JP2006341989A - Printing device and automatic ticket vending machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printing device capable of eliminating a problem in a conventional printing device wherein a time required for alignment of paper rolls is long period. <P>SOLUTION: This printing device comprises a printing/cutting unit 3 sequentially performing a printing and a cutting for either one of paper sheets p1 and p2 delivered from the two paper rolls P1 and P2 and a control means 50 controlling so that the paper sheet delivered from the other paper roll continuously after one paper roll is consumed can be printed/cut. The control means controls to retreat the tip of the remaining paper sheet after being cut by a carrying mechanism 10 to a printing position for printing by a printing part 20 after the paper sheet is cut by a cutter 30 and issued. The control means retreats the tip part of the pre-set paper sheet temporarily on the upstream side of the printing part to use the paper sheet pre-set in the printing/cutting unit preferentially for ticket issue treatment and then perform a tip alignment treatment for the paper sheet set in the printing/cutting unit immediately after the setting. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus using roll paper as printing paper, and in particular, after printing on paper fed from roll paper at a printing unit, the paper is cut to a required length with a cutter located on the downstream side, and removed from the machine. The present invention relates to an improvement in a printing apparatus that controls to return the leading end of a sheet after being discharged to a printing position.

For devices that are configured to print the required items on the paper drawn from the roll paper in the printing section, and then issue the ticket after cutting it to the required length, such as a printing device installed in an automatic ticket vending machine A cutting cutter is disposed downstream of the printing unit. When the required length from the front end of the paper that has been printed at the printing section is cut with a cutter and issued outside the machine, the unprinted paper front remaining in the device reaches the cutter, The printing section located upstream from the cutter is located a predetermined distance behind (upstream) from the leading edge of the paper. When a ticket is issued after being cut out by a cutter after a long delivery, an unnecessary blank portion is formed over a wide area at the front part of the printed area of the issued ticket, and it is not easy to see the layout. This raises the problem of increasing the area as necessary.
In addition, the end of the unused roll paper is held and adhered to the roll paper body with an adhesive tape or the like so as not to be scattered. It is necessary to peel off the adhesive tape, pull out the leading edge of the paper, introduce it into the printing section, and set it. However, the traces from which the adhesive tape has been peeled off remain at the leading edge of the paper, or the cutting traces when the leading edge is excised by manual operation using a scissors or the like to remove the traces are irregular or non-linear. In many cases (it is not suitable as a ticket to be issued to customers), when starting to use unused roll paper, a leading edge aligning process that cuts and removes a range from the leading edge of the paper to a predetermined width with a cutter is required. ing.
Further, by keeping two or more roll papers in the printing apparatus, when one roll paper is consumed, the ticketing operation is not interrupted and the other roll paper is switched to the other roll paper. There has also been proposed a printing apparatus that can continuously issue a ticket using a roll paper (Patent Document 1, etc.).

