JP2000034043A - Synchronous sheet feed mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a synchronous sheet feed mechanism that delivers printing material precisely even with all its less dimensional accuracy. SOLUTION: A two-color printer 10 to which the synchronous sheet feed mechanism is applied has a first station 16 for feeding a label continuum 100 and a second station 40. The feed rate of the label continuum 100 by the first label station 16 is set lower than that by the second station 40, and the coefficient of friction of the label continuum 100 with the first label station 16 is set smaller than that with the second station 40.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a synchronous paper feed mechanism, and more particularly, to a two-color printer having two or more feed mechanisms for feeding a printing material such as a continuous label having a label to be printed. The present invention relates to a synchronous paper feed mechanism used in a multi-color printer or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Some conventional two-color printers, which are the background of the present invention, are provided with a feeding mechanism on the upstream side and the downstream side in the feeding direction of a label continuous body having a label to be printed. The upstream feed mechanism includes a platen roller connected to a drive motor, and a thermal head for, for example, thermal coloring is provided to face the platen roller. Then, the label continuous body is sandwiched between the platen roller and the thermal head, and the label continuous body is fed by rotating the platen roller by a drive motor. Since the thermal head is for thermal coloring, a thermal coloring layer is formed on the surface of the label of the continuous label. The downstream feed mechanism includes another platen roller connected to the drive motor, and another thermal head for thermal transfer is provided to face the other platen roller.
Then, the label continuum is sandwiched between the other platen roller and the another thermal head, and the another platen roller is rotated by a drive motor, whereby the label continuity is fed. Since this other thermal head is for thermal transfer, a thermal transfer ribbon is sandwiched between the other thermal head and the label continuum.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION As described above, the conventional 2
In a color printer, when the feed speed of the label continuum by the upstream feed mechanism is faster than the feed speed of the label continuum by the downstream feed mechanism, a label is sent between the upstream feed mechanism and the downstream feed mechanism. The continuum sags.
Further, in the conventional two-color printer described above, when the feed speed of the label continuum by the upstream feed mechanism is lower than the feed speed of the label continuum by the downstream feed mechanism, the upstream feed mechanism and the downstream feed mechanism are connected to each other. In some cases, a tension force is applied to the label continuum between the label continuity mechanism and the label continuity mechanism, and the label continuity may be cut. Therefore, the conventional 2
In a color printer, the feeding speed of the label continuum by the upstream feeding mechanism and the feeding speed of the label continuity by the downstream feeding mechanism are the same in order to accurately feed the label continuum. The platen roller of the upstream feed mechanism and the platen roller of the downstream feed mechanism are designed to have the same diameter. However, in order to make the feed speed of the label continuous body by the upstream feed mechanism and the feed speed of the label continuous body by the downstream feed mechanism the same feed speed, in order to form those platen rollers to the same diameter, it is necessary to use dimensions. Accuracy is required.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, a main object of the present invention is to provide a synchronous paper feed mechanism which does not require dimensional accuracy and can feed a printing material accurately.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention is a synchronous paper feed mechanism having an upstream feed mechanism and a downstream feed mechanism for feeding a material to be printed. The feeding speed of the printing material by the printing medium is made slower than the feeding speed of the printing material by the downstream feeding mechanism, and furthermore, the feeding speed of one of the upstream feeding mechanism and the downstream feeding mechanism and the printing material is changed. A synchronous paper feed mechanism characterized in that a coefficient of friction is made smaller than a friction coefficient between the other one of the upstream feed mechanism and the downstream feed mechanism and a print-receiving material. In the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, for example, the upstream feed mechanism includes:
Including a platen roller and a print head provided to face each other so as to sandwich the material to be printed, the downstream feed mechanism includes another platen roller and another print head provided to face each other so as to sandwich the material to be printed . In the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, for example, the diameter of the platen roller in the upstream feed mechanism may be smaller than the diameter of the platen roller in the downstream feed mechanism. Further, in the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, for example, the platen roller in one feed mechanism may be formed of a hard material, and the platen roller in the other feed mechanism may be formed of a soft material. In the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, for example, the pressure of the print head on the platen roller in one feed mechanism may be smaller than the pressure of the print head on the platen roller in the other feed mechanism. Further, in the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, for example, the coefficient of friction between the upstream feed mechanism and the material to be printed may be smaller than the coefficient of friction between the downstream feed mechanism and the material to be printed.

