JP2009066828A - Thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a thermal printer operable without stopping printing even when a thermal transfer ribbon tape is supplemented or a defect occurs in the thermal printer. <P>SOLUTION: A plurality of thermal printers 1, 20 are arranged with the heater parts 15, 35 of thermal heads 2, 22 set at different angular positions A, B around the axis O of a platen roller P in the section perpendicular to the axis O. One of the thermal printers 1, 20 is selectively operated for printing. When the thermal transfer ribbon tape is consumed and the consumption of the ribbon is detected or an abnormal signal is emitted while the thermal printer is under printing, the printing of the thermal printer is stopped, and the printing of the other printer is started to change the printing. The loading of the ribbon tape into the thermal printer stopping printing is performed while the changed thermal printer performs printing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus having a thermal printing machine that prints on a printing target sheet using a thermal transfer ribbon tape and a line thermal head, and more particularly, replenishment of the thermal transfer ribbon tape to the thermal printing machine and abnormal output of the printing machine. The present invention relates to a thermal printing apparatus that enables continuous printing by a standby printing machine without interrupting printing when printing is not possible.

  It is required to display letters and symbols such as the date of manufacture, expiration date, and production serial number on the packaged product. In such cases, a thermal printer using a thermal transfer ribbon tape and a line thermal head is provided. In many cases, a thermal printing apparatus is used for printing. Since the printing in that case is performed in the packaging process of the packaged product, the printing device is required to be able to be arranged in a small space so that it can be attached without hindrance to the device arrangement of the packaging device. When re-installing a used thermal transfer ribbon tape, the packaging line is stopped, so the time required to re-install the thermal transfer ribbon tape is a loss time in the packaging process. When the ribbon tape is used and the thermal transfer ribbon tape is remounted, it is required to be performed quickly.

  The thermal printing machine has a line thermal head, a ribbon tape rewinding drive shaft for rewinding and feeding the ribbon tape while holding the thermal transfer ribbon tape reel, and a ribbon for winding the ribbon tape that has been fed and used for printing. The apparatus includes a tape winding drive shaft, a stepping motor for driving and rotating these drive shafts, and a guide roller for guiding the ribbon tape fed out and wound. To remove the thermal transfer ribbon tape reel consumed by printing and re-install a new ribbon tape reel to reduce the time it takes to pass the thermal transfer ribbon tape through the path, to wind up the thermal transfer ribbon tape reel and used ribbon tape Measures have been taken, such as using a ribbon tape reel, a guide roll that guides the ribbon tape that is fed and taken up, and a cassette configuration that incorporates a set of such devices.

  As described above, even if the heat transfer ribbon tape in the form of a cassette is adopted, in order to replace the cassette, it is necessary to temporarily stop printing, and accordingly, it is necessary to stop the operation of the packaging line. . Therefore, it is also possible to use a cassette with a long thermal transfer ribbon tape to reduce the replenishment frequency of the thermal transfer ribbon tape, but it is necessary to stop the line and replace the ribbon at the end of the ribbon, When the winding length of the thermal transfer ribbon tape is increased, the winding diameter of the thermal transfer ribbon tape is increased, the outer dimensions of the printing apparatus are increased, and it is necessary to increase the installation space of the printing machine.

  Also, the printer may malfunction during use. If the printer malfunctions and an abnormal signal is output, it is necessary to stop the printer and inspect the location of the malfunction. Because there is no, the operation of the packaging line will be stopped. As described above, the conventional thermal printing machine needs to be stopped for replenishment of the thermal transfer ribbon tape, and has a possibility of being stopped due to the occurrence of a malfunction. The packaging device that incorporates the machine into the line has a factor that makes the operation unstable.

  The present invention relates to a thermal printing apparatus using a thermal printing machine that prints on a print target sheet using a thermal transfer ribbon tape, for replenishment of the thermal transfer ribbon tape, or when a malfunction occurs in the thermal printing machine. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermal printing apparatus that can continue the operation of the packaging apparatus without stopping the operation.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention provides a thermal printing system in which a thermal head of a thermal printing machine is pressed against a print target sheet on a platen roller via a thermal transfer ribbon tape to print on the print target sheet. In the apparatus, a plurality of thermal heads face each heater at different angular positions around the axis of the platen roller as seen in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the platen roller on the cylindrical surface of one platen roller. Provided is a thermal printing apparatus in which a printing machine is arranged, and one of the plurality of thermal printing machines is selected and operated to perform printing.

  In the thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention, the plurality of printing machines are revolved on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller without rotating around the axis of the platen roller when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the platen roller. In this state, they can be arranged in the same posture with respect to the axis of the platen roller.

 In any of the above-described thermal printing apparatuses according to the present invention, printing is performed using one of the plurality of thermal printing machines, and the thermal printing machine uses either one of the ribbon tape used signal and the abnormal signal. Can be configured to stop printing by the thermal printer and start printing by another thermal printer.

