JP6299258B2 - Printing apparatus and printing apparatus control method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing apparatus control method.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printing apparatus that prints on a long medium such as a recording medium in which a label is arranged on a roll-shaped substrate, an apparatus that detects the end of the medium is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2003-48364 A

Generally, a printing apparatus includes a mechanism for gripping and transporting a medium with a transport roller or the like in order to stably transport the medium. When using the transport roller, if the end of the medium approaches and cannot be gripped by the roller, the desired transport speed cannot be maintained, so normal printing cannot be performed, and the printed image may be disturbed near the end of the medium. . In the example of printing on the medium on which the label is arranged, the printing state of the label closest to the end of the medium is disturbed, and this label may be discarded. When such a disturbance in the printed image occurs, the label or page near the end of the medium is discarded, but it is possible to save waste of materials and time required for printing the discarded label and page. It was desired.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to reduce the waste of consumption materials and time due to printing near the end of the medium in an apparatus for printing on the medium, and to improve efficiency. And

In order to achieve the above object, the printing apparatus of the present invention includes a transport mechanism that transports a print medium having a print target portion, a print head that prints on the print target portion, and the print medium in a transport path of the print medium. A first detection unit that detects the end of the print medium, a second detection unit that detects the print target unit in the transport path, and a position of the end of the print medium detected by the first detection unit, It is determined whether or not printing on the print target portion detected by the second detection unit can be completed. When it is determined that printing on the print target portion cannot be completed, the print head is controlled. And a control unit that stops printing on the print target part or does not perform printing on the print target part.
Further, the control unit holds position information on the conveyance path of the print target unit detected by the second detection unit before the end of the print medium is detected by the first detection unit, After the end of the print medium is detected by the first detection unit, based on the detected position of the end of the print medium and the position information of the held print target, the print target It may be configured to determine whether or not printing can be completed.
The print medium includes a first print target unit, and a second print target unit located upstream of the first print target unit in the transport direction of the print medium. When the unit determines that the printing on the first print target unit cannot be completed, the unit does not determine whether the printing on the second print target unit can be completed. There may be.
Further, the control unit determines whether the printing on the print target unit can be completed based on the position of the end of the print medium detected by the first detection unit. It may be configured to determine whether or not the print medium can be conveyed until printing on the printer is completed.
Further, the control unit is configured to output the print target unit based on a set value set as a remaining length of the print medium necessary for transporting the print medium until printing on the print target unit is completed. It may be configured to determine whether printing can be completed.
In addition, a collection device that collects the printed medium after printing can be mounted on the downstream side of the print head in the transport path, and the control unit sets the set value corresponding to whether or not the collection device is mounted. The configuration may be such that the determination is performed based on the above.
Further, the control method of the printing apparatus of the present invention detects the end of the print medium and the print target part in the transport path of the print medium when the print medium having the print target part is transported and printed. Based on the position of the end of the print medium to be determined, it is determined whether or not printing to the detected print target portion can be completed, and if it is determined that printing to the print target portion cannot be completed, the print It is characterized in that printing on the target part is stopped or printing on the target part is not performed.
The printing apparatus of the present invention also includes a transport mechanism that transports a print medium having a print target portion, a print head that prints on the print target portion, and a print medium transport path that detects the end of the print medium. 1 detection unit, a second detection unit that detects the print target unit, and a position of the end of the print medium detected by the first detection unit. A controller that determines whether or not printing on the print target part can be completed, and stops or avoids printing on the print target part when it is determined that printing cannot be completed. And
According to the present invention, since printing is stopped or avoided when printing of the printing target portion cannot be completed, unnecessary printing operations can be suppressed, and waste of consumption materials and time required for printing can be saved.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the control unit may detect the print target unit detected by the second detection unit before the end of the print medium is detected by the first detection unit. It is determined whether or not printing can be completed after the end of the printing medium is detected by the first detection unit.
According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not printing is possible even for a print target portion that has passed the detection position of the second detection portion before the first detection portion detects the end of the print medium. Thereby, unnecessary printing operations can be suppressed, and waste of consumption materials and time can be saved.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the printing medium may include a plurality of predetermined lengths of the print target units arranged side by side along a conveyance direction, and the control unit may determine that printing cannot be completed. It is characterized in that determination is not performed for the other print target portion located upstream from the print target portion.
According to the present invention, when there is a print target part that cannot be printed, not only the print target part but also the print target part that is scheduled to be printed after that, an operation other than printing is performed promptly. Can be executed. As a result, the print medium can be processed efficiently, for example, when there is a print target part that is not normally printed, and the paper is quickly discharged.

In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, the control unit may determine the end of the print medium detected by the first detection unit in the process of determining whether or not the printing on the print target unit can be completed. On the basis of the position, it is determined whether or not the print medium can be conveyed until printing on the print target portion is completed.
According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not printing on the print target portion can be completed.

Further, in the printing apparatus according to the present invention, the control unit is configured to set a remaining length of the print medium necessary for transporting the print medium until printing on the print target unit is completed. Judgment is performed.
According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the printing on the print target portion can be completed based on a preset value.

In the printing apparatus according to the aspect of the invention, it is possible to mount a collection device that collects the printed medium after printing on the downstream side of the print head in the conveyance path. The determination is performed based on a set value of the remaining length of the print medium corresponding to the presence or absence of the mounting.
According to the present invention, it is possible to appropriately determine whether or not the printing on the print target portion can be completed in consideration of the influence of the presence or absence of the collection device.

