set by means of marks and its disassembly does not require a resetting of adjustment. Disassembly of the print head 115 is extremely easy without requiring any particular tooling. The motorized anvil 117 is directly driven by the main motor of the printer 10. The anvil 117 is provided with two sections: a driving section of length 60 mm, and a section, said free portion, with a free rotation of 30 mm. mm. 2918490 - 12 - This provision allows, for large documents, a drive of the support by the driving part. The crazy part, itself driven by the support, provides the pressure necessary for printing. In the case of narrow document processing, the free rotation section 5 is in contact with the print head 115. It remains locked in rotation thus avoiding the deterioration of the head zone 115 in contact with the anvil 117. A such motorized anvil 117 has the advantage of applying the print head 115 with a constant pressure regardless of the width of the processed documents. This guarantees print quality independent of the dimensional characteristics of the paper. The printing module comprising the anvil assembly / head support / main motorization is compact, interchangeable, and having its own connection connection to an electronic module for example. The printing synchronization is carried out by means of the synchronization optical sensor C1 situated just upstream of the print head 115. This detects the front edge of the medium to be printed.

  We will now describe the different modules listed above. A - Media positioning module for printing

  The printer 10 comprises means for jogging the supports against a jogging wall and means for measuring the width of each of the supports for correctly positioning the information to be printed on each of the supports. As we have said above, each of the routing channels 111 and the central channel 112 comprise a drive roller. In addition, in order to correctly center the printed information between the two edges of each of the media to be printed, and to account for media width fluctuations according to their origin, each of the channels 111 as well as the central channel 112 includes a counter-roller jogger, arranged vis-à-vis the drive roller and 2918490 - 13 - realizing the jogging of the support against a wall located along each of the channels 111 and the channel 112. Figures 4 and 5 give a schematic representation of the drive roller 21 and a counter-roller jogger 22 of a routing channel 111 and the drive roller 23 and a counter-roller jogger 24 of the central channel 112. For clarity, FIGS. 4 and 5 give a simplified representation of a part of the printer 10. Each counter-jogger 22,24 makes it possible to jog an edge of a support against the wall 25. This wall 25 is in the example of FIG. accomplishment 10 present a paro i in metal on which are fixed, directly or indirectly all the elements of the printer 10. In the following description we will call this wall 25 platinum. Each counter-roller jogger 22, 24 is composed of a rod rigidly connecting a first cylindrical element 221, 241, said proximal, 15 disposed on the side of the plate 25, and a second cylindrical element 222 and 242, said distal, arranged on the opposite side to the plate. The proximal cylindrical member 221, 241 has a diameter smaller than the diameter of the distal cylindrical member 222 and 242. The difference in diameter is between 0.01 and 0.06mm. In addition, each of the tiller rollers 22, 24 is held against the support located between this jogging roller 22, 24 and the motorizing roller 21 or 23, facing said counter roller 22 24, by an element 26, 27 applying a force on the counter-jogging roller 22, 24 by elastic deformation. This element 26, 27 is connected, on the one hand, to the plate 25 and, on the other hand, to the rod of the counter-jogger 22, 24. The connection between the element 26, 27 and the counter-jogger 22, 24 has a game allowing the counter-roller jogger 22, 24 to pivot about an axis A1, A2 perpendicular to the support. Furthermore each counter-jogger roller 22, 24 is made of a hard plastic material which has a coefficient of friction allowing each counter-roller jogger 22, 24 to skate on the support. Thus, each routing channel comprises a counter-jogging roller performing the jogging of a edge of the media to be printed against the plate 25. Once the support is tapped against the plate 25 and that it is at the level of the In the print head, an optical sensor which is in the present example the synchronization sensor C1, performs detection of the selvedge edge opposite the skirted edge to determine the width of the support. Indeed, the synchronization sensor is mounted on a support animated by a transverse scanning movement, more particularly a rotational movement of a transverse axis A3 transverse to the direction of conveyance of the support. This sensor C1 emits an optical signal 28 reflected by the support. The edge opposite the skived edge is detected when the optical signal 28 is no longer reflected by the support. In addition, an aperture 29 is arranged opposite the optical sensor C1, so that no optical signal is reflected when the optical signal 28 emitted by the sensor C1 exceeds the edge opposite the torn edge. The aperture 29 may be offset from the platen 25 by a distance substantially less than the width of the narrower support and may extend a distance to detect the opposite edge of the widest support. The transverse rotation movement of the sensor C1 about the axis A3 is provided by a motor M1 which, as will be described below, is also used for the separation of the supports when the supports are in the form of a strip. keep on going. When the opposite edge of the support is detected, the width of the support is determined as a function of the rotation of the synchronization sensor C1 and more particularly as a function of the number of engine rotation steps M1. Indeed, the inner edge of the support being held constantly against the plate 25, the knowledge of the width of the paper web is summarized in the evaluation of the position of the outer edge. The information to be printed is then positioned, in the present example, electronically in the print head 115. Thus, it is not necessary to modify the position of the print head 115. This is the position of the information in the print head 115 which is modified. The print head 115 has a width that is substantially equal to the width sum of the largest support that will be processed by the printer 10 and the data positioning set representing the information to be printed. - 15 - B - Media separation module

