JP5132799B2 - Label printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a label printer, and more particularly to a portable label printer that is worn on the body of an operator.

  A label printer is a device that prints and issues a label temporarily attached to a belt-like mount. This label printer has a case where a label is issued while temporarily mounting a mount (hereinafter, standard mode) and a case where a label is released after being released from the mount (hereinafter, peeling mode).

  The standard mode label printer continuously prints a predetermined number of labels, and the printed label is temporarily attached to the mount and sent out from the take-out port to separate the belt-like mount. And when using, a label is peeled from a strip | belt-shaped mount sheet | seat one by one.

  The label printer in the peeling mode prints one label at a time, and peels off the label from the strip to issue. The issued label is kept waiting at the outlet of the printer main body, and taken out when used.

  Incidentally, a label printer having both the standard mode and the peeling mode usually has two types of paper routes. That is, a paper route for a peeling mode having a peeling means for the mount and a paper route for a standard mode having no peeling means are provided, and the mode is changed by changing the paper route by a switch.

JP-A-11-171155

  However, the conventional label printer requires two types of paper routes and requires a separate switch for mode switching, which has the disadvantage of increasing the size of the apparatus. Furthermore, there is a drawback that the mode switching control such as sensor ON-OFF control is complicated. For this reason, simplification of the device structure has been demanded, and in particular, improvements have been desired in portable label printers that need to be reduced in size and weight.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a label printer which can be reduced in size and weight and can be easily controlled.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a printer main body having a thermal head for printing on a label temporarily attached to a belt-like mount, and is supported to be openable and closable with respect to the printer main body. An opening / closing cover having a platen roller that is arranged so as to face the head and feeds out the label, and a label that is exposed when the opening / closing cover is opened and is temporarily attached to the belt-like mount wound in a roll shape is loaded. A possible loading unit, a label sheet outlet formed between the opening and closing cover and the printer main body when the opening and closing cover is closed, and discharging the label printed by the thermal head; When used in a peeling mode in which the turning means for peeling the label and the label paper take-out port is provided so as to freely move back and forth, and the label is peeled from the mount, When using in the standard mode in which the label paper is taken out and placed in the standard mode in which the label is temporarily attached to the mount and used continuously, the peeling means for retreating from the label paper outlet and the label issuance Control means for controlling the paper, and the peeling means presses the backing paper peeled off by the turning means against the platen roller when the peeling means is advanced to the label paper outlet and is nipped and conveyed. A roller that discharges the label peeled off by the turning means when aligned with the label paper outlet when the peeling means is advanced to the label paper outlet, and the peeling means When the label is advanced and arranged at the label paper outlet, the label is separated from the mount located at the label outlet. Detecting means provided at an outlet, and the control means controls the label to be kept waiting at the label outlet while the detecting means detects the label. .

  According to the present invention, since the label detecting means is arranged in the peeling means provided at the label outlet so as to freely move back and forth, switching between the standard mode for issuing a label with a mount and the peeling mode for issuing a label without a mount is provided. A switch is not required, and the standard mode and the peeling mode can be a common paper route. Therefore, the label printer can be reduced in size and weight, and the control can be simplified.

  As described above, according to the label printer according to the present invention, since the label detecting means is arranged in the peeling means provided at the label take-out port, the standard mode for issuing a label with a mount, and no mount In addition to a structure that does not require a changeover switch for the peeling mode for issuing a label, the standard mode and the peeling mode become a common paper route, so that the apparatus can be reduced in size and weight, and control can be simplified.

The perspective view which shows schematic structure of the label printer of this Embodiment Side view of the label printer shown in FIG. Perspective view of label printer with open / close cover open Schematic diagram showing the action of the backing paper peeling device Front view showing the action of the mount peeling device

  A preferred embodiment of a label printer according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings by using an example of a portable label printer.

  1 and 2 are a perspective view and a side view, respectively, of the label printer 10 in the mounted posture. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the label printer 10 with the opening / closing cover 18 opened.

  As shown in these drawings, the label printer 10 has a clip 13 on the back surface of the apparatus main body 12 and is used by sandwiching a user's belt or the like (not shown) between the clip 13 and the apparatus main body 12. Worn by the person.

