JP2013202867A - Printer device, and method of controlling print unit in printer device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer device which prevents a printed matter from being damaged or coated with dust in correcting curl formed on roll paper, and maintains constant finish quality of the printed matter, and to provide a method of controlling a printing unit in the printer device.SOLUTION: A printer device 100 includes a printing unit 10 which performs printing on paper P by drawing the paper P from roll paper 1 to pass between a thermal head 12 and a platen roller 11 for receiving the thermal head 12. The printer device includes: a moving mechanism 20 which moves the printing unit 10 in a decurl direction (a direction shown by an arrow (α) opposite a print surface) depending on a curl amount of the drawn paper P; and a unit control mechanism 21 which moves the moving mechanism 20 in the decurl direction by a predetermined amount based on the curl amount of the drawn paper P.

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a technique for correcting curling (curl) of a paper drawn from a roll paper, a printer device capable of maintaining a finished quality of a printed matter, and a method for controlling a printing unit in the printer device. It is related to.

  As this type of related technology, a printer device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is known. The printer device includes a capstan roller that pulls out roll paper wound in a roll shape from one end side and conveys the roll paper in a predetermined direction, and presses one side of the roll paper conveyed by the capstan roller to roll paper And a decurling roller for correcting the curl attached to the head. The decurling roller is adjusted in position by a moving means that moves up and down so as to be pressed or separated from the upper surface of the roll paper. The decurling roller moves according to a change in roll diameter measured by a separately provided measuring means. The means is driven to change the decurling angle with respect to the roll paper.

JP 2006-193315 A

  By the way, in Patent Document 1 shown above, the decurling roll for correcting the curl by pressing the roll paper is disposed on the same side as the printing screen of the roll paper. The adhering dust may be placed on the marking screen, which causes a problem of adversely affecting the quality of photo printing.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and prevents printing from being damaged or dust from adhering during correction of curling attached to roll paper wound in a roll shape. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printer apparatus capable of keeping the finished quality of an object constant and a method for controlling a printing unit in the printer apparatus.

  In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. That is, the present invention is a printer apparatus including a printing unit that pulls out a sheet from roll paper and passes between a print head and a roller that receives the printing head to perform printing on the sheet. A moving mechanism that moves in a decurling direction according to a curl amount of the drawn paper, and a control mechanism that moves the moving mechanism by a predetermined amount in the decurling direction based on the curling amount of the drawn paper. And

  According to the present invention, a printing unit that pulls out paper from roll paper and passes between a print head and a roller that receives the print head to perform printing on the paper is subjected to a decurling direction (printing) depending on a curl amount of the drawn paper. The curl of the paper is corrected by moving it in the direction opposite to the surface). That is, since the curl can be corrected only by moving the printing unit without using a decurling roller, it is possible to prevent the printed material from being damaged or dust attached during the curl correction, thereby improving the quality of the printed material. There is an effect that can be kept constant.

1 is a diagram showing an outline of a printer apparatus to which the present invention is applied. It is an example of a graph showing the relationship between the curl amount (= separation distance L) of the paper drawn from the roll paper and the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor. It is a figure which shows the correction value table which memorize | stored the correction value (z1, z2) which correct | amends the difference in the form of the paper by a roll paper manufacturer and its manufacturing lot. It is a graph which shows specifically the process regarding the correction | amendment of the output voltage (V) from a ranging sensor, and an output voltage (V). It is a control flowchart of the printing unit set to the unit control mechanism.

A printer apparatus 100 and a printing unit control method in the printer apparatus 100 shown as an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a printer apparatus 100 to which the present invention is applied, and is mounted on a thermal transfer printer or the like.

First, what is indicated by reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 is roll paper, and a printing unit 10 for printing on the paper P is arranged in the middle of the transport path 2 of the paper P fed out from the roll paper 1. .
The printing unit 10 includes a platen roller 11 that pulls the roll paper 1 wound in a roll shape from one end side and conveys the roll paper 1 in a predetermined direction, and a thermal head that prints a character image on the roll paper 1 conveyed by the platen roller 11. 12 and a ribbon roller 13 for supplying the ink ribbon R to the thermal head 12.

