JP2501477B2 - Label printer - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a label printer used for product pricing in a supermarket or the like.

[Prior Art] For example, a weighing label printer equipped with a scale generally has a product name, a unit price, an effective period, a content (for example, raw materials and additives of the product), a logo (store name or mark) corresponding to the product number of each product. Etc.) is provided with a product number file in which various product information is preset, and when the product number of a product is input from a keyboard, etc., various product information corresponding to the input product number is read from the product number file and from the scale. The weight value of the product is taken in, and the price is calculated from the weight value and the unit price. Then, label data such as product name, unit price, weight value, price, processing date, effective date, content amount, logo, etc. is printed on the label paper at the printing unit and the label is issued.

Such a weighing label printer is used, for example, in a supermarket or the like when performing a pricing operation on weighing products such as meat and vegetables. That is, the person in charge of the pricing operation inputs the product number of the product to be priced, which is prepackaged in appropriate amounts, from the keyboard or the like, and puts the product on the scale for weighing. By doing so, the label of the corresponding product is automatically issued, and the issued label is attached to the product.

By the way, a conventional label printer of this type uses a label paper on which necessary items are printed based on a preset label format. Then, each label data size of the print buffer is fixed according to the format of the label paper, and the label data corresponding to each fixed data size area is set and the label is issued.

However, the content as label data varies depending on the product. Also, the logo may or may not be set depending on the product. For this reason, if you try to issue a label for a product that has different number of printing lines and the presence / absence of logo of the content volume using one type of label paper, the label of the print buffer will match the label format of the label paper as described above. Since the data size is fixed, there were the following problems. That is, label paper with a small number of lines of the internal capacity is issued using label paper with a large internal capacity area of the label format, or product with no logo set using the label paper with a logo area. When the label is issued, a label with a large margin is issued, which is a waste of the label. Conversely, products that have a large number of lines of the content volume are printed using label paper with a small content area in the label format, or products with a logo set using label paper that does not have a logo area. If the label is issued, the necessary data will be deleted from the issued label and it will become unusable.

Therefore, conventionally, an accurate label is issued without waste by properly using the label paper depending on the product.

[Problems to be solved by the invention] However, conventionally, since label paper is used properly according to the product, when it is attempted to continuously issue labels for a plurality of products having different line numbers of contents and presence / absence of logo, Each time the product was changed, the label paper had to be replaced and the label data size of the print buffer had to be set again, which was cumbersome and time-consuming.

Therefore, the present invention, even in the case of continuously issuing labels for products with different lines of content capacity and the presence or absence of logos,
Providing label prints that can always print accurate labels without changing the label paper size or changing the label data size of the print buffer, and can improve the work efficiency of label printing work and reduce the burden on workers Is what you are trying to do.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention relates to a label printer that uses label paper for which a label format has not been set, such as a product name, a unit price, an effective period, and an internal capacity corresponding to a product number attached to each product. A product number file in which various product information is set, a product number input means for inputting the product number, and product information reading means for reading various product information corresponding to the product number input by the product number input means from the product number file, Format setting means for setting a label data format according to the amount of variable product information and presence / absence of product information among various product information read by the reading means, and label data format set by this setting means And label issuing control means for printing and issuing the label data on the label paper.

[Operation] In the label printer having such a configuration, when the product number of the product is input by the product number input means, various product information corresponding to the input product number is read from the product number file,
The label data format is set according to the information amount of the variable target product information and the presence / absence of the product information among the read various product information. Then, the label data is set in the print buffer in the set label data format, the label data in the print buffer is printed on the label paper for which the label format is not set, and the label is issued.

[Embodiment] An embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a weighing label printer will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a weighing label printer. A CPU (central processing unit) 1 as a main body of a control unit controls a memory unit and a controller unit via a bus line 2. Here, as the memory unit, ROM (read only memory) 3 in which program data, character generator data, numeric code / barcode conversion data, etc. are stored, work memory for data processing, print buffer, display buffer, etc. RAM (Random Acceleration Memory) 4 with various memory areas are formed, and a product number file 5 in which the product name, unit price per unit weight, validity period, etc. are set in advance corresponding to the product number attached to each product It is provided. On the other hand, as the controller unit, the product number, unit price, and weight of the product are controlled by driving and controlling the keyboard controller 7 and the display 8 to which key signals are input from the keyboard 6 on which keys for inputting the product number of the product are arranged. , Display controller 9 for displaying price etc., blank label paper 10 with no label format set
There is provided a transport mechanism 11 for transporting a sheet and a print controller 13 for driving and controlling a print head 12 for printing on a blank label sheet 10 transported by the transport mechanism 11 to issue a label.