FIG. 4 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional ticket vending machine equipped with two roll papers, and a paper feed unit 100 provided with roll paper support means 100a for rotatably supporting the two roll papers P1 and P2. A printing / cutting unit 101 that receives the paper p1 or p2 fed downward from the roll papers P1 and P2 and sequentially performs printing, cutting, and discharging. The printing / cutting unit 101 includes dedicated paths 102a and 102b for conveying the respective sheets p1 and p2 exclusively, and a common path 104 extending downward from the merge position 103 where the dedicated paths 102a and 102b merge. Yes. On each dedicated path 102a, 102b of the printing / cutting unit 101, a pair of conveying rollers 111 (111a, 111b) are arranged. On the common path 104, a printing unit 112 that prints on the paper p1 and p2, a cutter 113 that cuts the leading end of the paper that has been printed downstream by the printing unit 112 to a predetermined length, and a cutter 113 Discharge roller pairs 114 for discharging (issuing) the cut portions p1-1 and p2-1 to the outside of the machine are sequentially arranged. The printing unit 112, the cutter 113, and the discharge roller pair 114 are merely provided for the two roll papers P1 and P2, and are used in common for both roll papers. When the paper from any one of the roll papers enters the common path 104 after the printing unit 112, the paper from the other roll paper is sandwiched by the pull-in roller pair 111, and the leading edge thereof. Are in a state of being retracted in the dedicated paths 102a and 102b.
In this ticket vending machine, since the cutter 113 is located downstream of the printing unit 112, printing is performed within the required length from the leading edge of the paper p1 or p2, and the upstream side of the printed range is cut off at an appropriate position. After the ticket is issued, it is necessary to perform an operation for returning the remaining paper front end to a proper position in the printing unit 112. By performing such reverse feeding of the leading edge of the paper, unnecessary blank portions are not formed over a wide range in the front portion of the printed area of the issued ticket.
Here, as a method of reversely feeding the paper, it is conceivable that the roll paper P1 or P2 is rotated in the winding direction to return the paper p1 or p2 backward. Not only a force and a drive mechanism are required, but also the control unit becomes sophisticated in order to perform the work operation in a short time. Therefore, the paper p1 or p2 is reversely fed a predetermined distance by the rollers of the printing unit 112 disposed in the printing / cutting unit 101.

By the way, in the state where the roll papers P1 and P2 are mounted on the respective roll paper support means 100a and the leading ends of the papers p1 and p2 extending from the respective roll papers enter the printing / cutting unit 101, the printing unit 112 and the subsequent ones. Only one sheet (for example, p1) enters the common path 104 and undergoes printing and cutting processes. When the roll paper P1 related to the paper p1 that has been previously printed and cut is consumed and the paper ends, the remaining paper p1 that is not provided for ticketing is cut and then loaded. Control is performed to draw the paper p2 related to the other roll paper P2 in the state into the common path 104 after the printing unit 112. At this time, a range extending from the front end of the paper p2 to a predetermined width is cut out. For this reason, the above-described tip trimming process has been performed uniformly.
However, since the leading edge alignment processing for the paper p2 of the roll paper P2 that is newly started is conventionally performed when the leading edge of the paper p2 is drawn into the common path 104 after the printing unit 112, the leading edge alignment is performed. Until the processing is completed, the operation for ticketing is stopped, and it takes time to issue a new ticket. This causes a problem that makes the user wait. In other words, conventionally, while the ticket is issued using the roll paper P1, the leading edge of the paper p2 fed out from the roll paper P2 is kept waiting in the dedicated path 102b in the printing / cutting unit 101. Since the leading edge trimming process is performed for the first time at the stage of switching to the roll paper P2 because the other roll paper P1 is consumed, it takes time for the leading edge trimming process when switching to the roll paper P2. In the meantime, ticketing could not be issued, causing problems such as a reduction in operating rate and a longer waiting time.
JP 2005-088305 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and is a printing apparatus that uses roll paper as printing paper, and one of each of the papers fed out from a plurality of roll papers is used for ticketing, and the other The paper that has been fed out from the unused roll paper is kept waiting in front of the printing unit, so that when one roll paper is consumed, the other unused roll paper is continuously printed without interruption. Is a printing device configured to be able to issue tickets using paper from, and prints on paper fed out from roll paper at the printing section and then cuts to the required length with a cutter located downstream After that, when the new roll paper is set instead of the consumed roll paper, the paper front end of the new roll paper is controlled so that the leading end of the remaining paper after cutting is returned to the printing position. Vs. By performing the leading edge trimming process before starting the paper feeding and ticketing operation from the other unused roll paper, the other unused roll paper is consumed later and the new roll paper is used. An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus that eliminates an increase in the time required to switch the roll paper when paper feeding is started.

