JP2001139202A - Printing device using roll paper - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To change a judgment reference for the detection of a near end of roller paper according to using environments. SOLUTION: A near end in which residual amount of roll paper 22 is reduced is detected by a near end detecting device 16. As for the roll paper 22, the location of a bobbin 23 is lowered when continuous paper 24 wound on the bobbin 23 is used. A projection part 27 pushed by a spring 28 is fitted into a hollow part of the bobbin 23, a detection lever 25 is oscillated and displaced with a spindle 26 as a center and a microswitch 29 is operated. When a knob 19 is turned, a near end detecting device box 28 is raised, lowered and displaced and a judgment reference of the near end can be changed. Judgment reference amount is taken at a large degree in a congestion time zone at a shop in which an electronic cash register 10 is installed. Even if roll paper 22 is not immediately exchanged even if an alarm is given, a hindrance is prevented from being generated in service. In a slack time zone, the judgment reference is set at a small degree.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that uses roll paper, such as an electronic cash register or a POS terminal.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, ECR (Electric Cash Regi
ster) or POS (Po
An int of sales terminal device prints a receipt in response to payment of a price from a customer and prints a journal to keep a sales record. For these printings, roll paper, which is recording paper supplied in a rolled state, is used. When the roll paper is completely used, the ECR is used unless a new roll paper is used.
You will not be able to continue using it. At stores, etc.
In order to avoid replacing the roll paper while the customer is busy, a warning is issued to prompt the user to replace the roll paper when the remaining amount of roll paper is low. The user is notified that it is better to replace the roll paper with a new roll paper, and the ECR user or the like replaces the roll paper when the congestion of the customer has subsided.

A state in which the roll paper is almost exhausted is called a near-end state. JP-A-59-2875 states that
A configuration for mechanically detecting the near end of roll paper with an electronic register device is disclosed. JP-A-59-2875
On the assumption that the printing on the roll paper is performed at a fixed amount per line, a detecting means for detecting the rotation of the roll paper, a constant means for counting the number of fixed feeds,
Calculating means for comparing the rotation detected by the detecting means and the number of feeds counted by the constant means with a predetermined value for calculating the near end by calculating by the calculating means, and detecting the near end based on the comparison result Configuration.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of FIG. 2 of JP-A-59-2875.
FIG. 4 shows an outline of a near-end detection device shown as a conventional example. The near-end detecting device 1 includes a roll paper 2
Is provided in the vicinity of the accommodation position. The roll paper 2 is configured by winding a continuous paper 4 around a cylindrical bobbin 3. FIG. 8A shows a state in which the continuous paper 4 is sufficiently present in the roll paper 2, and FIG. 8B shows a near-end state in which the remaining amount of the continuous paper 4 is small.

The near-end detecting device 1 includes a detecting lever 5 for detecting a near-end state. The detection lever 5 has a base end supported by a support shaft 6 and a projection 7 on the front end. The detection lever 5 is capable of swinging displacement about the support shaft 6, and the tip of the protrusion 7 is pressed against the side surface of the roll paper 2 by the spring 8. When the continuous paper 5 is used, the height of the roll paper 2 is reduced, and the position of the bobbin 3 is lowered. When the hollow portion of the bobbin 3 is lowered to the tip of the projection 7, the projection 7 can enter the inside of the bobbin 3 as shown in FIG. Since the detection lever 5 is pressed by the spring 8, the protrusion 7 is
As soon as the detection lever 5 is able to enter the inside, the detection lever 5 swings around the support shaft 6. The swing displacement of the detection lever 5 is detected by the micro switch 9 and the near end of the roll paper 2 is detected.

When the near end is detected, a warning prompting the user to replace the roll paper is notified by an audible sound such as a bell or a buzzer. However, even if the warning is given, it is not always necessary to replace the roll paper immediately, and it is not preferable to replace the roll paper when a large number of customers are waiting. Therefore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S61-110293 discloses a prior art in which an operator instructs the number of lines to be printed on journal paper after detecting a near end, and issues a warning again after the specified number of lines are printed. It has been disclosed.

