JP3194544U - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

A printing apparatus capable of shortening the production time of a tag with a wireless communication element and increasing production efficiency. A printing apparatus (1) takes out a tag (11) from a hopper part (2) that stores and stacks tags (11) containing wireless communication elements, a printing part (3) that prints visible information on the surface of the tag (11), and the hopper part (2). A transport unit 4 transports to the printing unit 3 and a data read / write device 5 that writes data to the wireless communication element of the tag 11 on which visible information is printed by the printing unit 3. The data read / write device 5 is disposed on the tag discharge side of the printing unit 3 and a tag support unit 6 that supports the tag 11 after printing in a space position that is retracted from the conveyance path extension position of the conveyance device 4. The tag 11 is provided with a data read / write unit 7 for writing data, and the transfer of the tag 11 from the printing unit 3 to the data writing device 5 is a drop method. [Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that prints visible information such as a barcode on a card-like tag with a built-in wireless communication element and writes data such as ID information on the wireless communication element.

  Conventionally, as this type of printing apparatus, printing means for printing visible information such as a barcode on the surface of a card-like tag with a built-in wireless communication element, and writing data such as ID information on the wireless communication element of the tag. One having a data read / write means to perform is known.

JP 2006-272842 A

  In the conventional printing apparatus, the printing position on the tag surface and the data writing position on the tag are provided on the same conveyance path. For this reason, since it is necessary to perform a data writing process after the printing process is completed, it takes a long time to produce a tag for each sheet and the productivity is low.

  In particular, if the printing area is long in the transport direction and the time until the printing is completed becomes long, or the time until the writing of data to the tag is long, the productivity further decreases.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a printing apparatus capable of shortening the production time of a tag with a wireless communication element and increasing the production efficiency.

The printing apparatus according to the present invention is
A hopper that stores a number of tags containing a wireless communication element,
Printing means for printing visible information on the surface of the tag;
Conveying means for taking out the tag from the hopper and conveying it to the printing means;
Data reading / writing means for writing data such as ID information to the wireless communication element of the tag on which visible information is printed by the printing means,
The data read / write unit includes a tag support unit that supports the tag after printing at a space position on the tag discharge side of the printing unit and retracted from the conveyance path extension position of the conveyance unit, and data is stored in the tag arranged in the tag support unit. Configured to include a data read / write unit for writing
The tag delivery after printing from the printing means to the data writing means is a drop method.

In the printing apparatus,
The tag after printing is sent by dropping from the tag discharge position of the printing means to the data writing means so that the front end faces downward,
The data read / write unit includes a support surface that is disposed forward and lower than the tag discharge position from the printing unit and has a support surface that is inclined so that the lower end is the front side, and the data read / write unit is disposed on the back side of the support surface. It is preferable that

In the printing apparatus,
A stocker for receiving the tag is provided below the tag support,
It is preferable that the tag support part is provided with a shutter that enables selection of prevention of dropping of the tag to the stocker and allowance for dropping near the lower end of the support surface.

  As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the printing unit and the data reading / writing unit have a spatially overlapping arrangement structure such as the first floor and the second floor of a building. In this way, the printing means and the data read / write means are spatially overlapped, so that the respective operations can be performed without any restriction. Therefore, while the data read / write means supports the tag on the tag support unit and reads / writes data from / to the wireless communication element of the tag, the printing means can print on the tag surface for the subsequent tag. . In addition, since the tag transfer from the printing unit to the data writing unit is a drop method, the tag can be transferred from the printing unit to the data writing unit in a short time. As described above, the manufacturing time of the tag with the wireless communication element is shortened, and the productivity is greatly improved.

1 is an overall schematic configuration diagram of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a partial enlarged view of the printing apparatus by embodiment of this invention, Comprising: The state where the tag is supported by the support surface of a tag support part is shown. It is a partial enlarged view of the printing apparatus by embodiment of this invention, Comprising: A tag shows the state which falls to a stocker from the support surface of a tag support part. 1 is a partially enlarged view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and shows a state in which a defective tag is stored in a defective product stock.

