JP5693297B2 - Indicator formation mechanism - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an index forming mechanism that forms an index of a sorting location of stacked print media, and more particularly, to an index forming mechanism that detects an index formed on a side portion of a print medium.

Generally, printing media such as labels and tags for price display that are consumed in large quantities are sequentially stacked on a stacker after printing. When managing the print type and the number of print media stacked on the stacker, it is effective to provide an indicator on the side of the print medium that can be viewed from the outside.
As such an index, a tag having a size different from that of the printing medium is used at the sorting location, or a colored area formed on the side surface of the printing medium serving as a boundary between the sorting locations.
When tags having different sizes are used, the sorting location can be visually recognized by the unevenness formed on the laminated surface. Moreover, when using a coloring area | region, a sorting location can be visually recognized with the color which appears on a laminated surface (refer patent document 1).
However, when using a conventional index, the presence of the index has to be relied upon visually. Therefore, there is a problem that even if the index is not formed at the sorting location, the printing medium is stacked without checking the sorting location. The cause of such a problem may be an abnormality in the function that forms the index.

JP 2009-233613 A

The subject of this invention is enabling it to confirm that the parameter | index was formed in the desired to-be-printed medium. It is also possible to detect an abnormality in the mechanism that forms the index.

The present invention provides a detection unit that detects the colored area in an index forming mechanism that is arranged on a print medium conveyance path and has an index forming part that forms a colored area that serves as an indicator of the finish on the side of the print medium. The index formation mechanism is configured.
The detection unit identifies the presence or absence of a colored area. The detection unit includes means for identifying the color difference, such as an optical sensor or a scanner.
For coloring the colored region, a liquid coloring material such as ink or a solid coloring material such as black ink can be used.
When there is no index at the place where it should be, it is possible to cope with the abnormality.
Further, it is not necessary to visually confirm the index, and an abnormality can be detected in an unattended environment.

The detection unit may include a first light emitting unit that emits light on the side of the print medium and a first light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the side of the print medium due to the emitted light.
The amount of reflected light from the side of the print medium with respect to the incident light changes according to the color difference of the side of the print medium. By identifying the change in the amount of reflected light, it is possible to identify the presence or absence of a colored area.

The index forming unit may include an ink roller and roller support means for bringing the peripheral surface of the ink roller into contact with the side of the print medium when the colored area is formed.
The indicator is formed by bringing the circumferential surface of the ink roller into contact with the side of the print medium.

The roller support means may include a switch that outputs an output at a contact position of the ink roller where the peripheral surface contacts the side of the print medium.
The presence or absence of the colored area forming operation can be determined by the presence or absence of the switch ON output.

Further, the ink roller may include an ink storage unit that supplies conductive ink, and the ink storage unit may include an energization circuit that uses the conductive ink as a part of a circuit.
By confirming the energized state, the ink replenishment time can be determined. When the conductive ink is less than the replenishment set amount, the energization circuit is opened.

Further, the second light emitting part that emits light to the peripheral surface that contacts the side part of the print medium, and the light emitted from the second light emitting part on the extension of the light emission axis of the second light emitting part via the ink roller. And a second light receiving unit capable of receiving light.
The ink roller side portion that contacts the print medium side portion is recessed with respect to the surrounding side surface due to contact wear. The incident light blocked by the ink roller side portion passes through the recessed portion and can be received by the second light receiving portion. The quality of the colored state can be confirmed according to the amount of received light.

The present invention makes it possible to detect an index loss in an unattended environment. If no indicator is detected at the desired side of the print medium, the operation of the thermal printer is stopped to facilitate confirmation of the sorting location.
Further, it is possible to detect abnormal operation of the ink roller, wear of the ink roller, and lack of ink, which cause the loss of the index, and the index forming mechanism in which the abnormality has occurred can be quickly recovered.

It is a schematic block diagram of the thermal printer containing the parameter | index provision mechanism of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of a reflection sensor. It is explanatory drawing of a parameter | index provision part. It is explanatory drawing of an ink roller. It is explanatory drawing of a transmissive sensor. It is an operation | movement flowchart of an index provision mechanism.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an example configuration of a thermal printer provided with an index forming mechanism according to the present invention.
The index forming mechanism 100 is a constituent element of the thermal printer 10 and is positioned between the printing unit 20 and the cutter unit 30 in the vicinity of the conveyance path of the printing medium (roll paper) P.
The printing medium P is a belt-like thermal paper and is formed in a roll shape.
The printing unit 20 includes a thermal head 21 and a platen 22, and performs printing on a printing medium P supplied between the thermal head 21 and the platen 22.
In the print medium P, an index (colored area C) is formed on the desired print medium side portion Ps by the index forming mechanism 100 (see FIG. 2).
Next, the print medium P is cut by the cutter unit 30 in units of tags and stacked on a stacker (not shown).