The CPU1 is a clock circuit that keeps time and date.
It is designed to fetch date and time data from 14 in a timely manner.

Further, the weight value (count value) digitally converted by the A / D (analog / digital) converter 16 for converting the weight signal from the weighing section 15 for weighing the product into a digital count value is at a predetermined timing. Is read into CPU1 above.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a file format of the product number file 5. As shown in the figure, the product number file 5 contains
Area 51 for storing a product number, area 52 for storing a product name, area 53 for storing a unit price per unit weight,
An area 54 for storing the effective period, an area 55 for storing the number of lines of the internal capacity, an area 56 for storing the internal capacity,
An area 57 for storing a logo presence / absence flag, an area 58 for storing a logo such as a store name and a mark, and an area 59 for storing total data such as daily total and weekly total correspond to each product. It is provided. Here, the number of lines of the internal capacity stored in the area 55 is the number of print lines for the label of the internal capacity data stored in the area 56. The logo presence / absence flag of the area 57 is "1" when the logo is set in the area 58 and "0" when the logo is not set.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of the print buffer 30 formed in the RAM 4. The print buffer 30 is for temporarily storing the data to be printed on one label, and as shown in the figure, an area 31 for storing the product name, an area 32 for storing the content, and a logo. Area 33 for storing data such as unit price, weight, price, processing date, and effective date, area 35 for storing barcode, area 36 for storing address, etc. It Here, the area 32 and the area 33 are set as variable areas, the area 32 can be variably set from 0 line to a maximum of 22 lines, and the area 33 can be selectively set whether or not to use. ing.

Then, when the label printer is powered on and the predetermined initialization process is completed, the CPU 1 is program-controlled to execute the label issuing process according to the flowchart shown in FIG. That is, when the CPU 1 detects that the product number of the product has been input by the key input operation of the keyboard 6 via the keyboard controller 7, the product number file 5 is searched and the product name, unit price, effective period corresponding to the input product number, Various product information such as the number of content lines, content, logo presence / absence flag, and logo is read (product information reading means). Then, according to the read number of lines of the content volume and the logo presence / absence flag, the content volume area in the print buffer 30.
Set the size of 32 and logo area 33 (data format setting means). Next, the count value from the A / D converter 16 is fetched and converted into a weight value, and the price is calculated from the weight value and the unit price. Then, the corresponding label data is set in the print buffer 30. That is, the product name is set in the area 31. Set the contents to area 32. If the logo is set, set the logo in area 33. Unit price, weight value, price, processing date, effective date, etc. are set in the area 34. Convert the product number into a barcode and set it in area 35. A preset address is set in the area 36. Thereafter, the contents of the print buffer 30 are supplied to the print controller 13, and the blank head label paper conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 11 is caused to print the label data by the print head 12 on the blank label paper 10 to issue the label. End (label issuing control means).

In the label printer of this embodiment configured as described above, when the product number input key of the keyboard 6 is operated and the product number of the product for which the label is to be issued is designated and input, the product corresponding to the input product number is input from the product number file 5. Various product information such as product name, unit price, number of lines of internal capacity, internal capacity, logo presence flag, logo, etc. is read. Then, the size of the area 32 in the print buffer 30 is determined according to the number of lines of the content capacity. If the logo presence / absence flag is set to "1", the logo has been set.
An area 33 is secured in the print buffer 30. On the other hand, if the logo presence / absence flag is reset to “0”, the logo is not set, so the print buffer 30
The area 33 is omitted. Next, the corresponding label data is set in each area of the print buffer 30. At this time, the content volume as label data is the area
Since 32 corresponds to the number of content lines in the product information,
All of the data is set in the area 32 without being overfilled. Further, since the area 33 is secured in the print buffer 30 for the product for which the logo is set, the logo as the label data is set in this area 33. After that, the label data in the print buffer 30 is printed line by line on the blank label paper 10 conveyed by the conveyance mechanism 11 by the print head 12, and the label is issued.