In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-257592, length information is set in a state where a new roll paper is set,
The remaining amount of roll paper is calculated based on the number of paper feeds at the time of printing, and a warning is issued when the remaining amount of roll paper is relatively large during the prohibited period of roll paper replacement, and the remaining amount is relatively large outside the prohibited period. The prior art which issues a warning in a low state has been disclosed.
Further, in the invention to which the application of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 59-2875 is applied, how many line feeds are performed during one rotation of the roll paper 2, that is, how many lines correspond to one rotation of the roll paper 2 When the remaining amount of the continuous paper 4 decreases and the number of lines for one rotation of the roll paper 2 becomes smaller than a predetermined value,
A warning that the remaining amount is low is issued.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 59-2875
Discloses a technique for detecting near-end with high accuracy based on a certain criterion, but users' demands that the near-end detection timing be slightly earlier or later depending on the type of store and business hours. Can not respond to. Also, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No.
-110293, after the near-end warning was given,
If the user indicates the number of lines to print on the journal paper,
Since the next warning is not issued until the printing of the number of lines is completed, the timing at which the near-end warning is performed can be adjusted to some extent depending on the store type and business hours. However, even after the indicated number of lines has been used, it may not always be the right time to replace the roll paper, in which case the user must indicate the number of lines again, Is annoying.

In Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-257592, a time zone that is inappropriate for replacing roll paper, such as when congestion is expected, is set as a prohibited time zone, and a near-end determination criterion is set between the prohibited time zone and other time zones. Can be changed. However, the near-end criterion can be set only for the prohibited time zone and other time zones, and the criterion for the remaining warning level cannot be set finely depending on the business hours and the like. Also, since the unit of paper feed is one line unit,
When printing a special format such as a change in font size or line spacing or a receipt, it is not possible to correctly measure the amount of roll paper used.

[0010] It is an object of the present invention to change the near-end judgment criterion by an external input or according to a time zone, and to change the judgment criterion to an appropriate judgment criterion according to a store type, business hours and the like. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus using roll paper that can perform the printing.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper.
Near-end detecting means installed near the roll paper and detecting the near end where the remaining amount of the roll paper is equal to or less than the reference value, the installation position is variable, and the reference value can be changed by moving the installation position. A near-end changing means for moving the installation position of the near-end detecting means by an external operation to change a reference value of the near-end detection, and a warning notifying means for notifying a warning when the near-end detecting means detects the near-end. And a printing apparatus that uses roll paper.

According to the present invention, near-end detecting means is provided near the roll paper accommodated in the printing apparatus.
The near-end detecting means detects a near-end when the remaining amount of the roll paper is equal to or less than a reference value. The reference value for detecting the near end can be changed by moving the installation position. The near-end changing means changes the reference value of the near-end detection by moving the installation position of the near-end detecting means by an external operation. The warning notifying unit notifies a warning when the near end is detected by the near end detecting unit.
If the user of the printing apparatus replaces the roll paper according to the warning of the warning notification means, the remaining amount of the roll paper at the time of the near-end warning can be changed. Therefore,
It is possible to change the near-end judgment criterion value in accordance with the environmental conditions in which the printing apparatus is installed, to issue a near-end warning in a state suitable for the environmental conditions, and to replace the roll paper at an appropriate timing.

Further, the present invention relates to a printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper. The printer detects a near-end in which the remaining amount of the roll paper is equal to or less than a reference value, and detects the near end. The position is variable, and the near-end detection means capable of changing the reference value by moving the installation position, and according to the time zone, the installation position of the near-end detection means is moved to set the reference value for near-end detection. A printing apparatus using roll paper, comprising: a near-end changing unit for changing the size; and a warning notifying unit for notifying a warning when the near-end is detected by the near-end detecting unit.