In the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, the feed speed of the print medium by the upstream feed mechanism is made slower than the feed speed of the print material by the downstream feed mechanism. Since the coefficient of friction with the printing material is smaller than the friction coefficient between the other feeding mechanism and the material to be printed, the printing material slides with respect to one of the feeding mechanisms and is fed in synchronization with the other feeding mechanism. Can be In the synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention, since the feed speed of the printing material by the upstream feed mechanism is lower than the feed speed of the print material by the downstream feed mechanism, the upstream feed mechanism uses the platen roller. Even if the downstream feed mechanism includes another platen roller, the platen rollers do not need to be formed to the same diameter, and dimensional accuracy is not required. Further, in the synchronous paper feeding mechanism according to the present invention, the printing medium slides with respect to one of the feeding mechanisms and is fed in synchronization with the other feeding mechanism. The material to be printed can be fed accurately without sagging or cutting between the sheets.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing one example of a two-color printer using a synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention. The two-color printer 10 shown in FIG. A holding reel 14 is rotatably supported by the housing 12. On the holding reel 14, a label continuous body 100 as a material to be printed is wound up and held in a roll shape.

The label continuous body 100 includes a belt-shaped support member 102 made of, for example, a synthetic resin.
For example, a release agent layer is formed by applying silicone or the like on the surface of No. 2, and a plurality of labels 104 are temporarily attached at intervals on the release agent layer. Label 104
Includes a substrate made of, for example, paper or a synthetic resin, and an adhesive layer is formed on the entire back surface of the substrate. Further, on the entire surface of the base material, a heat-sensitive coloring layer that develops a black color by heating with a thermal head, for example, is formed. On the entire surface of the heat-sensitive coloring layer, blocking of the thermal head is prevented and thermal transfer described later is performed. A protective layer for improving the adhesion of the transfer layer from the ribbon is formed, and on the surface of the protective layer, a pre-printed layer such as a fixed diagram or a character is formed by a known technique such as opset printing or gravure printing. Formed by the method.

The label continuum 100 is drawn from the holding reel 14 to a first station 16 serving as a first feeding means and a first printing means. The first station 16 is for feeding the label continuum 100 and printing characters, graphics or symbols or a combination thereof on the surface of the label 104 of the label continuum 100, for example, in a black color by a thermosensitive coloring method.

The first station 16 has a thermal head 18 for printing a character or the like by heating the thermosensitive coloring layer on the surface of the label 104 of the label continuum 100.
The tip of the thermal head 18 is, as shown in FIG.
It comes into contact with the surface of the label continuous body 100 and is pressed by the spring 20 in the thickness direction of the label continuous body 100 at a predetermined pressure. Further, a platen roller 22 is provided on the back surface of the label continuous body 100 facing the tip of the thermal head 18, and the label continuous body 100 is sandwiched between the heat generating portion at the tip of the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 22. You. In this case, the pressing force of the thermal head 18 by the spring 20 is made smaller than the pressing force of the thermal head 44 by the spring 46 described later, and the platen roller 22 is formed of a hard rubber material, so that the label continuous body 100 is moved to the downstream side. The thermal head 18 and the platen roller 22 so that the label continuum 100 is not cut even if it is pulled to slide between the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 22.
The coefficient of friction between the label continuum 1 and the thermal head 44 and the platen roller 48 described below
00 and the coefficient of friction with the thermal transfer ribbon 110.

The diameter of the platen roller 22 is
In order to make the feeding speed of the label continuous body 100 by the station 16 of the second station 40 slower than the feeding speed of the label continuous body 100 by the second station 40 described later, the diameter is made smaller than the diameter of a platen roller 48 described later.

The platen roller 22 is rotatably supported by the housing 12, as shown in FIGS. A metal gear 24 is fixed to the platen roller 22,
Another metal gear 26 is rotatably supported by the housing 12 so as to mesh with the metal gear 24. A pulley 28 is fixed to the metal gear 26. A belt 30 is hung on the pulley 28. The belt 30 is hung around another pulley 32 rotatably supported by the housing 12, a pulley 36 fixed to a shaft of a drive motor 34 fixed to the housing 12, and the like. Therefore, the platen roller 22 can be rotated by the drive motor 34 to feed the label continuous body 100.