In order to achieve the above object, the method for controlling a printing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a printing medium conveyance path that prints a print medium having a print target portion; When the print target part is detected, based on the detected position of the end of the print medium, it is determined whether printing on the detected print target part can be completed, and when it is determined that printing cannot be completed, It is characterized in that printing on the printing target part is stopped or avoided.
According to the present invention, according to the present invention, when printing of the printing target part cannot be completed, printing is stopped or avoided, so that unnecessary printing operations can be suppressed, and waste of consumption materials and time required for printing can be saved. Can do.

  According to the present invention, unnecessary printing is stopped or printing is not performed, so that wasteful materials such as ink required for printing and waste of time can be saved.

It is a functional block diagram of the printing apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a principal part side view which shows the structure of each part which concerns on the conveyance path | route of a printing apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the positional relationship of each part in a conveyance path | route. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the printing apparatus. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of the operation of the printing apparatus. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a specific example of the operation of the printing apparatus.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a printing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a side view of the main part showing the configuration of each part related to the conveyance path of the printing apparatus 1.
The printing apparatus 1 is connected to an external host PC 5, receives commands and data transmitted from the host PC 5, and prints characters and images on a print medium according to the received commands and data.

A printing medium used for printing in the printing apparatus 1 is a cut sheet or a continuous sheet cut into a predetermined size, and these sheets are made of paper or synthetic resin. These sheets may be, for example, fine paper that has been subjected to surface treatment that is suitable for ink jet printing and that improves ink absorption and fixing properties.
Examples of the continuous sheet include roll paper accommodated in the printing apparatus 1 in a rolled state, and fanfold paper supplied to the printing apparatus 1 from the outside of the printing apparatus 1 in a folded state. As roll paper, in addition to paper that rolls plain paper or fine paper in a roll shape, a label paper that is rolled into a roll with a standard-sized label with adhesive on the back is placed on release paper (mounting paper) May be.
In the present embodiment, a label 103 (FIG. 3) having a predetermined size with a pressure-sensitive adhesive on the back surface is disposed on a base paper 101 (FIG. 3) in which a release paper that can be peeled off from the pressure-sensitive adhesive is formed in a long length. The label paper 100 wound in a shape is used as a print medium. The label paper 100 is configured by arranging a plurality of labels 103 at equal intervals in the longitudinal direction of the mount 101. The printing apparatus 1 conveys the label paper 100 and prints characters and images on the printing surface of each label 103 on the label paper 100. In this case, the label paper 100 corresponds to a print medium, and the label 103 corresponds to a print object.

As shown in FIG. 2, the label paper 100 is accommodated in a roll shape in a print medium accommodating portion 21 provided in the main body of the printing apparatus 1, and the label paper 100 is pulled out in the direction indicated by the symbol F in the drawing. It is conveyed inside the printing apparatus 1. In FIG. 2, the right side in the drawing is the front (front) side of the printing apparatus 1, and a paper discharge port 22 is formed on the front surface of the printing apparatus 1.
In FIG. 2, reference numeral 110 denotes a conveyance path through which the label paper 100 is conveyed to the paper discharge port 22. A tension lever 31 that applies tension to the label paper 100 to prevent slack and paper guides 33 and 34 that guide the label paper 100 are disposed in the transport path 110. The paper guide 33 is a table that supports the label paper 100 from below, and the paper guide 34 is positioned above the label paper 100 so as to oppose the paper guide 33 and suppresses the lifting of the label paper 100.

  A printing unit for printing on the label paper 100 is disposed in front of the paper guides 33 and 34. The printing unit includes a platen 35 and a print head 40. The print head 40 of the present embodiment ejects four colors of ink of C (cyan), M (magenta), Y (yellow), and K (black) to form dots on the printing surface of the label 103. The print head 40 includes a nozzle unit 41 that ejects K (black) ink, a nozzle unit 43 that ejects C (cyan) ink, a nozzle unit 45 that ejects M (magenta) ink, and a Y (yellow) ink. Nozzle portion 47 is provided. In the nozzle portions 41 to 47, a plurality of nozzles that eject ink are arranged in a row in the width direction of the label paper 100. The print head 40 is a line inkjet head capable of ejecting ink without scanning in the width direction of the label paper 100. Accordingly, the nozzle rows of the nozzle portions 41 to 47 are formed at least at the same width as the printable range 105 (FIG. 3) of the label paper 100 or wider. In this embodiment, a configuration example is described in which the nozzle portions 41, 43, 45, and 47 are arranged in this order along the conveyance direction F of the label paper 100. However, the arrangement order of the nozzles of each color in the conveyance direction F is arbitrary.

The platen 35 has a flat surface arranged along the transport direction F. This plane is located below the conveyance path 110 and faces the print head 40. The platen 35 is fixed to the frame of the printing apparatus 1 (not shown) and supports the label paper 100 from below. The plane of the platen 35 is substantially horizontal when the printing apparatus 1 is installed and used.
A conveyor belt 52 is disposed on the plane of the platen 35. The conveyance belt 52 is a wide endless belt, and is disposed so as to pass on the plane of the platen 35 and to wrap around the platen 35. Of the surface of the conveyor belt 52, at least the surface facing upward on the plane of the platen 35 is a rough surface having a high friction coefficient. The conveyor belt 52 is preferably made of an elastic material such as rubber or synthetic resin. Below the platen 35, a transport motor 50 and a drive mechanism 51 that moves the transport belt 52 by the rotational force of the transport motor 50 are arranged. The transport motor 50 is constituted by a DC motor, for example, and rotates under the control of the control unit 10 described later. The drive mechanism 51 includes various gears that mesh with the output shaft of the transport motor 50, rollers that move the transport belt 52, and the transport belt 52 is moved by the rotation of the transport motor 50, so that the label paper 100 is transported in the transport direction F. Transport to. The rotation amount of the conveyance motor 50 or the movement amount of the conveyance belt 52 accompanying the rotation of the conveyance motor 50 is detected by a rotary encoder 57 (FIG. 1) described later.