  In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 is any one of the two roll papers rotatably supported by at least two roll paper support means and the paper fed from each of the roll papers. A printing / cutting unit that sequentially performs printing and cutting processes on one sheet, a transport mechanism that transports each sheet, and the one roll sheet are continuously fed out from the other roll sheet after being consumed. Control means for controlling the printed paper to be printed and cut by the printing / cutting unit, and the printing / cutting unit includes a printing unit for printing within the range of the paper fed from each roll paper; A cutter disposed downstream of the printing unit for cutting a predetermined length position from the front end of the paper after printing by the printing unit, and the control means cuts the paper with the cutter. In the printing apparatus that performs control for retracting the front end of the remaining paper after being cut by the transport mechanism to the printing position by the printing unit after the ticket is issued, the control means is a paper set in the printing / cutting unit in advance. In order to carry out the leading edge aligning process for the paper set in the printing / cutting unit immediately after the setting, the leading edge of the paper set in advance is used. Temporarily retracting to the upstream side of the printing unit.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, printing is performed on one of the two roll papers rotatably supported by at least two roll paper support means and the paper fed from each of the roll papers. A printing / cutting unit that sequentially performs each cutting process, a transport mechanism that transports each sheet, and a sheet that is continuously fed out from the other roll sheet after the one roll sheet is consumed. Control means for controlling the printing unit to perform printing / cutting by the cutting unit, and the printing / cutting unit includes a printing unit that performs printing within a range of paper fed from each roll paper, and after printing by the printing unit. A cutter disposed on the downstream side of the printing unit to cut a position of a predetermined length from the front end of the paper, and the control unit cuts the paper with the cutter and issues a ticket In the printing apparatus, the control unit performs control for retracting the leading end of the paper after cutting to a printing position by the printing unit, and the control unit newly starts when the roll paper previously subjected to printing / cutting processing is consumed. When the paper tip of the roll paper that has been replaced and replenished is set in the printing / cutting unit, the leading edge alignment process for the paper tip of the new roll paper is performed by controlling the transport mechanism and the cutter. Features.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect, in the leading edge aligning process with respect to the new roll paper, the control unit is configured to remove another roll paper that has previously entered the printing / cutting unit. By temporarily retracting the front end of the paper to the upstream side of the printing unit, the front end of the new roll paper enters the cutter to perform front end alignment processing, and after the front end alignment processing, the new roll paper The leading edge of the other roll paper is advanced into the printing section after the leading edge of the sheet is retracted to the standby position upstream of the printing section.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the printing apparatus according to the first, second, or third aspect is provided.

