JP2014218044A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer carrying out both peeling and cutting which prevents wasteful issuance of labels.SOLUTION: In a printer 1 carrying out both peeling and cutting, when presence of a mount PM is detected by a mount presence/absence detection sensor 13c arranged in a sheet passing route 12b guiding the mount PM to a mount delivery port 5b, a cutting operation in a cutter unit 17 is inhibited even when printing issuance is being carried out in a state where a cutting mode is set in an input part 7. When a treatment mode other than cutting mode, e.g. a peeling mode, has been already set in the input part 7, the setting, or change, from the treatment mode to the cutting mode is inhibited.

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer, for example, a label printer that prints desired information such as characters, symbols, figures, or barcodes on each of a plurality of labels temporarily attached to a long mount. .

  The label printer, for example, outputs desired information to each of a plurality of labels temporarily attached to a long mount constituting the continuous paper while the continuous paper wound in a roll is fed out into a sheet and conveyed. This is a printer dedicated to label printing.

  This label printer includes a peeling type that peels off the printed labels from the backing sheet one by one, and discharges the backing paper without removing the label after printing information on the label. There are two types of printers: a cutting process type that cuts the printer.

  The peeling processing mold is suitable for a case where an object to be attached with a label is close to an operator because the labels are discharged one by one in a state where the label is peeled off from the mount. On the other hand, the cutting type can be prepared by cutting the mount with the required number of labels attached, and the label can be peeled off from the mount in the field. It is suitable when there is a place.

  For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose such peeling processing type printers and cutting processing type printers.

JP 2009-107279 A JP 2012-025169 A

  By the way, in recent years, a dual-purpose label printer that can perform the peeling process and the cutting process with a single printer is being used. In this dual-use type, one unit can handle two situations, so it is convenient and economical.

  However, in the case of the combined type, it is necessary to change the continuous paper passing route according to the peeling process or the cutting process, and the setting of the paper passing route is different from the processing mode set in the input unit. Printing may be issued. For example, even if the cutting process mode is set in the input section, printing is issued with the continuous paper set to the paper passing route for the peeling process by mistake, or conversely, the continuous paper is used for the peeling process. In some cases, although the paper feeding route is set, the cutting process mode is set in the input unit and printing is issued. In any case, since the continuous paper is peeled, the cutter operates, so that there is a problem that the discharged label is cut by the cutter and the label issuance is wasted.

  The present invention has been made from the above-described technical background, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of preventing waste of label issuance in a printer that can be used for both a peeling process and a cutting process.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, a printer according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a printer main body that supports a print medium in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached to a long mount along a longitudinal direction thereof, and A first path for guiding the print medium supported by the printer main body to a first discharge port; a first transport means for transporting the print medium along the first path; and the first path. A printing unit that is provided and prints on the label during the conveyance of the printing medium; and a portion of the mount of the printing medium that is provided at the first discharge port and passes through the first discharge port. A cutting member; a peeling member provided between the printing unit and the first discharge port; for peeling the label from the mount; and the first passage from the first passage through the peeling member. Branching in a direction intersecting with A second path that guides the mount from which the label has been peeled off to a second discharge port, and a second transport unit that is provided in the second path and transports the mount along the second path And a detection unit that is provided in the second passage and detects the presence or absence of the mount, and when the detection unit detects that the mount is present, a cutting processing mode by the cutting unit is set However, it is characterized by comprising a control unit that prohibits the cutting operation, prohibits the setting to the cutting processing mode, or both.

  A printer according to a second aspect of the present invention is the printer according to the first aspect, wherein a surface of the printer main body that intersects the first passage and the second passage is along a longitudinal direction of the print medium. The door portion is pivotally supported so as to be openable and closable, and the door portion is provided with the first discharge port and the second discharge port, and the cutting means includes It is provided.

  A printer according to a third aspect of the present invention is the printer according to the second aspect, wherein the cutting means is a fixed blade fixed in a state in which a cutting edge is directed to the first passage in the first discharge port. , Disposed so as to face the fixed blade in a state where the blade edge is directed to the first passage in the first discharge port, and provided so as to reciprocate in a direction approaching and separating from the fixed blade. And a drive means for reciprocating the movable blade.

  A printer according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the printer according to the first, second, or third aspect, wherein the control unit detects that the mount is present by the detection means, and controls the prohibiting the cutting operation or the When the control for prohibiting the setting to the cutting processing mode is performed, a message requesting to change the setting of the path of the print medium is displayed on the display unit.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent waste of label issuance in a printer that is used for both the peeling process and the cutting process.