The first station 16 includes a label detection sensor. The label detection sensor is for detecting the front end of the label 104 in the feeding direction in order to synchronize the feeding and printing. This label detection sensor
It is provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction near the thermal head 18. In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the label detecting sensor irradiates light toward the label continuum 100 and detects a change in reflected light due to an eye mark printed on the back surface of the label continuum 100 in advance. An optical sensor 38a is used. However, when the label continuum 100 on which the eye mark is not printed is used, the transmitted light sensor 38b that detects a change in transmitted light due to the presence or absence of the label 104 is provided by the reflected light sensor 38 with the label continuum 100 interposed therebetween. 38a. In this case,
The light emitted from the reflected light sensor 38a is the label continuum 1
00 is transmitted in the thickness direction and is incident on the transmitted light sensor 38b.

Downstream of the first station 16, a second station 40 is provided as a second feeding means and a second printing means. Second station 40
Is for sending the label continuum 100 and printing characters, graphics, or symbols or a combination thereof on the surface of the label 104 of the label continuum 100, for example, in red by a thermal transfer method.

The second station 40 has a ribbon holding reel 42 for winding and holding the thermal transfer ribbon 110 in a roll. The thermal transfer ribbon 110 is transferred from the ribbon holding reel 42 to the label 10 of the label continuum 100.
4 Pulled up.

The second station 40 heats the thermal transfer ribbon 110 to apply characters and the like to the label continuum 10.
0 has a thermal head 44 for transferring to the surface of the label 104. The heat generating portion of the thermal head 44 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, the thermal transfer ribbon 110 is formed so as to come into contact with the surface of the label 104 while sandwiching the thermal transfer ribbon 110 therebetween, and to press the thermal transfer ribbon 110 in the thickness direction of the label continuous body 100 with a predetermined pressure by the spring 46. Further, the label continuous body 10 facing the heat generating portion at the tip of the thermal head 44.
A platen roller 48 is provided on the back surface of the print head 0, and the label continuous body 100 and the thermal transfer ribbon 110 are sandwiched between the tip of the thermal head 44 and the platen roller 48. In this case, the pressing force of the thermal head 44 by the spring 46 is greater than the pressing force of the thermal head 18 by the spring 20 and the platen roller 48 is formed of a soft rubber material.
4 and the coefficient of friction between the platen roller 48 and the label continuous body 100 and the thermal transfer ribbon 110 are made larger than the friction coefficient between the thermal head 18 and the platen roller 22 and the label continuous body 100 described above.

The diameter of the platen roller 48 is
In order to make the feeding speed of the label continuous body 100 by the first station 16 faster than that of the first station 16, the diameter of the platen roller 22 is made larger.

The platen roller 48 is rotatably supported by the housing 12, as shown in FIGS. A metal gear 50 having the same structure as the metal gear 24 is fixed to the platen roller 48, and a metal gear 52 having the same structure as the metal gear 26 is engaged with the metal gear 50 so as to mesh with the metal gear 50.
2 rotatably supported. A pulley 54 having the same structure as the pulley 28 is fixed to the metal gear 52. The pulley 54 has a pulley 3 fixed to the shaft of the drive motor 34.
The belt 30 to be hung on 6 or the like is hung. For this reason, the platen roller 48 is rotated by the drive motor 34 so that the label continuous body 100 and the thermal transfer ribbon 11 are rotated.
0 can be sent.

The housing 12 has a rotary solenoid 5
6 is fixed. As shown in FIG. 5, one end of a connecting arm 58 is fixed to the shaft of the rotary solenoid 56. The other end of the connection arm 58 is connected to an end of the rotation support member 60. The center of the rotation support member 60 is fixed to the rotation shaft 62. A cam 64 having a claw is fixed to the rotating shaft 62. In addition, as shown in FIG. 6, a lifting member 66 is provided between the claw portion of the cam 64 and the thermal head 44. Therefore, when the rotary shaft 62 is rotated by a rotary solenoid 56 or the like, the cam 64 and the lifting member 66 cause the thermal head 44 to rotate.
Can be displaced upward against the spring 46. If the thermal head 44 is displaced upward as described above, the thermal transfer ribbon 110 will not be pinched by the thermal head 44 and the platen roller 48, so that even if the platen roller 48 is rotated, the thermal transfer ribbon 110 will not be sent.

