JP2011161895A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suppress power consumed in order to apply rotation holding torque to a platen roller, by eliminating printing position displacement of label paper, resulting from a situation in which a platen roller deformed by its direct contact with a thermal head returns to its original shape during the stopping of printing. <P>SOLUTION: The label printer includes the platen roller the surface of which is formed from a rubber material, and a thermal head disposed opposite the platen roller. The label printer prints a label with the thermal head while conveying continuous label paper by means of the platen roller. In the label printer, after printing the label is stopped, the platen roller is rotated very slightly in the reverse direction of the direction of conveyance of the label paper, and then stopped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a label printer that performs label printing with a thermal head while conveying a continuous label sheet with a platen roller.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a label printer 1 that includes a platen roller 2 and a thermal head 3 and prints on the label paper L with the thermal head 3 while conveying the continuous label paper L with the platen roller 2 is provided. Generally employed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the platen roller 2 is rotatably supported at both ends of a roller support shaft 21 by bearings 11 fixed to the main body of the label printer 1, and has a transmission mechanism T composed of a gear and a belt. By being driven to rotate by a stepping motor (drive motor) M connected via the continuous label paper L, the continuous label paper L is conveyed in the direction of the arrow X. The roller surface (cylindrical surface) 2 a of the platen roller 2 is formed of a rubber-based material that can be elastically deformed so as to press the printing surface of the label paper L so as to be in close contact with the thermal head 3.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the thermal head 3 is a metal block body arranged to face the platen roller 2 in the vertical direction, and a plurality of minute heating elements are aligned on the contact surface (printing surface). By being energized corresponding to the label data to be printed on the label paper L and selectively heating the minute heating element, printing is performed on the label paper L pressed by the roller surface 2a of the platen roller 2. . The thermal head 3 is brought into contact with the platen roller 2 by being pressed downward by an elastic member (not shown).

  The label paper L is continuously formed by fixing a label with an adhesive on a strip-shaped release mount, and is wound in a roll shape on the upstream side of the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3 in the label transport path. The bearing is supported in a state. The label paper L is transported so as to be pulled out by the platen roller 2, printed between the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3, and after printing, the label is peeled off from the release mount downstream of the label transport path to produce a product or the like. Affixed.

  The label paper L has various sizes (widths). A user purchases a label printer having a wide thermal head and a platen roller. An operation that is also used for printing is generally performed. For example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the width of the thermal head 3 in the direction orthogonal to the label sheet conveyance direction is set so that printing can be performed on the label sheet L having a width W = 100 to 125 mm. Then, using the label printer 1 in which the width of the platen roller 2 is set accordingly, printing may be performed on a narrow label paper L having a width W of 30 mm or less, as shown in FIG.

JP 2000-335535 A

  By the way, the roller surface 2a of the platen roller 2 is formed of a rubber-based material so that the printing surface of the label paper L is brought into close contact with the thermal head 3, but the portion where the label paper L is present (for example, A in FIG. 1B). As shown in FIG. 2A, the roller surface 2a of the platen roller 2 is only required to be slightly elastically deformed in the roller radial direction even during label printing issuance. However, at the portion where the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3 are in direct contact (for example, the BB cross section in FIG. 1B) without the label paper L, the roller surface 2a is a metal thermal head during label printing. 2 is dragged by a slip resistance with respect to 3, and is elastically deformed in the direction opposite to the label conveying direction in the circumferential direction, resulting in a deformed portion indicated by symbol S in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, the deformed portion S is maintained by the pressing force between the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3 even after the label printing is stopped, but the deformed portion S is returned to the original arc shape. The elastic force (indicated by arrow F) to be rotated may rotate the platen roller 2 against the pressing force. Here, when the platen roller 2 rotates as the deformed portion S returns, the label paper L moves unexpectedly in the transport direction (arrow X direction) together with the platen roller 2, and the label paper L and the thermal head 3 The relative positional relationship changes. Therefore, the label issued after resuming the label printing causes a problem that the printing position is shifted in the transport direction by the amount of movement.

As a means for preventing such a problem, as shown in FIG. 2D, by continuing to supply a constant current I ₀ to the motor stepping motor M even while printing by the label printer 1 is stopped, the stepping motor M applies the platen roller 2. A predetermined rotation holding torque is applied to the platen roller 2 so that the platen roller 2 does not move (does not rotate) from the rotation stop position in FIG. However, as described above, when printing on the label paper L which is narrower than the thermal head 3 and specifically has a width W ₁ or less of the width W ₁ of the thermal head 3. 1B, since the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3 are in direct contact with each other over a wide range in the roller width direction, the elastic force due to the deformed portion S is considerably increased. It is difficult to hold the so as not to rotate.

In contrast, as shown by a dotted line in FIG. 2 (d), if larger setting the current I ₀ in the label print is stopped, it is possible to increase the rotation holding torque by a stepping motor M accordingly, deformation Although the elastic force F generated by the portion S can be suppressed and the rotation of the platen roller 2 can be maintained, it is a waste of course that power consumption increases when the label printer 1 stops printing. .

  In view of such a situation, the present invention eliminates the deviation of the printing position of the label sheet due to the deformation of the platen roller caused by the direct contact with the thermal head returning to the original while printing is stopped, and the rotation holding torque is applied to the platen roller. It aims at suppressing the power consumption for providing.

  In the label printer according to claim 1, a platen roller having a roller surface formed of a rubber-based material and a thermal head are arranged to face each other, and the label printing is performed by the thermal head while conveying a continuous label sheet by the platen roller. In the label printer, after the label printing is stopped, the platen roller is slightly rotated in the direction opposite to the transport direction and then stopped.

  The label printer according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the label printer according to claim 1, after the platen roller is rotated slightly, the platen roller is further rotated in the reverse direction by the same angle and then stopped.

  The label printer according to claim 3 is characterized in that in the label printer according to claim 1 or 2, the width of the label paper is ¼ or less of the width of the thermal head in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction. To do.