Hereinafter, a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
The printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment has, for example, an RFID (Radio Frequency-Identification) tag, a surface of a card-like tag 11 made of paper, plastic, or the like and including a wireless communication element such as an IC chip. A device that prints visible information such as manufacturer, serial number, product number, price, barcode, trademark, etc., and electrically writes data such as ID information that may also include the visible information in a wireless communication element. is there.

  The wireless communication element is composed of, for example, an extremely small and thin wireless communication IC chip of about several millimeters square, and a memory is provided in the chip, and various data can be written and read.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a hopper unit 2 that stores a large number of tags 11, a printing unit 3 that prints predetermined visible information on the surface of the tag 11, and a hopper unit 2. The tag 4 is taken out from the tag 11 and conveyed to the printing unit 3, the data read / write device 5 that writes and / or reads predetermined data to and from the wireless communication element of the tag 11, and the control unit that controls the driving of each device. 8.

  The hopper portion 2 includes four side wall portions 21 and is open at the top and bottom. Further, a gate plate 22 having an upper end curved toward the hopper 2 is provided near the lower end of the front side wall 21 on the side from which the tag 11 is discharged. The tag 11 is supported by the upper end curved portion of the gate plate 22.

Further, a tag take-out device 23 for supplying the tag 11 to the printing unit 3 is provided near the lower end of the side wall 21 behind the hopper unit 2.
The tag take-out device 23 includes a block body 23a that reciprocates directly under the rear side wall 21 in the hopper 2 and a leaf spring 23b with a take-out pawl fixed to the block body 23a.

  The tag take-out device 23 moves the block body 23a backward, and among the stacked tags 11, the block body 23a is moved forward while the tag 11 arranged at the bottom is hooked on the take-out pawl of the leaf spring 23b. The single tag 11 is sent to the transport device 4 by being moved in the direction. The rear side of the tag 11 is supported by the block body 23a.

  The printing unit 3 includes a print head 31 that can be moved up and down so as to face the tag 11 from both sides, and a platen roller 32 that is driven and rotated by a motor. The print head 31 is a thermal head.

  Further, the printing unit 3 includes a feeding reel 34 on which the ink ribbon tape 33 is wound, and a winding reel 35 for winding the ink ribbon tape 33 drawn from the feeding reel 34. The take-up reel 35 is attached to a drive shaft 36 driven by a motor, and the supply reel 34 is attached to a rotary shaft 37 that can be freely rotated.

  When the feeding reel 34 is attached to the rotary shaft 37, the ink ribbon tape 33 is fed out and is wound around a plurality of tension rollers 38, and then the ink ribbon tape 33 is attached to the take-up reel 35 attached to the drive shaft 36. Fix the end. The plurality of tension rollers 38 are used to apply tension to the ink ribbon tape 33 so as not to loosen.

In the present embodiment, the tag 11 is supplied between the platen roller 32 and the print head 31 for printing. By causing the print head 31 to generate heat, the ink is thermally transferred from the ink ribbon tape 33 and predetermined items are printed on the tag 11.
The printing method by the printing unit 3 is not limited to the thermal transfer method, and may be a thermal coloring method or an inkjet method.

As shown in FIG. 1, when the tag 11 located at the lower end of the hopper 2 is taken out from the tag take-out device 23, the carrying device 4 receives the tag 11 and carries it to the printing unit 3.
The transport device 4 includes an endless transport belt 41 whose transport surface for transporting the tag 11 is an outer surface, and a plurality of support pulleys 42 around which the transport belt 41 is stretched to support the transport belt 41 so as to run freely. And a drive pulley 43 that is driven to rotate by a motor to drive the transport belt 41.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying device 4 has a pressing roller 44 disposed so as to face four supporting pulleys 42 arranged horizontally in the upper portion of the supporting pulleys 42 around which the conveying belt 41 is stretched. ing. By these presser rollers 44 and the upper support pulley 42, the tag 11 on the conveyor belt 41 can be conveyed downward without slackening.