The ribbon roller 13 includes a ribbon supply roller 13A around which the ink ribbon R is wound, and a ribbon take-up roller 13B that winds up the used ink ribbon R after passing through the thermal head 12.
The platen roller 11 has a role as a driving roller for pulling out the paper P from the roll paper 1 and a role of supporting the paper P from below by sandwiching the paper P with the thermal head 12. Further, the platen roller 11 is detected by a pulse signal output according to the number of rotations thereof, thereby detecting a paper length detecting means (not shown) for detecting a drawing length (conveyance distance) of the paper P from the roll paper. Abbreviation) is provided.
The thermal head 12 has a plurality of heating elements arranged so as to face the platen roller 11, and performs printing according to image information on the paper P conveyed by the platen roller 11.

In the printing unit 10, when the ink ribbon R passes through the thermal head 12, the thermal energy generated by the heating element of the thermal head 12 is applied to the sublimable dye in the ink ribbon R, and the dye is used. Printing processing is performed on the printing screen of the paper P that is sublimated and superimposed on the ink ribbon R.
Further, the printing unit 10 is provided with a moving mechanism 20 that moves the printing unit 10 in the directions of arrows (A) to (B) along the height direction, and a unit control mechanism 21 that controls the moving mechanism 20. Yes. The moving mechanism 20 detects a curl of the paper P based on a detection signal from the distance measuring sensor 5 (described later) and an RFID tag 31 (described later) that is paper information set on the roll paper 1 (described later). Although it is provided for moving the printing unit 10 in the decurling direction indicated by an arrow (A), details will be described later.

  A guide roller 3 and a guide plate 4 are provided in the middle of the conveyance path 2 of the paper P located on the downstream side of the printing unit 10, and a distance measuring sensor 5 is provided between the guide roller 3 and the guide plate 4. Yes. The distance measuring sensor 5 is provided on the lower side of the conveyance path 2 of the paper P, and measures the separation distance to the paper P by emitting infrared rays and receiving the reflected light.

In addition, an RFID reader / writer module 32 that reads the RFID tag 31 installed on the core tube 1A of the roll paper 1 is provided below the roll paper installation unit 30 to which the roll paper 1 is attached.
As the RFID tag 31, a correction table for correcting the amount of movement of the printing unit 10 in the arrows (A) to (B) by the moving mechanism 20 is set. This correction table includes (1) a correction value table in which a plurality of correction values (see FIG. 3) for correcting differences in the form of the paper P depending on the roll paper manufacturer and its production lot are stored, and (2) the paper length of the roll paper 1. Two types are set based on prior measurements, such as a remaining amount table indicating the drawer height position corresponding to the remaining amount of paper length.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the relationship between the drawing state of the paper P from the roll paper 1 and the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 will be described.

When the paper P is drawn from the roll paper 1 and approaches the core tube, and the remaining amount of the roll paper 1 decreases, the curl amount of the paper P drawn from the roll paper 1 also increases. Therefore, a distance measuring sensor 5 is provided in the transport path 2 of the drawn paper P, and the printing unit 10 is moved to the moving mechanism 20 based on the output voltage (V) output from the distance measuring sensor 5 by arrows (A). -Move in the (b) direction (particularly, the direction of decurling the paper P (the decurling direction indicated by the arrow (A)).
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, when the curl amount of the sheet P is small and the distance (L) between the distance measurement sensor 5 and the sheet P is small, the output voltage (V ) Is large, but the curl amount of the paper P increases, and when the distance (L) between the distance measuring sensor 5 and the paper P increases, the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 gradually decreases. Become.