  After label printing stops, the platen roller is rotated slightly in the reverse direction to actively eliminate the deformation of the rubber part, so the label paper will not move unexpectedly, and the amount of rotation of the roller must be known. Can prevent the printing position from shifting. In particular, after the platen roller is rotated in the reverse direction to eliminate the deformation, the printing is smoothly resumed by rotating the platen roller in the reverse direction by the same amount to restore the label sheet to its original position.

FIG. 4A is a plan view illustrating a printing state on a wide label sheet, and FIG. 5B is a plan view illustrating a printing state on a narrow label sheet, according to the label printer according to the embodiment. (A) The figure which shows the deformation | transformation state of the platen roller in the site | part with a label paper, (b) The figure which shows the deformation | transformation state of the platen roller in the site | part without a label paper, (c) The state during printing stop of the site | part without a label paper FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating a conventional countermeasure to a problem during printing stop. (A) The figure explaining energization control to the drive motor of the label printer which concerns on this embodiment, (b)-(c) The figure which shows the state of the platen roller corresponding to energization control to the drive motor of a label printer. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining (a) label sheet centering by a guide and (b) a cross-sectional structure of a thermal head in a label printer. (A) The figure which shows the detection mechanism of the foreign material adhering to the platen roller surface in a label printer, (b) The elements on larger scale. 2A and 2B are diagrams for explaining (a) a label paper two-point driving method and (b) the problem in the label printer. The figure explaining the problem which arises at the time of back feed by (a) tear-off state in a label printer, (b) label back-feed after tear-off, and (c) forgetting to cut off label paper. (A) A diagram showing a serial number printing image on a label in a label printer, (b) a diagram explaining a problem when a date is changed during printing of a serial number, and (c) serial number initialization timing The figure which shows a setting screen, The figure which shows the printing image when initialization of a serial number was performed at the time of (d) date change. The figure explaining the problem of the printing balance to a label printer in (a) and (b), and the figure which shows the operation screen which changes the structure of (c) (d) product name display column. (A) (b) The figure which shows the state which affixed the image image suitable for POP, (c) (d) The figure explaining the problem by affixing the image image which does not conform to POP. The figure which shows the (a) conventional response method when a host computer and a measuring instrument stop interlock | cooperating in an online production system, and (b) the response method after improvement. (A) The figure explaining the problem in the conventional nozzle cleaning of an inkjet printer, (b) The figure explaining the improvement method of nozzle cleaning, (c) The figure explaining another improvement method.

  A label printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The label printer of this embodiment is different from the conventional label printer 1 only in the energization control for the stepping motor (drive motor) M when printing is stopped, and the other structure and operation are the same. 2A and 2B are used in common, the same reference numerals are used for the same portions, and detailed description is omitted.

  In the label printer 1 according to the present embodiment, a platen roller 2 having a roller surface 2a formed of a rubber-based material and a thermal head 3 are arranged to face each other, and the continuous label paper L is conveyed by the platen roller 2, The label is printed on the label paper L by the thermal head 3. As shown in FIG. 1A, the label printer 1 includes a thermal head 3 capable of printing on a label sheet L having a width W of up to 125 mm in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction and a platen roller 2 corresponding thereto. Depending on the size of the label data to be printed, as shown in FIG. 1B, printing can be performed on narrow label paper L having a width W of 30 mm or less in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (b), the contact surface where the roller surface 2a of the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3 are in direct contact with each other during the label printing is pulled in the direction opposite to the label conveying direction. As a result, a deformed portion S which is elastically deformed in a wedge shape in general is generated. On the other hand, when the platen roller 2 is stopped at the same time as the label printing is stopped and only the current is supplied to the stepping motor M to apply the rotation holding torque as in the conventional case, the label paper L When the width is ¼ or less of the width of the thermal head 3, the elastic force for eliminating the deformed portion S exceeds the rotation holding torque, and the platen roller 2 is rotated in the label sheet conveyance direction. become.

In the present embodiment, immediately after the label printing is stopped, the label printing is stopped as shown in FIG. 3A, instead of shifting to the state where the current I ₀ for applying the rotation holding torque to the platen roller 2 is applied. Thereafter, the platen roller 2 is slightly rotated (reversely rotated) in the direction opposite to the label conveying direction with respect to the stepping motor M, and energized so that the label paper L is slightly back-fed. Is rotated slightly by the same angle in the opposite direction (label conveyance direction), energized so as to feed the label paper L to the position immediately after the label printing is stopped, and finally, a rotation holding torque is applied to the platen roller 2 Transition to a state where the current I ₀ is energized.

  Here, the state of the roller surface 2a of the platen roller 2 controlled by energization shown in FIG. 3A will be described. First, after the label printing is stopped, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the platen roller 2 is rotated in the direction opposite to the label conveying direction, the label paper L is slightly back-feeded accordingly, and the label conveying direction The deformed portion S (FIG. 2B) of the roller surface 2a that has been elastically deformed in the opposite direction is restored to the original arc shape. In this case, since the rotation angle of the platen roller 2 is very small, a new deformed portion does not occur on the front side in the roller conveyance direction.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 3 (c), when the platen roller 2 is rotated by the same angle in the reverse direction as in the previous back-feed, the label paper L is fed in response to the position immediately after the label printing is stopped. However, since the rotation angle of the platen roller 2 at this time is the same amount as in the previous back feed and is very slight, no new deformed portion is generated on the rear side in the roller conveyance direction. Then, as shown in FIG. 3 (d), the rotation of the platen roller 2 is stopped by applying a rotation holding torque to the platen roller 2 in a state where the circumferential deformation of the roller surface 2a is eliminated. Is unintentionally rotated or the label paper L is sent along with it.

(Characteristics of the label printer according to the above embodiment)
The label printer 1 according to the above embodiment has the following characteristics. First, after the label printing by the platen roller 2 and the thermal head 3 is stopped, the platen roller 2 is slightly rotated in the direction opposite to the conveying direction (arrow X direction) and then stopped. By rotating the platen roller 2 in the reverse direction, the deformed portion S of the roller surface formed of the rubber-based material is eliminated, and the rotation amount of the platen roller 2 for eliminating the deformed portion S is suppressed to a minute angle. Thus, it is not necessary to generate a new deformed portion.