Further, the second station 40 is provided in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the take-up reel 68 for taking up the thermal transfer ribbon 110 is included. The take-up reel 68 is connected to another drive motor 70 via a pulley or a transmission belt, is forcibly rotated in synchronization with printing by the thermal head 44, and the thermal transfer ribbon 110 is taken up.

Further, the second station 40 includes a label detection sensor. The label detection sensor is for detecting the front end of the label 104 in the feeding direction in order to synchronize the feeding and printing. This label detection sensor
It is provided on the upstream side in the feeding direction near the thermal head 44. In this case, as the label detection sensor, a reflected light sensor 72a that irradiates light toward the label continuum 100 and detects a change in light reflected by an eye mark printed on the back surface of the label continuum 100 is used. However, when the label continuum 100 on which the eye mark is not printed is used, the transmitted light sensor 72b for detecting a change in transmitted light due to the presence or absence of the label 104 is a reflected light sensor while the label continuity 100 is interposed therebetween. 72a. In this case, the reflected light sensor 72a
Are arranged so that the light radiated from is transmitted through the label continuum 100 in the thickness direction and enters the transmitted light sensor 72b.

Further, the two-color printer 10 includes a power supply device 80 and a control circuit 82. The power supply device 80 is for supplying electric power to each of the above-described devices, and a conventionally known device can be used. The control circuit 82 controls each of the above-described devices in accordance with a preset program to form a desired two-color label. Used by programming to perform operations according to the invention.

In the two-color printer 10, the label continuum 100 is sent by the first station 16 and the second station 40. In this case, the feed speed of the label continuum 100 by the first station 16 is made slower than the feed speed of the label continuum 100 by the second station 40, and the friction between the first station 16 and the label continuum 100 is further increased. Since the coefficient is smaller than the coefficient of friction between the second station 40 and the label continuum 100, the label continuum 100 slides relative to the first station 16 and synchronizes with the feed rate of the second station 40. Sent.

In the two-color printer 10, the first color printer on the upstream side
The feed speed of the label continuum 100 by the station 16 of the second station 40 is lower than the feed speed of the label continuity 100 by the second station 40 on the downstream side. No dimensional accuracy is required.

Further, in the two-color printer 10, the label continuum 100 slides with respect to the first station 16 and is sent in synchronization with the second station 40. The label continuum 100 can be fed accurately without sagging or cutting with the second station 40.

Further, in the two-color printer 10, printing can be performed on the surface of the label 104 of the label continuum 100 in the first station 16 by a thermosensitive coloring method. Printing can be performed on the surface of the label 104 of the body 100 by a thermal transfer method.

Further, in the two-color printer 10, the second
When printing is not performed on the label 104 of the label continuous body 100 at the station 40 of the
Is displaced upward by the rotary solenoid 56 and the like, and the drive motor 70 is stopped, so that the thermal transfer ribbon 110 is not fed, and consumption of the thermal transfer ribbon 110 can be saved. When the thermal head 44 is displaced upward, the label continuous body 100 is fed by the platen roller 22 of the first station 16 or the like.

In the above-described two-color printer 10,
First upstream station 16 and label continuum 1
In order to make the friction coefficient of the thermal heads 18 and 44 different from the friction coefficient of the second station 40 and the label continuous body 100 on the downstream side, for example, only the pressing force of the thermal heads 18 and 44 is made different, or the platen roller 22 is made different. And only the hardness of 48 may be different. In this case, the pressing force of the thermal heads 18 and 44 can be changed by changing the strength of the springs 20 and 46. As the pressing force of the thermal head increases, the coefficient of friction associated therewith increases. Further, when the hardness of the platen roller is reduced, the friction coefficient associated therewith increases.

Further, in the two-color printer 10 described above, the label continuum 100 by the first station 16 is used.
In order to make the feeding speed of the label continuous body 100 different from that of the second station 40, for example, the gear ratio of the metal gear and the diameter of the pulley may be changed together with the diameter of the platen roller.