  Then, by using such characteristics of the distance measuring sensor 5, the output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 is set within a certain threshold value (within the range of V1 to V2, V2> V1). In addition, a process for moving the printing unit 10 in the directions of arrows (A) to (B) with respect to the moving mechanism 20 is performed. Specifically, when the output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 is larger than the threshold value (V2), a process of moving the printing unit 10 in the upward arrow (b) direction is performed. When the output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 is smaller than the threshold value (V1), the curling amount of the paper P is assumed to be large, and the printing unit 10 is moved in the direction of arrow (A), which is the decurling direction. The process is continuously performed (described later with reference to FIG. 4).

Further, in actual processing, the output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 is used as it is, and the printing unit 10 is not moved in the directions of arrows (A)-(B), but as shown in FIG. By adding or subtracting a correct correction value, the movement amount of the printing unit 10 is corrected to an appropriate value.
For example, the curl amount of the paper P drawn from the roll paper 1 varies depending on the roll paper manufacturer and its production lot, so the output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 becomes the threshold value (V1). Correction value (indicated by z1 in FIG. 3) and correction value (indicated by z2 in FIG. 3) when the output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 becomes the threshold value (V2) are measured in advance. What is obtained and set by the above is stored as a correction value table.
Then, based on the correction values z1 and z2 in the correction value table (see FIG. 3), the movement amount of the printing unit 10 is corrected to an appropriate value, so that the stable paper P that is not affected by the roll paper manufacturer and its production lot can be obtained. Decal processing can be performed.

The output voltage (V) from the distance measuring sensor 5 and the processing related to the correction of the output voltage (V) will be specifically described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 4 shows an output voltage waveform of the distance measuring sensor 5 when the control with the correction value added is performed. The movement control of the printing unit 10 based on the output voltage waveform of the distance measuring sensor 5 is performed by the unit control mechanism 21.

The detection interval from time 0 to T1 is a detection interval in which the roll paper 1 is not present above the distance measurement sensor 5, and the leading edge of the roll paper 1 is applied to the distance measurement sensor 5 at T1. From this timing, monitoring of the output voltage of the distance measuring sensor 5 is started at the analog port of the unit control mechanism 21. When the roll paper 1 is transported in the discharge direction, the curl becomes deeper, so that the distance (L) between the distance measuring sensor 5 and the roll paper 1 is increased, and the output voltage (V) gradually decreases.
Here, the voltage V1 is a threshold value when the curl depth is set to the maximum, and the voltage V2 is a threshold value when the curl depth is set to the minimum. The movement control of the unit control mechanism 21 in the direction of arrows (A)-(B) is performed so that the movement amount of the unit control mechanism 21 is corrected so as to be within the range of ~ V2.

For example, when the unit control mechanism 21 detects the output voltage V1 at time T2, the firmware reads the correction value table of FIG. 3 and adds a correction value to the initial value. For example, when the roll paper 1 of company A is used, the moving distance of the printing unit 10 is set to the initial value a [mm]. When the voltage V1 is detected, the correction value (z2) d21 [mm] is added to the moving distance of the printing unit 10 obtained from the voltage V1, and further lowered to correct the curl to be shallow. .
If the correction value is excessively corrected and the threshold value of the voltage V2 is exceeded at T3, the correction value (z1) -d11 is corrected with respect to the moving distance of the printing unit 10 obtained from the voltage V2. [Mm] is subtracted to raise the printing unit 10.
Since the amount of curl increases as it approaches the core tube, when the voltage V1 is detected at T4 and T6, the correction value (+) is further added.

  Next, the control flow of the printing unit 10 set in the unit control mechanism 21 will be described for each step (STEP) with reference to FIG.

<< Step 101 >>
After the roll paper 1 is set in the printer device 100, the RFID tag 31 provided in the core tube of the roll paper 1 is read by the RFID reader / writer module 32 mounted on the roll paper setting unit 30.