  The printer 10 comprises a module carrying out the separation of the supports, when the supports are in the form of a continuous strip. The separation is performed either: - by breaking the connection between two supports when this connection comprises a pre-cut; - Or by cutting the connection between two supports when this connection has no pre-cut.

  FIG. 6 gives a schematic representation of the separation module when this module separates two supports by breaking the precut between the two supports, and FIG. 7 gives a representation of the separation module when this module separates two supports by cutting the connection between the two supports. This module is located just after the print module. It comprises a first separating member 31 which is a blade movable in vertical translation whose displacement is provided by the motor M1 described above (not shown in FIGS. 6 and 7), a second separating member 32 which is a counter -blade. The two blades 31 and 32 form a pair of scissors. Whatever the function of the separation module, the supports 33 and 34 are arranged between the two blades 31 and 32 which in the rest position are distant from each other and have an opening symbolized in FIGS. 6 and 7 by an arrow F1. One of the supports, the support 33, is located upstream of the blades 31 and 32, the other supports, the support 34, is located downstream of the blades 31 and 32. When the module performs the separation by cutting the link, the supports 33 and 34 are positioned between the two blades 31 and 32, so that the connection between the two supports is substantially at the edges of the blades 31 and 32 facing towards the connection between the two supports, such as represented in FIG. 7. The blade 31, driven by a translation movement, is brought into contact with the supports substantially at the level of the connection between the two supports 33 and 34. In its translation movement, the blade 31 in contact with the supports brings the supports into contact with the counter-blade 32. The cutting of the connection between the supports is then carried out progressively by the pair of scissors formed by the blade 31 and the counter-blade 32. 5 When the module carries out the separation by rupture of a pre-cut at the level of the connection between the two supports 33 and 34, a lever 35 which is called an opening cam ensures a mechanical connection between the print head 115 and the counter-blade 32, so as to eliminate the against the blade 32 of the blade 31 when the print head 115 is applied to the support 33, as shown in FIG. 6. In this position, the blades 31 and 32 have a spacing between them in the direction of delivery of supports 33 and 34. This spacing or offset is symbolized by the arrow F2 in Figure 7. The blades 31 and 32 still form a pair of scissors but they are spaced apart. The two supports 33 and 34 are positioned between the two blades 31 and 32 so that the connection comprising the precut is at the level of the spacing symbolized by the arrow F2. The support 33 is blocked by the printing head pressing the support 33 against the printing anvil 117 and the support 34 is locked between a drive roller 37 and a roller against 38. The blade 31, animated by a translation movement is brought against the support 33 located upstream of the blades 31 and 32. In its translational movement, the blade 31 in contact with the support 33 brings the support 34 into contact with the blade 32. 33 and 34 being blocked, the rupture of the connection comprising the pre-cut is progressively carried out by the pair of spaced scissors formed by the blade 31 and the counter-blade 32. This arrangement of the separation module makes it possible to ensure indifferently the separation of pre-cut bills. or cutting the media in a continuous form depending on whether the separation module is controlled while the print head 17 is in the up position or that the latter is in the down position. If the force is released on the print head 115 before actuating the blade 31, the blade 31 and the blade 32 come closer under the effect of a return spring (not shown). There is then no gap / offset between the cutting blade 31 and the backing plate 32. If the print head 115 is held down before actuating the blade 31, the blade 31 and counter blade 32 are kept apart. This has the effect, when using supports with precut, to achieve a separation of the latter along the precut line. The upstream and downstream sections 5 being each immobilized in translation by the printing head 115 lowered against the printing anvil 117 on the one hand and by the roller 37 and against the roller 38 on the other hand. Figure 8 shows a representation of the separation module in its machine environment. Thus, the cutting module advantageously makes it possible to use indifferently pre-cut or non-cut paper media which are separated by a single separation module. The separation module is fixed to the main plate 25 by means of two studs. This module carries synchronization, output and marker sensors. The separation module is connected to the electronics of the printer thanks to a wiring and a reduced connectivity, so as to make its exchange particularly easy. To facilitate access to the paper path and the print module, the cutter has been tilted. In the open position, the paper path is completely clear. The position of the supports is detected by a cutting sensor (not shown). This sensor is hidden as soon as the cut is effective.