1 is an overall perspective view of the appearance of a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the printer of FIG. 1 and a continuous paper accommodated in the printer when the upper surface cover portion is opened. It is a conceptual diagram of the internal structure of the printer of FIG. 1 at the time of a cutting process mode. It is a conceptual diagram of the internal structure of the printer of FIG. 1 in the peeling process mode. It is a conceptual diagram of the printer of FIG. 1 at the time of opening of a door part. It is a disassembled perspective view of the door part of the printer of FIG. (A) is an overall perspective view of the cutter unit, (b) is an overall perspective view showing the inside of the cutter unit, and (c) is a perspective view of essential parts of the components inside the cutter unit as viewed from the opposite side of (b). FIG. FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram of a control unit of the printer in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of essential parts of the printer of FIG. 1 during a continuous paper setting operation during a peeling process. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of essential parts of the printer of FIG. 1 during a continuous paper setting operation subsequent to FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of essential parts of the printer of FIG. 1 during a continuous paper setting operation subsequent to FIG. 10.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment as an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the appearance of the printer according to the present embodiment.

  The printer 1 according to the present embodiment is a printer dedicated to label printing that prints information such as characters, symbols, figures, or barcodes on a label temporarily attached to a mount, for example. It has a dual-purpose configuration that can perform both the cutting process and the cutting process.

  Here, the peeling process is a process in which the printed labels are peeled off from the backing sheet one by one and discharged to the outside of the machine. The cutting process is performed by printing the information on the label and then removing the label without peeling the label. This is a process of discharging and cutting the mount for every predetermined number of labels.

  In the case of the dual-use printer 1, it is easy to use and economical because it can cope with two situations, ie, the case where the object to be labeled is near the worker and the case where the object is far away.

  The printer 1 includes a printer main body 2, an upper surface cover portion 3 covering the upper surface thereof, a display portion 4 attached to the upper surface cover portion 3, a door portion 5 attached to the front surface of the printer main body 2, and the printer main body 2. And a grip portion 6 attached to the head.

  The upper surface cover 3 is pivotally fixed to the upper surface of the printer body 2 so as to be openable and closable. An input unit 7 is disposed on the upper surface of the upper surface cover unit 3. The input unit 7 is an operation part for inputting a command or print content to the printer 1 and includes a plurality of operation keys 7s, 7i, 7a, and 7d. The operation keys 7s, 7i, 7a, and 7d are operation keys for power switch, information input, direction instruction, and execution (including printing issuance), respectively.

  Note that the commands for the printer 1 include, for example, the number of printed labels, the processing mode, and power on / off. Further, the processing modes include a peeling processing mode, a cutting processing, a continuous processing mode, and the like. The instruction of the processing mode may be provided with a dedicated operation key, but may be selected by displaying the menu on the display unit 4.

  The display unit 4 includes, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), and can display various messages and the like in addition to displaying information and processing modes input by the input unit 7. Further, the display unit 4 is pivotally fixed to the upper surface cover unit 3 in a rotatable state so that the inclination angle can be changed in order to improve the visibility of display contents.

  The door portion 5 is attached to the printer main body 2 so as to be opened and closed in the front-rear direction. The door portion 5 is provided with two discharge ports, a label discharge port (first discharge port) 5a and a mount discharge port (second discharge port) 5b, so as to penetrate the front surface and the back surface of the door unit 5. It has been. The label discharge port 5 a and the mount discharge port 5 b are provided in a state of being separated from each other in the height direction of the printer main body 2.

  The grip portion 6 is a portion that is gripped when carrying the printer 1. The grip portion 6 is formed in a substantially U-shape, and both end portions of the grip portion 6 are located on the shaft stop portion protruding upward from the upper portions of both side surfaces of the printer body 2 between the upper surface cover portion 3 and the display portion 4. The shaft is fixed in a rotatable state so as to be able to straddle the cover portion 3.

  Reference numeral 8 denotes an opening / closing lever for opening and closing the upper surface cover 3, and is provided on both side surfaces of the printer body 2. Reference numeral 9 denotes a battery cover, which is provided on one side surface of the printer main body 2.

  Next, the internal structure of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 is an overall perspective view of the printer of FIG. 1 and the continuous paper accommodated in the printer when the top cover is opened, FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of the internal structure of the printer of FIG. 1 in the cutting processing mode, and FIG. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an internal structure of the printer of FIG. 1 in a peeling processing mode.