  As a result, thereafter, the platen roller 2 is prevented from rotating unexpectedly by the elastic force of the deformed portion S, and the label paper L is prevented from shifting in the transport direction. The label paper L is back-fed by rotating the platen roller 2 in reverse. However, as long as it is known how much the platen roller 2 has been rotated reversely when the deformed portion S is eliminated, the label paper L can be labeled. Before resuming printing, the platen roller 2 is rotated in the opposite direction by the same amount to feed the label paper L, so that printing can be resumed smoothly.

  Secondly, in order to eliminate the deformed portion S, the platen roller 2 is slightly rotated in the direction opposite to the conveyance direction, and then further rotated in the opposite direction by the same angle and then stopped. When the deformed portion S is eliminated, the label paper L is rotated by the same amount in the opposite direction to the conveyance direction and then rotated in the opposite direction to return the label paper L to the correct set position without any deviation. It is not necessary to store information on how much the platen roller 2 has been rotated, and label printing can be resumed more smoothly.

(Modification of the above embodiment)
When label printing is performed by the label printer 1, which of the heating elements arranged on the printing surface of the thermal head 3 is heated and printed is determined in advance for each label format such as the label width and printing contents. It has been decided. Therefore, it is necessary to accurately position and transport the label paper L with respect to the thermal head 3 in the width direction orthogonal to the transport direction. By the way, in a labeler having an automatic label pasting function, regardless of the size of the label width W, since the pasting unit always sucks the printed label at the same position, the pasting unit is installed on the center position CR of the transport path, The label needs to be transported and issued to the center position CR. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), guides G are arranged on the left and right sides in the width direction of the transport path to center the label position. With this centering mechanism, every time the label width W changes. It is necessary to adjust the position of the left and right guide G in the left-right direction, and there is a problem that work efficiency is poor.

Therefore, to detect the offset amount S of the label center L _CR for center 3 _CR of the thermal head 3 when performing label printing, to determine the heating element for heating the thermal head 3 on the basis of the offset amount S, during label suction operation The amount of movement of the pasting unit is also determined. Conventionally, in a thermal head used in a labeler or the like, only one thermistor is arranged at the center. However, in the thermal head 3 of this modification, a plurality of thermistors 32 are arranged at regular intervals as shown in FIG. The entire temperature distribution can be detected by measuring the temperature of each part of the thermal head 3 with the thermistor 32. Since the thermal head 32 tends to dissipate heat at the contact portion with the label L more easily than the non-contact portion, the label center _LCR is detected from the temperature distribution detected by the thermistor 32 using this. On this basis, it is possible to calculate the offset amount S of the label center L _CR for center 3 _CR of the thermal head 3, the automatic label sticking machine, it is no longer necessary to finely adjust the position of the left and right guide G for each label width W, Work efficiency when changing the label size is improved.

  In the label printer 1, the platen roller 2 that transports the label paper L is deteriorated in the accuracy of label feeding because dust adheres to the roller surface 2 a or the label is wound around the number of times of use. There are things to do. In order to prevent such a problem, it is necessary to periodically clean the roller surface 2a. However, it is practical that the user monitors the roller surface 2a for contamination and cleans it at an appropriate timing. Have difficulty. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5A, a displacement sensor 41 is attached in the vicinity of the platen roller 2 and at a position where the distance from the roller surface 2a can be detected during label printing. By monitoring the distance D to the roller surface 2a detected by the above, it functions as a foreign matter detection mechanism. Then, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), when the foreign matter F adheres to the roller surface and the distance D fluctuates, a message prompting the operator to clean is output with a screen display or voice. By detecting adhesion of a foreign object such as a platen roller that is difficult for the user to understand, appropriate measures can be taken at a stage before malfunction occurs. The present invention may be applied not only to the platen roller 2 but also to other auxiliary rollers that convey the label.

In the label printer 1, in order to improve the printing accuracy in the conveyance direction of the label paper L, as shown in FIG. 6A, the platen roller 2 and feed rollers 42 and 43 provided upstream thereof are driven at two points. There is a case. In such a case, if the conveyance speed by the feed rollers 42 and 43 is higher than the conveyance speed by the platen roller 2, the label paper L may be loosened between two points to cause clogging. Therefore, in order to prevent the loosening, by providing a speed differential to increase the conveying speed V ₂ of the platen roller 2 about 1 to 3% with respect to the conveying speed V ₁ of the feed rollers 42 and 43, pulling the label sheet L state It is supposed to be transported by. Further, a knurling is provided on the roller surfaces of the feed rollers 42 and 43 so that the label holding force of the feed rollers 42 and 43 is larger than the label holding force of the platen roller 2, and the label paper L is slid with respect to the platen roller 2. by, the conveying speed V ₁ of the feed rollers 42 and 43 and the discharge velocity of the label sheet L, fever timing of the heating elements of the thermal head 3 is also set in accordance with the conveying speed V _1.

However, at the time of back feed, the transport speed of the platen roller 2 on the upstream side is increased. Therefore, when label printing is issued after back feed, as shown in FIG. Sag occurs. Since this slackening until it is eliminated, while the label sheet L is conveyed at the conveying speed V ₂ of the platen roller 2, the heating time of the heating elements of the thermal head 3 is set to match the conveyance speed V _1, The print position is slightly shifted in the transport direction. Since the deviation of the printing position is slight, it is not usually a problem, but it is a problem in the market where printing quality such as nameplate printing is regarded as important. Therefore, the amount of slack of the label at the time of back feed is calculated from the speed ratio between the platen roller 2 and the feed rollers 42 and 43, and the label cue position is corrected until the slack of the label is eliminated based on the measured value. After the slack is eliminated, the correction calculation is not performed and the cueing operation is performed as in the case where the back feed is not performed.