In the two-color printer 10 described above, the first
The feed speed of the label continuum 100 by the second station 40 is
, But the feed speed of the label continuum 100 by the second station 40 is
6 may be lower than the feeding speed of the label continuous body 100. In this case, the label continuum 100 slides on the first station 16 and is sent synchronously to the second station 40.

Further, in the above-described two-color printer 10, the thermal head 18 for thermal coloring and the thermal head 44 for thermal transfer are used. In the present invention, for example, an ink jet head or the like is used. May be used.

The two-color printer 10 has two sets of feeding means and printing means.
The present invention is not limited to a two-color printer having a set of feeding means and printing means, but may be applied to a multicolor printer having many sets of feeding means and printing means.

Further, in the above-described two-color printer 10, the label continuous body 100 is used as a material to be printed, but in the present invention, another material to be printed may be used.

[0035]

According to the present invention, there is provided a synchronous paper feed mechanism which does not require dimensional accuracy and can feed the printing material accurately.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an illustrative view showing one example of a two-color printer using a synchronous paper feed mechanism according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustrative view showing a thermal head and the like of the two-color printer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an illustrative plan view showing a platen roller and the like of the two-color printer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an illustrative front view showing a platen roller and the like of the two-color printer shown in FIG. 1;

5 is an illustrative view showing a rotary solenoid and the like of the two-color printer shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an illustrative view showing a cam and the like of the two-color printer shown in FIG. 1;

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 Two-color printer 12 Housing 14 Retaining reel 16 First station 18, 44 Thermal head 20, 46 Spring 22, 48 Platen roller 24, 26, 50, 52 Metal gear 28, 32, 36, 54 Pulley 30 Belt 34, Reference Signs List 70 Drive motor 38a, 72a Reflected light sensor 38b, 72b Transmitted light sensor 40 Second station 42 Ribbon holding reel 56 Rotary solenoid 58 Connecting arm 60 Rotation support member 62 Rotation shaft 64 Cam 66 Lifting member 68 Take-up reel 80 Power supply device 82 control circuit 100 label continuum 102 support material 104 label 110 thermal transfer ribbon

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Teruo Takashima 2-12-1, Shin-Yokohama, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 2F Shin-Yokohama Mitsunobu Building 4F Osaka Ceiling Printing Co., Ltd. Yokohama Technical Center F-term (reference) 2C055 KK00 KK05 KK10 2C058 AB01 AC06 AC17 AE04 AE10 AE14 AF31 BA08 BA17 2C060 BA01 BC02 BC12 BC34 BC35 3F105 AA01 AA04 AA15 AB04 AB09 BA07 BA39 CA13 CB01 DA51 DB11 DC12 DC13

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A synchronous paper feed mechanism having an upstream feed mechanism and a downstream feed mechanism for feeding a print material, wherein a feed speed of the print material by the upstream feed mechanism is the downstream speed. The feeding speed of the printing material by the feeding mechanism of the above, further, the friction coefficient between the feeding material of one of the upstream feeding mechanism and the downstream feeding mechanism and the printing material, the upstream side Wherein the coefficient of friction between the other one of the feeding mechanism and the downstream-side feeding mechanism and the material to be printed is smaller than the coefficient of friction. 2. The upstream-side feed mechanism includes a platen roller and a print head provided so as to face each other so as to sandwich the print-receiving material, and the downstream-side feed mechanism is configured to sandwich the print-receiving material. The synchronous paper feed mechanism according to claim 1, further comprising another platen roller and another print head provided opposite to each other. 3. The synchronous paper feed mechanism according to claim 2, wherein a diameter of a platen roller in the upstream feed mechanism is smaller than a diameter of a platen roller in the downstream feed mechanism. 4. The platen roller of the one feed mechanism is formed of a hard material, and the platen roller of the other feed mechanism is formed of a soft material.
The synchronous paper feed mechanism according to claim 2 or 3. 5. The synchronization according to claim 2, wherein the pressure of the print head against the platen roller in the one feed mechanism is smaller than the pressure of the print head against the platen roller in the other feed mechanism. Paper feed mechanism. 6. The print medium according to claim 1, wherein a coefficient of friction between the upstream feed mechanism and the material to be printed is smaller than a friction coefficient between the downstream feed mechanism and the material to be printed. Synchronous paper feed mechanism according to 1.