According to the present invention, a printing apparatus that accommodates roll paper and performs printing on the roll paper includes near-end detecting means near the roll paper. The near-end detecting means detects a near-end when the remaining amount of the roll paper is equal to or less than a reference value. The installation position of the near-end detection means is variable, and the reference value can be changed by moving the installation position. The near-end changing means moves the installation position of the near-end detecting means according to the time zone and changes the reference value of the near-end detection. The warning notifying unit notifies a warning when a near end is detected. Since the near end where the warning is notified can be changed according to the time zone,
A warning can be notified with an appropriate remaining amount according to a time zone in which the printing apparatus is used.

Further, according to the present invention, in a printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper, the paper length input means for inputting the length of the roll paper and the roll paper input to the paper length input means are provided. Paper length storage means for storing the length, usage amount measurement means for measuring the usage amount of roll paper,
A remaining amount calculator for subtracting the amount of roll paper used measured by the usage meter from the length of the roll paper stored in the paper length storage to calculate the remaining amount of roll paper; It is determined whether or not the remaining amount of the roll paper calculated by the means is in a near end state,
Including a warning notifying means for notifying a warning when the near-end state is determined, and a near-end changing means for changing a criterion of the remaining amount of roll paper in the near-end state in which the warning notifying means warns according to an external operation A printing apparatus using roll paper, characterized in that:

According to the present invention, a printing apparatus using roll paper includes a paper length input means for inputting the length of the roll paper, a usage measuring means for measuring the usage of the roll paper,
The remaining amount calculating means for calculating the remaining amount of the roll paper and the near end state where the remaining amount of the roll paper is small are determined based on the near end state determining means, and a warning is notified when it is determined that the state is the near end state. And a near-end changing means for changing a criterion for determining near-end in accordance with an operation from the outside. The remaining amount of the roll paper is calculated based on the amount of the roll paper used by the usage measuring unit and the length of the roll paper input to the paper length input unit and stored in the paper length storage unit. Since the calculation is performed by the calculation unit, the remaining amount can be accurately calculated, and the roll paper can be replaced with the appropriate remaining amount according to the use environment and the use form of the printing apparatus.

Further, according to the present invention, in a printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper, the paper length input means for inputting the length of the roll paper and the roll paper input to the paper length input means are provided. Paper length storage means for storing the length, usage amount measurement means for measuring the usage amount of roll paper,
A remaining amount calculator for subtracting the amount of roll paper used measured by the usage meter from the length of the roll paper stored in the paper length storage to calculate the remaining amount of roll paper; It is determined whether or not the remaining amount of the roll paper calculated by the means is in a near end state,
A warning notifying means for notifying a warning when the near-end state is determined; and a near-end changing means for changing a determination criterion of the remaining amount of roll paper in the near-end state in which the warning notifying means warns according to a time zone. This is a printing apparatus that uses roll paper as a feature.

According to the present invention, the roll paper on which printing is performed by the printing apparatus is input to the paper length input means and based on the length of the roll paper stored in the paper length storage means.
The remaining amount of the roll paper is calculated by subtracting the used amount measured by the used amount measuring unit by the remaining amount calculating unit. The criterion for determining that the remaining amount of roll paper is in the near-end state where the remaining amount of the roll paper is small is changed by the near-end changing unit according to the time zone. Can be changed.

Further, according to the present invention, when the replacement of the roll paper is performed after the warning notification of the near-end state by the warning notifying means, the criterion of the remaining amount of the roll paper in the near-end state is printed on the roll paper. It is characterized by further including a criterion printing means.

According to the present invention, when the roll paper is exchanged after the warning of the near-end state is notified, the criterion for the remaining amount of the roll paper in the near-end state is printed on the roll paper by the criterion printing means. The user of the printing apparatus can compare the actual remaining amount of the roll paper with the printed criterion and determine whether the criterion is appropriate.

Further, in the present invention, the use amount measuring means measures the use amount of the roll paper until the replacement of the roll paper after the notification of the near end state by the warning notification means, and the near end change means Comparing the usage amount after the warning notified by the usage amount measuring means with the criterion for determining the remaining amount, and when the usage amount is smaller than the criterion by a predetermined amount or more, reducing the criterion. It is characterized by.