The index formation mechanism 100 of the present invention includes an index formation unit 200 and a detection unit 300.
FIG. 3A is a schematic view in the transport direction of the index forming unit 200, and FIG. 3B is a schematic plan view.
The index forming unit 200 includes an ink roller support unit 210 and an ink roller 220.

The ink roller support unit 210 includes a shaft portion 211 that can determine the position (holding position) of the ink roller 220 so as to be substantially perpendicular to the conveyance path side end of the print medium P, and a rotation fulcrum that rotatably supports the shaft portion 211. 212 and a locking portion 213 that locks the shaft portion 211 rotated so as to determine the position (contact position) of the ink roller 220 at a position in contact with the print medium side portion Ps.
The ink roller support unit 210 rotates the shaft portion 211 from the holding position to the contact position. By this operation, the elastic body 222 of the ink roller 220 comes into contact with the print medium side portion Ps to form the colored region C.
In addition, the shaft portion 211 includes a switch 214 that performs an on-output by being brought into contact with and being pressed against the locking portion 213 at the contact position. The switch 214 outputs OFF when not pressed.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of the ink roller 220. (A) shows a state in which the energization circuit is closed, and (B) shows a state in which it is open.
The ink roller 220 includes a cylindrical ink storage unit 221 and an elastic body 222 that covers the circumference of the ink storage unit 221.
The wall surface of the storage unit 221 is formed with pores that transmit ink.
The elastic body 222 is made of a porous material that diffuses the transmitted ink. The ink permeates and diffuses from the storage unit 221 to the elastic body 222 and exudes to the outer surface.
The ink used here is conductive ink, and an energization circuit 223 is provided inside the ink roller 221 in order to detect the remaining amount of ink.
The energization circuit 223 is formed by exposing the electrode X to a predetermined position on the bottom wall 221a and the inner wall 221b of the ink storage unit 221, and connecting the electrodes X with a conductive wire. An energization measuring instrument (an ammeter or a voltmeter) is provided on the conductor, and the measured value is output to the control unit. When ink is present between the electrodes X, the circuit is closed, and when there is no ink, the circuit is opened. When the ink remaining amount falls below the position of the electrode X on the inner wall 221b, the energization circuit 223 is opened and the energization is stopped. The open / close information of the energization circuit 223 is output from an energization measuring instrument provided on the circuit to a control unit (not shown) of the thermal printer.

The detection unit 300 includes a first light emitting part 310 that emits light to the print medium side part Ps, and a first light receiving part 320 that can receive reflected light from the print medium side part Ps (see FIG. 2).
The first light emitting portion 310 is disposed on the print medium side portion Ps side where the colored area C is formed on the transport path.
The first light receiving unit 320 is arranged at a position for receiving the reflected light at the print medium side portion Ps of the irradiation light irradiated on the side portion Ps.
Here, the type of incident light may be directional or non-directional as long as the reflection state of the print medium side portion Ps can be grasped.
For example, when the black colored area C is formed, when the colored area C is irradiated with light, the light is absorbed in the colored area, so that the reflected light does not reach the first light receiving unit 320. Conversely, the light emitted outside the colored area C is reflected by the side portion Ps and reaches the first light receiving portion 320. The presence or absence of the colored area C is identified by the amount of received light that changes depending on the presence or absence of reflected light. In addition, you may make it irradiate at the time of light emission at the time of always light emission or index formation.

Furthermore, the index forming mechanism 100 includes a transmission sensor 400 that detects wear that contributes to printing defects on the ink roller side portion that contacts the print medium side portion Ps.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the transmission sensor 400 (410, 420). (A) shows a state where the incident light is closed at the side of the ink roller 220, and (B) shows a state where the light is guided.
The transmission sensor 400 can receive light irradiated on the extension of the irradiation axis Y via the ink roller 220 and the second irradiation unit 410 that emits light to the ink roller side part that contacts the print medium side part Ps. And a second light receiving unit 420.
When the dent W due to wear does not occur on the side of the ink roller 220, the light emitted from the second irradiation unit 410 is blocked at the side of the ink roller 220 and does not reach the second light receiving unit 420 (FIG. 5A). reference).
When the dent W is generated on the side of the ink roller 220, the light emitted from the second irradiation unit 410 passes through the side of the ink roller 220 and reaches the second light receiving unit 420 (see FIG. 5A).
The second light receiving unit 420 outputs received light amount data to the control unit. The control unit determines whether the printing (colored area C formation state) is good or bad according to the received light amount data. In the light guide state, there is a high possibility that fading will occur in coloring.

The index forming mechanism 100 performs an index forming operation in response to an operation command signal from the control unit of the thermal printer 10.
Various signals detected by the index forming mechanism 100 are supplied to the control unit of the thermal printer 10, and an instruction corresponding to the signal type is output to the index forming mechanism 100.
When the control unit receives various signals (a signal indicating the energization circuit open state, a signal indicating the wear state of the ink roller, a signal indicating the non-operation of the index formation), the control unit recognizes the abnormality and stops the printing operation of the thermal printer. Then, the operation of the index forming mechanism 100 is stopped, and an indication of abnormality is displayed on the thermal printer.

