JP3008956B2 - Printing deviation detection printing method - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for detecting a printing shift between two colors when printing two colors in a ticket issuing device or the like.

[Prior Art] FIG. 10 is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a ticket issuing apparatus capable of printing in two colors.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a continuous medium having a magnetic stripe, which is wound and stored in a roll shape.

Reference numeral 2 denotes a cut-sheet medium having a magnetic stripe, and a hopper
Stored in 2a.

Reference numeral 3 denotes a transport path for transporting these media 1 and 2 to a magnetic writing unit described later.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a cutter for cutting the length of the continuous medium 1 to be issued, 5 a magnetic write head for writing magnetic information on the magnetic stripes of the mediums 1 and 2, and 6 a check of the magnetic information written by the magnetic write head 5. Magnetic read head.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a printing unit, which is a black printing head 9 as first printing means for printing on the medium 1 or 2 conveyed on the conveyance path 8 using a black thermal transfer ribbon, and for printing with a red thermal transfer ribbon. It comprises a red printing head 10 as a second printing means.

Reference numeral 11 denotes a transport path for transporting the medium 1 or 2 on which printing has been completed in the printing unit 7, and reference numeral 12 denotes a medium 1 transported on the transport path 11.
Or a discharge stacker that discharges 2.

 A ticket issuing operation by the above-described ticket issuing device will be described.

The medium 1 cut to the length used for issuance by the cutter 4 or the medium 2 stored in the hopper 2a is transported through the transport path 3 and sent to the magnetic writing head 5, where the magnetic stripe of the medium 1 or 2 is read. Write magnetic information to

Next, the medium 1 or 2 is conveyed to the magnetic read head 6,
The magnetic information written on the magnetic stripe by the magnetic write head 5 is confirmed.

Then, the medium 1 or 2 for which the confirmation of the magnetic information has been completed
Is conveyed to the printing unit 7 through the conveyance path 8, black printing is performed by the black printing head 9, and then red printing is performed by the red printing head 10.

The medium 1 or 2 on which printing has been completed in the printing unit 7 is discharged from the transport path 11 through the transport path 11.

Here, the above-mentioned ticket issuing device can print two colors of black and red on one medium, and the printing position is conventionally adjusted by the following procedure.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of test pattern printing for adjusting a conventional printing position, and FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an adjustment procedure.

First, test pattern printing shown in FIG. 11 is performed to adjust the printing position (SA1).

Next, the adjuster checks the print position by looking at the test pattern print (SA2).

Here, the transport time T between the print heads is calculated from the transport speed of the medium and the interval between the print heads, whereby printing is performed on the medium by the black print head 9, and after the time T, printing is performed by the red print head 10. If the test has been performed, the test pattern is a lattice pattern without black and red overlapping, and it is determined that there is no shift, and the adjustment ends.

However, if there is a shift time Δt with respect to the time T in SA2, printing is performed in which black and red overlap, and it is determined that there is a shift in the printing position,
The deviation width Δw is measured using calipers (SA3).

Then, a value to be corrected is calculated from the measured value, given to the correction value Dip SW (SA4), and the test pattern is printed again to confirm.

Hereinafter, the above procedure is confirmed and performed until it is determined that there is no deviation.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

However, the above-described method of detecting a print position shift has the following problems.

In other words, measurement using a caliper of the printing position deviation,
Since the correction is performed by calculating the correction value therefrom, there is a problem that the operation is troublesome.

The present invention has been made in order to solve such a problem. By detecting a correction value directly from test pattern printing without using calipers, it is possible to detect a shift in a printing position that can simplify the operation. The aim is to provide a method.

[Means for solving the problem]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a first printing means in a medium conveyance path, and a second printing means provided at a predetermined interval from the first printing means and downstream in a medium conveyance direction. A printing method for detecting a print misalignment between a first printing means and a second printing means of an apparatus which detects a leading end of a medium to be conveyed and takes a printing timing between the first printing means and the second printing means. In the medium, a plurality of first marks are printed at regular intervals by a first printing unit in association with information obtained by numerically expressing the degree of misalignment, and a plurality of first marks are printed by a second printing unit. The second mark is printed at an equal interval different from the interval of the first mark and at a position adjacent to the first mark, and the first mark is printed on the medium based on information obtained by quantifying the degree of displacement. What is printed near the center of the length in the transport direction is the reference point. And the difference between the first mark interval and the second mark interval causes one side of the reference point to be earlier in printing timing by the second printing means than the first printing means. As the scale in the + direction, the other side is set as a scale in the-direction, in which the printing timing of the second printing means is slower than that of the first printing means, and the second mark indicates the amount of printing shift and the printing shift. The direction is indicated by a point of coincidence with the first mark, and is expressed by numerical information of the degree of deviation corresponding to the point of coincidence.