The leading edge of each sheet supplied from each of the two roll sheets is received in the printing / cutting unit, and the previously inserted sheet (the preceding sheet) is preferentially sent to the printing unit and the ticket issuing process. The paper inserted later (the subsequent paper) is stopped at the upstream standby position, and when the previous paper is consumed, the subsequent paper is sent to the printing section and thereafter without interruption. In a printing apparatus which can be used, a leading edge aligning process for a subsequent sheet is conventionally performed when switching to the subsequent sheet. For this reason, the time required for switching from the first sheet to the next sheet is prolonged, and the customer is kept waiting.
On the other hand, according to the present invention, since the roll paper is set in the printing apparatus and the leading edge of the paper is set in the printing / cutting unit, the paper leading edge alignment processing is uniformly performed. No tip trimming process is performed. Therefore, the time required for switching from the first sheet to the next sheet is short.
That is, when two roll papers are newly set, the paper with the leading edge set first in the printing / cutting unit is preferentially used for the ticket issuing process, and the leading edge of the paper set later is set at the standby position. When the previous sheet is consumed, it is continuously switched and used.
On the other hand, the leading edge alignment process for each sheet is performed when each sheet is set in the printing / cutting unit. In order to perform leading edge alignment processing for paper that has been set later, the previous paper that has entered the print standby position first becomes an obstacle. This paper is advanced to perform leading edge alignment processing, and the subsequent paper is retracted to the upstream side, and then the previous paper is advanced again to the print standby position.
For this reason, when the paper used for the ticket issuing process is switched, the leading edge trimming process is not performed, and the time for waiting the user is shortened.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments shown in the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a main configuration diagram thereof, and FIGS. 3A, 3B, and 3C illustrate configurations and operations unique to the present invention. It is a figure for demonstrating.
This printing apparatus 2 is applied to, for example, a ticket vending machine 1, and when a user operates a menu switch on the front face of the ticket vending machine and selects a transaction with a predetermined amount and a predetermined content, an amount and an item corresponding to the selected transaction content are displayed. After printing on the paper surface, the paper is cut to the required dimensions and issued outside the machine.
A ticket vending machine 1 shown in FIG. The printing apparatus 2 feeds the paper p1 from the paper feed unit 5 having a roll paper support means (support shaft) 5a that rotatably supports two roll papers P1 and P2 and the first roll paper P1. A transport mechanism 10 that transports downward, a printing unit 20 that performs printing within a predetermined range (printing range) from the leading ends of the papers p1 and p2 that are fed from the roll paper P1 and P2 by the transport mechanism 10, and printing by the printing unit 20 A cutter 30 disposed downstream of the printing unit 20 to cut a predetermined length position (cutting position) from the front end of the paper later, and a paper piece (ticket) cut by the cutter 30 are discharged out of the machine (ticketing) The discharge roller pair 40 is provided, and a control means 50 for controlling them. The transport mechanism 10, the printing unit 20, and the cutter 30 constitute a printing / cutting unit 3.
In the paper supply unit 5, the center (or outer periphery) of each roll paper P1, P2 is rotatably supported by each roll paper support means 5a. Each of the roll papers P1 and P2 is obtained by winding the papers p1 and p2 for the ticket to be issued in a roll shape. In the factory-shipped state, the front end of the paper is attached to the surface of the roll paper main body with an adhesive tape or the like. When the roll paper is mounted on the printing apparatus because it is fixed, the adhesive tape is manually peeled off from the front end of the paper and the roll paper main body in advance, and then the front end of the paper is manually entered into each entrance of the printing / cutting unit 3. Plug in 3a, 3b.
The roll paper P may be thermal paper or plain paper. In the case of thermal paper, the printing unit 20 uses printing means comprising a thermal head, and in the case of plain paper, printing means for plain paper such as an inkjet head is used.

The printing / cutting unit 3 includes a casing C that accommodates each component, dedicated paths 4a and 4b that communicate with the inlets 3a and 3b and that transport the sheets p1 and p2, respectively, and the dedicated paths 4a, 4a, And a common path 6 extending downward from the joining position A where 4b joins. On each dedicated path 4a, 4b of the printing / cutting unit 3, a pair of transport rollers 11 (11a, 11b) constituting the transport mechanism 10 are arranged. On the common path 6, the printing unit 20 that prints on the paper p <b> 1 and p <b> 2, the cutter 30 that cuts the leading end of the paper that has been printed downstream by the printing unit 20 to a predetermined length, and the cutter 30 cuts it. The discharge roller pairs 40 for discharging (issuing) the cut parts p1-1 and p2-1 to the outside of the machine are sequentially arranged.
The printing unit 20, the cutter 30, and the discharge roller pair 40 arranged in the common path 6 are only provided for the two roll papers P1 and P2, and are common to both roll papers. Therefore, when the paper from either one of the two roll papers enters the common path 6 after the printing unit 20, the paper from the other roll paper is transported to the transport roller pair 11a, or In a state of being nipped by 11b, the front end is retracted into each dedicated path 4a or 4b and waits.
Further, immediately after the entrances 3a and 3b, sensors S1 and S2 for starting the motor and detecting the absence of paper are arranged, respectively. The sensors S1 and S2 are used to detect the entry or discharge of the paper from the respective inlets 3a and 3b, and the detection signals from these sensors S1 and S2 are used to start the motors M1 and M2. Is done. Further, the sensors S1 and S2 use the final portion of the paper fed out from the roll paper with the paper end close to the final printing, cutting, and ticketing, and then the remaining paper portion is transferred to each inlet 3a, It is also used to enable removal by pinching with a finger by feeding back to 3b and causing it to protrude a predetermined length.