A transport roller 55 is disposed on the upstream side of the print head 40 so as to face the platen 35. The conveyance roller 55 is a driven roller that is rotatably supported by the frame of the printing apparatus 1 and is urged toward the plane of the platen 35. In the conveyance path 110, the label paper 100 is sandwiched between the conveyance roller 55 and the conveyance belt 52, and is reliably conveyed in the conveyance direction F as the conveyance belt 52 moves. A roller 53 that presses the label paper 100 so as not to be lifted from the transport belt 52 is disposed between the nozzle portions 41, 43, 45, and 47 of the print head 40.
The transport motor 50, the drive mechanism 51, the transport belt 52, the roller 53, and the transport roller 55 function as a transport unit that transports the label paper 100. The transport mechanism corresponds to a part or all of the transport unit.

  A cutter unit 37 is disposed on the downstream side, that is, the front side of the print head 40. The cutter unit 37 includes a fixed blade 38 and a movable blade 39 arranged with the conveyance path 110 interposed therebetween, and the movable blade 39 is connected to a cutter drive motor 59 (FIG. 1) via a gear or the like. When the cutter driving motor 59 is driven, the movable blade 39 moves to the fixed blade 38 side and cuts the label paper 100. The cutter unit 37 may cut a part of the label paper 100 in the width direction, or may cut the label paper 100 completely. The printing apparatus 1 uses the cutter unit 37 to cut the label paper 100 printed by the print head 40 into a predetermined length and discharges it from the paper discharge port 22.

  A winding unit 23 (collecting device) is detachably attached to the front surface of the printing apparatus 1 below the paper discharge port 22. The winding unit 23 includes a winding drum 25 that winds the label paper 100 discharged from the paper discharge port 22 and a drive unit (not shown) that rotates the winding drum 25. The winding drum 25 is driven by a motor provided in the winding unit 23 or is driven by a rotational force transmitted from the transport motor 50 of the printing apparatus 1 through a gear train (not shown). The take-up drum 25 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow C in the drawing to take up the label paper 100. When the winding unit 23 is used, the printing apparatus 1 does not cut the label paper 100 with the cutter unit 37 and discharges the label paper 100 from the paper discharge port 22 in a long state. For example, it is possible to perform printing on the entire roll of label paper 100 accommodated in the print medium accommodating portion 21 and to wind it on the take-up drum 25 by one operation of the printing apparatus 1.

  Further, the printing apparatus 1 includes two detectors that detect the label paper 100 in the transport path 110. That is, a paper detector 61 (first detection unit) is disposed upstream of the paper guide 34, and a label detector 63 (second detection unit) is disposed on the platen 35 upstream of the print head 40. ing. The paper detector 61 and the label detector 63 are, for example, optical sensors having a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit. The paper detector 61 is, for example, a transmissive sensor that includes a light emitting unit on the paper guide 34 side and a light receiving unit on the paper guide 33 side. Since the output value (detection voltage) indicating the amount of light received by the paper detector 61 differs depending on the presence or absence of the label paper 100 at the position of the paper detector 61, the leading and trailing edges of the label paper 100 are detected using the paper detector 61. it can. The label detector 63 is a reflective sensor in which a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit are disposed above the platen 35, for example. The output value (detection voltage) indicating the amount of light received by the label detector 63 differs depending on whether the label sheet 100 is not directly below the label detector 63, the mount 101 is present, or the label 103 is present. That is, the amount of reflected light from the conveyor belt 52, the reflected light from the mount 101, and the reflected light from the label 103 are different. For this reason, the label detector 63 can be used to detect the leading edge and the trailing edge of the label paper 100 and the leading edge and the trailing edge of the label 103. It can be said that the paper detector 61 functions as the first detection unit in cooperation with the control unit 10, and the label detector 63 also functions in the same manner as the second detection unit in cooperation with the control unit 10. It can be said.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10 that controls each unit of the printing apparatus 1. An I / F (interface) 11 and a storage unit 12 connected to the host PC 5 are connected to the control unit 10. The I / F 11 is wired or wirelessly connected to the host PC 5.
The control unit 10 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like as a calculation execution unit (not shown). In the ROM of the control unit 10, firmware executable by the CPU, data related to the firmware, and the like are stored in a nonvolatile manner. The RAM temporarily stores data related to firmware executed by the CPU. The control unit 10 may include other peripheral circuits. The storage unit 12 stores various programs and data in a nonvolatile manner. The storage unit 12 stores control programs executed by the control unit 10, data related to these control programs, and commands and data received by the printing apparatus 1 from the host PC 5.

The control unit 10 is connected to an operation detection unit 13 that detects an operation of an operation switch 60 provided on a switch panel (not shown). The operation switch 60 is, for example, a paper feed switch for instructing a transport operation of the printing apparatus 1, a cut switch for instructing an operation of the cutter unit 37, a setting switch for performing various settings, and the like.
In addition, sensor driving units 14 and 15 that acquire detection values of the paper detector 61 and the label detector 63 are connected to the control unit 10. The sensor driving unit 14 supplies driving power to the paper detector 61 to emit light, acquires a detection voltage output by the paper detector 61 according to the amount of received light, and sets a detection value indicating the detection voltage to the control unit. 10 is output. The sensor driving unit 15 supplies driving power to the label detector 63 to emit light, acquires the detection voltage output by the label detector 63 according to the amount of received light, and controls the detection value indicating the detection voltage to the control unit. 10 is output.