(Operation)

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration, a plurality of first marks are printed at equal intervals on the medium by the first printing unit in association with the information obtained by digitizing the degree of deviation.

Since the second mark for printing the second mark is located downstream of the first printing means in the transport direction of the medium, the printing start position is between the first printing means and the second printing means. In consideration of the transport time of the first mark, printing is performed at an interval of, for example, 9/10 of the first mark and at a position adjacent to the first mark.

Here, as the first mark, a mark printed near the center of the length in the transport direction of the medium is set as a reference point based on information obtained by quantifying the degree of deviation, and
According to the difference between the mark interval and the second mark interval, one side of the reference point sandwiches this reference point with respect to the first printing unit so that the printing timing by the second printing unit is earlier in the + direction. The side is set as a scale in the-direction in which the printing timing by the second printing means is later than the first printing means.

In this printing result, the second mark is the first mark at the reference point.
The first printing means and the second
There is no deviation in the timing of printing with the printing means. However, if the second mark matches the first mark at a location other than the reference point, there will be a printing shift.

Here, since the second mark is printed at an interval of 9/10 of the first mark, it is possible to accurately detect the print shift amount by the coincidence point.

Therefore, according to this, a caliper for detecting a print shift becomes unnecessary, and direct detection is possible, so that the print shift can be accurately corrected in a short time.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The structure of the ticket issuing device is the same as that described with reference to FIG. 10, and a description of the configuration will be omitted.

First, a printing method in the printing unit 7 of the ticket issuing device shown in FIG. 10 will be described.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of a main part of the printing unit 7, in which a black printing head 9 of first printing means for printing black and a second printing means 9 for printing red.
The red print head 10 of the printing means has the same width as the width y of the mediums 1 and 2, and the black or red ribbon is formed by applying a current to a head portion of the width at a position where printing is to be performed and heating the head. Is transferred to the medium 1 or 2 and printing is performed.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of printing, in which the black print head 9 or the red print head 9 is transported while the medium 1 or 2 is being conveyed.
In the case where the vicinity of the center of 10 is continuously heated, in this case, band-shaped printing is performed.

Here, if the heating time is shortened, dots and lines can be printed, and characters can be printed.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the medium conveyance speed and the print positions of the black print head and the red print head.
(A) is a side view, (b) is a plan view.

Where x is the length of the entire medium, x 'is the length of the print area,
a indicates the leading end of the medium in the transport direction, W indicates the length between the black print head 9 and the red print head 10, and V indicates the transport speed of the medium.

Then, assuming that the time from when the leading end a of the medium passes through the black print head 9 to when it reaches the red print head 10 is T, Becomes

That is, if red printing is performed T seconds after black printing, printing can be performed at the same position on the medium.
Therefore, when printing cannot be performed at the same position, an error Δt exists.

Hereinafter, a method of detecting a shift in the printing position according to the present embodiment will be described.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of a main part showing an embodiment of the present invention.
Here, FIG. 1 (a) shows a case where there is no shift, and FIG. 1 (b) shows a case where there is a shift. The printing method will be described below.

First, as a criterion for adjusting the printing position deviation,
A position half the length x of the entire medium is set as a reference point 0 of the medium.

In order to print a line of 0 at the reference point 0, assuming that the transport speed of the medium is V, the point a of the medium passes from the point when the medium passes the black print head 9, The printing may be performed after seconds. (Here, x is the length of the entire medium as described with reference to FIG. 4.) As a result, black lines can be printed at the reference point 0.

Next, it is assumed that five black lines are printed at equal intervals in the + direction (medium conveyance direction) and five lines in the-direction from the zero black line in the printing range x '.

This is from reference point 0 Interval, Thus, it is only necessary to print the image while shifting it back and forth.

Considering the above, the time from point a passing the black print head 9 to printing the first line, that is, the line of 5, Can be requested.

here, Is the time from point a to the reference point, Is the printing interval time of the black line.

Therefore, after the point a has passed the black print head 9, Seconds later, Black lines may be printed at intervals of seconds.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the medium on which the black line is printed, and FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the above-described black line printing state.
The vertical axis indicates the passage of time, assuming that the leading end a of the medium has passed the black print head 9, and shows how black lines from 5 to -5 are printed.

 Next, the printing of the red line will be considered.

 Here, the interval between red lines is 9/10 of the interval between black lines.

In other words, the interval between the red lines is In time, Seconds.