  As shown in FIG. 1, near the discharge port of the hopper portion 2 of the transport device 4 and near the front of the pair of support pulleys 42 and the presser rollers 44 that serve as tag entrances to the transport device 4, The 1st sensor 81 for detecting is provided. When the tag 11 is detected by the first sensor 81, the detection result is sent to the control unit 8, and drive control of the printing unit 3 is started by the control unit 8.

  In addition, a guide bar 45 is provided in front of the transport device 4 in the transport direction on the tag discharge side of the printing unit 3 to prevent the tag 11 ejected from the transport device 4 from warping upward.

The data read / write device 5 electrically writes and reads data to and from the wireless communication element of the tag 11 on which visible information is printed by the printing unit 3.
The data read / write device 5 includes a tag support unit 6 that supports the tag 11 after printing, and a data read / write unit 7 that reads / writes data from / to the tag 11 disposed on the tag support unit 6.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the tag support unit 6 is disposed on the tag discharge side of the printing unit 3 and at a space position retracted from the conveyance path extension position of the conveyance device 4. Specifically, the tag support unit 6 is disposed forward and lower than the tag discharge position from the printing unit 3, and includes the front plate unit 61, the rear plate unit 62, the front plate unit 61, and the rear plate unit 62. It is comprised by the side-plate part 63 arrange | positioned at both ends. The front plate portion 61 and the rear plate portion 62 are arranged so that the lower end portions thereof are close to each other so that the side view is V-shaped.

  In the present embodiment, the upper surface of the rear plate portion 62 serves as a support surface 64 that receives and supports the tag 11 after printing. The support surface 64 is inclined so that the lower end is on the front side, and the upper end portion of the rear plate portion 62 is disposed directly below the discharge portion of the printing unit 3 of the transport device 4.

  In this way, by arranging the support surface 64, the tag 11 printed by the printing unit 3 is sandwiched between the support pulley 42 and the pressing roller 44 at the rear end of the transport device 4 via the transport belt 41. When ejected, as shown in FIG. 2, it falls to the support surface 64 as it is, and the tag 11 is received by the entire support surface 64. That is, the transfer of the tag 11 from the printing unit 3 to the data writing device 5 is a drop method.

Further, in the tag support portion 6, a tag dropping passage 65 through which the tag 11 can pass is formed between the lower end of the front plate portion 61 and the lower end of the rear plate portion 62.
A shutter 66 having a half-moon-like cross section is provided immediately below the tag dropping passage 65, that is, near the lower end of the rear plate portion 62, so that the tag 11 can be prevented from dropping and allowed to drop to the stocker 9 described later. Yes. A second sensor 82 that detects the presence or absence of the tag 11 in the tag dropping passage 65 is provided above the shutter 66.

  The shutter 66 is composed of a rod-like body having a half-moon cross section, and can be rotated forward and backward by a motor. When the tag 11 is not detected by the second sensor 82, the rotation of the shutter 66 is controlled by the control unit 8 so that the arcuate surface of the half moon is arranged immediately below the tag dropping passage 65. When the tag 11 falls toward the support surface 64 of the tag support portion 6, the lower end of the tag 11 received by the support surface 64 comes into contact with the arc surface of the shutter 66 and the tag 11 is prevented from falling. Since the lower end of the tag 11 is received by the arc surface of the shutter 66, the tag 11 is securely supported by the support surface 64.

  When the tag 11 is detected by the second sensor 82 and the writing is completed by the data read / write unit 7, the control unit 8 controls the shutter 66 so that the half-moon plane portion is parallel to the support surface 64 as shown in FIG. 3. Rotate to. When the shutter 66 rotates in this way, the tag 11 that has been received by the shutter 66 so far falls from the tag dropping passage 65. Since the lower end of the tag 11 is in contact with the arc surface even when the shutter 66 rotates, it is smoothly guided to the tag dropping passage 65.