Specifically, the process is as follows. First, the ratio n (= V ₁ / V ₂ ) of the transport distance of the platen roller 3 to the transport distance of the feed rollers 42 and 43 is stored in advance as a set value. Then, the back feed distance l of the label paper L at the time of back feed is stored, and the distance d sent from the detection of the next label to the cueing position is calculated and stored in advance according to the label pitch. From the time when the next label is detected when the label paper L is fed forward, the paper is transported to a distance calculated by d + d ÷ n, and transport beyond the distance l is a cue feed distance d.

  By matching the printing timing with the conveyance speed of the label paper L, the printing accuracy is improved. Conventionally, in the two-point drive type label issuance, a print format is created on the assumption that a print position shift is unavoidable in a label immediately after backfeeding. However, such a consideration is not necessary. Printing with higher accuracy is possible, and it is not necessary to create a print format that takes into account print misalignment. Therefore, the print prohibition range is reduced, and the flexibility of format creation is improved.

  When using label paper with a gap in the label printer 1, it is often used to cut out at the gap portion after printing is completed. Conventionally, in such a label printer, when an auto cutter is not provided, a mechanism for manually cutting the label sheet like the peeling plate 44 shown in FIG. 7 is provided, and the tear-off mode is set. It corresponds by setting. In the tear-off mode, when the print data is lost and printing is stopped, the conveyance of the label paper is not stopped immediately, but as shown in FIG. 7A, the label paper L is moved to a position where the printed label can be cut out. , And waiting in that state so that the operator can perform the cutting operation. When the label printing is resumed, as shown in FIG. 7B, the label printing is started after automatically performing the back feed.

  By the way, at the tear-off position, as shown in FIG. 7A, the edge portion of the printed label is turned over. However, when the label is not cut off while waiting for the restart of printing in the tear-off mode, the label printing is performed. At the time of back feed performed before resumption, the turned-up portion may be caught between the thermal head 3 as shown in FIG. Therefore, even when the tear-off mode is set, the tear-off operation is not performed unconditionally, but the tear-off is performed only after a predetermined operation is performed. For example, a tear-off operation is performed when an operation on an operation key provided on the label printer is performed, or a tear-off operation is performed by a command from a connected computer. By setting as described above, the tear-off operation is performed only when a predetermined operation is performed to cut off the label, and the label is prevented from being caught due to forgetting to cut off the label.

  When the printer label 1 is applied to a labeler or the like having an automatic label pasting function, the label paper is automatically fed out by rotating the holder portion that holds the label roll, thereby affecting the printing accuracy due to the label inertia. Can be eliminated. In addition, the printing roller can be driven at two points (the conveyance roller for feeding the label paper to the printing unit is provided on the upstream side of the printing unit in the conveyance route of the label paper) to improve the printing accuracy in the label conveyance direction. be able to. By the way, when the diameter of the take-up roll of the label mount after the label is peeled off, excessive tension may act on the print portion due to the inertia of the mount to deteriorate the printing accuracy. In particular, as the mount width increases, there is a problem in that printing expansion and contraction is likely to occur. Therefore, by providing a tension roller that combines a roller arm and a spring between the print unit and the label mount take-up unit, the tension variation due to the inertia of the label mount is smoothed, and the roll diameter of the take-up unit is reduced. Even if becomes larger, an adverse effect on printing accuracy should be suppressed. In addition, what is necessary is just to select a length and a spring constant according to a label mount width and a winding roll diameter for a spring.

  Price measuring weighers and labelers use label rolls placed in cassettes as label paper for printing. Prepare multiple label cassettes according to the size and type of labels and operate them by replacing them. is doing. The user visually checks the label roll in the cassette to know the remaining amount of label, but depending on the type of label cassette, it seems that the side of the label roll can be seen with the label roll attached to the price measuring instrument or labeler. Some types of label cassettes are not visible, and the label remaining amount cannot be confirmed unless the label cassette is pulled out of the label cassette or pricing meter. Even if the side of the label roll is visible, the label roll side cannot be seen directly because the label cassette is often stored side by side in the actual usage environment. There is a problem that it cannot be confirmed.

  Therefore, an electronic paper indicator is incorporated on the outer surface of the label cassette to display the remaining amount (percentage display, number display, bar display, etc.) and type of label in the label cassette. By providing an electronic paper rewriting device in the label printer body (labeler, pricing meter, etc.), the label paper consumption (number of prints, etc.) can be reduced when the label cassette is set in the label printer body. Detect and rewrite the remaining amount display in real time. When the label cassette is removed from the main body of the label printer, electricity cannot be used. However, since the display of the electronic paper is maintained without electricity, the label remaining amount can be confirmed even with the label cassette alone. Further, by displaying the label type, cassette number, etc. in addition to the label remaining amount, it is possible to confirm at a glance which label is set.

  By knowing the current label remaining amount, it is possible to prepare the next cassette in advance and reduce the loss time (print stop time) caused by the label exchange. Further, since the remaining amount of the label cassette stored for replacement can be immediately known, a cassette having the remaining label amount corresponding to the number of printed sheets can be selected, and the number of label replacements can be reduced. Electronic paper should be incorporated at a position where it can be easily checked both when the label cassette is set in the label printer main body and when the label cassette is removed from the label printer main body and stored in a state where a plurality of electronic papers are stored. However, if there is no easy-to-see position in both the set state and the storage state, it may be provided at a plurality of locations.

  The label printer 1 prints a label attached to a food product sold in a supermarket or the like (e.g., side dish, lunch box, meat, vegetables, etc.). And JAS law, etc., raw materials, storage methods, additives, the location of the manufacturing plant (processing plant), the name and name of the manufacturer (processing plant), the consumption (best before) date, the place of origin (country), content, gene set The use of replacement foods and the display of various information such as allergic substances are obligatory, and the scope of coverage has been expanded due to legal revisions. That is, the amount of information to be displayed on the label affixed to the product is greatly increased compared to before, and recently a large label or a plurality of labels have been adopted. However, this increases the cost associated with the label, and there is a problem that the front of the product is covered with the label and the consumer cannot visually check the contents.