  The control unit 10 is connected to a counter circuit 16 that counts the transport amount of the label paper 100. The counter circuit 16 is connected to a rotary encoder 57 that detects the operation amount of the conveyance unit, that is, the movement amount of the conveyance belt 52, the rotation amount of the conveyance motor 50, the rotation amount of the conveyance roller 55, and the like. The counter circuit 16 counts the pulses output from the rotary encoder 57 under the control of the control unit 10 and outputs the count value to the control unit 10.

A motor driver 17 that drives the transport motor 50 and the cutter drive motor 59 and a head driver 18 that drives the print head 40 are connected to the control unit 10. The motor driver 17 supplies a drive current to each of the transport motor 50 and the cutter drive motor 59 according to the control of the control unit 10. For example, when the cutter drive motor 59 is configured by a stepping motor, the motor driver 17 outputs a drive pulse to the cutter drive motor 59 to control the operation amount.
The head driver 18 supplies a voltage to a pump (not shown) for supplying ink from an ink tank (not shown) to the print head 40 and to piezo elements (not shown) provided in the nozzle portions 41 to 47 of the print head 40. And make them work. Thereby, ink droplets are ejected from the nozzles of the nozzle portions 41 to 47 to form dots.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the positional relationship of each part in the transport path 110 of the label paper 100. 3A is a plan view, FIG. 3B is a side view, and FIGS. 3A and 3B show positions in the transport direction F in association with each other. FIG. 3 shows a state when the end 100A of the label paper 100 is detected by the paper detector 61 as will be described later.
3A and 3B show nozzle rows 42, 44, 46, and 48 included in the nozzle portions 41, 43, 45, and 47 (FIG. 1) of the print head 40. FIG. The nozzle row 42 is a row in which the nozzles 41 are arranged in the width direction of the label paper 100. In the present embodiment, a configuration in which the nozzle portions 41, 43, 45, and 47 each include two nozzle rows is illustrated. That is, the print head 40 includes, in order from the upstream side in the transport direction F, two nozzle rows 42 that eject K ink, two nozzle rows 44 that eject C ink, and two nozzle rows that eject M ink. 46 and two nozzle rows 48 for ejecting Y ink.

  As described above, the label paper 100 has a configuration in which the labels 103 are arranged at equal intervals on the mount 101. The printing apparatus 1 stores a logical label length L1 as an index of the length of each label 103. The logical label length L1 is set in advance by operating the operation switch 60 or transmitting a command from the host PC 5 to the printing apparatus 1, and is data that can be read by the control unit 10 in the ROM built in the storage unit 12 or the control unit 10. Stored in format. The logical label length L1 is the length in the transport direction F, and is the total length of the label length L2 that is the actual length of the label 103 and the gap length L3 that is the distance between the label 103 and the label 103. . That is, the logical label length L1 is the length from the leading end of the label 103 to the leading end of the next label 103.

A range in which characters and images can be printed on the label 103 is indicated by a broken line as a printable range 105. The printable range 105 is determined by the specifications of the printing apparatus 1 including the size in the width direction of the nozzle rows 42 to 48, the size of the label 103, and the like. The length of the printable range 105 is set as a printable length L4. The printable length L4 is set and stored in the printing apparatus 1 in the same manner as the logical label length L1. In addition to the printable length L4, the width of the label paper 100, the width of the label 103, the width of the printable range 105, and the like may be set and stored in the printing apparatus 1 in advance.
Further, FIG. 3A shows a character or image printed on the label 103 by the print head 40 as a print image 107, and the length of the print image 107 is a print length L10. The print length L10 can be obtained based on print data received by the control unit 10 from the host PC 5. The length of the margin part from the leading end of the label 103 to the leading end of the print image 107 is defined as a print data offset L11.
Further, in the label sheet 100, the label 103 is arranged near the end 100A, and a margin of length L6 (margin length) is provided between the end of the final label 103 and the end 100A. The margin length L6 is usually shorter than the logical label length L1 and the label length L2, and in this embodiment, the gap length L3 is assumed to be equal to the margin length L6. Further, when the label paper 100 is cut shorter than the original length, there may be no margin.

3A and 3B show a plurality of positions P1 to P6 and P10 in the transport direction F of the printing apparatus 1. FIG. These positions P <b> 1 to P <b> 6 and P <b> 10 serve as a reference when the control unit 10 controls the conveyance and printing of the label paper 100.
The position P1 is a detection position of the paper detector 61. As shown in FIG. 3, the detection value of the paper detector 61 changes when the end (terminal) 100A of the label paper 100 passes the detection position P1. The control unit 10 detects that the end point 100A has reached the detection position P1 based on the change in the detection value of the paper detector 61. After detecting the end 100A by the paper detector 61, the control unit 10 can always specify the position of the end 100A by calculating the carry amount based on the increment of the count value of the counter circuit 16.

