JP2005349763A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing device which can precisely print image data to an object to be printed, even in case the conveyance velocity of an auxiliary conveyance member varies and a code detection interval is short. <P>SOLUTION: The printing device comprises a printing head 11 for printing image data line by line, a retaining part 41 for retaining one piece of card-like object to be printed C, an auxiliary conveyance member 4 having a plurality of codes juxtaposed in a conveyance direction, conveyance means 13 and 14 which carry the auxiliary conveyance member 4 to printing heads 11 at a specified feed velocity, and a code detection means 17 for detecting the code. In addition, the device performs a sequential printing control of the printing heads 11 corresponding to the respective lines for the image data in synchronization with the detection of the code by the code detection means 17 and suspends the printing control, in case a following code is detected in the process of controlling the printing operation of the printing head 11 corresponding to an optional line, and performs the printing control corresponding to the following line. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that prints on a printed material that needs to be printed precisely within a predetermined range, and more particularly to a printing apparatus that performs arbitrary printing on a card-like printed material such as a plastic card or a resin plate.

  In recent years, in order to issue membership cards and the like, printing of predetermined characters and illustrations on a plastic card (hereinafter referred to as “card”) or a resin plate having a predetermined size is increasing. On these cards and resin plates, image data having a large amount of information is often printed on a small printing area, and precise printing is required.

  In order to meet this requirement, the applicant of the present application is provided with a conveyance auxiliary member having a holding portion for holding the printed material, a conveyance means for conveying the conveyance auxiliary member, and a conveyance path, and is divided into a plurality of lines. A line-type print head that prints image data on a printed material line by line, and a control unit that sequentially performs print control of the print head corresponding to each line of the image data during conveyance of a conveyance auxiliary member that holds the printed material. A plurality of codes are arranged in parallel in the transport direction on the transport auxiliary member, and include a code detection unit that detects the codes, and the control unit detects the code by the code detection unit. A printing apparatus that sequentially performs print control of print heads corresponding to each line of image data in synchronization is proposed (see Patent Document 1).

In this printing apparatus, printing control of the print head is performed in synchronization with the detection of the code by the code detection means, so that printing is performed in accordance with the distance to which the substrate is actually conveyed. For this reason, printing of image data due to slippage between the printed material and the conveyance means, which is likely to occur when the printed material is directly conveyed and printing control is performed in synchronization with the drive pulses of the drive source of the conveyance means, etc. Printing defects such as expansion and contraction of the paper do not occur.
JP 2004-058337 A

  In the printing apparatus having the above-described configuration, when there is a slip or the like between the conveyance auxiliary member and the conveyance unit, the conveyance speed of the conveyance auxiliary member varies, and the code detection interval by the code detection unit varies. Therefore, when the code detection interval is short, the next code is detected while performing print control of the print head corresponding to an arbitrary line in synchronization with detection of an arbitrary code. sell. In such a case, in general, in order to suppress the expansion of the image, the print control that should have been performed in synchronization with the detection of the next code is not performed, and is synchronized with the next code detected when the print control is not performed. Then, the next print control is performed.

  However, printing by such control has a problem that some lines of the image data are not printed, and the image data is not accurately printed on the substrate.

  Accordingly, in view of the above-described problems, the present invention provides printing that can accurately print image data on a substrate even when the conveyance speed of the conveyance auxiliary member fluctuates and the code detection interval is short. It is an object to provide an apparatus.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a conveyance auxiliary member having a holding portion for holding a printing material, a conveyance means for conveying the conveyance auxiliary member, and a plurality of lines provided in the middle of the conveyance path. The print control of the print head corresponding to each line of the image data is sequentially performed while the line-type print head that prints the image data divided into one line on the printed material line by line and the conveyance auxiliary member that holds the printed material. A plurality of codes arranged side by side in the transport direction on the conveyance auxiliary member, and a code detection means for detecting the codes. The control means includes a code detection means. When print control of the print head corresponding to each line of image data is sequentially performed in synchronization with detection of the code, and the next code is detected during print control of the print head corresponding to any line , Stop the print control, it is characterized by performing printing control corresponding to the next line.

  According to the present invention, when the next code is detected during the print control of the print head corresponding to an arbitrary line, the print control is stopped by the control of the control unit, and the print control corresponding to the next line is performed. Therefore, all the lines of the image data are printed, and the image data is accurately printed on the substrate.