<< Step 102 >>
Based on the RFID tag 31 of the roll paper 1 read by the RFID reader / writer module 32, (1) a plurality of correction values (see FIG. 3) for correcting the difference in the form of the paper P depending on the roll paper manufacturer and its production lot are stored. Sheet information such as a correction value table and (2) a remaining length table indicating the sheet length of the roll paper 1 and a drawer height position corresponding to the remaining sheet length are set in a storage unit (not shown) in the unit control mechanism 21. To do.
The paper length remaining amount table set here indicates the relative height between the outermost peripheral portion of the roll paper 1 and the print position of the print unit 10, and the paper P is drawn from the roll paper 1. The height position of the printing unit 10 along the arrows (A)-(B) is set at various stages according to the length (when the paper P is pulled out at 0 m, 10 m, 20 m,...). Yes.

<Step 103>
In response to a print command from the host system, the printer apparatus 100 prints one printed material. Also,

<< Step 104 >>
The pull-out length (conveyance distance) of the paper P from the roll paper 1 detected by the paper length detection means (not shown) of the platen roller 11 is subtracted from the paper length of the roll paper 1 stored in the RFID tag 31. Calculate the remaining capacity value.

<Step 105>
It is determined whether or not the remaining amount value of the paper P calculated in step 104 is “0”. If YES, the process proceeds to step 109, and if NO, the process proceeds to step 106.

<Step 106>
When the remaining amount value of the paper P calculated in step 104 is not “0”, the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 indicating the separation distance from the roll paper 1 is within the threshold value (V1 to V2). Compare whether or not If the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 is not within the range of the threshold value (V1 to V2) by this comparison, the process proceeds to Steps 107 and 108, and the threshold value (V1 to V2). If it is determined that it is within the range of (), the process proceeds to step 108.

<< Step 107 >>
A correction value (see FIG. 3) corresponding to the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 is set in advance from the correction value table to correct a difference in the form of the paper P depending on the roll paper manufacturer and its production lot. read out.

<Step 108>
If it is determined in step 106 that the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 is within the range of the threshold value (V1 to V2) (YES in step 106), the remaining amount of the roll paper 1 Based on the correction value of the remaining amount table indicating the drawing height position according to the value (step 104), after setting the height position along the arrow (A)-(B) direction of the printing unit 10, the previous step 103 Return to. At this time, the printing unit 10 is not moved based on the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5.
On the other hand, when it is determined in step 106 that the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 is outside the range of the threshold value (V1 to V2) (NO in step 106), and the process goes through step 107. Are the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5, the correction value of the remaining amount table indicating the drawing height position according to the remaining amount value of the roll paper 1 (detected in step 104), and the correction value read in step 107 Based on the correction values z1 and z2 in the table (see FIG. 3), the height position of the printing unit 10 along the directions of arrows (A) to (B) is corrected appropriately, and the process returns to the previous step 103.

<Step 109>
If the remaining amount value calculated in step 105 is 0, an alarm indicating that the roll paper 1 has run out is displayed, and this flow ends.

  As described in detail above, according to the printer device 100 and the control method of the printing unit 10 in the printer device 100 shown in the present embodiment, the paper P is pulled out from the roll paper 1 and the thermal head 12 and the thermal head 12 are received. The printing unit 10 that prints on the paper P while passing between the rollers is moved in the decurling direction (in the direction of the arrow (A) opposite to the printing surface) according to the curl amount of the drawn paper P. The curl of P was corrected. In other words, curling can be corrected only by moving the printing unit 10 without using a decurling roller, so that the printed material can be prevented from being damaged or dust attached during the curl correction, and the finished quality of the printed material can be kept constant. Can be kept in.

  Further, in the printer device 100 and the printing unit control method in the printer device 100 shown in the present embodiment, the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 is out of the range of the threshold value (V1 to V2) or the range. In the correction value table (see FIG. 3) read out in step 107, in addition to the correction value in the remaining amount table indicating the drawing height position corresponding to the remaining amount value of the roll paper 1 Based on the correction values z1 and z2, the height position of the printing unit 10 along the arrows (A) to (B) is corrected (steps 107 to 108). As a result, the output voltage (V) of the distance measuring sensor 5 is appropriately corrected, and the curling correction of the paper P by the printing unit 10 can be reliably performed.