  By the way, the printed information on the product label is not readable by the consumer regardless of the laws and regulations, and the information printed for the convenience of the seller (eg, barcode, date of purchase, estimated disposal time) , Manufacturing person name, manufacturing serial number, supplier name, etc.). Therefore, the printing information for the convenience of the seller cannot be read with the naked eye, but it is printed with transparent special ink that can be read by using a special reading device. Print on top of. Or it responds by printing directly with the said special ink in the site | part where the product label of packaging materials (packaging film etc.) is not affixed instead of a product label.

  By printing information that does not require consumer readability with transparent ink, the product label size can be reduced and the number of pasted items can be reduced without affecting the visibility of print information that requires consumer readability. be able to. In addition, when printing directly on the packaging material, it is possible to display a large amount of information without being restricted by the label size, or to reduce the occurrence of scan errors by printing a large barcode. There is.

  For fresh foods sold at supermarkets, etc., expiration dates have been set, but if they are sold out by the expiration date, they must be discarded. , “XX% discount”, etc., a label printed with a discount (partially closed label) is manually attached and sold at a discount. The parting label is created by printing on a label sheet in advance before sticking or by handwriting on a blank paper label with a pen each time along with the sticking operation.

  However, you can prepare a parting label separately, carry the bundle, look at the product or price on the spot, set the discount price or discount amount, peel off the label from the mount by hand, stick it to the product, It is necessary to write with a pen, which is cumbersome and burdensome. Also, in such complicated work, it is easy to make mistakes such as attaching labels by mistake or entering wrong discount prices, etc. There is a problem that it is difficult to set discounts.

  Therefore, when printing the product name, sales price, etc. on the product label, it is printed with the transparent ink that makes the characters appear by applying a predetermined drug, and the discount price at the time of the part-off set in advance according to the product Aside from this, it is possible for the worker to trace the product label with the felt pen with the medicine at the start of the part-time sale. As a result, an appropriate discount price according to the type and price of the product can be displayed promptly and without fail, and the part-time display without permission to set the discount can be left to the part-time display. In addition, if ink that can be erased by applying another chemical is used, it is possible to switch to multiple types of printing using the same printing area.

  In addition to the above, the parting label can be created using a parting label labeler that reads the identification code (bar code, etc.) containing the product information printed on the product label and displays the parting label with the discount price displayed. There is a method of issuing, but the discount amount and discount rate must be entered for each product each time, and the operator operates in a state where the discount criteria are ambiguous, or mistakenly inputs the discount amount etc. There is a risk. Therefore, the CODE128, GS-1 code, and QR code (two-dimensional code) including the management data of the expiration date and the sales deadline are printed in advance on the product label, and these are read by the labeler and the calendar built in the labeler. The remaining time from the time of the clock or the like to the deadline is calculated, the discount rate (amount) and the discount price set according to the remaining time are automatically calculated, and the parting label is printed. For example, by setting the discount rate to 10% if the remaining time to the deadline is within 5 hours, 20% if it is within 4 hours, 50% if it is within 3 hours, the discount criteria can be clarified. In addition, mistakes such as discount rates are prevented.

  The product label affixed to the product is delivered after the supplier creates a format according to the instructions of the seller and confirms the printed content. For example, the “processing date” and “best taste” are printed on one label. It is necessary to display two types of dates, “deadline”, and these dates must be registered correctly. Therefore, when the delivery person creates a format with a labeler or price measuring instrument according to the instructions of the seller and registers the created data, whether the two types of “processing date” and “best before date” are registered correctly A mechanism is installed to display a warning message on the work display screen and warn the creator (delivery person) of an error if it is created by mistake.

  As items to be checked, in addition to the processing date and the expiration date, items such as product name, price, bar code, and seller name are targeted, and a warning message can be displayed even if these items are not present. The warning display timing may be added not only when the format is registered, but also when the label is issued. When a delivery person registers without noticing a mistake, a warning is displayed at the time of registration, so that trouble after delivery can be prevented. In addition, the development of serious problems such as date mistakes can be prevented.

  The processing date, expiry date, etc. printed on the product label may be affixed to the product and displayed at the store without realizing that the date and time itself is incorrect. Among the errors in the date and time, there are actually processing dates that are newer than the label issuance date (for example, after the next day), or expiration dates that are older than the label issuance date (for example, before the previous day). Something you can't get. The causes of such date and time errors are various, such as operational errors, setting errors, and system / hardware / software faults. However, it is difficult to establish a mechanism to completely prevent these, and It may lead to a decrease in operability and complicated settings.

  Therefore, in a label printer that prints date and time data such as the processing date and the expiration date, the consistency between the processing date and the expiration date to be printed and the current date and time of the calendar clock built in the label printer when the label is issued If it is determined that there is an error as described above, a warning message to that effect is displayed and label printing cannot be issued until the error is corrected. Anyway.

  A label printer prints and issues a label based on print data output from a label issuing application of a computer connected thereto, and the application has a function of “serial number” or “serial number”. This function sets the initial value and increment for a specific print item when designing the label format, and as shown in FIG. Is printed, and the incremented value is automatically printed on the second and subsequent labels. In the example of FIG. 8A, an initial value 1 and an increment 1 are set. And even when the print data to be printed is changed or the application is terminated, the serial number is stored in the computer so that the increment is automatically added unless it is changed intentionally. Can continue printing the serial number.

  By the way, as shown in FIG. 8B, a 6-digit “manufacturing date” that is switched according to a calendar clock function and the like, and a 4-digit “continuous number” in which an increment “1” is added to the initial value “0001”. "May be set as a serial number. In such a case, every time the date changes, it is necessary to initialize the serial number to return the “serial number” part to the initial value “0001”. If this is forgotten, as shown on the right side of the table of FIG. The serial number that combines the “manufacturing date” of the current day and the continuation of the “serial number” portion of the previous day will be given.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8 (c), a setting screen for setting at which timing the serial number is initialized is provided, and by setting the initialization timing in advance on the setting screen, the setting condition is set. A function for detecting the corresponding timing and automatically initializing the serial number stored in the computer is added. As a result, when the date or the like changes, there is no need to forget to return to the initial value, and as shown in FIG. 8D, the serial number is reset every time the manufacturing date (label issuance date) changes. It is possible to deal with cases reliably.