  A roll paper storage unit 10 that stores a continuous paper (printing medium) P wound in a roll shape is provided in the rear side of the printer body 2. A roll guide 11 is provided in the roll paper storage unit 10 so as to be movable along the axial direction of the roll-shaped continuous paper P. The roll-shaped continuous paper P is supported by the roll paper container 10 in a state in which the position in the axial direction is defined by the roll guide 11 and is rotatable about the rotation axis R1.

  The continuous paper P has a long mount PM and a plurality of labels PL temporarily attached to the surface of the continuous paper P in a peelable state at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. Each label PL is temporarily attached with its adhesive surface in contact with the surface of the mount PM. The surface of the mount PM that contacts the adhesive surface of the label PL is coated with a release agent or the like, so that the label PL can be easily peeled off. Further, a thermosensitive coloring layer is formed on the surface of the label PL. The thermosensitive coloring layer is designed to develop a specific color (black, red, etc.) when it reaches a predetermined temperature range. The continuous paper P is drawn out into a sheet shape and is conveyed from the roll paper storage unit 10 toward the label discharge port 5a.

  Here, in the combined type printer 1, the continuous paper P passing route (first path) 12 a during the cutting process (see FIG. 3) and the continuous paper P passing path (see FIG. 3) during the peeling process (see FIG. 3). (Second passage) 12b (see FIG. 4). Hereinafter, the internal configuration of the printer 1 will be described along the respective sheet passing routes 12a and 12b.

  First, the sheet passing route 12a is a route that connects the roll paper storage unit 10 to the label discharge port 5a, and is formed in the gap between the printer main body 2 and the top cover unit 3 when the top cover unit 3 is closed. The sheet passing route 12a includes a sheet position detection sensor 13a, a thermal head (printing unit) 14, a platen roller (first conveying unit) 15, a release plate (in order along the conveying direction of the continuous sheet P). A peeling member 16, a cutter unit (cutting means) 17, and a peeling sensor 13 b are arranged.

  The paper position detection sensor 13 a is a sensor that detects the position of the label PL of the continuous paper P by detecting an identification mark (not shown) or the like formed on the continuous paper P. It arrange | positions in the state exposed to the route 12a.

  The paper position detection sensor 13a is constituted by, for example, a light reflection type sensor. That is, the paper position detection sensor 13a includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion provided on the same surface, and light reflected from the continuous paper P when light is emitted from the light emitting portion toward the identification mark of the continuous paper P. Is detected by the light receiving unit to detect the position of the label PL. For example, an LED (Light Emitting Diode) is used for the light emitting portion, and a photodiode or a phototransistor is used for the light receiving portion, for example.

  The sheet position detection sensor 13a is electrically connected to the control unit C and transmits a detection signal to the control unit C. The control unit C calculates the relative positional relationship between the label PL of the continuous paper P and the thermal head 14 based on the detection signal from the paper position detection sensor 13a, and rotates the platen roller 15 based on the calculation result. By controlling (rotation direction, rotation angle, etc.), printing is performed at a specified position of the label PL.

  However, in the present embodiment, the case where the light reflection type sensor is used as the paper position detection sensor 13a has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a light transmission type sensor may be used. . In this case, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged so as to sandwich the continuous paper P. And since the part where the label PL is affixed does not transmit light and the part where the label PL is not affixed transmits light, the interval part where the label PL is not affixed is detected using the characteristics. To detect the position of the label PL.

  The thermal head 14 is a printing unit that prints on the label PL, and is arranged on the back surface side of the upper surface cover portion 3 in a state where the thermal head 14 is exposed to the sheet passing route 12a. The thermal head 14 is provided at a position facing the platen roller 15 in a state where the upper surface cover 3 is closed, and is pressed against the platen roller 15 by elastic means (not shown).

  In the printing surface of the thermal head 14, a plurality of heating resistors (heating elements) that generate heat when energized are arranged side by side in the vertical and horizontal directions. The thermal head 14 is also electrically connected to the control unit C. The controller C selects a plurality of heating resistors of the thermal head 14 in accordance with the print data input from the input unit 7 and causes a current to flow, thereby causing the desired heating resistor to generate heat and the label PL. Desired information is printed by coloring the heat-sensitive coloring layer on the surface.

  During printing, the thermal head 14 is pressed against the platen roller 15 with the continuous paper P being inserted between the thermal head 14 and the platen roller 15. In this state, the continuous paper P is conveyed as the platen roller 15 rotates. At this time, the print timing is determined based on the information from the paper position detection sensor 13a, and the print signal is transmitted to the thermal head 14, whereby the heating resistor of the thermal head 14 generates heat and the label PL is printed. .

  However, in the present embodiment, the case of using a thermal coloring printing structure has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a thermal transfer printing structure using a thermal transfer ink ribbon may be used. good.