Next, the operation of the index forming mechanism 100 will be specifically described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.
Here, the colored area C is formed on the print medium side portion Ps according to the unit of the number of printed sheets.

Index formation signal formation The control unit of the thermal printer 10 sets the index formation mode and the number of index formation units. The unit number is set by a counter (not shown) that counts the number of printed sheets (considering the case of 50 sheets as an example).
When the thermal printer 10 is set to the index formation mode, the initial operation check signal S1 is output to the index formation mechanism 100, and the counter becomes valid.
The counter is reset when the count value reaches 50 and outputs a reset signal. This reset signal becomes an index formation instruction signal S2 and is output to the index formation mechanism 100.

(2) Initial Operation Check of Index Formation Mechanism 100 The index formation mechanism 100 that has received the index formation mode signal first performs the remaining ink amount check CH1 and the ink roller wear state check CH2 simultaneously.
The output (current value or voltage value) of the energization circuit 223 is used for the remaining amount of ink, and the output of the transmission sensor 400 is used for the wear state of the ink roller. If one of them is an error signal (output indicating that no power is supplied, output in a worn state), index formation is stopped.

(3) Index formation operation and index formation operation check When there is no problem with the remaining amount of ink and the state of wear of the ink roller, an operation signal is output from the control unit to the ink roller support member 210 at a predetermined timing. The timing here is sufficient if the colored region C can be formed on the side of the label to be indexed during conveyance.
Further, when the index is formed, the index forming operation is confirmed by the output from the switch (CH3). If the switch output is OFF during the index formation operation, the index formation operation is stopped as an abnormal operation.

(4) Confirmation of formed index When there is no abnormality in the index forming operation, the print medium P in which the colored area C is formed is conveyed to the sensing area of the detection unit 300.
While passing through the sensing area, the colored area C is confirmed by the reflection sensors (310, 320) (CH4). If it cannot be confirmed, the index forming operation is stopped.

Thus, the index formation mechanism 100 of the present invention provides a mechanism for checking conditions necessary for index formation, an index formation operation, and an index formation state.
In the above embodiment, the invention has been described based on an example in which a check mechanism other than the detection unit 300 is provided. Only the detection unit 300 or a combination of the detection unit 300 and a desired check mechanism may be used.

In the present invention, an ink scattering prevention cover and an ink roller contact position adjusting mechanism, which are conventional techniques (disclosed in Patent Document 1), can also be applied.
For example, the contact position adjusting mechanism can be configured to automatically move the contact position of the ink roller when a defective wear of the ink roller is detected by the transmission sensor. In this case, the conveyance operation is not stopped due to poor wear in principle.

P Print media
Ps Print media side
X electrode
C Coloring area
Y emission axis
W dent 10 thermal printer 20 printing unit 21 thermal head 22 platen 30 cutter unit 100 index forming mechanism 200 index forming unit 210 ink roller support means 211 shaft 212 rotating fulcrum 213 locking unit 214 switch 220 ink roller 221 ink storage unit 221a bottom Wall 221b Inner side wall 222 Elastic body 223 Energizing circuit 300 Detection unit 310 First light emitting unit 320 First light receiving unit 400 Transmission sensor 410 Second light emitting unit 420 Second light receiving unit

Claims (2)

In an indicator forming mechanism having an indicator forming portion that is arranged in the vicinity of a print medium conveyance path and forms a colored area that serves as an indicator of the finish on the side of the print medium.
A detection unit for detecting the colored area;
The detection unit includes a first light emitting unit that emits light to the side of the print medium, and a first light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the side of the print medium due to the emitted light,
The index forming unit includes an ink roller, and roller support means for bringing the ink roller peripheral surface into contact with the side of the print medium when forming the colored area,
The roller support means includes a switch that outputs an output at a contact position of the ink roller where the peripheral surface contacts the side of the print medium.
The ink roller includes an ink storage unit that supplies conductive ink,
The index forming mechanism , wherein the ink storage unit includes an energization circuit having the conductive ink as a part of a circuit . In an indicator forming mechanism having an indicator forming portion that is arranged in the vicinity of a print medium conveyance path and forms a colored area that serves as an indicator of the finish on the side of the print medium.
A detection unit for detecting the colored area;
The detection unit includes a first light emitting unit that emits light to the side of the print medium, and a first light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the side of the print medium due to the emitted light,
The index forming unit includes an ink roller, and roller support means for bringing the ink roller peripheral surface into contact with the side of the print medium when forming the colored area,
The roller support means includes a switch that outputs an output at a contact position of the ink roller where the peripheral surface contacts the side of the print medium.
A second light emitting portion that emits light to the peripheral surface that is in contact with the print medium side portion;
An index forming mechanism comprising: a second light receiving portion capable of receiving light emitted from the second light emitting portion on an extension of a light emitting axis of the second light emitting portion via the ink roller .

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