  25 C ü Media Delivery Module

  The printer 10 has an ejection receptacle 15 for stacking a hundred tickets, for example ATB format or ISO format. For reasons of ergonomics, long documents such as luggage tags are kept gripped by a delivery module. This delivery module comprises: means for placing the document in the gripping position; means for detecting the gripping of the document by an operator or a user; and 2918490 -18- means for ejecting the document when the gripping of the document by the operator or the user is detected. Figure 9 shows a sectional representation of the portion of the printer 10 including the media delivery module. FIG. 5 gives an isometric representation in section of this module in its machine environment as seen from the front face 14 of the printer 10. The gripping means comprise a first motor roller which is the motor roller 37, described in FIG. higher in the context of the cutting and separating module, disposed opposite the counter roller 38, and a second motor roller 41 arranged vis-à-vis a motor against counter-roller 42. motor rollers 37 and 41 carry the conveyance 43 to the extraction opening 13. These motor rollers 37 and 41 position the support 43 in the gripping position in which a portion 44 of the support is outside the opening of 13 so that the user can grasp the support 43. The other part 45 of the support is, in this position, inside the printer 10. The means for detecting the gripping of the support 43 by a user or an operator include a C2 optical sensor. In the gripping position, the portion 45 of the support 43 is in front of the optical sensor C2 emitting an optical signal 46 which is reflected by the portion 45 of the support 43. When the user grasps the portion 44 of the support 43 and exerts a force pulling on the support 43 to extract it from the printer 10 through the extraction aperture 13, the support 43 is moved towards the extraction aperture 13. In its displacement, and when the edge 47 of the support 43 opposite the edge 48 of the support 43 located outside the printer 10, exceeds the optical signal 46, this optical signal 46 is no longer reflected by the support 42. The sensor C2 then detects the gripping of the support 42 by a user or an operator. The displacement of the support 43 under the effect of the tensile force 30 exerted by the user or the operator is made possible thanks to the characteristics of the motor rollers 37 and 41. Indeed, the drive roller 37 is freely mounted, for example on a lathe, to rotate in the direction of movement of the support 43 to the extraction opening 13. Furthermore the roller 41 disposed vis-a-vis the counter-roller 2918490 - 19 - 42 exerts effort allowing the support to slide between the motor roller 41 and the counter-roller 42 when the operator or the user exerts a tensile force on the support 43. When the grip of the support is detected by the optical sensor C2, the ejection means realize the ejection of the support out of the printer. In the present example, these ejection means are the means for placing the support in the gripping position, that is to say the motorized rollers 37 and 41. Indeed, when the sensor C2 detects the gripping of the support 43, the motorized rollers 37 and 41 are rotated and eject the support 43 out of the printer 10 through the extraction opening 13. The connection between the sensor C2 and the motorization rollers 37 and 41 can be realized either directly either by an electronic module managing the sensor C2 and the drive roller 41 or by the central unit of the printer 10. Each of the routing channels 11 or the routing channel 19 comprise an optical sensor a detection: a difference in thickness, a difference in opacity or a marking constituting information on the length of the support. On the other hand, the printer 10 may be connected to a host system supplying the printer 10 along the length of the media introduced by each of the feed openings 11. When the length of a carrier is less than a predetermined length, the support is considered to be a short support and is ejected directly into the receiving tray 15, otherwise the support is considered to be a long support and the latter is then gripped.