Sensors S3 and S4 for detecting standby positions are arranged in dedicated paths 4a and 4b immediately after the pair of transport rollers 11a and 11b, respectively. The standby position detection sensors S3 and S4 detect the leading edge of the paper in order to position (standby) the leading edges of the papers p1 and p2 in the dedicated paths. That is, the sheet enters the unit through the inlets 3a and 3b, passes through the printing unit 20, is subjected to the leading edge aligning process by the cutter 30, and is then fed back to the standby position immediately upstream of the sensors S3 and S4. This is means for detecting the passage of the leading edge of the paper when stopping at. Alternatively, the sensors S3 and S4 are also used for detecting the passage timing of the leading edge of the sheet conveyed by the conveying roller pair 11a and 11b to the downstream side, and detecting whether or not a jam has occurred.
The conveyance roller pairs 11a and 11b are composed of driving rollers 11a ′ and 11b ′ and pinch rollers 11a ″ and 11b ″ that are driven by the driving rollers and that are in contact with and separated from the driving rollers. The drive rollers 11a ′ and 11b ′ are driven by motors M1 and M2, and the pinch rollers 11a ″ and 11b ″ are brought into and out of contact with the drive rollers by solenoids SOL1 and SOL2, respectively. In this example, since the solenoids SOL1 and SOL2 are always OFF, the pinch roller is in contact with the circumferential surface of the drive roller, and the sheet can be conveyed by rotating the drive roller in this state. However, when the solenoid is turned on, each pinch roller is separated from the driving roller, so that the sheet cannot be conveyed.
The printing unit 20 includes, for example, a platen 21 and a head 22 that contacts and separates from the platen 21, and a printing standby position immediately after a position (printing position) where the printing unit of the head 22 faces the peripheral surface of the platen 21. Is set. The head 22 moves back and forth between a printing position indicated by a solid line and a retracted position indicated by a broken line. Further, a sensor S5 for detecting the platen paper position is disposed downstream of the print standby position. The sensor S5 is used for the control means to set the print start position on the paper surface by detecting the paper leading edge position.
A sensor S6 for head opening / closing detection is disposed in the vicinity of the printing unit 20. For example, when a thermal head, an inkjet head, or the like is used as the head 22, it is necessary to configure the head 22 to be openable and closable in order to eliminate a paper jam or the like. The sensor S6 detects the position of the head by detecting a part of the movable part of the head 22 that moves back and forth between the solid line position and the broken line position. Since printing cannot be performed when the head is open, the drive target unit including the transport mechanism and the cutter is stopped.
The cutter 30 includes a cutting blade 31 and a driving source (motor, solenoid) of the cutting blade, and the cutting blade 31 cuts a predetermined length rear position from the leading edge of the paper under the control of the control means 50. The cut and separated paper is issued outside the machine as a printed ticket.

One of the papers p1 and p2 fed out from the respective roll papers P1 and P2 and having the leading end inserted into the printing / cutting unit 3 is used with priority (one that has been inserted first). When the consumption of the paper is finished, conveyance of the paper from the other roll paper is started and used for printing and cutting.
When the leading ends of the papers p1 and p2 fed out from the respective roll papers P1 and P2 are inserted into the inlets 3a and 3b of the printing / cutting unit 3, the sensors S1 and S2 detect the entrance of the leading end of the paper, and based on this detection signal. Then, the control means 50 drives the motors M1 and M2 to rotate the drive rollers 11a ′ and 11b ′, and conveys the paper in the forward direction. In the present embodiment, the paper that has been inserted into the entrance first is used for ticketing, and the paper that is inserted later is automatically switched and used after the previous paper is consumed.
When the front ends of the papers p1 and p2 are made to stand by before the common path 6, the motors M1 and M2 are stopped at the timing when the front ends of the papers are detected by the sensors S3 and S4. Stop at position.
When any one of the papers p1 and p2 is advanced from the dedicated paths 4a and 4b into the common path 6, the forward conveying roller pair 11a or 11b is driven to a position immediately downstream of the printing position. Control is performed to stop the leading edge of the sheet at a certain print standby position. When the motors M1 and M2 are stepping motors, the sheet stop position is determined based on the number of pulses from the sensors S3 and S4. Alternatively, when the motors M1 and M2 are DC motors, they are fed until they are detected by the sensor S5, and then sandwiched by the platen 21 of the printing unit, and the tip position may be determined by pulse control. When the leading end of the sheet is at the print standby position, the head 22 is operated to print the required items on the sheet surface, and the sheet is conveyed downstream at a predetermined speed.

