JP7129213B2 - thermal printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to thermal printers.

Conventionally, when the transfer speed of the long film transferred by the film transfer device differs, the transfer of the long film is separated from the film transfer device so that the transfer speed of the long film supplied to the printer is kept constant. A configured printer is known (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-200012). The printer described in Patent Document 1 positions a pair of dancer rollers at a neutral position based on the position information of the pair of dancer rollers arranged upstream and downstream of the printer in order to suppress the expansion and contraction of the long film. The rotation speed of the speed control roller arranged upstream or downstream of the pair of dancer rollers is controlled so as to allow the rotation of the rollers.

Japanese Patent No. 5859675

In a thermal printer configured to separate the transport of a long film from a film transport device by vertically moving a pair of dancer rollers, when the pair of dancer rollers moves to a position outside the movable range, the length of the It may not be able to handle the transfer speed of the length film. Further, when the thermal printer performs printing while controlling the positions of the pair of dancer rollers, the control of the thermal printer tends to be complicated.
Therefore, a thermal printer is desired that can print at a predetermined printing speed according to the feeding speed of the long film with simple control.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal printer capable of printing at a predetermined printing speed according to the transport speed of a long film with simple control.

The present invention is a thermal printer that prints a printing portion on a long film transported from upstream to downstream, wherein the long film is arranged between a print head and the print head. a print receiving roller rotatable while winding at least a part of the long film around its peripheral surface in a state in which the print receiving roller is rotatable; an upstream moving roller that is movable on the upstream side of the print receiving roller so as to change the length of the transport path of the long film; a downstream-side moving roller that guides on the side and is movable so as to change the length of the transport path of the long film on the downstream side of the print receiving roller; and the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller. A link mechanism for interlocking and moving a long film while maintaining the rotational speed of the print receiving roller according to the speed difference between the transport speed of the long film and the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller during rotation. The length of the transfer path of the long film is adjusted, and during printing, the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are positioned as a reference when the transfer speed of the long film is the same as the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller. a low-speed transfer position moved from the reference position when the transfer speed of the long film is lower than the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller; and the transfer speed of the long film is lower than the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller. a link mechanism portion that can be positioned at a high-speed transfer position moved from the reference position when the printing speed is too high; During printing, the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are moved from the reference position to the low speed transfer position or the high speed transfer position. and a controller for rotating the print receiving roller at a predetermined speed when possible.

Further, an upstream vertical slit into which a rotating shaft member of the upstream moving roller is inserted so as to move the upstream moving roller in the vertical direction, and the downstream moving roller so as to move the downstream moving roller in the vertical direction. and a support plate having a downstream vertical slit into which the rotation shaft member of is inserted, the link mechanism section has a link member rotatable around the rotation shaft, and the link member is connected to the upstream side An upstream crossing slit into which a rotary shaft member of the moving roller is inserted and extending in a direction crossing the upstream vertical slit, and a downstream side into which the rotary shaft member of the downstream moving roller is inserted and extending in a direction crossing the downstream vertical slit It is preferred to have side cross slits.

Further, a position detection sensor capable of detecting positions of the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller from a reference position is further provided, and the control unit controls the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller during non-printing. When moving the rollers to the reference positions, the print receiving rollers are rotated based on the position information detected by the position detection sensor so as to move the upstream moving rollers and the downstream moving rollers to the reference positions. Control is preferred.

Further, the link member includes a horizontal member extending in the horizontal direction and a vertical member extending downward from the middle of the horizontal member in the horizontal direction when the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are positioned at the reference position. The link mechanism further includes a weight connected to the lower side of the vertical member and rotated about the rotation axis so as to move the link member to a reference position by gravity. It is preferable to have

Moreover, it is preferable that the link mechanism section further includes a drawing member that is arranged below the vertical member and draws the weight section by a magnetic force so as to move the link member to a reference position.

a motor capable of rotating the print receiving roller; and a motor provided between the motor and the print receiving roller. It is preferable to further include a clutch capable of switching from a connected state in which the rotational driving force from the motor is transmitted to the print receiving roller to a non-connected state in which it is not transmitted to the print receiving roller.

