JP6021708B2 - printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a head check device and a head check method for a portable printer, and more particularly to a head check device and a head check method for a portable printer that are taken out to the outside and mainly carried and used at the destination.

Conventionally, portable printers can be used not only indoors but also outdoors, and have been adopted for various postal delivery work, courier work, and electric gas meter management work.
On the other hand, a print head provided in a portable printer generally uses a thermal head or the like in which a plurality of heat generating elements are arranged in a row, and prints on a continuous label or other printing paper. In addition, a head check is performed to check whether the heating element has a disconnection or other defects (Patent Document 1).

Furthermore, the portable printer has a charging battery capable of supplying power to the print head, and it is necessary to charge the charging battery before going out.
However, when a portable printer is taken outside and carried at the destination, not only the problem of the charging battery but also the failure of the print head can be found at the destination. There is a problem that it is difficult to immediately take the handling process.

Therefore, when the portable printer is started to be used, it is necessary to check the print head in advance as well as charge the charged battery.
However, in practice, the conventional system that checks the print head for each print operation has a problem that printing must be performed once for the print head check.
That is, there is a demand for a system that can take advantage of the characteristics of a portable printer that can perform a simple usage pattern on the go by organically and reliably performing charging battery charging and print head check processing. There is a problem.

JP 2008-183770 A

    SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been considered in view of the above problems, and a portable printer head check device capable of preventing troubles in printing work due to a malfunction of the print head when being carried around on the road. It is another object of the present invention to provide a head check method.

    Another object of the present invention is to provide a head check device and a head check method for a portable printer that can surely check the print head before leaving the portable printer.

    Another object of the present invention is to provide a head check device and a head check method for a portable printer that can make use of the characteristics of the portable printer by making it possible to detect in advance the trouble of the print head as well as the trouble of the charging battery. To do.

    In other words, the present invention focuses on the check of the print head by detecting the connection state or disconnection of the AC adapter connected to the portable printer to charge the charging battery, or the charging state of the charging battery. The first invention relates to attachment / detachment of an AC adapter for charging, a printer housing, a print head capable of printing on printing paper loaded in the printer housing, and a charging battery capable of supplying power to the print head The printer housing has an adapter connection terminal for connecting an AC adapter for charging the rechargeable battery by connecting to an external power source, and to the adapter connection terminal. And a controller for detecting the connection and disconnection of the AC adapter. The control unit detects the withdrawal of the AC adapter from the adapter connection terminal, a head check device of a portable printer, characterized in that to check the heating elements of the print head.

    The second invention relates to a charging state of the charging battery, a printer housing, a print head capable of printing on printing paper loaded in the printer housing, a charging battery capable of supplying power to the print head, A portable printer head check device having an adapter connection terminal for connecting an AC adapter for charging the rechargeable battery by connecting to an external power source, and a control unit capable of detecting a charge state of the rechargeable battery The control unit detects the end of charging of the charging battery via the AC adapter, and checks the heating element of the print head. Device.

    The control unit can set the charging rate to the charging battery to a predetermined setting charging rate, and detects that the charging rate to the charging battery via the AC adapter has reached the setting charging rate. Thus, the heating element of the print head can be checked.

    A third invention relates to attachment / detachment of an AC adapter for charging, a printer housing, a print head capable of printing on a printing paper loaded in the printer housing, and a charging battery capable of supplying power to the print head. And an adapter connection terminal for connecting an AC adapter for charging the rechargeable battery by connecting to an external power supply, and a head check method for a portable printer, wherein the AC adapter is connected to the portable printer at the end of use. The portable terminal is connected to the adapter connection terminal and detects the pull-out of the AC adapter from the adapter connection terminal when preparing to start using the portable printer, and checks the heating element of the print head. This is a head check method for a printer.

    The fourth invention relates to a charging state of the charging battery, a printer housing, a print head capable of printing on printing paper loaded in the printer housing, a charging battery capable of supplying power to the print head, An adapter connection terminal for connecting an AC adapter for connecting to an external power source to charge the charging battery, and a head check method for a portable printer, wherein the AC adapter is connected at the end of use of the portable printer. Connecting to the adapter connection terminal, and detecting that the charging of the charging battery via the AC adapter is completed when preparing to start using the portable printer, and checking the heating element of the print head. This is a head check method for a portable printer.

    The charging rate for the charging battery is set to a predetermined setting charging rate, and it is detected that the charging rate for the charging battery via the AC adapter has reached the setting charging rate, and the print head The above-described check of the heating element can be performed.

    The printer housing is further provided with a power switch, and the charging battery can be charged via the AC adapter while the power switch is turned on.

    The control unit can check all the heating elements of the print head.

    The printer housing is further provided with a display unit. When the heating element is defective as a result of the check of the heating element of the print head, an alarm can be displayed on the display unit.