At the time when printing of one ticket is completed from the leading edge of the sheet to the predetermined printing range, the cutting portion (corresponding to the length in the conveyance direction of the ticket) from the leading edge of the sheet still reaches the cutter blade 31. Therefore, the sheet is further advanced while counting the feeding distance of the leading edge of the sheet based on the timing when the sensor S5 detects the leading edge of the sheet. Then, the cutter blade is actuated at the timing when the position where the leading edge of the paper is cut reaches the position of the cutter blade 31 to cut the paper. The leading end portion of the sheet separated from the sheet main body by cutting is issued by the discharge roller pair 40 to the outside of the machine. At this time, the paper remaining on the upstream side of the cutter blade 31 is started to be fed back in preparation for the next printing, and is stopped at the print standby position at a predetermined timing after the leading edge of the paper passes the sensor S5. . In this way, every time a ticket is issued, an operation is performed to return the remaining paper tip to the print standby position. Therefore, there is an unnecessary blank in front of the print range of the ticket issued after printing and cutting. It will not be formed.
When the leading edge aligning process is performed, the leading edge of the paper that has entered the common path 6 from the inlet 3a or 3b through the common path 4a or 4b is advanced to a position exceeding the required length of the cutter blade 31. Then, the cut portion is cut by the cutter blade 31 and the cut portion is discharged. Thereafter, the remaining paper is reversely fed back to the standby position detected by the sensor S3 or S4 in any one of the dedicated paths, and then standby (stop). Let The cut paper front end is discharged out of the apparatus by the discharge roller pair 40.
When the remaining amount of roll paper provided for ticketing approaches the end, the end of the paper is determined when the end of the paper passes the sensor S1 or S2. Thereafter, at the timing when the trailing edge of the paper does not separate from the transport roller pair 11a or 11b, the ticket issuing (printing and cutting) using the roll paper is finished, and the trailing edge of the paper is reversed by reversing the transport roller pair. Projecting from the inlet 3a or 3b by a predetermined amount of protrusion. By picking out the trailing edge of the protruding paper with a finger and taking it out from the entrance and removing it, a new roll paper can be set in the printing / cutting unit 3 from the entrance.

The characteristic configuration of the present invention is that any one of the two roll papers P1 and P2 rotatably supported by at least two roll paper support means 5a and the papers p1 and p2 fed out from the respective roll papers. A printing / cutting unit 3 that sequentially performs printing and cutting processes on one of the sheets, a transport mechanism 10 that transports each sheet, and the other roll sheet continuously after one roll sheet is consumed. And a control unit 50 that controls the printing / cutting unit 3 to print / cut the paper fed out from the printer. More specifically, the printing / cutting unit 3 is fed out from each roll paper. A printing unit 20 that prints within a predetermined range from the leading edge of the printed paper, and a cutter 3 disposed downstream of the printing unit to cut a predetermined length from the leading edge of the paper after printing by the printing unit 20 When provided with a control means 50 performs control for retracting the remaining paper edge after cutting to the print standby position by the printing unit 20 by the transport mechanism 10 after issuing by cutting the paper by the cutter 30. Further, the control means 50 preferentially uses the paper set in the printing / cutting unit 3 in advance for the ticket issuing process, while performing the leading edge alignment processing for the paper set in the printing / cutting unit 3 later. In order to carry out immediately after the setting, the leading edge of the previously set paper is temporarily retracted into a dedicated path on the upstream side of the printing unit 20. In this state, the paper that has been set later is advanced into the common path 6 to perform the trimming process, and after completion of the trimming process, the paper is returned to the standby position in the dedicated path, and the previously set paper is printed. Advance to the standby position.
Further, the control means 50 replaces and replenishes the roll paper support means with a new roll paper when the roll paper that has been subjected to the printing / cutting process (ticketing process) in advance is consumed. At the time of setting in the printing / cutting unit 3, the transport mechanism and the cutter are controlled to perform leading edge alignment processing for the leading edge of the new roll paper. The new roll paper that has undergone the leading edge aligning process is immediately reversely fed back to the upstream standby position of the printing unit 20, and the other roll paper used for the ticketing process in preference to the replacement. The front end is advanced to the print standby position of the printing unit 20.