The position P2 is a detection position of the label detector 63. When the leading end or the trailing end of the label 103 passes the detection position P2, the detection value of the label detector 63 changes. The control unit 10 detects that the leading end or the trailing end of the label 103 has reached the detection position P2 based on the change in the detection value of the label detector 63. In the present embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 detects the leading end of the label 103 by the label detector 63. The end of the label 103 can be obtained, for example, by adding the logical label length L1 to the tip of the label 103.
The position P3 is the position of the nozzle row 42 located on the most upstream side among the nozzle rows of the print head 40.
The position P4 is the position of the nozzle row 48 located on the most downstream side among the nozzle rows of the print head 40. When the end of the label 103 reaches the position P4, the printing on the label 103 is completed. Therefore, hereinafter, P4 is referred to as a print final position P4. The control unit 10 compares the length from the position P4 to determine whether printing for the label 103 can be completed to the end. That is, the determination is made with the position P4 as the reference position.

  The position P5 is a cutting position where the cutter unit 37 cuts the label paper 100. Of course, the label paper 100 can be moved through the cutting position P5 without cutting the label paper 100 by the cutter unit 37.

  The position P6 is a position corresponding to the minimum length of the label paper 100 necessary for completing printing by the print head 40 when the winding unit 23 is used. Hereinafter, it is referred to as a holding limit position P6. When the take-up unit 23 is used, the label paper 100 is subjected to a force to be taken up by the take-up drum 25. Therefore, it is necessary to hold the label paper 100 against this force. The printing apparatus 1 sandwiches the label sheet 100 between the conveyance roller 55 and the conveyance belt 52 and counters the pulling force of the winding unit 23. The holding limit position P6 is an index for determining whether or not the transport roller 55 can hold the label paper 100 until the printing of the label 103 is completed. If the end 100A is at the holding limit position P6 or upstream of the position P6, the label paper 100 can be normally conveyed against the pulling force of the winding unit 23. When the end 100A is downstream from the holding limit position P6, the label paper 100 is pulled out by the pulling force of the winding unit 23, and normal printing cannot be performed.

In the printing apparatus 1, the length of the label sheet 100 necessary for transporting the label 103 at a set speed is determined by the mechanical structure arranged in the transport path 110. If the remaining length of the label paper 100 is short, printing on the label 103 near the end 100A may not be completed. Since the label 103 that cannot be printed is not used and discarded, it is desirable to discharge the label 103 that cannot be printed without printing and replace the roll in order to reduce waste of consumption materials such as ink and time.
Therefore, the control unit 10 of the printing apparatus 1 determines whether printing is possible for the label 103 detected by the label detector 63 when the end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61 located on the most upstream side. . Then, control is performed so that unnecessary printing is not performed on the label 103 that cannot be printed.

  The case where the label 103 cannot be printed corresponds to a case where the label 103 cannot be conveyed at a predetermined conveyance speed until the label 103 is printed, or a case where the end of the label 103 is cut off.

  In order to perform printing normally until the end of the label 103, when printing is performed using the winding unit 23, as described above, the terminal end 100A is positioned at the holding limit position P6 or upstream thereof until the printing is completed. Need to be. On the other hand, when printing is performed without using the winding unit 23, it is sufficient that the label paper 100 can be held by the roller 53 and the conveyor belt 52 until the printing is completed, and the end 100A may be upstream from the position P4 until the printing is completed.

The control unit 10 uses the length LA from the final printing position P4 to the end point 100A in order to determine whether printing can be completed. The control unit 10 sets the length LA to the distance from the final printing position P4 to the detection position P1 when the trailing end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61. Thereafter, the control unit 10 subtracts the length LA as the label paper 100 is conveyed.
Further, in order to determine whether printing can be completed for each label 103, the control unit 10 uses the length LB from the leading end of each label 103 to the final printing position P4. In the example of FIG. 3, for the label 103B, for example, the distance from the final printing position P4 to the position P10 is the length LB. When the leading end of the label 103 is detected by the label detector 63, the control unit 10 sets the length LB of the detected label 103 to the distance from the final printing position P4 to the detection position P2. Thereafter, the control unit 10 subtracts the length LB after the label sheet 100 has been transported.
When the winding unit 23 is used, the distance LC from the final printing position P4 to the holding limit position P6 is used as a criterion for determination. The positions of the detection positions P1, P2, the final printing position P4, the holding limit position P6, and the distance between the positions (for example, the distance LC) are determined by the mechanical structure of the printing apparatus 1 and set in the printing apparatus 1 in advance. , And stored as data that can be referred to by the control unit 10.

Here, processing for determining whether the control unit 10 can print the label 103 will be described.
When the label detector 63 detects the leading end of the label 103, the control unit 10 sets a length LB from the leading end of the label 103 to the final printing position P4. The length LB is detected by the label detector 63 and set individually for each label 103 and subtracted as the label paper 100 is conveyed.
When the paper detector 61 detects the end 100A, the control unit 10 sets the length LA, and finally determines the last label 103 already detected based on the length LA and the length LB of each detected label 103. It is determined whether or not printing can be completed.

The criterion for determination varies depending on whether or not the winding unit 23 is used.
When the winding unit 23 is not used, it is only necessary that the terminal end 100A is upstream of the position P4 when the terminal end of the label 103 reaches the final printing position P4. Specifically, the terminal end 100A may be located at the final printing position P4.
The conveyance amount until the end of the label 103 reaches the final printing position P4 is obtained by the following equation (1).
Carrying amount = length LB + logical label length L1 (1)
In order to complete the printing, the remaining length LA of the label paper 100 may be equal to or greater than the transport amount obtained by the above formula (1). That is, the relationship of the following formula (2) may be satisfied.
Length LA ≧ length LB + logical label length L1 (2)
The control unit 10 can determine whether or not the printing of the label 103 can be completed depending on whether or not the relationship of the above formula (2) is established.