  30 D - Radiofrequency Processing Module

  The printer 10 comprises a processing module of a tag or a radio frequency chip on a support or a document -20- such as a ticket for example. Indeed, the documents processed by the machine may be provided with a radio frequency identification device. The radiofrequency processing module can optionally perform a reading of the information in a radio frequency tag or chip or an information write on a radio frequency tag or chip. The radiofrequency processing module comprises an electronic circuit (not shown) and a radiofrequency antenna 51 represented in FIG. 11. The radiofrequency antenna 51 is placed at the point of passage of all the documents in the vicinity of the evacuation channel 113. ci from the introduction openings 11 or the validation introduction opening 18. The radiofrequency antenna 51 is positioned between the blades 31 and 32 of the separation module and the extraction opening 13. It is positioned near a portion 52 of the cover 53 of the printer 10. This portion 52 of the cover 53 of the printer is permeable to radiofrequency waves. Moreover, it is in a bossed form easily accessible to an operator or an external user. The radio frequency encoding can be achieved according to two sets of steps which are explained below. When the support comprising the chip or radio frequency tag to be treated is introduced into the printer 10 by an insertion opening 11 the support is advanced until its end is opposite the radio frequency antenna. The other supports, depending on the medium to be treated and located in the printer are protected from the radiation of the radiofrequency antenna 51 through the shield formed by the blade 31 and the blade 32 of the separation module which constitute a real barrier between the radiofrequency antenna 51 and the other supports. The radiofrequency label of the medium is processed. After radiofrequency processing, the media is returned to the print module for at least one of the following operations: printing, separating, ejecting, or discarding. When the medium to be treated is introduced through the validation introduction opening 18 located on the front portion 14 of the printer 10, the support is conveyed by the conveyor channels 19 and 114 up to The optical sensor serves as a position reference for a support 54 introduced into the printer through the insertion opening 18. In the present example, this optical sensor is advantageously the sensor. optical C2 performing the gripping detection of the medium of the support module described above. The document is conveyed near the radiofrequency antenna 51 and the radiofrequency treatment of the radiofrequency label of the support is carried out thanks to the radiofrequency antenna 51. After the radiofrequency treatment, the support 54 is conveyed to the printing module . Indeed, a support inserted into the printer by the validation introduction opening 18 can receive an impression on a part of its surface. For example, the printable area of an 8-inch ATB coupon size is 120 mm x 75 mm, for a document in the ISO format, it is 15 mm x 45 mm. After printing, the support 54 can be conveyed indifferently according to the application: - to the extraction opening 13 to be extracted from the printer 10 and be ejected into the tray or ejection receptacle 15, or put in position grasping; 20 - to a rejected receptacle or a discarded box (not shown). For this purpose, the printer 10 comprises switching means 55 of the support located downstream of the radiofrequency antenna 51. These switching means are shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. Moreover, the printer 10 comprises a module of FIG. jogging such as that described above and arranged in the routing channel 19 associated with the validation introduction opening 18. The positioning of the radiofrequency antenna near the portion 52 of the cover 53, permeable to radiofrequency waves and easily accessible makes it possible to process radiofrequency labels of a support or a document without this being introduced into the printer 10. Such a processing possibility is very advantageous for documents or supports that can not be introduced in the printer such as rigid badges "agents" or "supervisor". One can even consider the use of the radiofrequency antenna, without soliciting the other functions of the printer 10. For the radiofrequency treatment of the external media to the printer, it is sufficient to present the support to be externally treated to the radio frequency antenna may be a 13.56 MHz radio frequency antenna or an antenna operating in the UHF frequency range or both. The printer 10 further comprises, on the front face, a module for validation or revalidation of a support 61 introduced into the printer 10 through the validation opening 18 as represented in FIG. ISO format are indifferently accepted, format recognition is automatic. The revalidation front-end module comprises a code reader 62 consisting of a tiny digital camera 63 associated with a decoding logic that makes it possible to read both 1D or 2D barcodes as well as OCR characters (Optical Code Recognition) 20 to be printed transversely on the support 61. The routing of the support is done so as to present the bar code to read next reader 62. The reading is followed by the positioning of the document in the print module described above. A sensor 64 makes it possible to detect the introduction of the support 61 by the validation opening 18 and controls the validation module as well as the means for conveying the support to the printing means or the radiofrequency antenna. The receptacle or the box is used in case: - of impossibility to carry out an RF coding on a ticket in issue (if the machine has the option RFID), - replay impossible barcode requested with verification The printer 10 accepts all the documents of the "ATB1" or "ATB2" type described in the IATA resolutions: they are included in the scope of application of the application software or the management of the printer 10. 2918490 - 23 - titles with precut, rounded corners, stapling strain and pockets. The "continuous" formulas with or without pre-cuts can be processed by the machine, the separation or cutting position being determined by a measurement of the length of the document. The basis weight of the paper can range from 80 to 180g / m2. Accepted luggage tags are those which allow for opacity difference detection: IATA 740 "s", 740 "sl" or 740 "t" resolutions. Titles in "credit card" format can be issued from pre-cut formulas, with or without rounded corners. Continuous bands without precut, marked or not, are also printable on IER560 Blank documents can be packaged in "accordion" folding for pre-cut formulas. The usual capacities of the boxes used are 1000 or 2000 single coupons, for pouches the capacity is limited to 500. The continuous formulas are packaged in rolls whose length can reach 700 m in the case of a paper of 80 g / m 2 ; the mandrel of such rollers will have an inner diameter of 70mm. For the treatment of continuous web formulas without precut but with pre-printing, an optional marker sensor, printed on the back of the paper, provides print and cut timing. The printing is of the direct thermal type. To satisfy an optimum quality, adapted to the type of paper used, the printing speed and the contrast, that is to say the heating power, are adjustable. Usable print speeds range from 4 to 8 inches per second, in increments of 1 inch per second. The dimensions of the printer are: -width: 220mm; - height: 180mm. The machine has a "bump" on the top of the hood; 2918490 - 24 - - Depth: 440mm, reduced to 300mm for embeddable version or table version without receptacle or front. The machine can be installed with the back side in contact with a vertical wall. The paper strips from the stocks or rolls may have a vertical path. The weight of the machine is 11kg.