  An opening / closing cover 18 is supported on the apparatus main body 12 so as to be swingable. When the opening / closing lever 16 is pushed upward, the opening / closing cover 16 opens sideways as shown in FIG. When the opening / closing cover 18 is opened, the loading unit 14 is exposed, and the label sheet 15 wound in a roll shape is loaded into the loading unit 14. As shown in FIG. 4, the label paper 15 is configured by temporarily attaching a plurality of labels 19 to a belt-like mount 17 at regular intervals.

  A data transmission / reception unit 20 is provided in the upper part of the apparatus body 12, and a transmission / reception apparatus (not shown) is provided inside the cover 22. Thereby, the signal of print data can be communicated with a handy terminal or the like (not shown) via infrared rays or the like. Reference numeral 24 denotes a lever for changing the direction of the transmission / reception device, and reference numeral 26 denotes a connector for directly connecting a signal cable for communication.

  An operation unit 30 is provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 12, and a feed button 32, a print button 34, and a status lamp 36 are arranged in parallel. When the print button 34 is pressed, the label 19 is printed and sent out. When the feed button 32 is pressed, the label 19 is sent out without printing. The status lamp 36 is turned on when the data transmitting / receiving unit 20 receives data.

  A printing unit is provided inside the apparatus main body 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the printing unit includes a platen roller 52 disposed at the upper end of the opening / closing cover 18 and an apparatus main body so as to face the platen roller 52 as shown in FIG. 4 when the opening / closing cover 18 is closed. 12 and the thermal head 50 disposed in the position 12. Between the thermal head 50 and the platen roller 52, the leading end of the label paper 15 loaded in the loading unit 14 is pulled out and set, and the thermal head 50 is controlled to generate heat while rotating the platen roller 52. A price, a barcode, and the like are printed (printed) on the label 19. The printed label 19 is discharged from a label sheet outlet 40 formed between the upper end of the opening / closing cover 18 and the apparatus main body 12. A turning roller 53 is arranged in the width direction of the label paper 15 inside the label paper outlet 40.

  The label sheet take-out port 40 is provided with a mount peeling device 42 that can be moved forward and backward. The mount peeling device 42 is slidably provided on the outer surface of the apparatus main body 12, and is slid in the vertical direction by narrowing the distance between the pair of sandwiching knobs 44, 44, and is moved downward to slide the label paper. Arranged at the outlet 40.

  A label removing port 46 is formed in the mount sheet peeling device 42, and the position of the label removing port 46 coincides with the label sheet removing port 40 when the mount sheet peeling device 42 is disposed below.

Further, a roller 45 is rotatably supported by the mount peeling device 42. When the mount 45 is slid downward, the roller 45 presses the mount 17 of the label sheet 15 against the platen roller 52 and conveys the mount 17 to separate the mount 17 from the label 19. Further, the roller 45 is circumscribed by the platen roller 52, and the separated mount is sandwiched and conveyed by the roller 45 and the platen roller 52.

  A sensor 47 for detecting the label 19 is provided at the label outlet 46. The sensor 47 has a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and detects the label 19 by receiving reflected light of light emitted from the light emitting element by the light receiving element. When the sensor 47 detects the label 19 at the label outlet 46, a detection signal is transmitted to a control device (not shown), and the control device controls the printing unit to stop issuing the label 19. The sensor 47 is controlled so that it is always turned on when the label printer 10 is turned on.

  Further, a penetrating window 42A is formed in the upper part of the mount peeling device 42, and the display 12A or the display 12B written on the apparatus main body 12 can be seen through the window 42A. The display 12A is a display indicating the standard mode, for example, “STD”, and can be viewed from the window 42A when the mount peeling device 42 is disposed above. In addition, the display 12B is a display indicating the peeling mode, for example, “DSP”, and can be viewed from the window 42A when the mount peeling device 42 is disposed below.

  In addition, the code | symbol 54 of FIG. 1 is a battery cover, and a battery is accommodated in an inside. Reference numeral 56 denotes a power switch for switching the power supply of the label printer 10.

Next, the operation of the label printer 10 configured as described above will be described.

  The label printer 10 can select and use a standard mode for continuously issuing the printed label 19 while temporarily attached to the mount 17 and a peeling mode for releasing the mount 17 from the printed label 19 for use. it can.