  The platen roller 15 is a transport unit that transports the continuous paper P in the roll paper storage unit 10 toward the label discharge port 5a through the paper route 12a. The platen roller 15 is attached to the thermal head 14 on the upper surface side of the printer main body 2 as described above. It is arranged at the opposite position. The surface of the platen roller 15 is covered with an elastic material such as hard rubber.

  The platen roller 15 is mechanically connected to a driving means such as a stepping motor and is installed so as to be rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. The stepping motor and the like for driving the platen roller 15 are electrically connected to the control unit C, and operations such as the rotation angle and the rotation direction thereof are controlled by the control unit C.

  When the continuous paper P is transported, the continuous paper P is transported by rotating the platen roller 15 with the continuous paper P sandwiched between the thermal head 14 and the platen roller 15.

  The peeling plate 16 is a part that forms a starting point when the label PL is peeled from the mount PM. Here, a plate-like peeling member is illustrated, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a rod-like peeling member extending along the axial direction of the platen roller 15 may be used.

  The cutter unit 17 is a mechanism unit that cuts the mount PM to which the label PL is attached, and is provided in a state of being accommodated in the door unit 5. The cutter unit 17 is provided with a passage port 17a that coincides with the label discharge port 5a. The cutter unit 17 includes a fixed blade 17b, a movable blade 17c, and a motor (driving means) 17d that drives the fixed blade 17b. In addition, the structure of the door part 5 and the cutter unit 17 is demonstrated in detail later.

  In the cutting process, as shown in FIG. 3, the desired information is printed by the thermal head 14 on the label PL on the continuous paper P drawn out in a sheet form from the roll paper storage unit 10, and then the label PL is not peeled off. The board PM is sent to the label discharge port 5a, and the board part between adjacent labels PL is cut by the cutter unit 17 for each predetermined number of labels.

  The peeling sensor 13b is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of the label PL at the time of peeling processing, and is arranged in a state where the peeling sensor 13b is exposed to the sheet passing route 12a downstream of the cutter unit 17 in the door unit 5.

  The peeling sensor 13b is constituted by, for example, a light reflection type sensor. That is, the peeling sensor 13b includes a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit provided on the same surface, and detects light reflected from the label PL when the light is emitted from the light emitting unit toward the label PL. Thus, the presence or absence of the label PL is detected. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are the same as the paper position detection sensor 13a. The peeling sensor 13b may also be a light transmission type sensor. In this case, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged so as to sandwich the label PL. Then, when the label PL is present, light is not transmitted, and when there is no label PL, light is transmitted. Therefore, the presence or absence of the label PL is detected using the characteristics.

  The peeling sensor 13b is electrically connected to the control unit C and transmits a detection signal to the control unit C. When the controller C determines that there is no label PL at the label discharge port 5a based on the detection signal from the peeling sensor 13b in the peeling process, the control unit C rotates the platen roller 15 to move the next label PL to the label discharge port 5a side. To send to. The label PL discharging operation in the peeling process is repeated for the number of labels preset by the operator.

  On the other hand, the sheet passing route 12b extends downward from the sheet passing route 12a via the release plate 16 so as to intersect the sheet passing route 12a, and is connected to the mount discharge port 5b. In this state, a gap is formed between the back surface of the door portion 5 and the front surface of the printer body 2.

  The sheet passing route 12b is a route for transporting the mount PM from which the label PL has been peeled off by the peeling process. In this sheet passing route 12b, a peeling plate 16, a pair of nip rollers (second conveying means) 20a and 20b, and a mount presence / absence detection sensor (detection sensor) 13c are arranged in this order along the conveying direction of the mount PM. Has been.

  The pair of nip rollers 20a and 20b are conveying means for conveying the mount PM from which the label PL has been peeled to the mount discharge port 5b through the paper route 12b, and rotate mutually below the release plate 16 in the printer main body 2. It is installed freely.

  One nip roller 20a is fixed to the printer main body 2 while being mechanically connected to the platen roller 15 via a gear (not shown). The other nip roller 20b is axially fixed to the back side of the cutter unit 17 while being pressed against the one nip roller 20a, and is rotated by the rotation of the nip roller 20a.