  The objectives pursued to simplify the operation of the printer 10, the chosen name of which is IER560 are as follows: - to provide the printer with the means to automatically carry out the adjustments necessary for the proper functioning, while minimizing the human intervention, - make available a set of exhaustive, economic and automatic tests with a report of results, 15 - monitoring of operational functioning, element by element, and transmission of information on the drifts of each element, and - development of a summary of the machine operation and its behavior, intended for the maintenance operator (or remote maintenance supervisor), for predictive maintenance purposes.

  A complete set of automatic tests reside in the printer. They can be activated locally or by a remote terminal. During the course of these tests, the tolerance on the drifts is deliberately reduced and the recoveries inhibited; the detection of an anomaly causes the stop in position of the print medium and the display of the fault encountered. At the end of the test, a report is published.

  The printer 10 further comprises management software. The latter integrates an auto-tuning procedure which consists in noting the dimensional characteristics and dispersions of the components in order to accommodate them. 2918490 - 25 - This automatic procedure is carried out, at the request of an operator, whenever an element of the kinematics of the printer has been exchanged. The self-learning relates to the compensation of the following elements: inter-sensor distances, print centering, anvil diameter, and ejection and stacking distances of the coupons. The management software can trigger an autotune of the optical sensors. of the printer at the request of a maintenance operator. The purpose of the automatic adjustment procedure for optical sensors is to adjust the current of each light emitter. This setting allows the detection of any medium whose diffusion index is of the order of 50% of that of the most transparent support known. This offers an excellent margin of safety. In addition, to compensate for possible fouling of the sensors, this setting is automatically resumed when the sensor is cleared for a significant time, for example at each end of the box, on the paper input channels. When a channel is used with a medium requiring transparency detection, the setting takes this feature into account and raises the current level to such a level that the known most transparent medium is accepted. In addition, during paper loading, a finer transparency analysis is performed and the current is corrected. For machines with a marker sensor performing optional synchronization by printed mark, autotuning is performed when loading paper; the detection currents on the bottom and on the reference mark serve to determine the optimum current corresponding to the arithmetic average of the aforementioned currents. As a result of this adjustment, the support is optionally cut at the appropriate distance from the printed mark. The printer is further capable of providing the print head degradation situation and defective points. This information is available online but also, offline, at the request of the operator. In order to establish the list and the position of the defective points, an automatic measurement program performs the following operations outside the print head usage times: -determination of the average of the currents consumed by the 640 pixels of the print head the print head, and 10 - comparing the value of each pixel current with the average value of the currents with a programmable tolerance: if the value found is outside the calculated range, the corresponding point is declared defective. The test uses two programmable parameters: the detection tolerance, set in principle at 40% but which can be reduced if it is desired to anticipate a deterioration before this has an effect on the printing, and the measurement delay, currently set at 12 ms, whose value depends on the head used and the value of its decoupling capacitors.

