JP4512282B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a printer, and more particularly to a printer provided with a laser scanner for verifying a print display so as to irradiate a print paper discharge port.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Some types of printers are equipped with a laser scanner for verification of printing information printed by a printing unit, for example, a barcode. A conventional printer of this type discharges printing paper on which printing information is printed by a printing unit from a printing paper discharge port, and emits a light beam from a laser scanner fixed above the discharge port to a predetermined reading position of the discharge port. The print information is read by irradiation. By the way, this laser scanner has a characteristic that reading becomes impossible or misreading occurs in the region of the regular reflection angle. Therefore, the laser scanner is fixed to the printer so that the irradiation angle of the laser scanner does not fall within the regular reflection angle region.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the stiffness (rigidity) of the printing paper varies depending on the type of printing paper or the printing paper curls when wound in a roll shape, when the printing paper is discharged from the printing paper discharge port, A weak print sheet or a curled print sheet is bent downward and curved. As a result, there is a problem that the light beam emitted from the laser scanner enters the region of the regular reflection angle, and reading becomes impossible or misreading occurs. The discharge port has a printing paper pedestal, which prevents the printing paper from bending slightly. At the same time, the cradle must be lengthened, and the device itself becomes larger, so it is not a fundamental solution.
[0004]
Further, in the case of printing paper discharged from the discharge port in the form of a belt, it is wound around a take-up reel. Therefore, the discharge angle of the printing paper discharged from the discharge port changes as the position and winding diameter of the winding reel change according to the winding amount. As a result, there is a problem that the laser beam enters the region of the regular reflection angle of the laser scanner and reading becomes impossible or misreading occurs.
[0005]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a printer capable of reliably reading print information of a print sheet discharged from a discharge port of the printer with a laser scanner.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention discharges printing paper on which printing information is printed by a printing unit from a printing paper discharge port, and irradiates a predetermined reading position of the printing paper discharge port with a light beam from a laser scanner. In the printer for reading the print information, the scanner blanket for supporting the laser scanner is provided with an irradiation angle adjusting means for adjusting the irradiation angle of the light beam without changing the reading position. .
[0007]
According to the present invention, since the laser scanner is provided with the irradiation angle adjusting means for adjusting the irradiation angle of the light beam without changing the reading position, the printing paper discharged from the discharge port of the printer is bent and bent. Even if the paper discharge angle changes due to curling or changes in the position and winding diameter of the take-up reel, the laser scanner will not enter the regular reflection angle area without changing the reading position. The irradiation angle can be adjusted.
[0008]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A preferred embodiment of a printer according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0009]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram for explaining a first embodiment of a printer according to the present invention, which is an example of a printer applied to a single-leaf label.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1, the single-leaf label printer 10 is provided mainly in the vicinity of the supply reel 14, the printing unit 16, the cutting unit 18, and the label discharge port of the printer case 12 provided in the printer case 12. The laser scanner 22 and an irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 of the laser scanner 22 are configured.
[0011]
A roll-shaped continuous label body 26 is wound around the supply reel 14, and the continuous label body 12 is sent to the printing unit 16 via a pass roller 28.
[0012]
The printing unit 16 includes a thermal head 30 and a platen roller 32, and drives the transfer mechanism 34 with the label continuum 26 sandwiched therebetween. As a result, the platen roller 32 rotates and the label continuum 26 of the supply reel 14 is transferred to the printing unit 16, and predetermined print information such as a bar coat is printed on the label continuum 26 along with the transfer. .
[0013]
The cutting unit 18 includes a fixed blade 36 and a movable blade 38 that moves forward and backward with respect to the fixed blade 36, and the label continuous body 26 printed by the printing unit 16 passes between the fixed blade 36 and the movable blade 38. When passing, the label continuous body 26 is cut into single-leaf labels 40 having a predetermined length. The single-leaf label 40 formed by cutting is discharged from a label discharge port 42 formed in the printer case 12 toward the label receiving base 44.