  Further, the pair of nip rollers 20a and 20b has a nip portion N formed at the press contact portion thereof obliquely rearward (label discharge port) with respect to the leading end portion (end portion facing the label discharge port 5a) of the peeling plate 16. (A direction away from 5a). That is, as shown in FIG. 4, the nip portion N is in a state where the mount PM is bent at an angle of 90 degrees or more when the mount PM is passed through the paper route 12a and the nip portion N through the release plate 16. It is arranged at the position to be transported. For this reason, in the peeling process, when the base sheet PM of the continuous paper P is conveyed while being sandwiched between the pair of nip rollers 20a and 20b via the peeling plate 16, the base sheet PM is conveyed downward through the sheet passing route 12b. The label PL temporarily attached to the mount PM is peeled off from the mount PM without following the mount PM by the stiffness, and is discharged from the label discharge port 5a.

  However, the configuration of the nip roller is not limited to the above configuration. For example, only the driven nip roller 20b is provided, and the nip roller 20b is brought into direct contact with the platen roller 15, so that the platen roller 15 and the nip roller 20b The board PM may be sandwiched and conveyed.

  The mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c is a sensor that detects whether or not the mount PM is in the sheet passing route 12b, and is arranged in the printer main body 2 in a state of being exposed to the sheet passing route 12b.

  The mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c is constituted by, for example, a light reflection type sensor. That is, the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c includes a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion provided on the same surface, and detects light reflected from the mount PM when the light is emitted from the light emitting portion toward the mount PM. By doing so, the presence or absence of the mount PM is detected. The light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are the same as the paper position detection sensor 13a. Further, the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c may be a light transmission type sensor. In this case, the light emitting unit and the light receiving unit are arranged so as to sandwich the mount PM. When the mount PM is present, light is not transmitted. When there is no mount PM, light is transmitted. Therefore, the presence or absence of the mount PM is detected using the characteristics.

  The mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c is electrically connected to the control unit C and transmits a detection signal to the control unit C. Based on the detection signal from the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c, the control unit C determines whether or not the mount PM exists in the sheet passing route 12b, and if it is detected that the mount PM exists in the sheet passing route 12b, for example, The following control is performed.

  That is, the cutting operation in the cutter unit 17 is prohibited even if printing is issued while the cutting processing mode is set in the input unit 7. In addition, when the input unit 7 has already been set to a processing mode other than the cutting processing mode (such as the peeling processing mode), setting (changing) from the processing mode to the cutting processing mode is prohibited. In any case, since the cutting operation in the cutter unit 17 is blocked, it is possible to prevent the waste of issuing the label PL. This effect will be described in detail later. Here, the case where both the control for prohibiting the cutting operation itself in the cutter unit 17 and the control for prohibiting the setting (change) to the cutting processing mode in the input unit 7 are performed according to each case is illustrated. However, only one of the controls can be performed.

  In addition, when the control for prohibiting the above cutting operation or the control for prohibiting the setting to the cutting processing mode is performed, the control unit C displays, for example, “Please change the sheet passing route for the mount” on the display unit 4. As described above, a message requesting to change the setting of the paper feed route of the mount PM is displayed. As a result, the operator can notice a setting error of the continuous paper P.

  The power supply to each unit of the printer 1 is supplied from the battery 21. However, the power supply to the respective units of the printer 1 can be supplied from a commercial AC power supply outside the apparatus via an AC adapter.

  Next, the configuration of the door portion 5 and the cutter unit 17 of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 is a conceptual diagram of the printer of FIG. 1 when the door is opened, and FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the door of the printer of FIG.

  As shown by an arrow A1 in FIG. 5, the door 5 is pivotally fixed to the printer main body 2 so as to be rotatable about a lower rotation axis R2 so as to be opened and closed in the front-rear direction. The door portion 5 and the printer main body 2 are provided with a lock mechanism (not shown) that locks the door portion 5 so that the door portion 5 is not easily opened when the door portion 5 is closed.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a concave space 5 c is formed on the back side of the door portion 5. The concave space 5c is provided with a partition plate 5d that bisects the space. Then, the cutter unit 17 is installed on the partition plate 5d.

  On the back surface of the cutter unit 17, two support portions 25 and 25 projecting in a direction intersecting with the back surface are erected in a state of facing each other at a predetermined distance along the axial direction of the nip roller 20b. Has been. Long holes 25a and 25a are formed in the support portions 25 and 25, respectively. The elongated hole 25 a is formed so as to penetrate in the thickness direction of the support portion 25 and extend in a direction intersecting the back surface of the cutter unit 17.

  The driven side nip roller 20b is pivotally supported in a rotatable state with both ends of the rotation shaft R3 inserted into the elongated holes 25a, 25a of the support portions 25, 25. A compression coil spring 26 is installed between the back surface of the cutter unit 17 and the central portion of the rotation shaft R3. For this reason, when the door portion 5 is closed, the driven nip roller 20 b is pressed against the driving nip roller 20 a by the urging force of the compression coil spring 26.