This will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3. As a basic configuration of the present invention, printing is first performed among the papers p1 and p2 fed out from the two roll papers P1 and P2 loaded in the printing apparatus. The sensor S1 or S2 detects the leading edge of the paper set (inserted) at the inlet 3a or 3b of the cutting unit 3, and this paper is preferentially used for ticketing processing. The paper set at the entrance afterwards is stopped at the standby position before the printing unit 20 and is used by switching when the previous paper is consumed. Note that the leading edge alignment process for each of the sheets p1 and p2 is performed when each sheet is set in the printing / cutting unit 3. That is, in the paper leading edge aligning process for the paper p1, when the paper p1 is inserted into the inlet 3a, the control unit 50 advances the paper p1 based on the detection signal from the sensor S1 that detects this, and the leading edge of the paper p1 is cut. It is completed by performing reverse cutting (to the print standby position) by the cutting and transport mechanism 10. Further, in the paper leading edge aligning process for the paper p2, when the paper p2 is inserted into the inlet 3b, the control unit 50 detects the paper p1 that has been in the print standby position based on the detection signal from the sensor S2. After the sheet p2 is retracted to the standby position in 4a, the paper p2 is advanced to cut the leading edge by the cutter 30, and reversely fed by the transport mechanism 10 (to the standby position in the dedicated path 4b).
Furthermore, in the present invention, in the printing apparatus 2 that can be equipped with at least two roll papers P1 and P2, printing is performed on the paper p1 fed out from one of the two roll papers P1 and P2 (for example, P1). During the period for issuing a ticket by performing the cutting process, the sheet p2 from the other roll paper P2 is controlled to stand by at the position of the sensor S2 in front of the printing unit 20 (FIG. 3A), and the ticket is issued first. When one of the roll papers P1 that has been used is consumed, a new roll paper P1 ′ is set instead, and the paper p1 ′ enters the printing / cutting unit 3 from the inlet 3a. The leading edge trimming process for the leading edge of the paper p1 ′ of the paper P1 ′ is performed before starting the paper feeding and ticketing operation from the other unused roll paper P2 (FIG. 3B).
Thereafter, ticketing using the other roll paper P2 is started, and finally, when the roll paper P2 is consumed, paper feeding from a new roll paper P1 ′ is started. The trimming process for p1 ′ is not necessary, and it is possible to eliminate an increase in the time required for switching the roll paper.

In the present invention, a new roll paper is not replenished even though the roll paper P1 is at the paper end, and a new paper is fed after the paper feed and ticketing from the roll paper P2 are started. Even when the roll paper P1 ′ is replenished, the leading edge aligning process for the new roll paper is performed. That is, when the administrator notices the paper end of the roll paper P1 and sets a new roll paper P1 ′ after the ticketing from the other roll paper P2 is started, the control means 50 moves the transport mechanism 10 to the transport mechanism 10. The other roll paper P2 that has already been used for ticketing is controlled to be reversely fed and its leading edge is returned to the standby position in the dedicated path 4b, and the leading edge aligning process for the new roll paper P1 ′ is performed. carry out. That is, in this case, in order to precede the leading edge alignment process for the leading edge of the paper p1 ′ of the new roll paper P1 ′, the paper from the roll paper P2 that has entered the common path 6 after the printing unit 20 until then. p2 is once sent back into the dedicated path 4b and is kept waiting at the position upstream of the sensor S2. After completion of the leading edge aligning process for the paper p1 ′, paper feeding and ticketing from the roll paper P2 are resumed with the leading edge of the paper p1 ′ returned to the standby position in the dedicated path 4a (FIG. 3C). ).
When the alarm is sounded to notify the administrator of the paper end only when all two roll papers are consumed, one roll paper must be the paper end. Since the administrator may not be aware of this, the above control is performed.
When the paper end of each roll paper is individually detected and notified, the paper end of one roll paper is also notified, so that it is possible to replenish quickly.
The printing apparatus of the present invention can be applied not only to an automatic ticket vending machine but also to a general apparatus that prints on paper from roll paper and then issues it.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a main part configuration diagram of the printing apparatus of FIG. 1. (A) (b) And (c) is a figure for demonstrating the structure and operation | movement peculiar to this invention. FIG. 6 is a configuration explanatory diagram of a conventional printing apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