  The serial number is initialized not only by detecting that the date has been changed, but also by setting the initialization time as described in the setting screen shown in FIG. Further, it is possible to set a day of the week and date to be initialized and initialize it every week or every month, or initialize every year. When initializing every day, the time of initialization is not fixed at midnight, but the time is set on the user side, depending on the user's operation. For example, it is assumed that it is more convenient to set the break time (work end time) to 2 am on the next day, for example. The reason that the day of the week can be set in the weekly initialization is based on the assumption that it corresponds to the week division by the user operation, and the date setting in the month-by-month initialization is possible by the user operation. It is assumed that the month will be closed.

  When calling a product to be printed and issued with a labeling weighing machine, etc., it is necessary to search for the corresponding product from among many registered products. In some so-called seasonal products, the calling frequency is high during a predetermined seasonal period, but the calling frequency is extremely low outside the seasonal period. However, the current product search has no seasonal classification, and searches are performed from all items. Therefore, a seasonal word dictionary in which products are classified and registered for each season is installed, and the product name in the label printing information is linked to the seasonal word dictionary. For example, set the season period from March to May in spring, from June to August in summer, from September to November in autumn, from December to February in winter, etc. When the search button is pressed, the season is determined based on the current calendar date and the setting information of the season period, and a list screen of products linked to the season word can be displayed.

  For example, “Strawberry”, “Buri”, etc. in spring, “Samurai”, “Watermelon”, “Unagi” etc. in summer, “Sanma”, “Matsumatsu” etc. in autumn, “Samurai”, “Nabe” etc. in winter Register the seasonal word, and for the seasonal word “Sanma”, “Sanma Open”, “Sanma no Simmer”, “Sanma 2”, “Sanma 3” etc. Link to “Song Shochu” and “Chinese Shoto”. If the date when the season search button is pressed is September, it is determined that the season period is “autumn”, and only products linked to the autumn season word can be displayed in a list. This makes it possible to narrow down the search for products that are produced in the same season every year, and to improve the efficiency of the call operation for seasonal products. In addition, by automatically limiting the season from the built-in calendar date function, the operator does not need to determine the season, and the operation can be further simplified.

  For pricing weighing machines, etc., for users who use multiple types of labels with a single device, a number is assigned to the setting information in which the printing density and printing speed suitable for the label size are set, and the device body When the label to be used is replaced with a different type, the number corresponding to the label type is input from the operation panel and the setting information is called to perform setting work such as printing conditions. Has the ability to simplify. However, if the above operation is forgotten when the label is replaced, there may be wasteful label printing such as the printing sticking out of the label, and depending on the label width, it is necessary to change the pressing force of the thermal head. In addition to the input operation, it is complicated to change the pressing force.

  Therefore, a function that automatically detects the label size (width and length) and automatically changes the pressing force of the thermal head is added to the pricing meter, etc., and collated with pre-registered label information. In order to do this, the following configuration is adopted. First, the label width is automatically measured by moving the label guide (or label holder) according to the label size. Further, the label is moved back and forth in the transport direction, and the label length is automatically measured by the label detection sensor. The label type is specified based on the measured label size (width and length), the corresponding label information is recalled in advance, and settings such as print density and print speed are automatically performed. Change the pressing force by the thermal head.

  The specific configuration is as follows. Attach a potentiometer to the rotating part of the rack and pinion part that becomes the slide adjustment mechanism of the label guide (or label holder) and detect the amount of movement of the guide by changing the resistance value, or provide a reflection sensor along the guide member, The guide width is detected by detecting reflection from the guide member. The label size is recognized by the guide width detected by the detecting means and the label length measurement function, and label No. information corresponding to the label size is automatically called on the label printer side. Further, the pressing force of the thermal head is automatically adjusted according to the label width by moving the terminal position of the spring that presses the thermal head by a cam driven by a motor. Since the label number information is automatically selected by the label printer instead of the user, it is possible to prevent generation of useless labels due to selection mistakes or selection mistakes. Further, since the pressing force of the thermal head is automatically adjusted according to the label width, generation of ribbon wrinkles, pressure contact contamination, excessive pressure by the thermal head, and the like are prevented.

  The label to be attached to the product can be freely selected by the user within the scope of the label type and size, and multiple types and sizes of labels can be used with a single label printer. Multiple types of labels can be used properly according to the product and the wholesaler of the product. However, for each label, it is necessary to determine the label format (mainly label size / print contents) and the printer operation settings (mainly print density / gap / label sensor distance / first-out amount / first-out stop amount). In this regard, since the label format is stored for each type of label, it can be changed simply by selecting the label to be used. As for printer operation settings, setting and adjustment values are basically stored in each printer.

  However, some items of the printer operation setting need to be adjusted for each label. Therefore, when printing on a label having different setting / adjustment values of the printer operation setting, setting / adjustment is required every time the label is changed, and the user cannot share it. Therefore, the printer operation setting is adjusted for each label format, and the setting / adjustment value can be stored in the printer. This makes it possible to share labels with different settings and adjustment values for printer adjustment, such as print density, gap, label sensor distance, first-out amount, first-out stop amount, etc. Can be changed.

  In the product label printed and issued by the printer label, the product name display column is printed by combining a plurality of items such as the production area name, product name, and advertising text (POP). Just assigning a character size (full-width, half-width, etc.) may result in a poor balance due to the length of each item, and there is a problem that label printing as perceived by the user cannot be realized. For example, in the product label shown in FIG. 9 (a), the name of the place of production is large and the product name and POP are small and difficult to see, but conversely, if the name of the place of production is registered, as shown in FIG. 9 (b), The place of production is too small. Therefore, on the touch panel of the label printer, as shown in FIG. 9C, the configuration of the product name display field is displayed, the changed portion is touched, and the changed contents can be selected and specified as shown in FIG. 9D. In this manner, a well-balanced and easy-to-read product label may be created.