Further, when the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are moved to the reference position during non-printing, the control unit moves the long film from the downstream side to the upstream side. The receiving roller can be rotated in the forward rotation direction, and/or the print receiving roller can be rotated in the reverse direction opposite to the forward rotation direction so as to move the long film from the upstream side to the downstream side. It is preferable to be able to rotate in any direction.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a thermal printer capable of printing at a predetermined printing speed according to the feeding speed of a long film with simple control.

1 is a front view illustrating the overall configuration of a thermal printer 1 according to one embodiment of the invention; FIG. FIG. 2 is a view of the thermal printer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from arrow A in FIG. 1; 3 is a diagram showing details of a link mechanism unit 7; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the upstream link roller 61, the downstream link roller 62, and the link mechanism section 7 when the transport speed of the long film F is low. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the upstream link roller 61, the downstream link roller 62, and the link mechanism section 7 when the transport speed of the long film F is high. FIG.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating the overall configuration of a thermal printer 1 according to one embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a view of the thermal printer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention as viewed from arrow A in FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the details of the link mechanism section 7. As shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the upstream link roller 61, the downstream link roller 62, and the link mechanism section 7 when the transport speed of the long film F is low. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the upstream link roller 61, the downstream link roller 62, and the link mechanism section 7 when the transport speed of the long film F is high.

In the following description and drawings, the direction in which the upstream guide roller 81 and the downstream guide roller 82 are separated from each other is also referred to as the X direction in this embodiment. One side in the X direction (the right side in FIGS. 1 and 2 to 5) is also called the X1 side, and the other side in the X direction (the left side in FIGS. 1 and 2 to 5) is also called the X2 side. The vertical direction is also referred to as the vertical direction Z, and the width direction of the long film F and the direction orthogonal to the X direction and the Z direction is also referred to as the Y direction.

The thermal printer 1 of the present embodiment is used, for example, in a printing process of a packaging machine that transports a long film F to package an object to be packaged. placed in the middle. Note that the equipment using the thermal printer 1 of the present embodiment is not limited to the packaging machine.

In this embodiment, when the thermal printer 1 performs a printing operation on the long film F, the long film F is transferred by a film transfer section (not shown) of a packaging machine (not shown). The long film F is transported at a transport speed of, for example, 20 m/min, a low transport speed (eg, 0 to 19 m/min), or a high transport speed (eg, 21 to 40 m/min). There is also

The long film F is formed in a long shape, and as shown in FIG. It is transported and discharged downstream of the thermal printer 1 (X1 side in the X direction).

The thermal printer 1 prints a print portion (not shown) on a long long film F transported from the upstream side toward the downstream side. The thermal printer 1, as shown in FIG. (downstream side moving roller), link mechanism section 7 , upstream side guide roller 81 , downstream side guide roller 82 , mark detection sensor 83 , and control section 10 .

The printer main body 2 is arranged on the upper side with respect to the transport path of the long film F in the middle of the transport path of the long film F. As shown in FIG. The printer main body 2 is configured to be movable in the Y direction along the guide rails 25, as shown in FIG.

The printer body 2 includes a thermal head 21 (print head), a holding frame 22, and a ribbon transport mechanism 3, as shown in FIG. The holding frame 22 holds the ribbon transport mechanism 3 and the thermal head 21 .

The thermal head 21 prints a print portion (not shown) on the long film F that is moved from the upstream side toward the downstream side. As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal head 21 is arranged to face the platen roller 4 with the ink ribbon R and the long film F of the ribbon transport mechanism 3 interposed therebetween.

The thermal head 21 is arranged so that the tip side protrudes downward. The thermal head 21 has a plurality of heating elements at its tip. Desired heating elements of the thermal head 21 generate heat when the thermal printer 1 energizes the thermal head 21 .