According to the invention, the usage measuring means measures the usage of the printing paper used after the near-end warning,
The near-end changing means compares the amount of roll paper used until the roll paper is exchanged with the determination criterion after the roll paper is exchanged, and the usage of the roll paper is compared with the criterion value. When the number is too small, the criterion value is reduced, so that the criterion value can be updated so as to approach the criterion value suitable for the use state of the user.

In the present invention, the use amount measuring means measures a paper feed amount calculated based on information including a format size to be printed, character size and line spacing as the use amount of the roll paper. It is characterized by the following.

According to the present invention, the use amount measuring means for measuring the use amount of the roll paper uses the roll feed amount calculated based on information including the size of the format for printing, the character size and the line spacing. Since the measurement is made as the amount of paper used, the amount of roll paper actually used for printing can be accurately calculated.

Further, in the present invention, the printing apparatus is provided with a cash handling function for a store.

According to the present invention, a printing device having a store cash handling function is, for example, an electronic cash register or a POS terminal device. The timing of paper exchange can be changed appropriately in accordance with the environment of the store.

Further, in the present invention, the printing apparatus has a store money handling function, and the near-end changing means changes the judgment criterion between the congested time period and the light time period of the store as the time period. It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, a printing apparatus having a cash handling function for a store, such as an electronic cash register or P
Since the OS terminal changes the near-end judgment criteria between the congested time and the off-peak time of the store, the near-end is detected by the near-end judgment reference value suitable for the type of use in the store,
A warning can be notified at an appropriate timing.

[0029]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an electronic cash register 10 as an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
1A shows a schematic electrical configuration, and FIG. 1B shows a mechanical configuration for detecting near-end of roll paper. The entire device as the electronic cash register 10 is controlled by the CPU 1
1 is performed. The CPU 11 performs various controls according to a program stored in the ROM 12 in advance, and uses the RAM 13 for temporary storage during the control and processing. The display device 14 displays input data, an error display, an operation guide, and the like. The printer 15 prints a registration result such as a receipt or a journal. Printer 1
The printing at 5 is performed on the roll paper, and the near end of the roll paper is detected by the near end detection device 16. In the ROM 12, micro instructions for controlling peripheral devices such as the display device 14, the printer 15, and the near-end detection device 16, and a fixed display message table to be displayed on the display device 14 are also created and stored in advance. .

An electronic cash register 1 as shown in FIG.
0, a communication device 10a that also has a function as a POS terminal and transmits / receives data to / from a host computer via a communication line or the like, a keyboard for switches and various inputs, and an input device 10b such as a barcode reader. An alarm device 10c that generates an alarm with an audible sound is also connected. Further, a clock 10d for measuring time is provided.

The near-end detecting device 16 shown in FIG.
Is stored in a housing 17 of the electronic cash register 10, and a configuration basically similar to that of the near-end detection device 1 shown in FIG. 8 is stored in a near-end detection device box 18.
The near-end detection device box 18 is configured to be displaced up and down by rotating the knob 19 from outside the housing 17. That is, the knob 19
It has teeth 20 on its outer circumference and operates as a pinion gear by rotating around its center. A rack 21 that meshes with the pinion gear is provided on a side surface of the near-end detection device box 18, and can convert the rotation of the knob 19 into a vertical movement of the near-end detection device box 18. The near-end detection device box 18 is provided for the roll paper 2
Roll paper 22 so as to be displaced up and down along the side of
It is arranged beside. The roll paper 22 is accommodated in the housing 17 with a continuous bobbin 24 wound around a cylindrical bobbin 23 as a core.

