JP3533343B2 - Line thermal head printer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of applying a current to a stationary line thermal head at a printing position at predetermined intervals on a moving printing object. The present invention relates to an improvement in a printing device for performing printing. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, it has been often required to display different characters and symbols on a package for each printing object, such as a production date, a shelf life, and a production serial number. In such a case, printing on a printing target using a line thermal head is widely performed. When printing is performed on an object to be printed using a line thermal head, printing is performed by heat generated by energizing certain dots of a line thermal head which is an aggregate of minute heaters. A printing apparatus that prints on a printing object using a line thermal head includes an apparatus called an intermittent type that performs printing by moving the line thermal head while the printing object is stopped, and a line thermal head. There is an apparatus called a continuous type that performs printing in accordance with the movement of a print target while the head is stationary. In the intermittent type apparatus, since printing is performed while the printing target is stopped, one of the positions is adjusted so that the printing device is installed at a position where the printing target is stopped and the place where the printing target is stopped is the printing position. Must be aligned. On the other hand, in a continuous type apparatus, when the movement of the film to be printed is stopped due to film splicing or the like, a mechanism is required to prevent the installation location of the printing apparatus from overlapping the printing location . This is because if the movement of the film to be printed stops at a position where the installation location of the printing device and the printing position match, the film to be printed will be displaced due to film splicing, etc. This is because a problem arises in that the print position is shifted when the operation is started. Further, in the continuous type, in which printing is performed by using a thermal transfer ribbon tape of a hot-peeling type by a printing apparatus using an end face type or a corner edge type line thermal head, a certain speed is required. Below, clear printing cannot be performed. Therefore, in this case, when the printing speed at the printing position is lower than the predetermined speed, the position becomes an inappropriate position as the printing position, and printing must be avoided. As described in the preceding section, in a continuous printing apparatus using a conventional line thermal head, the movement of the film to be printed is stopped or the speed becomes lower than a predetermined speed. In such a case, a mechanism for preventing the installation location of the printing apparatus from overlapping with the printing location on the film to be printed is required. According to the present invention, in a continuous type printing apparatus using a line thermal head, when the movement of the film to be printed is stopped, the installation location of the printing apparatus and the printing location on the film to be printed are kept overlapping. It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus using a thermal head configured so as not to be disturbed. Further, the present invention provides a continuous printing apparatus using a thermal head, in which clear printing can be performed even when the movement of a film to be printed becomes lower than a predetermined speed. That is the task. [0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, in a printing apparatus according to the present invention, when a printing position on a printing object comes to a printing position by the line thermal head, the printing object stops. Or, when the speed becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined speed, the printing position of the printing object at the printing position is forcibly moved at the speed equal to or higher than the predetermined speed, and printing at the printing position is performed.
To adopt a configuration in which a print target mobile device Ru is completed. In the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the printing position on the printing object coincides with the stationary position of the line thermal head when the printing object is stopped or at a predetermined speed or less as described above. case, the forcibly moving at a predetermined speed or higher be configured so as to complete the printing, to complete the printing for the print position by the print target mobile device printing position of the print object in the print position Therefore, even if the printing object is displaced again after the stop, the printing is not affected at all. Also, a decrease in the feed speed does not degrade the print quality. [0012] According to the present invention, even if the movement of the print object by such as an emergency stop is stopped, which it is stopped in the state where the installation location of the printer and printing locations on the printing object does not overlap Further, when the printing object is fed at a predetermined speed or less, the printing object is sent at a speed necessary for performing clear printing. As described above, according to the present invention,
A printing device having a simple structure that does not require a mechanism for mechanically adjusting a printing position in accordance with a printing signal is provided. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the illustrated embodiments. First, the configuration of the device according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG.
In the figure, 1 indicates a packaging film on which printing is to be performed at a predetermined position. Reference numeral 2 denotes a thermal transfer ribbon tape, which is unwound from the raw fabric shaft 3 and wound around a winding shaft 4. The thermal transfer ribbon tape 2 is overlapped with the packaging film 1 on the platen plate 5 and travels by a required amount. 6 is an incremental type rotary encoder,
The amount of movement of is detected. Reference numeral 7 denotes a line thermal head. The line thermal head 7 is configured as a continuous type that performs printing while being stationary on the moving packaging film 1. Reference numeral 8 denotes an increment type rotary encoder, which is provided for detecting the amount of movement of the packaging film 1. The moving amount of the thermal transfer ribbon tape 2 is controlled based on the moving amount of the packaging film 1 detected by the rotary encoder 8, and the moving amount of the ribbon tape 2 is fed back by the rotary encoder 6. Reference numeral 9 denotes an arm constituting the packaging film moving device, and the arm 9 is configured to be rotated around a pin 10 at a central portion thereof by a suitable driving means. Rolls 11 and 12, which operate as dancer rolls, are rotatably connected to both ends of the arm 9, respectively. 1
Reference numerals 3 and 14 denote pinch rolls for feeding the packaging film 1. Reference numeral 15 denotes an air cylinder, which includes an arm 9 and a link 16.
