JP4018912B2 - Label printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a label printer for printing on a label, and more particularly to a label printer for printing on a label temporarily attached to a label continuum.
[0002]
[Prior art]
FIG. 4 is a side view showing a configuration of a printer unit of a conventional label printer.
A conventional label printer that performs printing on a continuous label body in which a label 2 is continuously attached onto a baseboard 1 is configured to perform printing with a thermal head 4 while the continuous label body is conveyed by a platen 3. . The printed label 2 is further conveyed by the platen 3, passes between the upper guide plate 5 and the lower guide plate 6, and the mount 1 between the label 2 printed by the pair of cutters 7 and the subsequent label 2. Is cut out and carried out from the housing 8 of the label printer.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the prior art, in order to cut the printed label 2, the unprinted label 2 subsequent to the printed label 2 also passes through the thermal head 4. A reverse operation is required to return the unlabeled label 2 to a position where it can be printed by the thermal head 4. When the back end portion Z of the label 2 that is not printed is floating from the mount 1 during the reversing operation, the rear end portion Z of the label 2 comes into contact with the front end portion X of the thermal head 4 as shown in FIG. There was a problem that the label 2 was peeled off. The phenomenon that the rear end Z of the label 2 floats from the mount 1 has a different appearance rate depending on how the label continuous body is wound, and the appearance rate is high when printing is performed on the back-wrapped label continuous body in which the label 2 is wound inside. Become.
[0004]
In order to prevent the label 2 from peeling off during the reversing operation, it is conceivable to prevent the rear end portion of the label 2 that has not been printed from coming off from the thermal head 4, but the label 2 having a small size in the transport direction is used. However, there is a problem that the type of label continuous body to be printed is greatly limited.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and the object of the present invention is to prevent the rear end portion of the label from coming into contact with the front end portion X of the thermal head during the reverse operation. It is an object of the present invention to provide a label printer that can prevent peeling of a label, can cope with a label having a small size in the transport direction, and can print on various types of label continuums.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration. The gist of the invention described in claim 1 is a label printer that performs printing on the label of a label continuum in which labels are continuously attached to a mount, and transports the label continuum in the forward and reverse directions. A label conveying means, a print head for printing on the label, and a label position restricting means for restricting the position of the label arranged on the forward direction side of the print head, the label position restricting means and the label In the label printer, the shortest distance from the mount is shorter than the shortest distance between the front end of the print head and the mount . The gist of the invention described in claim 2 is a label printer that prints on the label of a label continuum in which labels are continuously attached to a mount, and the label continuum is moved forward and backward. A label conveying means for conveying; a print head for printing on the label; and a label position restricting means for restricting the position of the label disposed on the forward direction side of the print head, the label position restricting means; The total of the shortest distance to the mount and the radius of the label position restricting means is longer than the shortest distance between the front end of the print head and the mount. The gist of the invention described in claim 3 resides in the label printer according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the label position restricting means has a cylindrical shape and restricts the position of the label at the outer periphery. The gist of the invention described in claim 4, when the label continuum is transported in the reverse direction by the label conveying means, according to claim 1, wherein the rotating the label position regulating means in the opposite direction The label printer according to any one of the above .
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[0008]
FIG. 1 is a side view showing a configuration of a printer section of an embodiment of a label printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the positional relationship of the position regulating shaft shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of attachment of the position regulating shaft shown in FIG.
[0009]
In the present embodiment, printing is performed on a label continuum in which a label 2 is temporarily attached continuously on a mount 1, and the label continuum is held by a label continuum holding unit (not shown). By rotating in the forward direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 1), the label continuum is conveyed in the forward direction and supplied from the label continuum holding unit to the printer unit.
[0010]
A thermal head 4 is provided at a position facing the platen 3, and printing is performed on the label 2 by the thermal head 4. The label 2 is a thermosensitive coloring label (thermal label) that can be printed by the thermal head 4.
[0011]
The label 2 printed by the thermal head 4 is further conveyed in the forward direction by the forward rotation of the platen 3, passes between the upper guide plate 5 and the lower guide plate 6, and is printed by the pair of cutters 7. The mount 1 between the label 2 and the succeeding label 2 is cut and carried out from the housing 8 of the label printer.
[0012]
A columnar position regulating shaft 9 is provided on the forward direction side of the thermal head 4, that is, between the thermal head 4 and the upper guide plate 5. The position regulating shaft 9 is provided in the vicinity of the front end portion X of the thermal head 4 and is a member that regulates the position of the label 2. The label 2 is peeled off from the mount 1 at the outer peripheral portion of the position regulating shaft 9. The position is regulated so as to approach the mount 1.
[0013]
In order to return the unprinted label 2 that has passed through the thermal head 4 back to a position where the thermal head 4 can print, the label continuous body is rotated in the reverse direction by rotating the platen 3 in the reverse direction (clockwise in FIG. 1). A reverse movement operation is performed. Even when the rear end portion Z of the label 2 is peeled off during the reverse movement operation, the rear end portion Z of the label 2 approaches the mount 1 by the position regulating shaft 9. Therefore, the position of the thermal head 4 is not contacted with the front end portion X of the thermal head 4.
[0014]