    The control unit sets the AC connection flag to “1” when the AC adapter is connected to the adapter connection terminal, and the AC connection when the AC adapter is not connected to the adapter connection terminal. The flag can be reset to “0”.

In the head check device and the head check method of the portable printer according to the present invention, it is detected that the AC adapter connected to the portable printer for charging the charging battery is pulled out from the adapter connection terminal or charged. Since the print head is checked by detecting the charge state of the battery, the charge battery and the print head check have been completed before leaving the portable printer. Can be secured.

    In particular, according to the head check device of the portable printer of the first invention, if an operator who intends to use the portable printer connects the AC adapter to the portable printer the day before the work, the next morning, the battery is charged. When the battery is fully charged and the AC adapter is pulled out of the portable printer, the print head will be checked. Check the print head status before leaving the portable printer. I can leave.

    In particular, according to the head check device for the portable printer of the second invention, if an operator who intends to use the portable printer connects the AC adapter to the portable printer on the day before the work, the next morning, charging is performed. After charging the battery, the print head will be checked after securing this charge state, so you can check the print head status before leaving with a portable printer .

    In particular, according to the head check method of the portable printer of the third invention, the operator who intends to use the portable printer has connected the AC adapter to the portable printer on the day before the work, so the next morning the battery is charged. When the battery is fully charged and the AC adapter is pulled out of the portable printer, the print head will be checked. Check the print head status before leaving the portable printer. I can leave.

In particular, according to the head check method of the portable printer of the fourth invention, an operator who intends to use the portable printer has connected the AC adapter to the portable printer on the day before the work. After charging the battery, the print head will be checked after securing this charge state, so you can check the print head status before leaving with a portable printer .

It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the portable printer equipped with the head check apparatus 43 (1st invention, 2nd invention) by the Example of this invention. 2 is a block diagram of the control unit 13. FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a head check method (third invention) by the head check device 43; FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a head check method (fourth invention) by the head check device 43;

    In the present invention, since the AC adapter connected to the portable printer is pulled out from the adapter connection terminal, or the charging state of the charging battery is detected and the print head is checked. A portable printer head check device and a head check method have been realized that can secure the state of charging the rechargeable battery and completing the head check of the print head before leaving the printer.

Next, a head check device and a head check method for a portable printer according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of the portable printer 1, which is configured as a thermal printer, and includes a printer housing 2, an opening / closing cover 3, and a label continuum 4 (printing). Paper) supply unit 5, position detection unit 6, printing unit 7, battery storage chamber 9 of rechargeable battery 8, adapter connection terminal 10, input unit 11, display unit 12, control unit 13, And a power switch 14.

The printer housing 2 has a size that can be carried by an operator. In FIG. 1, the printer housing 2 is provided with a belt hanging portion 15 on the upper side so that the entire portable printer 1 can be suspended from the shoulder of the operator by a shoulder belt 16. Yes. Of course, it can also be set as the structure which can be mounted | worn to a worker's waist | hip | lumbar.
Further, in the printer housing 2, the opening / closing cover 3 is provided so as to be openable / closable around a cover shaft 17 positioned at the lower corner in FIG. 1, and the label continuous body 4 is stored in the supply unit 5 and the portable printer 1. Can be loaded.

The label continuous body 4 has a configuration in which a plurality of label pieces 19 are temporarily attached on a belt-like mount 18. The label piece 19 is a so-called thermal label, and its surface is coated with a thermosensitive coloring layer so that printing is possible.
The supply unit 5 rolls the label continuous body 4 in a roll shape and stores it in the roll shape, and can feed the label continuous body 4 in the direction of the position detection unit 6 and the printing unit 7 in a strip shape.
A position detection mark 20 is printed in advance on the back side of the mount 18 at a predetermined pitch.

    The position detection unit 6 includes a position detection sensor 21 attached to the opening / closing cover 3 side, detects a position detection mark 20 positioned on the back side of the label continuous body 4, and detects the label continuous body 4 (label) for the printing unit 7. The relative position of the piece 19) can be detected.

The printing unit 7 includes a thermal head 22 (printing head) attached to the printer housing 2 side, a platen roller 23 attached to the opening / closing cover 3 side, and a head biasing spring 24 that biases the thermal head 22 toward the platen roller 23. And a drive motor 25.
A platen roller gear 27 is provided at one end of the platen roller shaft 26 of the platen roller 23, and a connection gear 28 for transmitting the rotation of the drive motor 25 is provided. By closing the opening / closing cover 3 to the printer housing 2, The platen roller gear 27 and the connecting gear 28 are engaged, and the platen roller 23 can be rotationally driven by the drive motor 25.

    That is, the label continuum 4 is sandwiched between the thermal head 22 and the platen roller 23, and the platen roller 23 is rotationally driven by the drive motor 25, and the thermal is generated according to the print data supplied from the control unit 13 to the thermal head 22. A heating element (not shown) of the head 22 is heated to perform thermal printing on the label continuum 4 (label piece 19).