The thermal head 21 is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z, and is configured to be movable with respect to the platen roller 4 to a standby position separated from the platen roller 4 or a pressing position (see FIG. 1) to press the platen roller 4 . be.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ribbon conveying mechanism 3 includes an original side ribbon holder 31 that holds a wound unused ink ribbon R, a winding side ribbon holder 32 that winds up the ink ribbon R, and a plurality of A guide roller 33 is provided. The ribbon transport mechanism 3 transports the unused ink ribbon R wound around the original side ribbon holder 31 toward the thermal head 21, and transports the used ink ribbon R from the thermal head 21 to the take-up side ribbon holder. Transport to 32. The plurality of guide rollers 33 are rollers that guide the ink ribbon R conveyed from the original side ribbon holder 31 toward the take-up side ribbon holder 32 .

The platen roller 4 is arranged to face the thermal head 21 with the ink ribbon R and the long film F interposed therebetween. The platen roller 4 can rotate while winding at least a part of the long film F around its peripheral surface in a state where the long film F is arranged between the platen roller 4 and the thermal head 21 . The platen roller 4 is a cylindrical roller having a predetermined outer diameter and having an elastic layer made of a material having predetermined elasticity such as silicone rubber formed on the peripheral surface of a metal core bar having a predetermined diameter. The platen roller 4 has a platen roller body 41 and a platen shaft member 42 .

By moving the thermal head 21 from the standby position toward the pressing position (see FIG. 1), the ink ribbon R is pressed against the long film F and the platen roller 4 side. As the long film F is moved along the transfer path, the ink ribbon R, which is in contact with the desired heating elements that generate heat on the surface of the platen roller 4, is moved while being in contact with the long film F. As a result, the thermal printer 1 adheres the ink applied to the ink ribbon R to the long film F, and prints a printing portion (not shown).

The motor 44 is connected to the platen shaft member 42 of the platen roller 4 via the clutch 43, as shown in FIG. A motor 44 can rotationally drive the platen roller 4 .

A clutch 43 is provided between the motor 44 and the platen roller 4 . The clutch 43 can be switched between a connected state in which the rotational driving force from the motor 44 is transmitted to the platen roller 4 and a non-connected state in which it is not transmitted to the platen roller 4 . In this embodiment, the clutch 43 is, for example, an electromagnetic clutch, and is controlled by the controller 10, which will be described later.

The mark detection sensor 83 is arranged to face the side of the platen roller 4 on the X2 side in the X direction, as shown in FIG. The mark detection sensor 83 detects a plurality of marks (reference marks) printed at predetermined intervals on the long film F introduced into the platen roller 4 on the side of the platen roller 4 . A mark detection signal output from the mark detection sensor 83 is input to the control unit 10 .

The pinch roller 5 is arranged on the X1 side of the platen roller 4 in the X direction, as shown in FIG. The pinch roller 5 presses toward the surface of the platen roller 4 by being biased by a spring member (not shown) on the downstream side of the platen roller 4 in the transport direction P of the long film F. As shown in FIG.

The upstream link roller 61 guides the long film F on the upstream side of the platen roller 4 and changes the length from the upstream guide roller 81 to the platen roller 4 in the transfer path of the long film F. It is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z.
The downstream link roller 62 guides the long film F on the downstream side of the platen roller 4 and changes the length from the platen roller 4 to the downstream guide roller 82 in the transfer path of the long film F. It is configured to be movable in the vertical direction Z.
The upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 constitute so-called dancer rollers that are movable in the vertical direction Z, respectively.

The upstream guide roller 81 guides the long film F on the upstream side of the upstream link roller 61 .
The downstream guide roller 82 guides the long film F downstream of the downstream link roller 62 .

Here, the transfer path of the long film F introduced into the thermal printer 1 by the film transfer section (not shown) of the packaging machine (not shown) will be described.
As shown in FIG. 1, the long film F is introduced into the thermal printer 1 from the X2 side in the X direction of the thermal printer 1, is transported obliquely upward, and is moved upward along the X2 side of the upstream guide roller 81 in the X direction. Introduced from the side laterally. The long film F introduced into the upstream guide roller 81 is wrapped around the upper side of the outer peripheral surface of the upstream guide roller 81 for about half a turn, and is pushed downward from the side of the upstream guide roller 81 on the X1 side in the X direction. is derived towards

The long film F drawn downward from the X1 side of the upstream guide roller 81 in the X direction is introduced from the X2 side of the upstream link roller 61 in the X direction. The long film F introduced from the X2 side of the upstream link roller 61 in the X direction is drawn upward from the X1 side of the upstream link roller 61 in the X direction. The long film F drawn upward from the X1 side of the upstream link roller 61 in the X direction is introduced from the X2 side of the platen roller 4 in the X direction.