  The data read / write unit 7 of the data read / write device 5 includes a main body unit 71 including a read / write control unit and an antenna, and a support member 72 that supports the main body unit 71. The data read / write unit 7 is disposed on the front lower side of the printing unit 3 while being spatially overlapped with the printing unit 3 in the vertical direction.

  Further, the main body portion 71 is disposed close to the lower surface side of the rear plate portion 62 of the tag support portion 6, that is, the back surface side of the support surface 64, and is supported by the support member 72 so as to be slidable in the vertical and horizontal directions. ing. By sliding the main body portion 71 in correspondence with the position of the wireless communication element of the tag 11 supported by the support surface 64 of the tag support portion 6, communication between the main body portion 71 and the wireless communication element can be reliably performed. .

In the main body 71, the read / write control unit and the wireless communication element of the tag 11 communicate with each other via the antenna, and data such as ID information is written from the data read / write unit 7 to the wireless communication element of the tag 11.
Note that the communication of the tag 11 to the wireless communication element by the data read / write unit 7 is performed in a state where the tag 11 is stopped on the support surface 64, but is performed after the tag 11 starts to fall toward the data read / write device 5. It may be.

Furthermore, a stocker 9 is provided below the tag support 6 to receive the tag 11 in which data is written by the data read / write device 5.
The stocker 9 has an inclined receiving plate 91 that is received in a state where a plurality of tags 11 are erected, a support base 92 to which the lower end portion of the receiving plate 91 is fixed, and the dropped tag 11 directed toward the receiving plate 91. The pushing member 93 that is pushed in, the stopper 94 that prevents the plurality of tags 11 leaning against the receiving plate 91 from moving forward, and the tag supporting portion 6 are disposed below the tag dropping passage 65 and dropped. A guide plate 95 for guiding the tag 11 to the receiving plate 91 is provided.

  The receiving plate 91 is fixed to the support base 92 so as to be inclined so that the upper end portion is located rearward and the lower end portion is located forward. By tilting the receiving plate 91, the plurality of tags 11 can be stacked and leaned against each other.

  Further, as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 3, the push member 93 is configured to reciprocate in the front-rear direction with respect to the support base 92 by a motor, and until the tag 11 is dropped by the control unit 8, When the tag 11 falls, the drive is controlled so as to move backward and push the tag 11 in.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the stopper 94 is configured to move up and down with respect to the support base 92 so that the movement of the pressing member 93 is not hindered when the pressing member 93 moves rearward. In addition, the controller 8 is controlled to move downward.

The guide plate 95 is configured to function as a defective product receiving unit that receives the defective tag 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the guide plate 95 is configured such that the upper end portion swings around the lower end portion.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the guide plate 95 is disposed so as to be substantially parallel to the flat surface when the shutter 66 is in a state where the tag 11 is dropped, as shown in FIGS. The tag 11 falling from the bottom is smoothly dropped to the receiving plate 91 side.

  Further, when the tag 11 located on the tag support portion 6 has a data reading failure, the guide plate 95 is moved so that the upper end of the guide plate 95 is behind the tag dropping passage 65 as shown in FIG. By swinging backward, the defective product is received by the inclined surface of the guide plate 95.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 8 that drives and controls each device. The control unit 8 controls the tag take-out device 23 provided in the hopper unit 2, the printing unit 3, the transport device 4, the shutter 66 of the tag support unit 6, the data read / write unit 7, and the stocker 9 The push member 93, the stopper 94, and the guide plate 95 are controlled. The control unit 8 is made of a microcomputer, for example, and includes a CPU and a memory.