The printer housing 2 is provided with an opening push button 29. By pushing the opening push button 29 inward of the printer housing 2, the thermal head 22 is moved against its urging force against the urging force of the head urging spring 24. 1, the platen roller 23 is separated from the thermal head 22 by rotating counterclockwise in FIG. 1 so that the label continuous body 4 can be inserted and loaded between the thermal head 22 and the platen roller 23.
As described above, the platen roller 23 and the position detection sensor 21 are attached to the opening / closing cover 3, and the opening / closing cover 3 is separated from the thermal head 22 as the opening / closing of the opening / closing cover 3 from the printer housing 2 is rotated.

    The rechargeable battery 8 can be removed from and stored in the battery storage chamber 9, and supplies power to the entire portable printer 1 as well as the printing unit 7 (the thermal head 22 and the drive motor 25).

    The adapter connection terminal 10 is provided in the printer housing 2 and connected to an external power source (not shown) to connect an AC adapter 31 for charging the charging battery 8.

The input unit 11 can input data or commands necessary for the portable printer 1.
The display unit 12 can display information input by the input unit 11 and other necessary information.

    The control unit 13 exchanges data and commands with the position detection unit 6, the printing unit 7, the charging battery 8, the adapter connection terminal 10, the input unit 11, the display unit 12, and the power switch 14 described above. Is appropriately controlled.

2 is a block diagram of the control unit 13. The control unit 13 includes a CPU 32, a ROM 33, a RAM 34, a transfer control circuit 35, a print control circuit 36, a paper detection circuit 37, a communication interface 38, It has an I / O port 39, a charging power control circuit 40, and a data bus 41 connecting them.

The CPU 32 performs various types of detection, detection, and control using the RAM 34 according to a program in the ROM 33.
The transfer control circuit 35 controls the driving of the platen roller 23 by controlling the driving of the driving motor 25.
The print control circuit 36 supplies print data to the thermal head 22 and controls the printing operation.
The paper detection circuit 37 detects the label continuum 4 (position detection mark 20) by the position detection sensor 21.
The communication interface 38 receives print data and commands from an external personal computer or other external device 42.
The I / O port 39 exchanges data and commands between the input unit 11, the display unit 12, and the control unit 13.

    The charging power control circuit 40 is connected to the AC adapter 31 via the adapter connection terminal 10 and is connected to the charging battery 8 and the power switch 14.

The control unit 13 can detect the connection and disconnection of the AC adapter 31 to the adapter connection terminal 10, detect the withdrawal of the AC adapter 31 from the adapter connection terminal 10, and check the heating element of the thermal head 22. (First invention, third invention).
Alternatively, the control unit 13 can detect that the charging of the charging battery 8 via the AC adapter 31 is completed, and can control the heating element of the thermal head 22 to be checked (second invention, Fourth invention).
However, the control unit 13 sets the charging rate of the charging battery 8 to a predetermined set charging rate by using the input unit 11 and the display unit 12 or by receiving data from an external personal computer or other external device 42. It is possible to control that the heating element of the thermal head 22 is checked by detecting that the charging rate of the charging battery 8 via the AC adapter 31 has reached the set charging rate.
The set charging rate can be set to an arbitrary rate in the range of, for example, about 70% to 100% in consideration of the life of the charging battery 8.

That is, the head check device 43 (first invention, second invention) according to the present invention is an I / O port that detects connection and disconnection of the AC adapter 31 to the control unit 13 and its adapter connection terminal 10. This is composed of 39.
However, while the power switch 14 is turned on, the charging battery 8 is charged via the AC adapter 31 and the head check device 43 is further operated.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a head check method (third invention) by the head check device 43. In step S1, the head check device 43 is in a standby monitoring state.
In step S2, it is determined whether the AC adapter 31 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 10.
As an actual work procedure, when the operator finishes using the portable printer 1 (generally, at the end of the day's work), the AC switch 31 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 10 with the power switch 14 turned on. By doing so, charging of the charging battery 8 is started, and at the start of the next day, the AC adapter 31 is pulled out from the portable printer 1 and departs to the destination.
If the AC adapter 31 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 10, the AC connection flag is set to "1" in the RAM 34 in step S3, and the process returns to the standby monitoring state in step S1.

    If the AC adapter 31 is not connected to the adapter connection terminal 10 in step S2, it is determined whether or not the AC connection flag is set to “1” in step S4. If not, the standby monitoring in step S1 is performed. Return to state.