The arm 9 is swung about the pin 10 by the expansion and contraction of the air cylinder 15. The device shown in FIG. 1 has the above-described configuration, and its operation will be described below. As described above, this printing apparatus is a continuous type in which printing is performed on the moving packaging film 1 by the line thermal head 7 in a stationary state, and the packaging film 1 normally moves at a predetermined speed. In a normal state, printing is performed as follows. When it is determined from the information from the rotary encoder 8 that the packaging film 1 is moving, the moving speed of the thermal transfer ribbon tape 2 detected by the rotary encoder 6 is monitored so as to be the same as the detected moving speed. Then, the winding shaft 4 of the thermal transfer ribbon tape 2 is rotated. After synchronizing the movement of the packaging film 1 and the feeding of the thermal transfer ribbon tape 2 in this way, when the printing location of the packaging film 1 comes to the installation location of the line thermal head 7, the line thermal head 7 is moved to the platen plate 5. A sufficient pressure is applied to perform printing, and energization control is performed to perform thermal transfer printing. Next, in a state where the printing position of the packaging film 1 comes to the installation position of the line thermal head 7 for some reason such as an emergency stop, the movement of the packaging film 1 is stopped or is in a state close to the stop. Rotary encoder 8
When the determination is made based on the information from, the air supply / exhaust line to the air cylinder 15 is opened and the air cylinder 15 is operated. When the air cylinder 15 is operated, the arm 9 is rotated around the pin 10 through the link 16 in the direction of the arrow. The rotation of the arm 9 causes the packaging film 1 to move to the left in the drawing at a predetermined speed and to be energized to the line thermal head 7, so that printing is performed in the same manner as in the normal state. The displacement speed of the air cylinder 15 is adjusted by the rotation of the arm 9 by its movement so that the packaging film 1 has the predetermined speed as described above. When the printing on the printing portion is completed, the air cylinder 15 is operated in the opposite direction as described above, and the arm 9 rotates around the pin 10 to return to the original horizontal state. As described above, if the movement of the packaging film 1 stops or falls below a predetermined speed when the printing position of the packaging film 1 comes to the printing position by the line thermal head 7,
The packaging film 1 is moved at a predetermined speed by a film moving device constituted by the arm 9 or the like, and the printing on the printing location is completed. As described above, the present invention has been specifically described based on the illustrated embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and specific structures within the scope of the present invention shown in the claims are set forth. Needless to say, various changes may be made to the configuration. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the moving device of the packaging film is constituted by the arm 9 and the air cylinder 15 or the like. However, the present invention is not limited to this. If the feeding of the packaging material film at the installation position of the device stops or falls below a predetermined speed, various mechanisms are adopted as long as the packaging material film can be moved at a predetermined speed just to complete printing at the printing location. May be. As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the present invention, the printing portion on the printing object and the line thermal head are stationary while the printing object is stopped or at a predetermined speed or less. When the position matches, the printing object is moved at a predetermined speed by the operation of the printing object moving device and printing is performed, and printing at the printing location is completed. The print quality is not affected by the reduction in the speed, and in the case of a stop, even if the print target is displaced after the stop, the print has no effect. Therefore, according to the present invention, when the movement of the print target is stopped or when the speed of the print target is reduced to a predetermined speed or less, the print signal is set so that the installation location of the printing apparatus does not overlap the print location on the print target. A printing device having a simple structure that does not require a mechanism for mechanically adjusting a printing position in accordance with the present invention is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing one embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. [Description of Signs] 1 Packaging film 2 Thermal transfer ribbon tape 3 Raw shaft 4 Winding shaft 5 Platen plate 6 Rotary encoder 7 Line thermal head 8 Rotary encoder 9 Arm 10 Pin 11 Dancer roll 12 Dancer roll 13 Pinch roller 14 Pinch roller 15 Air cylinder 16 Link

Claims (1)

(57) [Claim 1] A printing apparatus configured to perform printing by a stationary line thermal head on a printing position at a predetermined interval on a moving printing object. when the print target when the print position comes to the printing position by the line thermal head is below stopped or a predetermined speed, printing for forcibly moving the print position to print position in said printing position at the predetermined speed or higher A printing apparatus for a line thermal head, comprising a printing object moving device that completes the following .