  In addition, a passage port 17 a is provided at the upper portion of the cutter unit 17 so as to coincide with the label discharge port 5 a of the door portion 5. The passage port 17a is formed so as to penetrate the front and rear surfaces of the cutter unit 17 so that the continuous paper P can be passed therethrough.

  Next, FIG. 7 (a) is an overall perspective view of the cutter unit, FIG. 7 (b) is an overall perspective view showing the inside of the cutter unit, and FIG. 7 (c) is viewed from the opposite side of FIG. 7 (b). The principal part perspective view of the component inside a cutter unit is shown.

  The cutter unit 17 employs a guillotine cutting mechanism, for example. The fixed blade 17b is formed of, for example, a flat rectangular thin plate, and is fixed to the casing of the cutter unit 17 in a state where the blade tip faces the paper passing route 12a in the passage port 17a. The blade edge of the fixed blade 17b is formed horizontally, for example.

  The movable blade 17c is formed of, for example, a flat plate having a substantially V shape, and is installed with the cutting edge facing the paper passing route 12a in the passage port 17a, that is, with the cutting edge facing the blade of the fixed blade 17b. ing. The movable blade 17c is provided so as to reciprocate in a direction approaching and separating from the fixed blade 17b.

  A cam plate 17e is joined to the lower portion of the movable blade 17c, as shown in FIGS. As shown in FIG. 7C, the cam plate 17e is provided with a long hole 17f extending along the cutting edge of the fixed blade 17b so as to penetrate the front and back surfaces of the cam plate 17e.

  Further, below the movable blade 17c, as shown in FIG. 7 (b), a planar circular wheel gear 17g is rotatable about the rotation shaft 17h so as to face one side of the cam plate 17e. It is installed at. As shown in FIG. 7C, a pin 17i is erected on the surface of the wheel gear 17g that faces the cam plate 17e. The pin 17i is provided at a position separated from the rotating shaft 17h of the wheel gear 17g, and is engaged with the elongated hole 17f of the cam plate 17e.

  Further, as shown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the motor 17d described above is installed below the movable blade 17c. As shown in FIG. 7B, a worm gear 17j is connected to the rotation shaft of the motor 17d. The outer periphery of the worm gear 17j is in contact with the outer periphery of the wheel gear 17g. When the worm gear 17j is rotated by operating the motor 17d, the wheel gear 17g is also rotated.

  Here, when the wheel gear 17g is rotated by the worm gear 17j and the position of the pin 17i is moved downward, the cam plate 17e is also lowered and the movable blade 17c is moved away from the fixed blade 17b, and is fixed to the movable blade 17c. A passage port 17a is formed between the blade 17b. On the other hand, when the wheel gear 17g is rotated by the worm gear 17j and the pin 17i moves upward, the movable blade 17c moves so as to approach the fixed blade 17b, and the continuous paper located between the movable blade 17c and the fixed blade 17b. The P mount PM is cut. In this cutting process, the blade edge of the fixed blade 17b is formed horizontally, and the blade edge of the movable blade 17c is formed in a V shape. Therefore, the mount PM is gradually cut from both ends in the width direction toward the center portion. For this reason, it is possible to suppress or prevent the occurrence of cutting defects such as distortion at the cutting site of the mount PM.

  The cutting mechanism used for the cutter unit 17 is not limited to the guillotine method. For example, a rotating method in which the movable blade rotates and a knife-type cutting mechanism in which the movable blade reciprocates along the cutting edge of the fixed blade. It may be used.

  Next, the control unit C of the printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 8 is a circuit block diagram of the control unit of the printer of FIG.

  A control unit C that controls the overall operation of the printer 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 30, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 31, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 32, a drive control circuit 33, and a print control circuit. 34, a label detection circuit 35, a mount detection circuit 36, a cutting control circuit 37, a calendar IC (Integrated Circuit) 38, a flash ROM 39, an external interface 40, and an internal interface 41. Are electrically connected to each other through a bus line 42.

  The CPU 30 is electrically connected to the input unit 7 and the display unit 4 through the internal interface 41, and can communicate with a portable terminal such as an external handy terminal through the external interface 40 and an infrared communication unit (not shown). It has become.

  The ROM 31 stores software (control program) for controlling the operation of the printer 1. The RAM 32 records various data necessary for the operation of the CPU 30 and temporarily stores print data received from the input unit 7 or an external portable terminal. The CPU 30 controls the operation of each unit such as the drive control circuit 33 and the print control circuit 34 in accordance with a control program in the ROM 31.