2, the shortest distance A between the outer periphery of the position restricting shaft 9 and the mount 1 (conveyance path) is the shortest distance between the front end X of the thermal head 4 and the mount 1 (conveyance path). The total of the radius C of the position restricting shaft 9 and the shortest distance A between the outer peripheral portion of the position restricting shaft 9 and the mount 1 (conveyance path) is set to be shorter than the distance B. The radius of the position regulating shaft 9 is determined so as to be longer than the shortest distance B between the front end X and the mount 1 (conveyance path). Further, the shortest distance A between the outer peripheral portion of the position regulating shaft 9 and the mount 1 (conveyance path) is set to be equal to or longer than the thickness of the label 2 and does not become an obstacle when the printed label 2 is conveyed. It is like that.
[0015]
Since the shortest distance A between the outer periphery of the position regulating shaft 9 and the mount 1 (conveyance path) is shorter than the shortest distance B between the thermal head 4 and the mount 1 (conveyance path), the rear end Z of the label 2 is During the reversing operation, the position is regulated within the shortest distance A by the position regulating shaft 9 and does not come into contact with the front end portion X of the thermal head 4 located at the shortest distance B longer than the shortest distance A.
[0016]
Further, the sum of the radius C of the position regulating shaft 9 and the shortest distance A between the outer periphery of the position regulating shaft 9 and the mount 1 (conveyance path) is the shortest distance between the front end X of the thermal head 4 and the mount 1 (conveyance path). Since it is longer than the distance B, the rear end portion Z of the label 2 that has been in contact with the front end portion X of the thermal head 4 during the reversing operation without the position restricting shaft 9 is also below the outer peripheral surface of the position restricting shaft 9 ( The position is regulated within the shortest distance A by the position regulating shaft 9.
[0017]
Further, the position regulating shaft 9 is rotatably held, and preferably rotates in a direction (reverse direction) in which the mount 1 and the label 2 are transported to the thermal head 4 side during the reversing operation (counterclockwise in FIG. 1). And the position of the rear end Z where the label 2 is peeled off is controlled to be smoothly regulated between the position regulating shaft 9 and the mount 1. Further, when the position restricting shaft 9 is rotated, the rotation is controlled so that the speed of the outer periphery of the position restricting shaft 9 is the same as or faster than the speed of the mount 1 during the reverse operation.
[0018]
As shown in FIG. 3, the position regulating shaft 9 is rotatably held by an opening provided on the side surface of the thermal head mounting member 10 to which the thermal head 4 is mounted. Further, a pulley 12 is attached to the position restricting shaft 9 via a one-way clutch 11, and the position restricting shaft 9 can be rotated in one direction by rotating the pulley 12 by the timing belt 13.
[0019]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, since the position of the rear end portion Z of the label is regulated in the direction approaching the mount 1 by the position regulating shaft 9, the rear end portion of the label during the reversing operation. Can be prevented from coming into contact with the front end X of the thermal head 4, the label 2 can be prevented from being peeled off, and it can be applied to a label having a small size in the transport direction. There is an effect that printing can be performed on a continuous body.
[0020]
In the present embodiment, the position of the rear end Z of the label 2 is regulated over the entire surface of the columnar position regulating shaft 9, but a plurality of columnar members are provided, It can also be set as the structure which controls the position of the rear-end part Z of the label 2 partially in multiple places with a member.
[0021]
Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is obvious that the embodiments can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, the number, position, shape, and the like of the constituent members are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be set to a suitable number, position, shape, and the like in practicing the present invention. In each figure, the same numerals are given to the same component.
[0022]
【The invention's effect】
Since the label printer of the present invention is configured to regulate the position of the rear end portion of the label in the direction approaching the mount by the position restriction shaft, the rear end portion of the label contacts the front end portion of the thermal head during the reversing operation. Can be prevented, peeling of the label can be prevented, labels having a small size in the transport direction can be dealt with, and various types of label continuums can be printed.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a side view illustrating a configuration of a printer unit of an embodiment of a label printer according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view for explaining the positional relationship of the position regulating shaft shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of attachment of the position restriction shaft shown in FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating a configuration of a printer unit of a conventional label printer.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 mount 2 label 3 platen 4 thermal head 5 upper guide plate 6 lower guide plate 7 cutter 8 housing 9 position regulating shaft 10 thermal head mounting member 11 one-way clutch 12 pulley 13 timing belt X front end Z of the thermal head 4 label 2 Rear edge

Claims (4)

A label printer that performs printing on the label of a continuous label body in which labels are continuously attached to a mount,
Label conveying means for conveying the label continuum in the forward and reverse directions;
A print head for printing on the label;
Label position restricting means for restricting the position of the label disposed on the forward direction side of the print head, and the shortest distance between the label position restricting means and the mount is the front end of the print head and the mount Label printer characterized in that it is shorter than the shortest distance to . A label printer that performs printing on the label of a continuous label body in which labels are continuously attached to a mount,
Label conveying means for conveying the label continuum in the forward and reverse directions;
A print head for printing on the label;
Label position restricting means for restricting the position of the label arranged on the forward direction side of the print head, and the shortest distance between the label position restricting means and the mount and the radius of the label position restricting means The label printer characterized in that the total is longer than the shortest distance between the front end of the print head and the mount . The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the label position restricting means has a cylindrical shape and restricts the position of the label at an outer peripheral portion . 4. The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein when the label continuous body is transported in the reverse direction by the label transport means, the label position regulating means is rotated in the reverse direction .

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