In the above-described embodiment, the print unit 10 is moved in the decurling direction by the moving mechanism 20 in consideration of the paper information such as the paper type and manufacturing lot preset for the roll paper 1 and the amount of paper drawn from the roll paper. Although the amount is corrected, it is not essential to add judgment data such as the paper information and the amount of paper drawn from the roll paper when the movement mechanism 20 controls the movement of the printing unit 10. The curling correction of the paper P by the printing unit 10 may be performed.
Further, the present invention is not limited to this, paper information such as the paper type and manufacturing lot preset for the roll paper, and the paper drawing amount from the roll paper are selected as appropriate, and the output voltage (V) measured by the distance measuring sensor 5 is selected. ), The curl correction of the paper P by the printing unit 10 may be performed.
In the above embodiment, the curl amount of the paper P is measured on the downstream side of the printing unit 10, but an area where the paper P is naturally curled is formed between the roll paper 1 and the printing unit 10. In this case, the curl amount may be measured on the upstream side of the printing unit.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was explained in full detail with reference to drawings, the concrete structure is not restricted to this embodiment, The design change etc. of the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention are included.

  The present invention relates to a technique for correcting curling of a paper drawn from a roll paper, and relates to a printer apparatus capable of maintaining a finished quality of a printed matter and a printing unit control method in the printer apparatus. is there.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Roll paper 2 Conveyance path 5 Ranging sensor 10 Printing unit 12 Thermal head (printing head)
20 Moving mechanism 21 Unit control mechanism 31 RFID tag (paper information)
100 Printer device P Paper (I) Decal direction

Claims (8)

A printer apparatus comprising a printing unit that pulls out paper from roll paper and passes between a print head and a roller that receives the print head to perform printing on the paper,
A moving mechanism for moving the printing unit in the decurling direction according to the curl amount of the drawn paper; and a control mechanism for moving the moving mechanism by a predetermined amount in the decurling direction based on the curling amount of the drawn paper. A printer apparatus characterized by:   The control mechanism is provided downstream of the printing unit, calculates a curl amount of the paper based on an output from a distance measuring sensor that measures a distance from the drawn paper, and based on the calculation result, The printer apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an amount of movement of the printing unit in the decurling direction by the moving mechanism is determined.   3. The control mechanism adds paper information such as a preset paper type and manufacturing lot to the roll paper, and corrects the amount of movement of the printing unit in the decurling direction by the moving mechanism. The printer device described in 1.   4. The control mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the control mechanism further corrects the amount of movement of the printing unit in the decurling direction by the moving mechanism by adding a paper drawing amount from the roll paper. 5. The printer device described in 1. A printer apparatus comprising a printing unit that pulls out paper from roll paper and passes between a print head and a roller that receives the print head to perform printing on the paper,
A method of controlling a printing unit in a printer device, wherein the printing unit is moved in a decurling direction based on a curl amount of the drawn paper, thereby correcting the curling of the paper.   A curl amount of the paper is calculated based on an output from a distance measuring sensor that is provided downstream of the print unit and measures a distance from the drawn paper, and a decurl of the print unit is calculated based on the calculation result. 6. The method for controlling a printing unit in a printer apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a moving amount in the direction is determined.   7. The printer apparatus according to claim 6, wherein paper information such as a preset paper type and manufacturing lot is added to the roll paper to correct the amount of movement of the printing unit in the decurling direction by the moving mechanism. Method for controlling the printing unit.   8. The printer apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising: correcting a moving amount of the printing unit in the decurling direction by the moving mechanism by adding a paper drawing amount from the roll paper. 9. Method for controlling the printing unit.

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