  The printer software 10 constantly checks, function by function, that the operational operation is comparable to that of an ideal reference machine. In case of difference, an incident database is filled in, the functions are, however, chained normally. Each element of the mechanical chain is assigned a warnings incident counter. The latter counts the cases for which the function has been executed despite degraded operation. The analysis of the warnings counters makes it possible, even on a machine whose operation seems perfect, to detect repeated underlying incidents. It can thus trigger the appropriate preventive maintenance. 2918490 - 27 - The printer 10 has been designed with the aim of ensuring the safety of users or personnel who can work on it: - no voltage, other than the extra-low safety voltage, is accessible during operation or even maintenance 5 with open hoods, - access to the electronic module, however supplied with very low safety voltage, is only possible after disconnection of the mains cable, and - the conductors traversed by the current The sector is protected by specific cowlings requiring a tool for disassembly and this, after opening the cover has led to the disconnection of the mains cable. Furthermore: the opening of the access cover to the mechanism causes the stop of the operation thereof, and the access to the cutting module causes the effective cutting of the control of the electromechanical elements of the printer: which constitutes a double security. To secure the operation and operation of the IER560 printer, each operation is rescued and an automatic recovery procedure is performed in the event of a processing failure. In order to facilitate the use of the IER560, the signaling of possible faults has been made more intuitive. Indicators have been distributed along the paper path. These lights help locate a potential incident and indicate the logic state of the sensors as well as their soil load.

  Of course, the invention is not limited to the example just described above. 30

Claims (22)