Next, printing by the printing unit 3 on the tag 11 by the printing apparatus 1 and data writing to the tag 11 by the data read / write apparatus 5 will be described.
First, a large number of tags 11 before printing are stored in a stacked state in the hopper unit 2. The tag 11 is supported by the upper end portion of the gate plate 22 of the hopper portion 2 and the block body 23a of the tag take-out device 23.

  Then, when printing is started, the transport device 4 and the platen roller 32 of the printing unit 3 are driven, and the rear end portion of the stored tag 11 is caught by the take-out claw of the tag take-out device 23 to transport the block body 23a. The tag 11 is sent out from the hopper unit 2 by the movement toward the device 4 side. Note that the print head 31 of the printing unit 3 stands by at an upper position so as not to contact the platen roller 32, and the drive shaft 36 of the take-up reel 35 is also stopped.

Next, the tag 11 supplied from the hopper unit 2 to the conveying device 4 has the leading end portion of the tag 11 sandwiched between the conveying belt 41 and the pressing roller 44, and the conveying belt 41 is driven by the driving movement of the conveying belt 41. And the presser roller 44.
At this time, since the tag 11 is constantly pressed against the transport belt 41 by the presser roller 44, the tag 11 does not slide on the transport surface and become idle feed.

  The tag 11 supplied from the hopper unit 2 to the transport device 4 is detected by the first sensor 81 provided near the outlet of the hopper unit 2 to be discharged from the hopper unit 2.

  Then, when a predetermined distance is conveyed from the time when the tag 11 is detected by the first sensor 81 and the tag 11 is sent to a position facing the print head 31 of the printing unit 3, the print head 31 is lowered and printing is started. At the same time, the drive shaft 36 of the take-up reel 35 also rotates. As the take-up reel 35 rotates, the ink ribbon tape 33 is pulled out from the supply reel 34, and the ink is thermally transferred to the surface of the tag 11 by the print head 31 to print characters, barcodes, and the like. At this time, the tag 11 is printed by the print head 31 while being conveyed by the platen roller 32.

In this embodiment, when the printing operation is not performed, the print head 31 is lifted and retracted away from the tag 11 in order to eliminate wasteful consumption of the ink ribbon tape 33, and the drive shaft of the take-up reel 35. 36 is controlled to stop and interrupt the running of the ink ribbon tape 33.
As described above, when the printing operation is not performed, since the print head 31 is raised even if the platen roller 32 is kept rotated, the transport of the tag 11 is performed only by the transport device 4 and the ink. It does not relate to the running of the ribbon tape 33.

In this embodiment, the tag 11 is discharged from the hopper unit 2 at regular intervals, and when visible information such as characters is printed on the tag 11 in the printing unit 3, the tag 11 is discharged from the transport device 4.
As shown in FIG. 2, the tag 11 discharged from the transport device 4 falls down toward the rear plate portion 62 of the tag support portion 6 with its front end facing downward, and the tag 11 is supported by the support surface 64 of the rear plate portion 62. Is accepted. At this time, since the shutter 66 is in a state where the tag dropping passage 65 is closed, the tag 11 does not fall on the stocker 9.

  When the tag 11 is supported by the support surface 64 of the rear plate portion 62, data such as ID information is written to the wireless communication element of the tag 11 by the data read / write unit 7. When the data writing is completed, as shown in FIG. 3, the shutter 66 rotates and the tag 11 falls from the tag dropping passage 65 to the stocker 9.

  When the tag 11 falls on the stocker 9, the tag 11 that has been dropped is moved toward the receiving plate 91 by moving the pushing member 93 that has been waiting forward to the rear as indicated by the phantom line in FIG. 3. By the pushing operation of the tag 11 by the pushing member 93, the tag 11 stocked in the stocker 9 is prevented from interfering with the tag 11 falling from the tag support portion 6. At this time, the stopper 94 is lowered to a position that does not hinder the movement of the pressing member 93.