When used in the standard mode, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 5A, the mount peeling device 42 is slid upward. As a result, the backing sheet peeling device 42 is retracted from the label sheet outlet 40, so that the label 19 that has passed through the label sheet outlet 40 is sent out without being peeled off. At this time, since the sensor 47 is in the retracted state from the label paper outlet 40 together with the mount peeling device 42, the label 19 is not detected.
Accordingly, the label 19 can be continuously issued without being stopped.

  When used in the peeling mode, as shown in FIGS. 4B and 5B, the board peeling device 42 is slid downward, and the board peeling device 42 is disposed at the label paper outlet 40. At this time, the label 19 is peeled from the mount 17 by the turning roller 53. When the mount 17 is nipped and conveyed by the roller 45 and the platen roller 52, the label 19 is peeled off from the mount 17 and the label outlet 46 is projected. When the label 19 is positioned at the label outlet 46, the sensor 47 detects this, and the label 19 issuance is stopped. When the label 19 is removed, the sensor 47 detects that there is no label 19 and issues one label. Thereby, the single label 19 which peeled the mount 17 is issued.

  As described above, according to the label printer 10 of the present embodiment, since the sensor 47 used in the peeling mode is attached to the mount peeling device 42, when the mount peeling device 42 is retracted from the label paper takeout port 40 in the standard mode, The sensor 47 is also retracted, and the label 19 is not detected even if the power of the sensor 47 is not turned off. In other words, the label printer 10 automatically switches the mode by simply sliding the mount peeling device 42 up and down, eliminating the need for complicated operations.

  In addition, according to the label printer 10, the standard sheet and the peeling mode are switched by moving the backing sheet peeling device 42 back and forth to the label sheet take-out port 40. Therefore, the conveyance path of the label sheet 15 is changed between the standard mode and the peeling mode. It is common and the device can be miniaturized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Label printer, 12 ... Apparatus main body, 15 ... Label paper, 18 ... Opening / closing cover, 40 ... Label paper take-out device, 42 ... Mount paper peeling apparatus, 45 ... Roller, 46 ... Label take-out, 47 ... Sensor

Claims (8)

A printer body having a thermal head for printing on a label temporarily attached to a belt-like mount;
An open / close cover comprising a platen roller that is supported so as to be openable and closable with respect to the printer body, and is arranged so as to face the thermal head when the printer body is closed, and feeds the label;
A loading unit that can be loaded with a label that is exposed when the opening and closing cover is opened and is temporarily attached to the band-shaped mount wound in a roll;
A label paper outlet that is formed between the open / close cover and the printer body when the open / close cover is closed, and that discharges the label printed by the thermal head;
Turning means for peeling the label from the mount,
When the label paper outlet is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat, and when used in a peeling mode in which the label is peeled off from the mount, the label paper is taken out and arranged, and the label is temporarily attached to the mount. When using the standard mode for continuous issuance as it is, peeling means for retreating from the label paper outlet,
Control means for controlling issuance of the label,
The peeling means includes
When the peeling means is advanced to the label paper outlet, the roller that presses the base sheet peeled off by the turning means against the platen roller and conveys the platen, and the peeling means is attached to the label paper outlet. A label outlet that discharges the label peeled off by the turning means when aligned with the label paper outlet, and when the peeling means is advanced to the label paper outlet. And a detecting means provided at the label outlet so as to detect the label peeled from the mount located at the label outlet,
The control means includes
While the detection means is detecting the label, the label printer is controlled so that the label is made to wait at the label take-out port.   The label printer according to claim 1, wherein an operation unit is provided in the printer main body. The printer body is provided with a power button,
3. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit is always turned on when the power is turned on. A window formed by penetrating a part of the peeling means;
The printer body is provided with a display indicating the standard mode and a display indicating the peeling mode,
When the peeling means is advanced and arranged at the label paper outlet, an indication indicating the peeling mode can be seen from the window, and the peeling means is retracted from the label paper outlet. 4. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein a display indicating that the mode is the standard mode can be seen from the window.   5. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means is a light reflection sensor having a light emitting element and a light receiving element. Label printer as claimed in any one of claims 1, characterized in that it has a Handy Mina Le capable of communicating data transmitting and receiving means 5. 7. The label printer according to claim 6, wherein the data transmission / reception means communicates via infrared rays. 8. The label printer according to claim 6, further comprising a lighting unit that lights up when data is received by the data transmission / reception unit.

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