The long film F introduced from the side of the platen roller 4 on the X2 side in the X direction is wound around the upper side of the outer peripheral surface of the platen roller 4 for half a turn, is derived downward from The long film F drawn downward from the X1 side of the platen roller 4 in the X direction is introduced from the X2 side of the downstream link roller 62 in the X direction. The long film F introduced from the side of the downstream link roller 62 on the X2 side in the X direction is wound around the lower side of the outer peripheral surface of the downstream link roller 62 for half a turn, and moves to the downstream link roller 62 in the X direction. is derived upward from the side of the X1 side of the .

The long film F drawn upward from the X1 side of the downstream link roller 62 in the X direction is introduced from the X2 side of the downstream guide roller 82 in the X direction. The long film F introduced from the X2 side of the downstream guide roller 82 in the X direction is led out obliquely downward from the X2 side of the downstream guide roller 82 in the X direction.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are configured to move in conjunction with each other in the vertical direction Z by the link mechanism section 7, which will be described later. When the platen roller 4 rotates at a predetermined speed, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are interlocked with each other by the link mechanism unit 7 to correspond to the transfer speed of the long film F, and move the support plate. It moves in the vertical direction Z along the upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112 extending in the vertical direction Z formed in 11 .

The upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112 are formed apart in the X direction of the platen roller 4 in the pair of support plates 11 and extend in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of support plates 11 are plate members spaced apart in the Y direction.

As shown in FIG. 3 , the rotating shaft member of the upstream link roller 61 is inserted into the upstream vertical slit 111 so that the upstream link roller 61 can move in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG. The rotary shaft member of the downstream link roller 62 is inserted into the downstream vertical slit 112 so that the downstream link roller 62 can move in the vertical direction Z. As shown in FIG.

The link mechanism section 7 is a mechanism that moves the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 in conjunction with each other. The link mechanism 7 moves the long film F along the transport path while maintaining the rotation speed of the platen roller 4 according to the speed difference between the transport speed of the long film F and the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation. , the length of the transfer path of the long film F is adjusted so that the length from the upstream guide roller 81 to the downstream guide roller 82 does not change.

As shown in FIG. 3, the link mechanism 7 includes a pair of T-shaped link members 71 (link members) formed in a T-shape in a front view (when viewed in the Y direction), and a rotating shaft member. 74, a weight portion 75, a pair of magnet portions 76 (attracting members), and a rotation angle detection sensor 77 (position detection sensor).

A pair of T-shaped link members 71 are arranged apart from each other in the Y direction, as shown in FIG.
The T-shaped link member 71 is rotatable around a rotation axis J of a rotation shaft member 74 (described later).
As shown in FIG. 3, the T-shaped link member 71 includes a lateral member 72 extending laterally when the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are positioned at a reference position (described later, see FIG. 3). , and a vertical member 73 extending downward from the center (middle) of the horizontal member 72 in the horizontal direction.

As shown in FIG. 3, the horizontal member 72 has upstream horizontal slits 721 (upstream crossing slits) and downstream horizontal slits 722 (downstream side slits) that are separated in the X direction across the central portion of the horizontal member 72 . crossed slits). The upstream lateral slit 721 and the downstream lateral slit 722 are spaced apart in the lateral direction of the lateral member 72 . The upstream horizontal slit 721 and the downstream horizontal slit 722 extend in the horizontal direction when the T-shaped link member 71 is positioned at the reference position (described later, see FIG. 3).

The upstream horizontal slit 721 is formed so as to extend in a direction crossing the upstream vertical slit 111 formed in the support plate 11, and the rotary shaft member of the upstream link roller 61 is inserted therein. The rotating shaft member of the upstream link roller 61 inserted into the upstream horizontal slit 721 is also inserted into the upstream vertical slit 111. By rotating the T-shaped link member 71 around the rotation axis J, It moves along the upstream horizontal slit 721 and the upstream vertical slit 111 .