[0014]
The laser scanner 22 is supported by an irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 provided on an inverted L-shaped scanner blanket 20 attached on the printer case 12. Then, by irradiating a predetermined reading position P of the label receiving base 44 from the laser scanner 22 with the light beam 46, the printing information of the single-leaf label 40 discharged from the label discharge port 42 to the label receiving base 44 is read and printed correctly. It is verified whether it is done. When the printing information is a barcode, it is particularly important in barcode verification to read the barcode so that the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 does not fall within the regular reflection angle region. The single-leaf label 40 discharged from the label discharge port 42 to the label cradle 44 is cut down by the cutting unit 18 and separated from the label continuous body 12 to fall downward.
[0015]
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24.
[0016]
As shown in FIG. 2, the laser scanner suspension plate 48 of the inverted L-shaped scanner blanket 20 is formed with a first slot consisting of an upper slot 50 and a lower slot 52. The straight long holes 50 and 52 are formed parallel to the horizontal direction. The two long holes 50 and 52 are formed to have the same length, the upper long hole 50 is formed at a position close to the label discharge port 42, and the lower long hole 52 is formed at a position far from the label discharge port 42. Is done. Further, a bowl-shaped hole 54, which is a second long hole, is formed so as to face the above-described reading position P, continuously from the front end portion of the lower long hole 52 (on the side opposite to the label discharge port).
[0017]
On the other hand, a pair of left and right pin holes 58 and 60 are formed in the holding plate 56 that holds the laser scanner 22. The right pin hole 58 and the upper long hole 50 of the laser scanner hanging plate 48 in FIG. 2 are pin-connected by the upper pin 62 and the left pin hole 60 and the lower length of the laser scanner hanging plate 48 are connected. The hole 52 and the bowl-shaped hole 54 are pin-connected by the lower pin 64.
[0018]
Accordingly, the laser scanner 22 can be moved in parallel to the front of the label discharge port 42 by sliding the laser scanner 22 from the position A to the position B in FIG. After the movement, the irradiation direction of the laser scanner 22 is swung from the C direction to the D direction in FIG. 2 simply by dropping the lower pin 64 into the second elongated bowl-shaped hole 54. In order to return the laser scanner 22 to the A position, the reverse procedure is performed. Therefore, the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 can be easily adjusted without changing the reading position P by the laser scanner 22.
[0019]
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of another aspect of the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 3, the laser scanner suspension plate 48 of the inverted L-shaped scanner blanket 20 is formed with an arcuate guide hole 66 centered on the reading position P. On the other hand, a pin hole 68 is formed in the central portion of the holding plate 56 that holds the laser scanner 22. The pin hole 68 and the guide hole 66 are connected by a pin 70 so that the laser scanner 22 does not rotate. The holding plate 56 of the laser scanner 22 is provided with rhomboid plate springs 72 and 72 that extend in the vertical direction on both sides of the pin 70, and the plate spring 72 covers the upper and lower surfaces of the guide hole 66. Always pressing. Therefore, the laser scanner 22 can slide the guide hole 66 by applying an external force, and is fixed at a desired position when the external force is not applied. Thus, the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 can be changed by sliding the laser scanner 22 along the guide hole 66 in the direction AB in FIG. 3, and the guide hole 66 is a circle centered on the reading position P. Because of the arc shape, the reading position P does not change. Therefore, the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 can be easily adjusted without changing the reading position P by the laser scanner 22.
[0021]
According to the printer configured as described above, the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 in the case of handling a single-leaf label 40 of a type that is rigid and does not bend as shown in FIG. For example, it is set to 15 ° which does not become a reflection angle region. Then, as shown in FIG. 4, in the case of entering the region of the regular reflection angle because of its small rigidity and bending, the irradiation angle adjustment mechanism 24 described in FIG. 2 or 3 applies the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22. Is adjusted to 21 °, for example, so that it does not become a region of regular reflection angle. 1 and 4 show the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 of FIG. Thereby, the printing information of the single-leaf label 40 discharged from the label discharge port 42 can be reliably read and verified by the laser scanner.