FIG. 7 is a time chart showing the printing state of the red line on the medium on which the black line has been printed. T indicates the red printing head 10 after the leading end a of the medium has passed the black printing head 9 as described above. , And here, there is no deviation.

 Hereinafter, a method for determining the correction value will be described.

8 and 9 are enlarged views of a medium on which black lines and red lines are printed.

In FIG. 8, since the black line and the red line match at a degree of deviation of 0, there is no deviation and it is considered that there is no error.

It is assumed that this coincides with the degree of deviation-2 as shown in FIG.

At this time, the red print Seconds slow.

On the other hand, if it is correct at the degree of deviation +2, Indicates that it is seconds earlier.

here, Is the time of one scale shift, so by doubling,
The whole time is shifted.

In other words, if they match at the degree of deviation +2, What is necessary is to add or subtract a value obtained by doubling the second.

Here, every time the setting value of the Dip SW of the device is increased by 1, If the setting is made such that the second red printing is performed earlier, the error can be calculated by the above-described method, and thereafter, the difference can be easily corrected.

In the above description, the case where the black line and the red line match at the deviation degree ± 2 has been described. However, it is assumed that the deviation degree ± n (where n is a natural number from 1 to 5). if, What is necessary is to add or subtract a value obtained by multiplying the second by n.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, a first printing unit is provided in a medium conveyance path, and a second printing unit is provided downstream of the first printing unit at a predetermined interval from the first printing unit. The first printing means and the second
A printing method for detecting a printing shift between a first printing means and a second printing means of a device for taking a printing timing with a printing means, wherein a medium is associated with information obtained by digitizing the degree of the shift. A plurality of first marks are printed at equal intervals by the first printing means, and the second printing means is printed in consideration of the medium transport speed and the distance between the first printing means and the second printing means. Thus, a plurality of second marks are printed at equal intervals different from the intervals between the first marks, for example, at intervals of 9/10 of the first marks, and at positions adjacent to the first marks.

Here, as the first mark, a mark printed near the center of the length in the transport direction of the medium is set as a reference point based on information obtained by quantifying the degree of deviation, and
According to the difference between the mark interval and the second mark interval, one side of the reference point sandwiches this reference point with respect to the first printing unit so that the printing timing by the second printing unit is earlier in the + direction. The side is set as a scale in the-direction in which the printing timing of the second printing means is later than that of the first printing means, and the second mark indicates the amount of printing shift and the direction of printing shift. The position corresponding to the first mark is displayed based on the information on the degree of the numerical shift corresponding to the position corresponding to the first mark.

Accordingly, in the above-described printing result, when the second mark matches the first mark as the reference point, there is no deviation, and the second mark is not located at a position other than the reference point. If they match, the direction of the printing shift and the amount of the printing shift can be accurately detected from the digitized shift degree information corresponding to the matching portion.

Therefore, according to this, a caliper for detecting a print shift becomes unnecessary, and direct detection is possible, so that the print shift can be accurately corrected in a short time.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of an essential part showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an explanatory view of an essential part of a printing section, FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an example of printing, FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between printing positions in a black print head and a red print head, FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a medium on which a black line is printed, FIG. 6 is a time chart showing the above-described black line printing state, and FIG. The figure is a time chart showing the printing state of the red line on the medium on which the black line is printed. FIGS. 8 and 9 are enlarged views of the medium on which the black line and the red line are printed, and FIG. Is a side sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a ticket issuing apparatus capable of printing in two colors, FIG. 11 is an explanatory view of a test pattern printing for adjusting a conventional printing position, and FIG. 12 is a conventional adjustment procedure. It is a flowchart which shows. 9 Black print head 10 Red print head

Continuation of the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 29/46 B41J 2/325

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] A first printing means is provided in a medium transport path, and a second printing means is provided downstream of the first printing means at a predetermined interval from the first printing means in a direction in which the medium is transported. A printing method for detecting a print misalignment between a first printing means and a second printing means of an apparatus which detects a leading end and takes a printing timing between the first printing means and the second printing means. The first printing means prints a plurality of first marks at regular intervals in association with the numerical information of the degree of deviation, and the second printing means prints the plurality of second marks The first mark is printed at an equal interval different from the interval of the first mark and at a position adjacent to the first mark. The one printed near the center is set as the reference point and Based on the difference between the interval between the first mark and the interval between the second marks, one side of the reference point is set as a scale in the + direction in which the printing timing of the second printing means is earlier than that of the first printing means. The other side is set as a scale in the-direction in which the printing timing of the second printing means is later than that of the first printing means, and the second mark indicates the amount of printing shift and the direction of printing shift in the first direction. And displaying the information based on a numerical value of the degree of the deviation corresponding to the coincidence with the coincidence with the mark.