  The drive control circuit 33 transmits a pulse signal to a stepping motor or the like that drives the platen roller 15 and controls the transport operation of the continuous paper P by the platen roller 15. The print control circuit 34 generates a control signal corresponding to print data (characters, symbols, figures, barcodes, etc.) transmitted from the CPU 30 and transmits it to the thermal head 14 to control the printing operation.

  Under the control of the CPU 30, the label detection circuit 35 controls the light emitting unit of the peeling sensor 13b, emits light toward the continuous paper P, and receives an electrical signal output from the light receiving unit of the peeling sensor 13b. It converts into data and transmits to CPU30.

  Under the control of the CPU 30, the mount detection circuit 36 controls the light emitting unit of the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c, emits light toward the mount PM, and outputs an electrical signal output from the light receiving unit of the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c. The data is received, converted into digital data, and transmitted to the CPU 30.

  The cutting control circuit 37 transmits a pulse signal to the motor 17d of the cutter unit 17, and controls cutting of the continuous paper P (mounting sheet PM) by the movable blade 17c. The calendar IC 38 measures the current date and time. The flash ROM 39 records various setting information of the printer 1. The external interface 40 is connected to an external device such as a host computer to perform communication.

  These units are connected to the CPU 30 through the bus line 42, and print on the label PL of the continuous paper P by the thermal head 14 according to the print data received from the external interface 40 under the control of the CPU 30, and the continuous paper P is printed by the cutter unit 17. Cut into pieces of paper of a predetermined length.

  Next, the setting method of the continuous paper P at the time of a peeling process is demonstrated with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11 are perspective views of essential parts of the printer of FIG. 1 during the continuous paper setting operation during the peeling process.

  First, as shown in FIG. 9, after opening the upper surface cover 3 and the door 5, several labels PL on the leading edge side of the continuous paper P are peeled off, and a few centimeters from the leading edge of the continuous paper P Put it in a state. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 10, the leading end portion of the continuous paper P is pulled toward the front and inserted into the mount discharge port 5 b from the back side of the door portion 5. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 11, by closing the door portion 5, the mount PM is sandwiched between the nip rollers 20 a and 20 b on the back side of the door portion 5, and the front end portion of the mount PM is removed from the mount portion on the front side of the door portion 5. It protrudes from the outlet 5b. After this, the top cover 3 is closed, the processing mode is set, and printing is issued. The continuous paper P may be set during the cutting process by passing the leading end portion of the continuous paper P from the back surface of the door portion 5 to the label discharge port 5a with the door portion 5 opened.

  As described above, in the case of the dual-purpose printer, there are two operations: an operation of opening the upper surface cover portion and the door portion and changing the sheet passing route of the continuous paper according to the processing, and an operation of setting the processing mode through the input unit. Necessary. Normally, these two operations are performed in random order, but there is a case where printing is performed after only one of them is performed. In this case, the setting of the sheet passing route and the processing mode set in the input unit are performed. There is a case where print issuance is performed in a different state.

  For example, even though the cutting processing mode is set in the input section, printing may be issued while the continuous paper mount is mistakenly set as the paper passing route for the peeling process, or conversely, the continuous paper mount is In some cases, although the paper feeding route for the peeling process is set, the cutting process mode is selected at the input unit and printing is issued. In either case, the label peeled off from the mount is discharged from the label discharge port, but since the setting by the input unit is the cutting processing mode, the cutter unit operates, the label is cut by the cutter unit, and the label issuance is useless. There is a problem of becoming.

  On the other hand, in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the cutting process mode is set by the input unit 7, but the mount PM of the continuous paper P is erroneously set as the paper passing route 12b for the peeling process. Even if printing is issued in step S1, the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c determines that the mount PM is present in the sheet passing route 12b. Therefore, the motor 17d of the cutter unit 17 does not operate and the cutting operation is prohibited. For this reason, it is possible to prevent waste of issuing the label PL. Further, in this case, when printing is issued, a message requesting to change the setting of the passage route of the continuous paper P is displayed on the display unit 4, so that the operator can notice an error in setting the continuous paper P.

  On the other hand, when the mount PM of the continuous paper P is set as the paper passing route 12b for the peeling process, even when the cutting processing mode is set by the input unit 7, the paper passing route 12b is detected by the mount presence / absence detection sensor 13c. Therefore, the setting change to the cutting process mode is prohibited. For this reason, it is possible to prevent waste of issuing the label PL. Also in this case, since the message for requesting the setting change of the sheet passing route of the continuous paper P is displayed on the display unit 4 at the time of setting to the cutting processing mode or at the time of printing is issued, the operator sets the continuous paper P. You can notice mistakes.