In the near-end detection device box 18,
As in the near-end detection device 1 shown in FIG. 8, a detection lever 25, a support shaft 26, a projection 27, a spring 28, and a microswitch 29 are provided. When the continuous paper 24 of the roll paper 22 is used and the remaining amount decreases, FIG.
As shown in (1), the protrusion 27 enters the bobbin 23, and the micro switch 29 operates. However, in this embodiment, since the near-end detecting device box 18 is displaced up and down by the knob 19, the position where the protrusion 27 is inserted into the bobbin 23 and the micro switch 29 operates is set as follows.
Can be changed. That is, the near-end detecting device 16 as the near-end detecting means can change the remaining amount of the roll paper 22 which is moved up and down by the knob 19 as the near-end changing means and detected as the near end.

When the near end is detected by the near end detecting device 16, the CPU 11 shown in FIG. 1A displays on the display device 14 or the like a message prompting the user to replace the roll paper 22.
In addition, a buzzer or the like may be provided as the alarm device 10c so that an alarm can be issued with an audible sound. In addition, a lamp or the like can be turned on to give a warning by light.

FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of an electronic cash register 30 as a second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, portions corresponding to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted. CP of the present embodiment
U31 is a digital analog (hereinafter abbreviated as "DA") in addition to the same control as the CPU 11 shown in FIG.
The motor 33 is driven via the converter 32. Motor 3
3 can move the near-end detection device box 18 up and down instead of the knob 19 shown in FIG. 1B to change the criterion of the remaining amount of the roll paper 22.

FIG. 3 shows the embodiment shown in FIG.
1 shows an example of a memory table for driving the motor 33 to move the near-end detection device box 18 up and down to change the near-end determination criterion. Such a memory table is set in advance in the RAM 13 shown in FIG. FIG. 3A shows the configuration of the near-end detection position table 34 by time zone. For example, the position of the near-end detection position box 18 is stored in units of mm with respect to the time in one-hour increments. Since such a time zone-specific detection position table 34 is provided in the RAM 13 of FIG. 1, one of various setting functions of the electronic cash register 30 is provided.
First, the contents can be set by the user.

FIG. 3B shows, as a motor torque characteristic table 35, the relationship between the position and the voltage of the near-end detection device box 18 based on the relationship between the torque and the voltage output by the motor 33. Motor torque characteristic table 35
Are preset in the ROM 12 of FIG.
Reads the necessary voltage to adjust the position of the near-end detection device box 18 in accordance with the time zone of FIG. 3A, and controls the DA converter 32 to drive the motor 33. The motor 33 generates a torque according to the applied voltage, and raises the near-end detection device box 18 to a height corresponding to the torque against the weight of the near-end detection device box 18 and the like.

FIG. 4 shows a control for changing the position of the near-end detector box 18 by the CPU 31 shown in FIG. 3 using the time-based detection position table 34 and the motor torque characteristic table 35 shown in FIG. 4 shows a schematic control flow. 1A, the electronic cash register 30 also includes a clock and the like, and can know the current time 36. The CPU 31 refers to the time zone-specific detection position table 34 and extracts, as the position information 37, data on the detection device position for the time including the current time 36. Based on the position information 37, the motor torque characteristic table 35 is referred to, and a voltage with respect to the detection device position is obtained as a voltage output 38 to the motor. The time zone detection position table 34 is created by setting a detection device position corresponding to the remaining amount of the roll paper 22 for each time zone. The motor torque characteristic table 35 is created by obtaining a voltage required to set the position of the near-end detecting device box 18 when the near-end detecting device 16 has a height at which the near-end of the roll paper 22 is detected. The position of the near-end detection device box 18 can be optically detected or detected using a potentiometer or the like, and the position can be controlled by feedback.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention.
A configuration will be described in which a warning is issued when a warning amount set for each time zone is reached while calculating the current remaining amount of roll paper. In the present embodiment, the remaining amount of the roll paper is directly measured and obtained without using the mechanical near-end detecting device 16 with the configuration shown in FIG. FIG. 5A shows a configuration of a memory 40 that stores main parameters used in the present embodiment. The memory 40 stores information including the remaining amount of paper 41, a warning amount table for each time period 42, a current time 43, a FEED length 44, and a use length after warning 45. In the remaining paper amount 41, a calculated value of the remaining amount of roll paper is stored. The hourly warning amount table 42 stores, for example, data of the warning amount divided in one-hour intervals as shown in FIG. 5B. The warning amount is changed according to the time zone to which the time set as the current time 43 belongs, and is compared with the remaining amount of paper stored in the remaining paper amount 41. The remaining paper 41 has FE
According to the sheet feed amount set in the ED length 44, when the roll sheet is used, the remaining amount is changed so as to decrease by the used amount. When the amount stored as the remaining paper amount 41 becomes equal to or less than the warning amount obtained from the hourly warning table 42, a warning is notified, and the usage amount of the roll paper after the warning notification is stored as the post-warning use length 45. Is done.