On the other hand, when the winding unit 23 is used, the end 100A may be at the holding limit position P6 or upstream thereof when the end of the label 103 reaches the final printing position P4.
The conveyance amount until the end of the label 103 reaches the final printing position P4 is obtained by the above equation (1).
In order to complete the printing, the remaining length LA of the label paper 100 is equal to or longer than the length obtained by adding the distance LC from the final printing position P4 to the holding limit position P6 to the transport amount obtained by the above formula (1). If it is. That is, the relationship of the following formula (3) may be established.
Length LA ≧ length LB + logical label length L1 + distance LC (3)
The control unit 10 can determine whether or not the printing of the label 103 can be completed depending on whether or not the relationship of the above expression (3) is established.

If the distance LC is set to zero in the above formula (3), formula (2) is obtained. That is, when the winding unit 23 is not used, since the necessary length from the end of the label 103 to the final printing position P4 is zero, Expression (2) is obtained. Therefore, the above formulas (2) and (3) can be rewritten into the following formula (4).
Length LA ≧ length LB + logical label length L1 + remaining required length (4)
In the above equation, the remaining necessary length indicates the necessary length from the end of the label 103 to the final printing position P4, which is zero in equation (2) and distance LC in equation (3).
Note that the length LA and the length LB are similarly subtracted with the conveyance of the label paper 100, and the remaining necessary length is a fixed value. Therefore, the timing for performing the determination based on the above equation (4) is not limited. The control unit 10 can determine any time as long as the leading end of the determination target label 103 is detected by the label detector 63 and the end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the printing apparatus 1.
The control unit 10 receives a print command and print data from the host PC 5 and starts a printing operation (step S11). The logical label of the label sheet 100 of the print medium storage unit 21 is read from the storage unit 12 or the ROM before printing. The length L1 is acquired (step S12).
The controller 10 monitors whether or not the leading end of the label 103 has been detected by the label detector 63 during printing (step S13). When the label 103 is detected (step S13; Yes), the control unit 10 sets the length LB using the detected tip position of the label 103 as the detection position P2, and starts subtraction of the length LB (step S14). ).
The control unit 10 continues to subtract the length LB while the label paper 100 is conveyed. For example, when the length LB becomes zero, the control unit 10 clears the length LB for the label 103. Subsequently, the control unit 10 monitors whether or not the terminal end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61 (step S15). If the end 100A is not detected (step S13; No), the control unit 10 returns to step S13 and continues to monitor the detection of the label 103. During this time, the control unit 10 continues printing. Further, while the label 103 is not detected by the label detector 63 (step S13; No), the process proceeds to step S15 without performing the process of step S14.

  When the end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61 (step S15; Yes), the control unit 10 sets the remaining length LA of the label paper 100 (step S16). The length LA set here is subtracted as described above. The control unit 10 starts determining whether or not printing is possible up to the end of the printable range 105 for the label 103 that has already been detected by the label detector 63 and whose length LB is set (step S17). In the present embodiment, for convenience, it is determined whether printing is possible up to the end of the label 103. Further, in the following processing, the label 103 that has already been printed, that is, the label 103 whose length LB has been cleared is not determined.

  The control unit 10 determines whether or not the winding unit 23 is used (step S18). The printing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which the control unit 10 can specify whether or not to use the winding unit 23. For example, use / non-use of the winding unit 23 may be set by transmitting a command from the host PC 5 to the printing apparatus 1. In addition, a sensor that mechanically operates when the winding unit 23 is mounted is disposed on the front surface of the printing apparatus 1 at the position where the winding unit 23 is mounted, and the presence or absence of the winding unit 23 is detected based on the detection state of the sensor. It is good also as composition to do.

When the winding unit 23 is used (step S18; Yes), the control unit 10 acquires a set value of a necessary length when the winding unit 23 is used (step S19). Specifically, the control unit 10 acquires the value of the distance LC from the storage unit 12. Further, when the winding unit 23 is not used (step S18; No), the control unit 10 acquires a set value of a necessary length when the winding unit 23 is not used (step S20). In the present embodiment, the set value of the required length when the winding unit 23 is not used is zero.
After steps S19 and S20, the control unit 10 calculates the above formula based on the acquired set value of the required length, the length LB set in step S14, and the remaining length LA of the label paper 100 set in step S16. The calculation (4) is performed (step S21).

The control unit 10 determines whether the label 103 can be printed by the comparison operation of the above formula (4) (step S22). In Steps S <b> 21 to S <b> 22, when there are a plurality of labels 103 to be determined, the control unit 10 sequentially determines from the downstream label 103.
When printing of all labels 103 detected by the label detector 63 is possible (step S22; Yes), the control unit 10 detects the label detector 63 until the next label 103 is detected by the label detector 63. The value is monitored (step S23). While the label 103 is not detected (step S23; No), the control unit 10 monitors whether or not the end 100A has been transported to the final printing position P4 (step S24). That is, it is determined whether or not the remaining length LA up to the terminal end 100A has become zero. If the length LA is not zero (step S24; No), the process returns to step S23. When the length LA becomes zero (step S24; Yes), the control unit 10 discharges the label paper 100 from the paper discharge port 22 (step S25), and then completes printing to the host PC 5. This is notified (step S26), and this process is terminated.