  Referring to FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a printing apparatus capable of printing predetermined characters and illustrations on a printed material such as a plastic card or a tape. An external computer 2 for inputting print data such as fonts and character intervals is connected to the printing apparatus 1 via a communication cable 3.

  Referring to FIG. 2, a thermal transfer type print head 11 that can move up and down is provided at the center of the printing apparatus 1. A platen roller 12 is provided below the print head 11 so as to face each other, and the printing head 11 and the platen roller 12 form a printing unit. The upstream and downstream sides of the printing units 11 and 12 are provided with first and second transport means 13 and 14 for feeding a substrate to be printed or a later-described transport tray (transport auxiliary member) 4 at a constant feed speed. Yes. The print head 11 is of a line type that prints image data divided into a plurality of lines line by line on a substrate.

  Each of the first and second transport means 13 and 14 is configured by driving rollers 13a and 14a and idle rollers 13b and 14b that rotate with the driving rollers 13a and 14a by pressing the printing material. Each drive roller 13a, 14a is driven by a drive motor M through a gear train 15. In this case, the platen roller 12 may be driven synchronously via the gear train 15. Then, when the substrate or the transport tray 4 is inserted into the upstream transport unit 13, the substrate or the transport tray 4 is sent to the printing units 11 and 12 at a constant feed speed, and predetermined printing is performed.

  With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, in the present embodiment, when predetermined printing is performed on the card C, between the upstream side and the downstream side of the printing units 11 and 12 by forward and reverse rotation of the drive rollers 13a and 14a. The transport tray 4 that reciprocates was used. The transport tray moves between a set position S on the upstream side of the first transport means 13 on which the card C is set and a discharge position E on the downstream side of the second transport means 14 for discharging the printed card C. The card C is set in the holding unit 41 of 4, and the card C is sent to the printing units 11 and 12 at a constant feeding speed to perform predetermined printing.

  With reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the transport tray 4 is formed of a synthetic resin thin plate. In addition, a substantially rectangular opening 41 a larger than the outer shape of the card C is formed at a predetermined position of the transport tray 4.

  A thin plate 41b is pivotally attached to the inner edge of the opening 41a upstream of the card C in the conveying direction, for example, via an adhesive tape-like support member 42 so as to be swingable downward, so that the opening 41a and the thin plate 41b Constitute the holding part 41 of the card C. In this case, when the thin plate 41b is assembled to the opening 41a, the back surfaces of the transport tray 4 and the thin plate 41b are processed so as to form a recess straddling the open portion 41a and the thin plate 41b, and project from the back surface of the transport tray 4 The support member 42 is accommodated in the recess so as not to occur.

  The thin plate 41 b is held horizontally while moving from the set position S to the discharge position E, and swings downward when it reaches the discharge position E outside the printing apparatus 1 after passing through the second conveying means 14. In this case, at the discharge position E, the thin plate 41b swings downward, so that the card C on the thin plate 41b slides down by its own weight (see FIG. 3B). Therefore, the card C can be automatically discharged at the discharge position E.

  Further, the thickness dimension T1 of the thin plate 41b is set shorter than the thickness dimension T2 of the transport tray 4, and the thickness (T2-T1) of the space on the thin plate 41b is smaller than the thickness of the card C. And the card | curd C was accommodated in the space on the thin plate 41b. The lateral width W of the opening portion 41a is set smaller than the lateral width of the card C. Thereby, the position shift of the card | curd C in the left-right direction is prevented only by setting the card | curd C in the holding | maintenance part 41. FIG. The thin plate 41b is formed so that the tip of the force C protrudes into a space 41d between the thin plate 41b and the inner edge of the opening 41a in the horizontal state of the thin plate 41b. An opening 41c from which the rear end of the card C projects is opened at the end (see FIG. 5).

  In addition, bar-shaped marks 43 having a predetermined width are arranged in parallel in the transport direction at predetermined intervals from the front end of the transport tray 4 to the rear of the opening portion 41a on the upper surface on one end side in the width direction of the transport tray 4. Yes (linear scale). The bar-shaped marks 43 are provided at a rate of 150 lines / inch in the transport direction of the transport tray 4, and as shown in FIG. The width with the formation part 43b is equal. The bar-shaped mark forming portion 43a is easy to reflect light, and the bar-shaped mark non-forming portion 43b is difficult to reflect light.