  Even if the input unit 7 is set to the peeling processing mode, even if printing is issued in a state where the base sheet PM of the continuous paper P is mistakenly set to the paper passing route 12a for cutting processing, the presence / absence detection sensor 13c of the base sheet is provided. Accordingly, it may be determined that the mount PM is not present in the sheet passing route 12b, and the peeling operation may be prohibited based on this determination. Also in this case, since the message for requesting the setting change of the sheet passing route of the continuous paper P is displayed on the display unit 4 at the time of setting to the peeling processing mode or at the time of printing is issued, the operator sets the continuous paper P. You can notice mistakes.

  As mentioned above, the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiment. However, the embodiment disclosed in this specification is an example in all respects and is limited to the disclosed technology. It should be considered not a thing. That is, the technical scope of the present invention should not be construed restrictively based on the description in the above-described embodiment, but should be construed according to the description of the scope of claims. All modifications are included without departing from the technical scope equivalent to the described technique and the gist of the claims.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the paper position detection sensor, the separation sensor, and the mount presence / absence detection sensor are configured by optical sensors has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various applications are possible. A mechanical sensor such as a switch may be used.

  Further, in the embodiment, when control for prohibiting the cutting process or control for prohibiting the setting to the cutting process mode is performed, a message prompting the user to change the setting of the continuous paper feeding route is displayed on the display unit. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a sound or a sound for notifying a mistake may be generated, or sound generation and message display may be used in combination.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the continuous paper is supported in a rolled state has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the continuous paper is supported in a folded state. Also good. Also, a roll of continuous paper may be supported outside the printer body.

  In the above description, the case where the present invention is applied to a stand-alone printer in which an input operation to the printer is performed without using a personal computer is not limited to this. For example, the present invention is not limited to this. The present invention may also be applied to an online printer in which an input operation is performed via a personal computer.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printer 2 Printer main body 3 Upper surface cover part 4 Display part 5 Door part 5a Label discharge port (1st discharge port)
5b Mount outlet (second outlet)
7 Input unit 10 Roll paper storage unit 12a Paper passing route (first passage)
12b Paper passage route (second passage)
13a Paper position detection sensor 13b Peeling sensor 13c Mount presence / absence detection sensor (detection sensor)
14 Thermal head (printing means)
15 Platen roller (first conveying means)
16 Peeling plate (peeling member)
17 Cutter unit (cutting means)
17a passage port 17b fixed blade 17c movable blade 17d motor (driving means)
20a, 20b Nip roller (second conveying means)
P Continuous paper PL Label PM Mount C Control part N Nip part

Claims (4)

A printer main body for supporting a print medium in which a plurality of labels are temporarily attached to a long mount along the longitudinal direction;
A first passage for guiding the print medium supported by the printer main body to a first discharge port;
First conveying means for conveying the print medium along the first path;
A printing unit provided in the first passage and performing printing on the label in the course of conveying the printing medium;
Cutting means provided at the first discharge port, for cutting a portion of the mount of the print medium passing through the first discharge port;
A peeling member provided between the printing means and the first discharge port, and peeling the label from the mount;
A second branch that branches from the first passage through the peeling member in a direction intersecting the first passage, and that guides the mount from which the label has been peeled off by the peeling member to a second discharge port; And the passage
A second conveying means provided in the second path, for conveying the mount along the second path;
Detecting means provided in the second passage for detecting the presence or absence of the mount;
When the detection means detects that the mount is present, the cutting operation is prohibited even when the cutting processing mode by the cutting means is set, or the setting to the cutting processing mode is prohibited, or the A controller that does both,
A printer comprising: A door portion is pivotally supported in a rotatable state so as to be openable and closable along the longitudinal direction of the print medium on a surface intersecting the first passage and the second passage in the printer body.
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the door portion is provided with the first discharge port and the second discharge port and the cutting means. The cutting means is
A fixed blade fixed in a state in which a blade edge is directed to the first passage in the first discharge port;
The blade is disposed so as to face the fixed blade in a state where the blade edge is directed to the first passage in the first discharge port, and is provided in a state in which the blade can reciprocate in a direction approaching and separating from the fixed blade. Movable blades,
Driving means for reciprocating the movable blade;
The printer according to claim 2, further comprising:   The control unit detects that the mount is present by the detection means, and when control for prohibiting the cutting operation or control for prohibiting setting to the cutting processing mode is performed, the control unit detects the path of the print medium. 4. The printer according to claim 1, wherein a message for requesting a setting change is displayed on a display unit.

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