FIG. 6 shows a control procedure for performing the printing process in the embodiment shown in FIG. This embodiment is also applied to an electronic cash register such as that shown in FIG. 1, and normally prints a receipt and a journal, and performs special printing such as a receipt as needed. In step a1, it is determined whether or not the format is a special format for performing special printing such as a receipt. If it is determined that the format is the special format, printing is performed in step a2, and in step a3, the feed amount according to the format is stored in the FE of the memory 40 shown in FIG.
Set to ED length 44. In step a4, a near-end check is performed. The near-end check is performed as a subroutine, the contents of which will be described later.

If it is determined in step a1 that the format is not the special format, it is determined in step a5 whether or not the last line is to be printed. If it is determined that the printing is not the last line, one line is printed in step a6, and in step a7, the feed amount is calculated from the font size and the line spacing. In step a8, the calculated feed amount is set to the FEED length of the memory 30. In step a9,
A near-end check is performed, and the process returns to step a5. The near-end check in step a9 is performed in the same manner as the near-end check in step a4, and the details will be described later. If it is determined in step a5 that this is the last line, the printing process is terminated.

FIG. 7 shows the contents of the near-end check performed in steps a4 and a9 of FIG. In step b1, the FEE is calculated based on the remaining paper amount 41 of the memory 30.
A subtraction process for subtracting the D length 44 is performed. In step b2,
Based on the current time 43, the hourly warning amount table 42
, A near-end warning amount suitable for the current time 43 is obtained. In step b3, the remaining amount of paper subtracted in step b1 is compared with the warning amount obtained in step b2, and it is determined whether the remaining amount of paper is smaller than the warning amount. When it is determined that the remaining amount of paper is smaller than the warning amount, in step b4, the warning is given by an audible sound such as a buzzer as the warning device 10c in FIG. 1 or a display on the display device 14 in FIG. Notice. In step b5,
Subsequent to the warning in step b4, it is determined whether the roll paper 22 has been replaced. When it is determined that the replacement has been performed, the warning amount for each time zone obtained in step b2 is printed on the new roll paper 22 in step b6. In step b7, the used length 4 after the warning of the memory 40
Referring to FIG. 5, it is determined whether or not the post-warning use amount obtained from the post-warning use length 45 is sufficiently large. This determination is made, for example, by comparing with the warning amount for each time zone. When it is determined in step b7 that the usage amount after the warning is not sufficiently large, that is, when the roll paper 22 is replaced immediately after the warning, an update is performed in step b8 to reduce the warning amount for each time zone. I do. This update result is reflected in the hourly warning amount table 42.

After the procedure of step b8 is completed, or after it is determined in step b7 that the amount of use of the warning is sufficiently large, in step b9, the newly replaced roll paper 22 is replaced.
In response to the above, the initial roll length is input from the input device 10b as paper length input means. In step b10,
The input initial roll length is set in the remaining paper amount 41 of the memory 40 as the paper length storage means. If it is determined in step b5 that the sheet has not been replaced, the length set in the FEED length 44 of the memory 40 is added to the used length 45 after the warning in step b11, and the procedure ends. I do. If it is determined in step b3 that the remaining amount of paper is not smaller than the warning amount, the procedure is terminated.