[0022]
FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram for explaining a second embodiment of the printer according to the present invention. In the case where the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 shown in FIG. 2 or 3 is provided in the printer applied to the belt-like label. It is. Note that the same members as those in FIG.
[0023]
The printer 80 applied to the belt-like label is configured to be wound on the take-up reel 82 without being cut after being printed by the printing unit 16. In this case, since the winding diameter changes depending on the winding amount wound on the winding reel 82, the discharge angle of the strip-shaped label 84 discharged from the label discharge port 42 changes. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, when the winding diameter is small, as shown by the solid line, the discharge angle of the strip label 84 is downward, and as the winding diameter increases, the discharge angle becomes horizontal as shown by the broken line. As a result, the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 with respect to the surface of the belt-like label 84 changes. Therefore, if the irradiation angle is set with reference to the case where the winding diameter is small, the area of the regular reflection angle is deviated when the winding diameter increases. In this case as well, even if the winding diameter is changed by providing the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 shown in FIG. 2 or 3 in the printer 80 of the strip label 84, the reading position on the laser scanner 22 is changed accordingly. Therefore, the irradiation angle of the laser scanner 22 can be easily adjusted.
[0024]
In the present embodiment, the case where the power for sliding the laser scanner 22 by the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 is manually performed, but the laser scanner 22 is automatically moved to the irradiation angle adjusting mechanism 24 of FIG. 2 or FIG. Needless to say, a power source may be added.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the printer of the present invention, it is possible to reliably read the print information of the label discharged from the discharge port of the printer with the laser scanner without changing the reading position.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer applied to a single-leaf label in the printer of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an irradiation angle adjustment mechanism. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of another aspect of the irradiation angle adjustment mechanism. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operation of the present invention. FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a printer applied to a strip label in the printer of the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Single-leaf label printer, 12 ... Printer case, 14 ... Supply reel, 16 ... Printing part, 18 ... Cutting part, 20 ... Scanner blanket, 22 ... Laser scanner, 24 ... Irradiation angle adjustment mechanism, 26 ... Label continuum , 30 ... thermal head, 32 ... platen roller, 36 ... fixed blade, 38 ... movable blade, 40 ... single leaf label, 42 ... label discharge port, 44 ... label receiving plate, 46 ... light beam, 48 ... laser scanner suspension plate , 50 ... upper long hole, 52 ... lower long hole, 54 ... bowl-shaped hole, 56 ... laser scanner holding plate, 58, 60 ... pin hole, 62 ... upper pin, 64 ... lower pin, 66 ... guide hole, 68 ... Pin hole, 70 ... Pin, 72 ... Leaf spring, 80 ... Strip printer, 82 ... Take-up reel, 84 ... Strip label

Claims (3)

In the printer that discharges the printing paper on which the printing information is printed by the printing unit from the printing paper discharge port, and reads the printing information by irradiating a light beam from a laser scanner to a predetermined reading position of the printing paper discharge port.
A printer blanket for supporting the laser scanner is provided with irradiation angle adjusting means for adjusting the irradiation angle of the light beam without changing the reading position. The irradiation angle adjusting means is formed in the scanner blanket, is formed in parallel with a direction in which the laser scanner is separated from the printing paper discharge port, and is provided with an upper long hole provided at a position near the label discharge port and the upper long hole. A first long hole comprising a lower long hole provided at a position farther from the label discharge port than the hole;
Continuously to a front end portion of the label discharge port opposite the lower slot, the printer of claim 1, and a second elongated hole formed toward the reading position, characterized Rukoto to have a. The irradiation angle adjusting means is formed in the scanner blanket and has an arcuate guide hole centered on the reading position;
2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising fixing means for fixing the irradiation angle adjusting means at an arbitrary position of the guide hole.

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