  1. A system for printing media, in particular tickets or tickets, in a continuous form in which said supports follow each other and have a link with or without a precut, said system comprising means for printing said supports characterized in that said system further comprises a separation device provided for performing: - separation by breaking the connection between two supports when said connection has a precut, or - separation by cutting the connection between two supports when said connection does not present a precut.   2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that the separating device comprises two separating members (31, 32), referred to by rupture, provided for effecting the separation by breaking of the supports (33, 34), said separating members. by breaking (31,32) being directed towards the faces of the supports (33,34) to be separated, one (31) of said rupture separating members being disposed on one side of the supports (33,34) to be separated and the other (32) of said separating members by breaking on the other side of said supports (33,34) to be separated, said rupture separating members (31,32) having between them, in the rest position, a gap of passage (F1) allowing one (34) of said supports to pass between said members (31,32), one (31) of said members (31,32) being provided to exert a force on a face of the one (33) of the two supports (33,34) to be separated and the other (32) of said members (31,32) being provided for exerting a force on the opposite side of the other (34) of the two supports (33,34), said supports (33,34) being locked in translation relative to the direction of passage.   3. System according to claim 2, characterized in that the two rupture separating members (31,32) have between them an offset (F2) in the direction of passage of the supports provided for placing the connection comprising the precut between said organs breaking point (31,32) in the direction of passage and at least one (31) of the breaking members (31,32) is moved in a translation movement along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the supports to one side of one (33) of the two supports (33,34) thus exerting a first force on said face and bringing the other (34) of the two supports (33,34) into contact with the other (32) two rupture separating members (31,32) which in turn exerts a second force on the opposite face of the other (34) of the two supports (33,34) thus achieving the separation of the two supports (33, 34) by breaking the bond having a precut. 10   4. System according to any one of claims 2 or 3, characterized in that at least one of the rupture separating members (31,32) has an inclination such that separation by breaking the bond can be done gradually. 15   5. System according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the separating device further comprises means for blocking the supports to be separated.   6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that it comprises means for printing media and media conveying means to said printing means or from said printing means, at least a part of said printing means and / or said conveying means making the clamping of the supports by pinching during the separation of said supports by breaking the connection 25 between said supports.   7. System according to claim 6, characterized in that the printing means comprise a print head (115) pressing one (33) of the supports (33,34) to be separated against a printing anvil (117). ) being on the other side of the print head (115) with respect to said support (33) and thereby pinching said support (33).   8. System according to any one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the conveying means comprise at least one motor wheel-30- (37) and a motor against-roller (38) arranged vis-à- screw, on one side and the other of one (34) of the supports (33,34) to be separated, said motor roller (37) and said motor counter-roller (38) blocking said support by pinching (34).   9. System according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the rupture separating members (31,32) are arranged downstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out after printing. of it. 10   10. System according to any one of claims 2 to 8, characterized in that the rupture separating members (31,32) are arranged upstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out before printing. of it. 15   11. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the separating device comprises two separating members (31, 32), said by cutting, for the separation of two supports (33, 34) by cutting the connection between the two supports (33,34), said cut-off members (31,32) being directed towards the faces of the supports to be separated (33,34), one (31) of said cut-off members (31,32) being disposed on one side of the supports (33,34) to be separated and the other (32) of the separation members by cutting (31,32) on the other side of the supports (33,34) separating, said cut-off members (31,32) having between them, in the rest position, a passage gap (F1) allowing one (34) of said supports to pass between said cutting members by cutting (31,32).   12. System according to claim 11, characterized in that at least one (31) of the two separation members by cutting (31,32) is driven in a translation movement along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the supports substantially at level of the connection between the supports (33,34) to be separated thus exerting a first force on said linkage and bringing said link into contact with the other (32) of the two cutoff separation members (31,32) , being on the other side of the two supports (33,34) and which in turn exerts a second force on said link, the second force being of the same direction but of direction opposite to the first effort, the assembly thus achieving the cutting separation of the two supports (33,34) substantially at said connection.   13. System according to any one of claims 11 or 12, characterized in that at least one of the cutting separation members (31,32) has an inclination such that said cutting separation members (31,32). ) form a pair of scissors for separating the two supports (33,34) by progressive cutting of the connection between the two supports (33,34).   14. System according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the cutting separation members (31,32) are arranged downstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out after printing. of it.   15. System according to any one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the cutting separation members (31,32) are arranged upstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out before printing. of it.   16. System according to one of claims 2 to 8 and one of claims 11 to 13, characterized in that the two rupture separating members (31,32) are constituted by the two cutting separation members (31). , 32), said system further comprising means for selecting the function of said members (31, 32), namely: separation by breaking the connection between two supports (33, 34) when said connection has a precut, or - Cutting separation of the connection between two supports (33,34) when said connection does not present precut. said selection means comprising means: 2918490 - 32 - - spacing of the two separation members (31,32) when the function of said separation members is to achieve the separation by rupture of the two supports (33,34), and - bringing said separating members (31,32) closer together so that they form a pair of scissors when the function of said members (31,32) is to effect the separation by cutting of the two supports (33: 34).   17. System according to claim 16, characterized in that the spacing means 10 comprise at least one part (35), called the opening cam, rigidly attached to one (35) of the two separating members ( 31,32), said separating member (32) being freely rotatable, said opening cam (35) being adapted to be actuated to drive said separating member (32) in rotation so that said member separating (32) may deviate from the other (31) of said separating members (31,32) to effect the separation of the supports (33,34) by breaking the connection between the supports (33,34), said having a precut, 20 - approaching the other (31) of said separating members (31,32) to achieve the separation of the supports (33,34) by connecting cut between the supports (33,34), said not having a precut. 25   18. System according to claim 17, characterized in that the opening cam (35) is actuated by the print head (115) when said print head (115) passes into the printing position against the anvil printing (117), thus realizing the spacing of the separating members (31,32) for separation by breaking the connection between the two supports (33,34), said printing head (115) also realizing in this position, blocking one (33) of the two supports (33,34) to be separated by pinching said support (33) against the printing anvil (117). 5 2918490 - 33 -   19. System according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the separation members (31,32) are arranged upstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out before printing of the -this.   20. System according to any one of claims 16 to 18, characterized in that the separation members (31,32) are arranged downstream of the printing means, the complete separation of a support being carried out after printing of the -this. 10 15   21. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it further comprises detection means adapted to detect whether the connection between two supports (33,34) has a pre-cut or not.   22. System according to claim 21, characterized in that the detection means comprise at least one optical sensor.