  Near the transport path between the print head 11 and the first transport means 13, the front end of the transport tray 4, the front end of the force card C protruding into the space 41 d of the transport tray 4, and the opening 41 c of the transport tray 4. A top sensor 16 for detecting the rear end of the card C protruding from the linear sensor (symbol detection means) 17 for detecting the bar-shaped mark 43 of the transport tray 4 is provided at substantially the same position as the top sensor 16. Is provided. The linear sensor 17 has a resolution of 300 dots / inch in the main scanning direction, and irradiates light to the bar-shaped mark forming portion 43a and the bar-shaped mark non-forming portion 43b of the transport tray 4, The reflected light is received and converted into an electrical signal, and the bar-shaped mark 43 is detected based on the waveform of the electrical signal. When the transport tray 4 is transported, a CPU 51 described later determines how many bar-shaped marks 43 have passed the position of the linear sensor 17 based on the waveform of the electrical signal, and detects the transport distance of the transport tray 4. Further, a medium sensor 18 is provided on the upstream side of the first transport unit 13 for determining whether the print medium or the transport tray 4 is set.

  Next, the control unit 5 of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The control unit 5 stores a CPU 51 that reads and executes a program to control the entire apparatus, a ROM 52 that stores a control program read by the CPU 51, and various data that the CPU 51 needs to execute the control program. In addition, the RAM 53 serving as a work area for the CPU 51, the motor control unit 54 for driving the carry motor M by supplying a drive pulse signal to the carry motor M under the control of the CPU 51, and the image data to be printed supplied from the CPU 51. And a print control unit 55 that generates a control signal and supplies it to the print head 11 to perform printing. The top sensor 16, the linear sensor 17 and the medium sensor 18 are connected to the CPU 51, and the detection results of these sensors are transmitted to the CPU 51. The CPU 51 can be connected to an external computer 2 or the like via an appropriate interface 56, and various data can be transmitted to or received from the external computer 2 or the like.

  Next, the printing operation of the printing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, the CPU 51 of the control unit 5 receives print data from an external computer connected via an interface (S1). Next, the CPU 51 determines whether the printing medium or the transport tray 4 is set in the printing apparatus 1 based on the signal from the medium sensor 18 (S2). If the printing medium or the transport tray 4 is not set in the printing apparatus 1, an error message is displayed on a display unit (not shown) (S3). When the print medium or the transport tray 4 is set, it is subsequently determined based on the signal from the linear sensor 17 whether the set is the print medium or the transport tray 4 (S4). ).

  When a normal printing medium is set in the printing apparatus 1, first, a pulse signal is supplied from the motor control unit 54 to the conveyance motor M under the control of the CPU 51, and the first conveyance unit 13 is driven to Until the leading edge of the print medium is detected by the top sensor 16 (S6), it is forwardly conveyed (conveyed downstream in the conveyance path) (S5). Subsequently, under the control of the CPU 51, the first conveying means 13 is driven by the theoretical distance from the leading edge detection sensor to the print head, whereby the print medium is cued (S7). When the cueing of the printing medium is completed, the first conveyance unit 13 and the second conveyance unit 14 are driven by the control of the CPU 51, and the print head 11 is controlled to perform printing (S8).

  Specifically, printing (S8) is performed under the control of the CPU 51 as described below. That is, as shown in FIG. 9, a drive pulse signal composed of two phases of A phase and B phase is supplied from the motor control unit 54 to the conveyance motor M by the control of the CPU 51, and thereby the conveyance motor M is driven. The printing medium is conveyed normally. The print control unit 55 supplies a control signal corresponding to image data to the print head 11 in synchronization with the rising of these two-phase drive pulse signals under the control of the CPU 51. The control signal corresponding to this image data is set to a minimum resolution dot pitch that requires a feed amount of the print medium that can be sent by one pulse of the carry pulse motor. As a result, printing is performed in accordance with the driving distance of the conveying units 13 and 14.

  When printing on one printing medium is completed in this way, the CPU 51 drives the conveying means 13 and 14 to discharge the printing medium to the outside of the printing apparatus 1 (S9), ending the printing operation, and the next job. Transition to the standby state.

  When the transport tray 4 is set in the printing apparatus 1, first, a pulse signal is supplied from the motor control unit 54 to the transport motor M by the control of the CPU 51, and the first transport unit 13 is driven, so that the transport tray 4 is driven. The leading edge of the card C held on the front is conveyed forward until the top sensor 16 detects it (S11) (S10). Subsequently, under the control of the CPU 51, the first transport unit 13 is driven until the transport distance detected based on the electric signal waveform obtained by the linear sensor 17 becomes equal to the distance from the leading edge detection sensor to the print head. The card on the transport tray 4 is cued (S12). When the cueing of the card is completed, the CPU 51 controls the first conveying means 13 and the second conveying means 14, and the print head 11 is controlled to perform printing (S13).