The printing of the warning amount by time zone in step b6 and the updating of the warning amount by time zone in step b8 may not be performed. Further, instead of setting the warning amount for each time period, the operator can input and set the warning amount as needed.

In the embodiment described above, the present invention has been described in relation to printing with an electronic cash register. However, the present invention can be similarly applied to a printer or facsimile apparatus using roll paper, a recording apparatus for measurement, or the like. Can be applied. For facsimile machines and measurement recorders, the amount of warning is changed between when there are people around and when there are no people around, and the amount of near-end remaining is increased so that roll paper can be replaced when there is a person as much as possible. It is preferred that it can be done.

[0045]

As described above, according to the present invention, the state in which the remaining amount of roll paper is near end is detected by the near end detecting means, and the near end detecting means detects the state of the roll paper at the near end. The remaining amount can be changed by an external input. The criterion can be changed according to the environment in which the printing apparatus is installed, the purpose of use, and the like, and the near-end warning can be effectively used.

Further, according to the present invention, the criterion of the near end when the warning is notified when the remaining amount of the roll paper becomes low can be changed according to the time zone, so that the user can determine the remaining amount. Even without inputting a criterion, a near-end warning can be issued with an appropriate criterion.

Further, according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately calculate the remaining amount of roll paper based on the length of the roll paper and the amount of use of the roll paper, and to accurately calculate the remaining amount of roll paper according to a criterion input from the outside. It is possible to make a near-end determination based on the remaining amount.

Further, according to the present invention, the paper length of the roll paper is input and stored in advance, the amount of use of the roll paper is measured, and the accuracy of determination when the roll paper is nearing the near end can be improved. it can.

Further, according to the present invention, the remaining amount of the roll paper is accurately calculated based on the length and usage of the roll paper, and the remaining amount of the roll paper is determined based on a near-end determination criterion that changes according to the time zone. Since the criterion can be changed depending on the time zone, the near-end detection function can be effectively used according to the use environment of the printing paper.

According to the present invention, when the roll paper is replaced based on the near-end warning, the criterion for the near-end warning is printed, so that the confirmation of the criterion is compared with the actual remaining amount of the roll paper. You can easily confirm.

According to the present invention, the near-end determination criterion is compared with the usage amount of the rolled paper after the warning, and when the usage amount is smaller than the reference value, the determination criterion is reduced.
The criterion can be changed so as to be more appropriate according to the use state.

Further, according to the present invention, since the amount of roll paper used is calculated based on information including the format size, character size and line spacing, even if the format is a special format such as a receipt, for example, The paper feed amount can be accurately calculated, and the amount of roll paper used can be accurately calculated.

According to the present invention, an electronic cash register or P
A printing apparatus having a cash handling function for stores, such as an OS terminal, can appropriately determine the near end of roll paper according to the use state and the like, and can effectively use roll paper.

Further, according to the present invention, the near-end determination criteria are changed between the congested time period and the off-peak time period of the store, the roll paper is used effectively, and a warning urging the replacement of the roll paper is issued at an appropriate timing. Can be notified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an electronic cash register 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic electrical configuration and a simplified cross-sectional view showing a near-end detection function.

FIG. 2 is a simplified sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electronic cash register 20 as a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing an example of a time zone detection position table and a motor torque characteristic table used in the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a control flow of the embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the contents of a memory used in the third embodiment of the present invention and a table showing the contents of a part of the hourly warning amount table;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a printing process when a near-end check is performed using the memory and the time zone-based warning amount table of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a procedure for performing a near-end check of roll paper using the memory and the time zone-based warning amount table of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a simplified cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a conventional near-end detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10,20 Electronic cash register 10a Communication device 10b Input device 10c Alarm device 10d Clock 11,31 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Display device 15 Printer 16 Near-end detecting device 18 Near-end detecting device box 19 Knob 20 Roll paper 23 Bobbin 24 Continuous paper 25 Detection Lever 27 Projection 29 Micro Switch 32 D / A Converter 33 Motor 34 Time Zone Detection Position Table 35 Motor Torque Characteristic Table 36 Current Time 37 Position Information 38 Motor Voltage Output 40 Memory 41 Paper Remaining 42 Time Zone Warning Quantity table 44 FEED length 45 Use length after warning