5 to 7 show examples of issuing labels. Fig. 5 shows an example of issuing labels for products with an internal capacity of 22 lines and no logo. In this case, 22 lines are secured in the area 32 of the print buffer 30 according to the input of the product number, and the area 33 is omitted. To be done. As a result, the product name 31 'set in the area 31 of the print buffer 30 and the area 32 are printed on the blank label paper 10.
Contents 32 'set in the area 34, each data 34' set in the area 34, and the bar code 35 'set in the area 35
, And the address 36 'set in the area 36 are printed and printed without any blank space or missing.

Fig. 6 shows an example of label issuance for a product with a capacity of 14 lines and a logo. In this case, 14 lines are secured in the area 32 of the print buffer 30 according to the input of the product number, and the area 33 is also Reserved. As a result, blank label paper 10
, The product name 31 'set in the area 31 of the print buffer 30, the internal capacity 32' set in the area 32, and the area 33
The logo 33 'set in the area, each data 34' set in the area 34, and the barcode 35 'set in the area 35,
The address 36 'set in the area 36 and the address 36' are printed and printed without any blank space and missing.

FIG. 7 shows an example of issuing a label for a product whose content capacity is 0 lines, that is, the logo is not set, and in this case, the areas 32 and 33 of the print buffer 30 are omitted according to the input of the product number. As a result, the product name 31 'set in the area 31 of the print buffer 30 for the blank label sheet 10 and the area
The respective data 34 'set in 34, the bar code 35' set in the area 35, and the address 36 'set in the area 36 are respectively printed and printed without any blank space or missing.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the internal capacity area 32 and the logo area 33 in the print buffer 30 are used as variable areas based on the number of internal capacity lines and the logo presence / absence flag respectively set corresponding to the product number of each product. Since the data size of the variable area can be changed for each product, blank label paper with no label format set in advance
The use of 10 makes it possible to issue an accurate label without waste, without changing the label paper, regardless of the setting contents of the product. Therefore, the label issuing work can be efficiently performed, the work time can be shortened, and the burden on the person in charge is significantly reduced. Further, since the blank label paper 10 is used and the label data is printed on the paper 10 without gaps, the paper can be used efficiently and the cost can be reduced.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the internal capacity area 32 and the logo area 33 of the print buffer 30 are variable areas, but the invention is not limited to this, and the variable area may include the product name area 31, for example. In this case, even a product with a long product name can be printed without omitting the product name. Further, although the blank label paper 10 is used in the above-mentioned embodiment, any label paper in which the label format is not set and no printing is applied can be applied. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to weighing label printers,
A label printer without a scale may be used. Of course, various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, even when labels of products having different line numbers of contents and different logos are continuously issued, it is necessary to replace label papers or print buffers. It is possible to provide a label printer that can always issue a precise label without waste without changing the setting of the label data size, improve the work efficiency of the label issuing work, and reduce the burden on the operator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a weighing label printer, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the weighing label printer, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a format of a product number file, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the format of the print buffer, FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the label issuing process of the CPU, and FIGS. 5 to 7 are diagrams showing label issuing examples. 1 ... CPU, 5 ... Part number file, 6 ... Keyboard, 1
0 …… Blank label paper, 11 …… Transport mechanism, 12 …… Print head, 15 …… Weighing unit, 30 …… Print buffer.

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── --- Continuation of the front page (56) Reference JP-A-56-85150 (JP, A) JP-A-59-135179 (JP, A) JP-A-62-158072 (JP, A) JP-A-60- 48081 (JP, A) JP 62-119417 (JP, A) JP 61-175722 (JP, A) JP 61-130069 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A label printer using label paper for which a label format has not been set, in which various product information such as product name, unit price, effective period, and internal capacity is set corresponding to the product number attached to each product. A product number file, product number input means for inputting the product number, product information reading means for reading various product information corresponding to the product number input by the product number input means from the product number file, and read by the reading means. The data format setting means for setting the label data format according to the information amount of the variable product information and the presence / absence of the product information among the various product information, and the label data in the label data format set by this setting means. A label comprising a label issuing control means for printing and issuing label data. Printer.