  Specifically, printing (S13) is performed under the control of the CPU 51 as described below. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, when the conveying means 13 and 14 are driven by the control of the CPU 51, the conveying tray 4 is conveyed, and the bar-shaped mark forming portion 43a and the bar-shaped mark provided on the conveying tray 4 are conveyed. An electric signal waveform corresponding to the non-forming portion 43 b is obtained by the linear sensor 17. The print control unit 55 supplies a control signal corresponding to image data to the print head 11 when the predetermined time t1 has elapsed from the rise and fall of the electrical signal waveform obtained by the linear sensor 17 under the control of the CPU 51. The control signal corresponding to the image data is set to the minimum resolution dot pitch that requires a length corresponding to the width of the bar mark 43. As a result, printing is performed in accordance with the number of bar-shaped marks 43 that have passed the position of the linear sensor 17, that is, the distance that the card C is actually transported, so that printing defects such as expansion / contraction of image data printing may occur. In addition, it is possible to configure a printing apparatus suitable for a substrate that needs to perform precise printing within a predetermined range.

  Here, when the transport tray 4 is normally transported at a constant speed by the first transport unit 13 and the second transport unit 14, the constants corresponding to the bar-shaped mark forming part 43a and the bar-shaped mark non-forming part 43b. An electric signal waveform having a period t2 is obtained by the linear sensor 17. The period t2 of the electrical signal waveform is set longer than the time t1 from the rise and fall of the electrical signal waveform to the supply of the control signal and the time obtained by adding the normal control signal supply time t3. For this reason, since the supply of the control signal is completed before the next electric signal waveform rises and falls, printing is performed accurately.

  Further, when there is slip or the like between the transport tray 4 and the first transport unit 13 and the second transport unit 14 and the transport speed of the transport tray fluctuates, the bar-shaped mark forming part 43a and the bar-shaped mark non-forming part 43b Corresponding to the period t4 to t8 of the electric signal waveform obtained by the linear sensor 17 varies. When the period t4 to t8 of the electrical signal waveform is longer than the time obtained by adding the time t1 from the rise and fall of the electrical signal waveform to the supply of the control signal and the regular control signal supply time t3, t5 and t8. In short, there are t4, t6, and t7.

  When the period of the electric signal waveform is longer than the time obtained by adding the time t1 from the rise and fall of the electric signal waveform to the supply of the control signal and the normal control signal supply time t3, at t5 and t8, As in the case where the transport tray 4 is transported normally at a constant speed, the supply of the control signal is completed before the next electric signal waveform rises and falls, so that printing is performed accurately.

  When the period of the electric signal waveform is shorter than the time obtained by adding the control signal supply time t3 and the time t1 from the rise and the fall of the electric signal waveform to the control signal supply, t4, t6, and t7 During the supply of the control signal, the near sensor 17 detects the rise and fall of the next electric signal waveform. In this case, the supply of the control signal is stopped simultaneously with the detection of the rise and fall of the electric signal waveform, and then the next control signal is supplied after a predetermined time t1 from the rise and fall of the electric signal waveform. . As a result, when the period of the electric signal waveform is short, at t4, t6, t7, the supply of the control signal ends at times t9, t10, t11 shorter than the normal control signal supply time t3, and until the next control signal supply Therefore, all the lines of the image data are surely printed, and the image data is printed accurately.

  When the printing on one card is completed in this way, the conveying means 13 and 14 are driven by the control of the CPU 51, and the conveying tray 4 is conveyed downstream. Then, the holding portion 41 of the transport tray 4 passes through the second transport means 14 and reaches the unloading position E outside the printing apparatus 1 (see FIG. 3B), and the thin plate 41b swings downward to perform printing. The card C that has been slid down from the thin plate 41b by its own weight is discharged (S14).

  Next, the conveyance means 13 and 14 are driven by the control of the CPU 51, and the conveyance tray 4 is reversely conveyed (conveyed to the upstream side of the conveyance path) until the holding portion 41 of the conveyance tray 4 reaches the set position S where the card can be set. (S15).