If the AC connection flag is set to “1” in step S4, it is determined that the AC adapter 31 is connected to the portable printer 1 and pulled out after a predetermined time, and in step S5, all the heat generation of the thermal head 22 is determined. Perform a head check on the element.
As the head check method itself, for example, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 and other arbitrary methods can be adopted.
That is, when the AC connection flag is set to “1” and the AC adapter 31 is pulled out, the control unit 13 detects or recognizes that the charging of the charging battery 8 via the AC adapter 31 is completed, The heating element of the thermal head 22 is checked.

As a result of the head check, if the head check is normal, that is, if all the heating elements are normal (step S6), the AC connection flag is reset to “0” in step S7.
If there is an abnormality, an alarm is displayed on the display unit 12 in step S8.
By confirming this alarm display, the portable printer 1 can replace the thermal head 22 and take other necessary measures, assuming that there is any disconnection or abnormality in the thermal head 22 or its heating element portion. Troubles at the destination where the portable printer 1 is brought can be avoided in advance.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the head check method (fourth invention) by the head check device 43 according to the present invention. In this head check method, the charging state of the charging battery 8 is monitored and the head of the thermal head 22 is monitored. Check.
First, in step S11, the charging rate to the charging battery 8 is set to a predetermined setting charging rate using the input unit 11 and the display unit 12 or as data from the personal computer or other external device 42.

    In step S12 (similar to step S1 in FIG. 3), it is in a standby monitoring state, and in step S13 (similar to step S2 in FIG. 3), it is determined whether the AC adapter 31 is connected to the adapter connection terminal 10. If connected, the AC connection flag is set to “1” in step S14 (similar to step S3 in FIG. 3).

    If the AC adapter 31 is not connected to the adapter connection terminal 10 in step S13, in step S15 (similar to step S4 in FIG. 3), it is determined whether or not the AC connection flag is set to “1”. If not set, the process returns to the standby monitoring state in step S12.

If the AC connection flag is set to “1” in step S15, it is determined in next step S16 whether or not the charging rate to the charging battery 8 has reached the set charging rate (step S11). If so, it is recognized that the predetermined charging has been performed, and in step S17 (similar to step S5 in FIG. 3), a head check is performed on all the heating elements of the thermal head 22.
Thereafter, in steps S18 to S20 (similar to steps S6 to S8 in FIG. 3), it is determined whether or not the thermal head 22 is normal, the AC connection flag is reset, and an alarm is displayed if necessary. .

Thus, the charging state of the charging battery 8 and the head check of the thermal head 22 are surely executed by detecting and monitoring the charging state of the charging battery 8, and troubles at the destination where the portable printer 1 is brought in can be avoided in advance. can do.

1 Portable printer (Figure 1)
2 Printer housing 3 Open / close cover 4 Label continuum (printing paper)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 5 Supply part 6 Position detection part 7 Printing part 8 Charging battery 9 Battery storage chamber 10 Adapter connection terminal 11 which connects AC adapter 31 Input part 12 Display part 13 Control part (FIG. 2)
14 Power Switch 15 Belt Hook 16 Shoulder Belt 17 Cover Shaft 18 of Opening / Closing Cover 3 Mount of Label Continuum 4 Label Piece 20 Position Detection Mark 21 Position Detection Sensor 22 Thermal Head (Print Head)
23 Platen roller 24 Head urging spring 25 Drive motor 26 Platen roller shaft 27 of platen roller 23 Platen roller gear 28 of platen roller 23 Connecting gear 29 Push button 30 for opening 30 Head shaft 31 of thermal head 22 AC adapter 32 CPU
33 ROM
34 RAM
35 Transfer Control Circuit 36 Print Control Circuit 37 Paper Detection Circuit 38 Communication Interface 39 I / O Port 40 Charging Power Control Circuit 41 Data Bus 42 Personal Computer Other External Device 43 Head Check Device for Portable Printer 1 (Example, FIG. 1)

Claims (7)

A print head capable of printing on printing paper ;
A charging battery that can supply electric power to the print head,
Includes an external power supply and a control unit for detecting a disconnection of said charging battery,
Wherein, when detecting a loss of connection with the external power source and the charging battery, a check of the heating elements of the print head, the printer. A terminal that can be connected to the external power supply;
2. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit checks a heating element of the print head when detecting that the external power supply is pulled out from the terminal. A print head capable of printing on printing paper ;
A charging battery that can supply electric power to the print head,
And a detectable control unit the charging state of the charging battery,
Wherein, when detecting that the charging of the charging battery is completed, a check of the heating elements of the print head, the printer. Wherein, when the charging rate of the charging battery is detected that reaches a predetermined set charging rate, performing the check, the printer according to claim 3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the control unit warns when there is a defect in the heating element as a result of the check. Further comprising a power switch,
In a state where the power switch is turned on, to charge the said charging battery, the printer according to any one of claims 1-5. The print head includes a plurality of heating elements,
The control unit checks all of the plurality of heating elements, a printer according to any one of claims 1-6.

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