  In packaging price measuring machines, in addition to normal product labels (pricing labels), the use of POP labels is increasing. Like the so-called eye catch label, the POP label aims at a sales promotion effect, and it is necessary to select display contents and a design suitable for the product to which the label is attached. In the case where the POP label and the eye catch label are used in combination, it is desirable to select a label that does not overlap the display content and design and that can be expected to have a synergistic effect. If the POP label and eye catch label to be attached at the backyard of a supermarket, etc. are individually indicated, it may lead to confusion among workers, and an improper combination of labels will be issued and affixed. There is a waste of time and money due to redoing.

  Therefore, a combination of a POP label and an eye catch label to be used at the same time is registered in advance, and the combination of the POP label and the eye catch label is called using the registered combination number as a key. . Further, when the combination number is selected, by setting so that a preview screen for confirming the completed image of the tray to which those labels are attached can be displayed, the attaching position of each label can also be confirmed. By registering the label combination in advance, it is possible to avoid an error in the label combination and to simplify the instruction of the pasting contents to the operator. Also, by confirming the completed image of the tray on the preview screen, it is possible to prevent mistakes in the contents, combinations, and pasting positions of the labels, and it is possible to eliminate waste due to pasting.

  When printing a POP with a printer, as shown in FIGS. 10 (a) and 10 (b), an image image created in accordance with the POP layout is used as printing data. When printing data is set, printing may be performed without noticing that an image that does not conform to the POP layout is pasted. As shown in FIGS. A POP in which the pasting portion of the image extends in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction may be printed.

  In order to prevent the above inconveniences, the POP layout can be selected by including the name (or part of the name) of the POP layout that matches the image file name, or including the layout size. Alternatively, an image file that can be used when set is automatically selected. For example, when the name of the POP layout is “G-256T-01”, the file name of the image image that matches the name is “Monthly service. 256T.jpg”, which is automatically selected.

  When creating label print data, even if you want to use a character font other than those registered in the label printer in advance, you cannot create a new character font on the printer. You need to store character fonts. Therefore, hiragana, katakana, kanji, handwritten fonts can be created and registered directly on the touch panel mounted on the label printer, and label printing can be performed using the fonts. As a result, it is possible to create a human-like individual label with a single label printer without using a personal computer.

  If fresh foods remain in the general consumer's home, the packaging wrap or tray at the time of purchase may be discarded and placed in another bag or wrapped in a home wrap, but the product label will be discarded Since it is affixed to the packaging containers, the expiration date cannot be confirmed later. In order to cope with such a problem, it is possible to peel off a portion on which information that the consumer wants to hold is printed from a packaging container and reuse (reattach).

  For example, two types of labels with different adhesive strength (strong adhesive label and weak adhesive label) are prepared, and information that you do not want to peel off from the product such as barcode, price, expiration date, etc. is printed on the strong adhesive label that cannot be removed once applied. On the other hand, a weak adhesive label that can be peeled off and attached after being affixed is retained by the consumer, such as a QR code for accessing the product name, expiry date, cattle individual identification number, product information (origin, producer, etc.) Print the information you want to keep and affix those labels to the pre-weighed trays at the same time to let consumers reuse the weakly adhesive labels.

  Alternatively, by applying a heat-sensitive adhesive that can control the adhesive strength to heat on a single perforated label and performing different heating control on each section that can be separated by perforation, While giving strong adhesive strength (impossible to peel after sticking) to the other side, weak adhesive strength (possible to peel and re-stick after sticking) is given to the opposite compartment, and the strong adhesive strength compartment is peeled off from the above products The information that the user does not want to print is printed, and the information that the consumer wants to hold is printed in the section of weak adhesive strength, and the consumer is allowed to separate and reuse only the section of weak adhesive strength.

  As mentioned above, the product name, expiry date, cow identification number, QR code for accessing product information, etc. are printed on the weak adhesive label (or section) that can be peeled off and reattached after application. Therefore, when the consumer takes the product out of the packaging container at the time of sale and stores it frozen in another bag, etc., the weak adhesive label (section) is peeled off and affixed to the refilled bag. You can easily leave the information you want.

  In an online production system, production instructions and production status are constantly managed by a host computer, and the measuring instrument incorporated in the production system operates while communicating with the host computer in real time. When a line failure occurs and the system enters an offline state that cannot be linked to the host computer, production is performed while manually inputting production instructions for each measuring instrument as shown in FIG. In addition, it is necessary to manually input the summation information such as production results to the host computer side and add them, resulting in extremely low production efficiency.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11B, the production instruction on the host computer side is written to a portable external storage device (for example, USB memory, CF card, etc.), and the instruction data is written to each measuring instrument. While reading and producing, the total information is written out to an external storage device, and the total information is read into the host computer, thereby making it possible to manage production results. In addition, since a large amount of data can be stored in the external storage device, the above-described production instruction and total information transfer work can be completed only once a day.

  As a label printer used when issuing distribution labels and food labeling labels at factories, etc., label data (product master, print layout) is registered on the printer device and printed with a stand-alone product management function label. There is a printer and a slave-type personal computer connection label printer that connects to a personal computer using a communication cable or wireless communication and prints based on label data registered in the personal computer. In the former case, it is necessary to always visit the site when registering label data, and a registration error may occur in such a work environment. In the latter case, in an environment where a personal computer cannot be installed, it is necessary to secure the communication network such as LAN wiring or wireless LAN by installing the personal computer at a remote location.

  Therefore, the label data to be printed on the label printer and the number of copies to be printed are set, the label issuing instruction code (two-dimensional barcode such as QR code) is created, and the barcode is printed on paper or carried Send to information terminals. Then, the barcode printed on the paper or displayed on the terminal screen is read by a barcode scanner attached to the label printer, and a label is printed and issued based on the read information. As a result, the data and the number of labels set on the personal computer can be issued while the personal computer and the label printer are completely separated, and the data registration at the site is not required, thus simplifying the work.