When the label 103 is detected by the label detector 63 (step S23; Yes), the control unit 10 sets the length LB for the label 103 and returns to step S21.
On the other hand, when it is determined that printing of any label 103 detected by the label detector 63 is impossible (step S22; No), the control unit 10 determines the label 103 that is determined to be printable. Printing is continued until printing is completed (step S27). Thereafter, the printing operation is stopped before printing of the label 103 that is determined to be impossible to print (step S28), the process proceeds to step S25, and the label paper 100 is discharged. If printing on the label 103 that has been determined to be unprintable in step S22 has already started, the control unit 10 immediately suspends printing in step S27, and proceeds to step S25.

5 to 6 are explanatory diagrams illustrating specific examples of the operation of the printing apparatus 1.
5A, 5B, 5C, and 6 show various examples in which the length of the label 103 is different.
FIG. 5A shows an example of printing a label 103 having a long logical label length L1. In the example of FIG. 5A, after the leading end of the label 103 is detected by the label detector 63 and the trailing end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61, the leading end of the label 103 is close to the final printing position P4. It is in. In this case, when the end 100A is detected, the control unit 10 determines whether printing is possible in steps S21 to S22 in FIG. In the example of FIG. 5A, as described in the above equation (4), printing can be completed when the winding unit 23 is not used, and printing cannot be completed when the winding unit 23 is used. When the printing cannot be completed, the control unit 10 discharges the label 103 without printing, so that waste of ink can be prevented.

  In the example of FIG. 5B, a large number of labels 103 that are shorter than the length LA are arranged on the label paper 100. As shown in FIG. 5B, when the end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61, the control unit 10 can print the label 103 (labels 103A and 103B) already detected by the label detector 63. It is determined whether or not. For example, when it is determined that the label 103B cannot be printed, the control unit 10 discharges the label sheet 100 after completing the printing of the label 103A. In this case, since printing is not performed on the label 103B that cannot be printed, waste of ink can be prevented. Furthermore, since it is not determined whether printing is possible for the labels 103C and 103D positioned after the label 103B, processing can be performed efficiently.

  In the example of FIG. 5C, the label 103B close to the end 100A is cut. Even in such a case, whether or not printing is possible can be appropriately determined by comparing the remaining length LA of the label paper 100 and the length LB set for each label 103 based on the above-described equation (4). In the example of FIG. 5C, the remaining length LA of the label paper 100 is shortened by cutting the end. On the other hand, the length LB of the label 103B does not change even if the end side of the label 103B is cut. For this reason, it is determined that the label 103B cannot be printed. The control unit 10 can determine whether or not the label 103 is cut by comparing the remaining length LA of the label sheet 100 with the logical label length L1. When it is determined that the label 103 is cut, the control unit 10 may determine that the label 103 cannot be printed without performing the calculation of Expression (4).

  FIG. 6 shows an example in which the previous label 103 </ b> A is being printed when it is determined that the label 103 positioned near the end of the label sheet 100 cannot be printed. In such a case, as described in step S27 of FIG. 4, after the printing of the label 103A is completed, the control unit 10 stops the printing and discharges the paper.

  As described above, the printing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied includes the transport mechanism that transports the label paper 100 having the label 103 that is the print target unit, and the print head that prints on the label 103. The printing apparatus 1 also includes a paper detector 61 that detects the end 100A of the label paper 100 in the conveyance path, and a label detector 63 that detects the label 103. The control unit 10 determines whether printing on the label 103 detected by the label detector 63 can be completed based on the position of the terminal end 100 </ b> A detected by the paper detector 61. When the control unit 10 determines that printing cannot be completed, the control unit 10 stops or avoids printing on the label 103. For example, if the label 103 that has been determined to be unprintable is already being printed, the printing is interrupted. As a result, when printing of the label 103 cannot be completed, printing is stopped or avoided, so unnecessary printing operations can be suppressed, and waste of materials and time required for printing can be saved.

Further, the control unit 10 determines whether or not printing is possible for the label 103 detected by the label detector 63 before the end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61 after the end 100A is detected by the paper detector 61. . For this reason, it is possible to determine whether printing is possible for the label 103 that has passed the detection position of the label detector 63 before the paper detector 61 detects the end 100A.
In addition, a plurality of labels 103 having a predetermined length are arranged side by side in the transport direction on the label sheet 100, and the control unit 10 determines other labels positioned upstream from the label 103 that is determined to be unable to complete printing. No determination is made for 103. For this reason, when there is a label 103 that cannot be printed, the label 103 scheduled to be printed after that is not determined, and operations other than printing can be executed promptly. For example, when there is a label 103 that cannot be printed due to a shortage of the remaining length of the label paper 100, it is obvious that the label 103 printed after that cannot be printed. In such a case, the efficiency of processing can be improved by not performing the determination. Further, the label paper 100 can be processed efficiently, for example, when a label 103 that cannot be printed normally is discharged immediately.

Further, in the process of determining whether or not printing on the label 103 is possible, the control unit 10 determines whether or not the label sheet 100 can be conveyed until printing on the label 103 is completed based on the position of the end 100A. For this reason, when the remaining length of the label paper 100 is insufficient, it can be quickly determined that printing cannot be completed, and whether or not printing on the label 103 can be appropriately determined.
Further, the control unit 10 makes a determination based on the set value of the remaining length of the label paper 100 necessary for transporting the label paper 100 until printing on the label 103 is completed. The set value of the remaining length of the label paper 100 is, for example, the remaining required length described above. The control unit 10 can appropriately determine whether or not printing on the label 103 is possible based on values set in advance and stored in the storage unit 12.
Further, the printing apparatus 1 can be equipped with a winding unit 23 that collects the printed label paper 100 downstream of the print head. In the embodiment, the winding unit 23 can be attached to the paper discharge port 22. The control unit 10 makes a determination based on the setting value of the remaining necessary length of the label paper 100 corresponding to whether or not the winding unit 23 is attached. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately determine whether printing on the label 103 is possible, taking into account the influence of the presence or absence of the winding unit 23.