  1 ticket vending machine, 2 printing device, 3 printing / cutting unit, 3a, 3b entrance, 4a, 4b exclusive route, 5 paper feed unit, 5a roll paper support means, 6 common route, P1, P2, P1 ', P2' roll Paper, p1, p2, p1 ′, p2 ′ paper, 10 transport mechanism, 20 printing section, 30 cutter, 40 discharge roller pair, 50 control means.

Claims (4)

Each process of printing and cutting is sequentially performed on one of the two roll papers rotatably supported by at least two roll paper support means and the paper fed out from each of the roll papers. A printing / cutting unit to be implemented, a transport mechanism for transporting each paper, and a paper that is continuously fed out from the other roll paper after the one roll paper is consumed is printed and cut by the printing / cutting unit. Control means for controlling so that,
The printing / cutting unit includes a printing unit that prints within a range of paper fed from each roll paper, and a downstream side of the printing unit to cut a predetermined length position from the front end of the paper after printing by the printing unit. An arranged cutter, and
In the printing apparatus, the control unit performs control for retreating the front end of the remaining paper after being cut by the transport mechanism to the printing position by the printing unit after the paper is cut by the cutter and issued,
The control means preferentially uses the paper set in the printing / cutting unit in advance for the ticket issuing process, and performs the leading edge aligning process for the paper set in the printing / cutting unit later. A printing apparatus characterized by temporarily retracting a leading edge of a previously set sheet to the upstream side of the printing unit in order to be implemented immediately thereafter. Each process of printing and cutting is sequentially performed on one of the two roll papers rotatably supported by at least two roll paper support means and the paper fed out from each of the roll papers. The printing / cutting unit to be implemented, the transport mechanism for transporting each paper, and the paper that is continuously fed out from the other roll paper after the one roll paper is consumed are printed / cut by the printing / cutting unit. Control means for controlling so that,
The printing / cutting unit includes a printing unit that prints within a range of paper fed from each roll paper, and a downstream side of the printing unit to cut a predetermined length position from the front end of the paper after printing by the printing unit. An arranged cutter, and
In the printing apparatus, the control unit performs control for retreating the front end of the paper after being cut by the transport mechanism to a printing position by a printing unit after the paper is cut by the cutter and issued a ticket.
The control unit is configured such that when the roll paper that has been previously subjected to printing / cutting processing has been consumed and the leading end of the roll paper newly replaced and replenished is set in the printing / cutting unit, the transport mechanism And a cutting device for controlling the cutter to perform leading edge alignment processing on the leading edge of the new roll paper.   The control means temporarily retracts the leading end of the other roll paper that has previously entered the printing / cutting unit to the upstream side of the printing unit during the leading edge alignment process for the new roll paper. The leading edge of the new roll paper is caused to enter the cutter to perform the leading edge aligning process, and after the leading edge aligning process, the leading edge of the new roll paper is set to a standby position upstream of the printing unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a leading end of the other roll paper is caused to enter the printing unit after being retracted.   An automatic ticket vending machine comprising the printing apparatus according to claim 1, 2, or 3.

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