  Ink jet printers, unlike thermal printers, print ink by continuously ejecting ink onto printing paper (labels), while there is a demand for ink to dry on paper in a short time, while the ink that is dried in the nozzle head Nozzle cleaning is indispensable to cause clogging. By the way, in nozzle cleaning, since the ink clogged in the nozzle is ejected, it is necessary to retract the nozzle head from the print standby position to the cleaning area where the waste liquid tank is located, as shown in FIG. Yes, it must be returned to the print standby position after cleaning. Printing cannot be performed while the nozzle head is moving, and it is necessary to stop the conveyance of the printing paper.

  Since the ink dries in the nozzle head in a short time of several tens of seconds, the nozzle cleaning process is performed each time the content of the label print is changed to prevent nozzle clogging that was not used in the previous label print. is doing. Therefore, when printing a label to be attached to a so-called indefinite product, the label printing contents (amount of money, etc.) are always different, and it is necessary to frequently perform nozzle cleaning. As a result, it takes time to retreat to the cleaning area and return to the print standby position, resulting in a decrease in processing capability, which is an obstacle to on-demand handling for undefined conventional products.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12B, a print ruled line extending in a direction orthogonal to the print sheet conveyance direction is provided for all print sheets (print labels), and arranged in the orthogonal direction in the nozzle head. Ink is ejected from all of the plurality of nozzles so that the same effect as when nozzle cleaning is performed can be obtained. This eliminates the need to frequently retract the nozzle head from the print standby position to the cleaning area, enables continuous printing, improves printing processing capability, and supports on-demand for undefined conventional products. be able to.

  Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12C, in the label roll formed by fixing the print label to the belt-like mount, an ink-absorbing material extending in a direction orthogonal to the print label conveyance direction is provided between the print labels. Each time the printing operation on each print label is completed, ink may be ejected from all the nozzles to the ink-absorbing material, and the same effect as when nozzle cleaning is performed may be obtained. . The mount itself may be formed of an ink absorbing material. Thereby, the same effect as the case of setting the print ruled line can be obtained.

  In the band winding printer, the printed band film is wound around the product packaging tray, and the end portions of the film band are thermally bonded to each other on the back side of the tray. The adhesive film is broken, or the belt film is slid laterally while being wound around the tray, or is cut with a blade such as scissors. In a method other than using a blade, if the product is not used to the work, the tray may be tilted and the product inside may collapse.

  On the other hand, fine pinholes (diameter of about 0.2 to 0.3 mm) are opened innumerably at a pitch of about 1 mm in the longitudinal direction of the film on both side ends in the width direction of the belt film, and any portion as long as the processed portion There is a demand for easy-to-cut processing that can be easily cut by hand. However, the film band that has been subjected to cut facilitating processing, the processed portion is slightly stretched, and the merchantability may be impaired as both side edges in the width direction of the film band wavy. This is the cause of clogging of the band film inside the band winding printer.

  Therefore, the pitch of pinholes provided in the band film is widened to reduce the number of pinholes, thereby reducing the waviness that occurs on both side edges of the band film. In addition, by suppressing the processing pitch to about 30 mm to 50 mm, even when the tray with the smallest size is wound, the pin hole is sure to come to the upper surface side of the tray. In addition, the hole size is expanded to about 1 mm in diameter so that the location of the pinhole is easy to understand, and the hole shape is intuitively recognized as “cut from here” at a glance, such as triangle, arrow, teardrop shape, etc. Make it the shape you want. Or it is good also as printing the symbol (for example, triangular arrow etc.) which suggests that it is a cut end in the vicinity of a pinhole.

  By reducing the number of pinholes that have caused the undulation of the band film, the conventional merchandise facilitating cutting process will reduce the merchantability and eliminate the inconvenience such as the band film film being easily clogged inside the band winding printer. be able to. In addition, by making the hole large and easy to understand, it will be intuitively recognized that it can be cut by hand, and it is possible to omit the kind of mark "cut from anywhere" Productivity is improved.

  In band winding printers, fluctuations in the power supply voltage of the heater used to thermally bond the band film may cause film adhesion failure. Conventionally, the voltage of the heater power supply has been stabilized, The method of detecting and monitoring this is adopted. However, when the heater power supply is stabilized, it is difficult and expensive to use a heater transformer that uses a commercial power supply. Further, it is impossible to monitor heater disconnection or heater abnormality by means for detecting the voltage of the heater power supply.

  Therefore, an actual heater current is detected by a current transformer that detects heater disconnection or heater abnormality, and based on this, control is performed so that the amount of heat of the heater becomes constant. Specifically, the heater current detection means is provided so that the current value can be integrated, and it is determined whether or not a predetermined amount of heat necessary for reliably bonding the belt film is given from the integrated value. . This control can also be applied to a DC power source.

  In this control, the target heat amount is added to the heater by integrating the current value actually flowing through the heater, so that stable film welding is possible without being affected by fluctuations in the power supply frequency or power supply voltage. In addition, since the heater current is detected, it is possible to monitor heater disconnection and heater overcurrent. When a heater transformer is connected to a commercial power supply, the power supply frequency can be acquired without adding a circuit. Is possible.

1 Label Printer 2 Platen Roller 3 Thermal Head L Label Paper

Claims (3)

A platen roller whose roller surface is made of a rubber-based material and a thermal head are arranged opposite to each other, and in a label printer that prints a label with a thermal head while conveying a continuous label sheet with a platen roller, after label printing stops, A label printer, wherein the platen roller is slightly rotated in a direction opposite to the conveying direction and then stopped.   2. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein after the platen roller is rotated slightly, the platen roller is further rotated reversely in the transport direction by the same angle and then stopped.   The label printer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the width of the label paper is ¼ or less of the width of the thermal head in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction.

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