  The forward conveyance for discharging the card and the reverse conveyance for moving the holding unit 41 to the set position S are also based on the electric signal waveform obtained by the linear sensor 17 in the same manner as the normal conveyance at the time of cueing. The conveyance distance is detected, and the process is performed according to the detected conveyance distance.

  When the holding unit 41 moves to the set position S in this way, the CPU 51 ends the printing operation and shifts to a standby state for the next job.

  In the above embodiment, the top sensor 16 that detects a predetermined portion of the transport tray 4 (the front end of the transport tray 4 or the protruding position of the card front end) and the linear sensor 17 that detects the bar-shaped mark 43 of the transport tray 4 are provided. When the top sensor 16 detects a predetermined portion of the transport tray 4 and determines that the transport tray 4 is at a predetermined position on the transport path, and then transports the transport tray 4, the linear sensor 17 detects the bar of the transport tray 4. Although the conveyance distance of the conveyance tray 4 is detected by detecting the shape mark 43 and thereby the position on the conveyance path of the conveyance tray 4 is detected, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of detecting a predetermined portion of the transport tray 4 by the top sensor 16, a predetermined mark of the bar-shaped marks 43 of the transport tray 4, for example, a head mark on the downstream side in the transport direction is detected and the transport tray is transported along the transport path. When the transport tray 4 is subsequently transported, the bar-shaped mark 43 is detected to detect the transport distance of the transport tray 4, and thereby the position of the transport tray 4 on the transport path is determined. You may make it detect. In this case, the predetermined mark among the bar-shaped marks 43 on the transport tray 4 does not have to be the head mark on the downstream side in the transport direction. It may be determined that the transport tray is at a predetermined position on the transport path when a mark having a width different from the other marks is detected by the linear sensor 17 by changing the width of other marks.

  Further, the bar-shaped mark 43 provided on the transport tray 4 may be unique to the position so as to indicate an absolute position on the transport tray 4. In this case, when the bar-shaped mark 43 is detected by the linear sensor 17, the mark and the position on the transport tray 4 have a one-to-one correspondence. Therefore, the detection result is directly on the transport path of the transport tray 4. Can be detected. As a method of providing the bar-shaped mark 43 peculiar to the position on the transport tray 4, it can be considered to gradually change the width or interval of the bar-shaped mark 43 along the transport direction. When the bar-shaped mark 43 provided in this way is detected by the linear sensor 17, the position of the transport tray 4 on the transport path can be detected based on the pulse width or pulse interval of the obtained electric signal waveform. it can.

  Moreover, the code | symbol provided in the conveyance tray 4 does not need to be the bar-shaped mark 43, and what kind of thing may be used if it can detect with a well-known sensor.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, Unless it deviates from the main point of invention, it can take various forms. For example, the conveyance unit may be provided on either the upstream side or the downstream side of the print head. The conveyance unit is not limited to the conveyance roller, and may be a rack and pinion, a conveyance belt, or the like.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. Cross section of printing device The figure explaining the movement of the conveyance tray which reciprocates. (A) is a set position. (B) is the discharge position. Cross section of transport tray Top view of transport tray The figure which shows the relationship between the electric signal produced by a bar-shaped mark and a linear sensor, and the application state of the control signal of a print head Block diagram showing control system of printing device Flowchart diagram showing printing operation of printing apparatus The figure which shows the relationship between the drive pulse of a conveyance motor, and the application state of the control signal of a print head

Explanation of symbols

1 Printing device
11 Print head
12 Platen roller 13, 14 Conveying means
17 Linear sensor
4 Transport tray
41 Holding part
43 Bar mark

Claims (1)

A conveyance auxiliary member having a holding unit for holding the substrate to be printed, a conveyance unit for conveying the conveyance auxiliary member, and an image data that is provided in the middle of the conveyance path and that is divided into a plurality of lines is printed on the substrate by one line A printing apparatus comprising: a line-type print head; and a control unit that sequentially performs print control of the print head corresponding to each line of the image data during conveyance of the conveyance auxiliary member that holds the printed material.
A plurality of codes are juxtaposed in the conveyance direction on the conveyance auxiliary member, and code detection means for detecting the codes is provided, and the control means is provided for each line of image data in synchronization with code detection by the code detection means. The print control of the corresponding print head is sequentially performed, and when the next code is detected during the print control of the print head corresponding to an arbitrary line, the print control is stopped and the print control corresponding to the next line is performed. The printing apparatus characterized by performing.

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