The above-described embodiment is merely an aspect of the present invention, and can be arbitrarily modified and applied within the scope of the present invention.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example in which the leading end of the label 103 is detected by the label detector 63 provided in the transport path 110 has been described. The present invention is not limited to this. For example, a black mark attached to the label paper 100 may be detected by the label detector 63, and an optical sensor for detecting the black mark is used as the label detector 63. May be provided separately. The black mark is a black or dark mark indicating the position of the label 103 on the label paper 100, and may be attached to the front surface or the back surface of the label paper 100. The label detector 63 or the additional optical sensor may be provided above or below the conveyance path 110 corresponding to the position of the black mark.
Further, although the winding unit 23 has been described as an example of a collecting device that collects the label paper 100 printed by the printing apparatus 1, the collecting apparatus is a label paper 100 that is discharged from the paper discharge port 22 of the printing apparatus 1. The specific configuration is arbitrary as long as it can be collected. For example, a collection device including a roller that holds the label paper 100 outside the paper discharge port 22 and a storage unit that stores the label paper 100 in a folded state or a rolled state may be provided.

  In the above embodiment, the configuration in which the printing apparatus 1 performs printing based on the print data received from the host PC 5 has been described as an example. However, the printing apparatus 1 prints built-in image data, character data, and the like. It may be a stand-alone printer. In the above embodiment, an inkjet printer has been described as an example. However, the configuration of the printing apparatus 1 is not particularly limited, and can be applied to a dot impact printer, a thermal printer, a laser printer, and the like. Each functional block shown in FIG. 1 can be arbitrarily realized by cooperation of hardware and software, and does not suggest a specific hardware configuration. The control unit 10 may execute various operations by executing a program stored in a storage medium externally connected to the printing apparatus 1.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus, 10 ... Control part, 12 ... Memory | storage part, 13 ... Operation detection part, 14, 15 ... Sensor drive part, 21 ... Print medium accommodating part, 22 ... Paper discharge port, 23 ... Winding unit (collection apparatus) , 35... Platen, 37... Cutter unit, 40... Print head, 50... Transport motor, 61... Paper detector (first detector), 63 ... Label detector (second detector), 100. Paper (printing medium), 103... Label (print target part), 110.

Claims (6)

A transport mechanism for transporting a print medium having a print target portion;
A print head for printing on the print target portion;
A first detection unit that detects an end of the print medium in a conveyance path of the print medium;
A second detection unit for detecting the print target unit in the conveyance path;
Based on the end position of the print medium detected by the first detection unit, it is determined whether printing on the print target unit detected by the second detection unit can be completed, and the print target A control unit that controls the print head to stop printing on the print target part or not to print on the print target part when it is determined that printing on the part cannot be completed,
The controller is
Holding position information in the transport path of the print target portion detected by the second detection portion before the end of the print medium is detected by the first detection portion;
After termination of the printing medium is detected by the first detector, the position of the end of said detected print media, and on the basis of the position information of the printed portion to be retained, to the printed portion And determining whether or not printing can be completed. The print medium includes a first print target part, and a second print target part located upstream of the first print target part in the transport direction of the print medium,
When the control unit determines that printing on the first print target unit cannot be completed, the control unit does not determine whether printing on the second print target unit can be completed. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 . The control unit determines whether or not printing on the print target unit can be completed based on the position of the end of the print medium detected by the first detection unit. the printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 to determine, whether it is possible to transport the print medium until printing is completed, and wherein. The control unit performs printing on the print target unit based on a setting value set as a remaining length of the print medium necessary for conveying the print medium until printing on the print target unit is completed. printing apparatus according to any one of determining whether to complete the claim 1, wherein 3. A transport mechanism for transporting a print medium having a print target portion;
A print head for printing on the print target portion;
A first detection unit that detects an end of the print medium in a conveyance path of the print medium;
A second detection unit for detecting the print target unit in the conveyance path;
Based on the end position of the print medium detected by the first detection unit, it is determined whether printing on the print target unit detected by the second detection unit can be completed, and the print target A control unit that controls the print head to stop printing on the print target part or not to print on the print target part when it is determined that printing on the part cannot be completed,
A recovery device that recovers the print medium after printing can be attached to the downstream side of the print head in the transport path,
The control unit performs printing on the print target unit based on a setting value set as a remaining length of the print medium necessary for conveying the print medium until printing on the print target unit is completed. Determine if it can be completed,
A printing apparatus that performs determination based on the set value corresponding to whether or not the collecting apparatus is attached. When transporting and printing a print medium having a print target part,
A detection step of detecting an end of the print medium and the print target portion in a conveyance path of the print medium ;
Based on the position of the end of the printing medium detected by the detecting step includes a determination step of determining whether it can complete the printing on the print target portion to be detected, and
The determination step holds position information on the transport path of the print target portion detected before the end of the print medium is detected,
Whether or not printing on the print target part can be completed based on the detected position of the end of the print medium and the position information of the held print target part after the end of the print medium is detected Judgment,
When it is determined that printing on the print target part cannot be completed, printing on the print target part is stopped, or printing on the print target part is not performed,
A control method for a printing apparatus.

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