  In the thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention, as described above, each of the thermal heads is located at different angular positions around the axis of the platen roller when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the platen roller on the cylindrical surface of one platen roller. A plurality of thermal printers are arranged with the heater facing, and one of the thermal printers is selected to operate and print, so the thermal during printing on the platen roller When it is detected that the thermal transfer ribbon tape in the printing machine has been consumed and the ribbon has been consumed, the printing of the thermal printing machine is stopped, and the other platen roller surface arranged at different angular positions is stopped. Switch to start printing by thermal printer. In this case, the thermal printing machine to be started has a different angular position around the platen roller axis when viewed from the cross section perpendicular to the platen roller axis and the thermal printing machine that is currently printing on the platen roller. Therefore, printing can be switched by automatic control with the distance on the platen roller corresponding to the difference in angular position being different by the distance that the sheet to be printed moves.

As described above, according to the thermal printing apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of printing machines arranged at different angular positions on the cylindrical surface of one platen roller are used so as not to stop the printing operation. Thus, printing can be performed at the same position with respect to the print target sheet. The replenishment of the thermal transfer ribbon tape to the thermal printer that has stopped printing due to consumption of the thermal transfer ribbon tape may be performed as appropriate within the time during which the alternate thermal printer performs the printing operation.
In the thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention, even when an abnormal situation occurs in the thermal printing machine during the printing operation and an abnormal signal is generated, a plurality of thermal printings arranged on one platen roller as described above. By switching the operation of the machine, the printing operation can be continued without stopping, and according to the thermal printing apparatus of the present invention, the operation of the packaging apparatus constructed by incorporating this is affected by the printing stop in the printing apparatus. There is no stopping.

  In the thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention, the plurality of printing machines are revolved on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller without rotating around the axis of the platen roller when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the platen roller. In the case where the printer is placed in the same posture with respect to the axis of the platen roller in the state, when the thermal printer being operated is switched to another thermal printer and printing is performed, the arrangement positions of both printers on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller By simply shifting the printing operation by the interval difference and continuing printing on the printing target sheet, printing on the printing target sheet can be continued continuously as it is, and control is simple.

  In the thermal printing apparatus of the present invention, printing is performed using one of the plurality of thermal printing machines, and when the thermal printing machine emits either a used signal or an abnormality signal of the ribbon tape, If the printer is configured to stop printing by a printing machine and start printing by another thermal printing machine, it automatically prints regardless of the cause when the operating thermal printing machine is unable to continue printing. It is possible to continuously perform printing without stopping printing by switching the printing machine.

  Hereinafter, the thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In FIG. 1, P denotes a platen roller, and the axis O is arranged in a state extending in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. A printing target sheet on which printing is performed on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller P, for example, a printing target sheet S on which a packaging bag is formed, is traveled in the direction of the arrow while being partially wound, and a bag making machine or the like. Sent to. Reference numerals 1 and 20 denote thermal printers. Since both printers 1 and 20 have the same configuration and dimensions, the configuration of the printer 1 will be described.

  The thermal printer 1 includes a line thermal head 2, a thermal transfer ribbon tape rewinding drive shaft 3, a thermal transfer ribbon tape winding drive shaft 4, and an operation panel 5. The thermal transfer ribbon tape rewinding drive shaft 3 is mounted with a heat transfer ribbon tape original 6 wound around a bobbin, and the thermal transfer ribbon tape winding drive shaft 4 is used for printing by the line thermal head 2. A bobbin for winding the subsequent thermal transfer ribbon tape 7 is mounted. The thermal transfer ribbon tape 8 is unwound from the original fabric 6 mounted on the thermal transfer ribbon tape rewinding drive shaft 3 and guided to a plurality of guide rollers 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 14 to be a line thermal head. It passes through the two heater parts 15 and is configured to be sent in the direction of the arrow along the locus indicated by the two-dot chain line. The operation panel 5 is used for inputting information to be printed by the thermal printer. The heater portion 15 of the line thermal head 2 is disposed facing the point A on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller P.

  The thermal printing machine 20 is provided with a numeral sign obtained by adding 20 to the numerals of the constituent parts corresponding to the constituent parts of the printing machine 1, and redundant description of those parts is omitted. The heater unit 35 of the line thermal head 22 of the thermal printing machine 20 is disposed so as to face the point B on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller P. The heater of the line thermal head 2 of the thermal printing machine 1 is arranged. The point A on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller on which the portion 15 is disposed is an angular position separated by θ around the axis O of the platen roller P. In the illustrated example, the value of θ is approximately 90 degrees. It has become. The thermal printing machine 1 and the thermal printing machine 20 are arranged in the same posture in the direction of the axis O of the platen roller P, and are arranged at positions revolved by θ around the axis O without rotating with each other. It has become.