Claims (9)

[Claims] In a printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper, a near end where the remaining amount of the roll paper is less than a reference value, which is installed near the roll paper, is detected, and the installation position is changed. A near-end detecting means capable of changing the reference value by moving the installation position; and a near-end change in which the setting position of the near-end detection means is moved by an external operation to change the reference value of the near-end detection. And a warning notifying unit for notifying a warning when near-end is detected by the near-end detecting unit. 2. A printing apparatus which stores roll paper and prints on the roll paper, detects a near end which is installed near the roll paper and the remaining amount of the roll paper is less than a reference value, and changes the installation position. A near-end detecting means capable of changing the reference value by moving the installation position; and a near-end detecting means for moving the installation position of the near-end detecting means according to a time zone to change the reference value of the near-end detection. A printing apparatus using roll paper, comprising: changing means; and warning notifying means for notifying a warning when near-end is detected by the near-end detecting means. 3. A printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper, wherein the paper length input means for inputting the length of the roll paper, and the length of the roll paper input to the paper length input means. Paper length storage means for storing, use amount measurement means for measuring the use amount of roll paper, and use amount of the roll paper measured by the use amount measurement means, the length of the roll paper stored in the paper length storage means The remaining amount calculating means for calculating the remaining amount of the roll paper by subtracting from the above, and judging whether or not the remaining amount of the roll paper calculated by the remaining amount calculating means is in the near-end state is determined as the near-end state. A warning notification means for notifying a warning when a warning is issued, and a near-end change for changing a criterion of a remaining amount of roll paper in a near-end state in which the warning notification means warns according to an external operation. Printing apparatus using roll paper, characterized in that it comprises a stage. 4. A printing apparatus for storing roll paper and performing printing on the roll paper, wherein the paper length input means for inputting the length of the roll paper, and the length of the roll paper input to the paper length input means. Paper length storage means for storing, use amount measurement means for measuring the use amount of roll paper, and use amount of the roll paper measured by the use amount measurement means, the length of the roll paper stored in the paper length storage means The remaining amount calculating means for calculating the remaining amount of the roll paper by subtracting from the above, and judging whether or not the remaining amount of the roll paper calculated by the remaining amount calculating means is in the near-end state is determined as the near-end state. Warning notification means for notifying a warning when the warning is issued, and near-end changing means for changing the determination standard of the remaining amount of roll paper in the near-end state in which the warning notification means issues a warning according to a time zone. Printing apparatus using roll paper, wherein Mukoto. 5. When the roll paper is replaced after the warning notification of the near-end state by the warning notification means,
5. The printing apparatus using roll paper according to claim 4, further comprising a criterion printing unit that prints the criterion of the remaining amount of the roll paper in the near-end state on the roll paper. 6. The use-amount measuring unit measures the use amount of the roll paper until the replacement of the roll paper is performed after the warning of the near-end state is notified by the warning notification unit. The usage amount after the notification of the warning measured by the amount measurement means is compared with the criterion of the remaining amount, and when the usage amount is smaller than the criterion by a predetermined amount or more, the criterion is reduced. A printing apparatus using the roll paper according to claim 4. 7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the use amount measuring unit measures a paper feed amount calculated based on information including a format size to be printed, character size, and line spacing as the use amount of the roll paper. A printing apparatus using the roll paper according to any one of claims 3 to 6. 8. The printing apparatus using roll paper according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus has a store money handling function. 9. The printing apparatus has a store money handling function, and the near-end changing unit changes the determination criterion between a congested time period and a light time period of the store as the time period. A printing apparatus using the roll paper according to any one of claims 4 to 6.