  Further, when the tag 11 supported by the tag support unit 6 cannot read data by the data read / write unit 7, it is determined that the tag 11 is defective and is controlled by the control unit 8 as shown in FIG. Then, the guide plate 95 is moved to the defective product receiving side, and the defective tag 11 is received by the guide plate 95.

As described above, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment has an arrangement structure in which the printing unit 3 and the data read / write device 5 are spatially overlapped like the first floor and the second floor of a building. As a result, the tag 11 after printing is supported by the support surface 64 of the tag support portion 6 that is disposed at a spatial position retracted downward from above the conveyance path extension line of the conveyance device 4, so that the tag 11 is supported by the support surface 64. While the data is being read and written, the printing unit 3 can print on the surface of the tag 11 for the subsequent tag 11.
As a result, the print processing work and the data read / write processing work can be performed without any restriction, so that the production time of the tag 11 can be greatly shortened and the production efficiency can be greatly improved.

Furthermore, since the transfer from the printing unit 3 to the data read / write device 5 is a drop method, the tag 11 can be transferred easily and in a short time without using a complicated transfer structure. In addition, since the transfer is performed by natural falling while the support surface 64 supporting the tag 11 is inclined, it is difficult for the tag 11 to be stressed.
Furthermore, since the data read / write device 5 can be arranged below the printing unit 3, the arrangement space of the printing device 1 can be reduced.

The shutter 66 can read / write data by the data read / write unit 7 while the tag 11 is securely supported on the support surface 64 of the tag support unit 6. After the data read / write is completed, the shutter 66 is moved to the stocker. The tag 11 can be stored in the stocker 9 easily and in a short time due to natural falling by operating to open to the 9 side.
Furthermore, since the stocker 9 is also arranged below the printing unit 3, the installation space for the printing apparatus 1 can be reduced.

In addition, this invention is not limited only to the above-mentioned embodiment, A various change is possible within the range of this invention.
For example, in the present embodiment, the tag 11 after printing is dropped on the tag support 6 provided at the front lower side of the printing unit 3 so that the tip (front side) of the tag 11 faces downward. It can also be dropped so that one end side (right side or left side) of the direction faces downward.
Furthermore, the tag 11 may be kept on standby in the discharge unit of the transport device 4 until data writing by the data read / write unit 7 is completed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Printing apparatus 2 Hopper part 3 Printing part 4 Conveyance apparatus 5 Data read / write apparatus 6 Tag support part 7 Data read / write part 8 Control part 9 Stocker 11 Tag 31 Print head 32 Platen roller 41 Conveyor belt 42 Support pulley 44 Pressing roller 64 Support surface 65 Tag drop passage 66 Shutter

Claims (3)

A hopper that stores a number of tags containing a wireless communication element,
Printing means for printing visible information on the surface of the tag;
Conveying means for taking out the tag from the hopper and conveying it to the printing means;
Data reading / writing means for writing data such as ID information to the wireless communication element of the tag on which visible information is printed by the printing means,
The data read / write unit includes a tag support unit that supports the tag after printing at a space position on the tag discharge side of the printing unit and retracted from the conveyance path extension position of the conveyance unit, and data is stored in the tag arranged in the tag support unit. Configured to include a data read / write unit for writing
A printing apparatus in which a tag is transferred after printing from the printing unit to the data writing unit. The printing apparatus according to claim 1,
The tag after printing is sent by dropping from the tag discharge position of the printing means to the data writing means so that the front end faces downward,
The data read / write unit includes a support surface that is disposed forward and lower than the tag discharge position from the printing unit and has a support surface that is inclined so that the lower end is the front side, and the data read / write unit is disposed on the back side of the support surface. Printing device. The printing apparatus according to claim 2,
A stocker for receiving the tag is provided below the tag support,
The tag support unit is a printing apparatus provided with a shutter that enables selection between prevention of dropping of the tag to the stocker and allowance of dropping near the lower end of the support surface.

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