  The illustrated thermal printing apparatus has the above-described configuration, and the printing operation by this is performed as follows. First, this thermal printing apparatus is provided with two thermal printing machines 1 and 20, but the printing operation is performed by one of the two thermal printing machines 1 and 20, and the printing operation is stopped for the other. It is in a dormant state. For example, in the illustrated printing apparatus, the printing machine 1 performs a printing operation and the printing machine 20 is in a pause state. In this case, when the printing position of the sheet S for forming a packaging bag, which is a printing target being transferred on the platen roller P, comes to the heater unit 15, the printer 1 has a cylindrical surface of the platen roller P with respect to the sheet S. Above, the heater portion 15 of the line thermal head 2 is brought into contact with the moving thermal transfer ribbon tape 8, and predetermined printing is performed on the printing position.

When the raw material 6 of the thermal transfer ribbon tape in the thermal printer 1 is consumed for printing and approaches a used state, a used signal is generated. Thus, the thermal printer 1 stops the printing operation after a predetermined time. In synchronism with this, the thermal printer 20 that has been inactive starts the printing operation. Since the thermal printers 1 and 20 are disposed on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller P by a distance corresponding to the angular positions A and B with respect to the sheet S to be printed, printing and thermal printing by the thermal printer 1 are performed. The printing by the printing machine 20 is the transfer of the sheet S at the time of takeover by setting and placing the difference in the arrangement position so that the printing operation is performed while shifting the difference in the time required for the transfer of the printing target sheet S. The printing operation is taken over according to the speed, and the printing operation is continuously continued by the thermal printing machine 20 at the same printing interval as that performed by the thermal printing machine 1 for the printing target sheet S.
The continuation of the printing operation by the thermal printers 1 and 20 is to stop the printing operation in the same manner as described above even when one of the thermal printing machines performing the printing operation generates a malfunction and issues an abnormal signal. Instead, it is performed alternately.

  The thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention has been specifically described above based on the illustrated embodiment. However, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and is within the scope of the claims. Needless to say, various modifications and changes may be made. For example, in the printing apparatus according to the above-described embodiment, when the printing machine that is printing is used or the ribbon tape has been used or is in an abnormal state, the printing is performed by switching to the printing machine that is on standby by automatic control when a signal is generated. However, the thermal printing apparatus according to the present invention can be used to manually switch the printing machine when the ribbon tape has been used or an abnormality has occurred without performing such automatic control. In addition, even when manually performed, the switching can be quickly performed, and the influence of the printing machine switching on the packaging line or the like can be reduced.

In the illustrated embodiment, two thermal printers 1 and 20 are arranged on the cylindrical surface of one platen roller P, but three or more thermal printers are arranged on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller. As a configuration, the time until the thermal transfer ribbon tape is replenished may be lengthened. Furthermore, although the illustrated printing apparatus shows a case where there is one printing machine 1 and one printing machine 20, a plurality of printing machines 1 and 20 are arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface, and parallel printing is performed. It is good also as a structure to perform.
In the illustrated embodiment, the difference in angular position at the printing press position around the axis O of the platen roller P as viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis O of the platen roller P is about 90 degrees, but is not limited to this. When three or more thermal printing machines are arranged, the winding angle of the sheet S to be printed on the platen roller P is increased, and the angular position of the thermal printing machine on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller P is appropriately selected. Need to be placed.

  In the illustrated embodiment, two thermal printers having the same structure and dimensions are arranged, but the thermal printers arranged on one platen roller do not necessarily have the same structure and the same dimensions. Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the thermal printers 1 and 20 are provided with operation panels 5 and 25, respectively, but a plurality of thermal printers arranged for one platen roller P are used. A common operation panel may be provided for the printer, and the operation panel may be omitted from each thermal printer to simplify the configuration of each thermal printer.

1 is a side view showing a configuration of a thermal printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

1, 20 Thermal printer 2, 22 Line thermal head 3, 23 Thermal transfer ribbon tape rewinding drive shaft 4, 24 Thermal transfer ribbon tape winding drive shaft 5, 25 Operation panel 6, 26 Thermal transfer ribbon tape original fabric 7, 27 Thermal transfer ribbon tape 8, 28 after use Thermal transfer ribbon tape 9-14, 29-34 Guide roll 15, 35 Heater part P Platen roller S Print target sheet O Platen roller axis A, B Head heater part is exposed Position on the platen roller

Claims (3)

  In a thermal printing apparatus configured to press the thermal head of a thermal printing machine against a print target sheet via a thermal transfer ribbon tape on the platen roller, and print on the print target sheet, the same on the cylindrical surface of one platen roller. A plurality of thermal printers are arranged with the heaters of the respective thermal heads facing each other at different angular positions around the axis of the platen roller when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the axis of the platen roller. A thermal printing apparatus configured to select and operate one of the machines to perform printing.   The plurality of printing machines are rotated on the platen roller shaft in a state of being revolved on the cylindrical surface of the platen roller without rotating about the platen roller shaft when viewed in a cross section perpendicular to the platen roller shaft. The thermal printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal printing apparatus is arranged in the same posture.   Printing is performed using one of the plurality of thermal printers, and when the thermal printer issues either a ribbon tape used signal or an abnormal signal, printing by the thermal printer is stopped, and the other The thermal printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein printing is started by a thermal printing machine.

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