The downstream horizontal slit 722 is formed to extend in a direction crossing the downstream vertical slit 112 formed in the support plate 11, and the rotating shaft member of the downstream link roller 62 is inserted therein. The rotating shaft member of the downstream link roller 62 inserted into the downstream horizontal slit 722 is also inserted into the downstream vertical slit 112, and the T-shaped link member 71 rotates around the rotation axis J, It moves along the downstream horizontal slit 722 and the downstream vertical slit 112 .

The rotary shaft member of the upstream link roller 61 is movable along the upstream horizontal slit 721 and the upstream vertical slit 111 , and the rotary shaft member of the downstream link roller 62 is movable along the downstream horizontal slit 722 and the downstream vertical slit 112 . Since the T-shaped link member 71 rotates about the rotation axis J, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved vertically. That is, the downstream link roller 62 is moved downward by the same distance as the upstream link roller 61 moved upward. The downstream link roller 62 is moved upward by the same distance that the upstream link roller 61 is moved downward.

The rotary shaft member 74 is connected to the center of the horizontal member 72 of the T-shaped link member 71 and supports the T-shaped link member 71 so as to be rotatable around the rotary shaft J. As shown in FIG. The rotating shaft member 74 is formed extending in the Y direction. A pair of T-shaped link members 71 are connected to both ends of the rotating shaft member 74 .

When the thermal printer 1 is not printing, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are interlocked by the link mechanism 7 by rotating the platen roller 4 while the clutch 43 is controlled to be connected. Then, it moves in the vertical direction Z so as to be positioned at the reference position (see FIGS. 1 and 3) corresponding to the transport speed of the long film F. As shown in FIG.

The reference position is a position where the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are positioned at the start of the printing operation by controlling the rotation of the platen roller 4 during non-printing. The reference position is a position that can be moved to either the low speed transfer position (see FIG. 4) or the high speed transfer position (see FIG. 5) during printing. The reference position is the position at which the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are positioned when the transport speed of the long film F is the same as the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during printing. When the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 and the transfer speed of the long film F are the same, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are maintained at the reference position, and the transfer speed of the long film F is equal to that of the platen roller. When the circumferential speed is slower than the rotation of the platen roller 4, it is moved to the low-speed transfer position, and when it is faster than the rotation of the platen roller 4, it is moved to the high-speed transfer position.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the reference position is such that the upstream link roller 61 is arranged in the vertical center of the upstream vertical slit 111, and the downstream link roller 62 is positioned downstream. It is a position arranged in the center of the vertical slit 112 in the vertical direction, and is a position where the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are horizontally aligned. The reference position is a position where a horizontal member 72 of a T-shaped link member 71 of the link mechanism portion 7, which will be described later, is arranged so as to extend horizontally. Note that the reference position is not limited to this. For example, the reference position may be a position where the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 form a step.

During printing by the thermal printer 1, the link mechanism unit 7 moves the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 from the upstream guide roller 81 to the downstream guide roller in the transfer path of the long film F (see FIG. 1). It is adjusted so that the length up to 82 does not change, and is moved in the vertical direction Z. The upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are maintained at the reference position (see FIGS. 1 and 3) by the link mechanism portion 7, or at the low speed transfer position (see FIG. 4) or at the high speed transfer position (see FIG. 4). (see FIG. 5).

As shown in FIG. 4, the low-speed transfer position is such that when the transfer speed of the long film F is lower than the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are at the reference position. The position to be moved from the position. In this embodiment, the low-speed transfer position is a position where the upstream link roller 61 has moved upward and a position where the downstream link roller 62 has moved downward from the reference position. The low-speed transfer position is a position in which the horizontal member 72 of the T-shaped link member 71 of the link mechanism portion 7, which will be described later, is arranged so as to incline upward to the left.

As shown in FIG. 5, the high-speed transfer position is such that when the transfer speed of the long film F is higher than the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are at the reference position. The position to be moved from the position. In this embodiment, the high-speed transfer position is a position where the upstream link roller 61 has moved downward and a position where the downstream link roller 62 has moved upward from the reference position. The high-speed transfer position is a position in which the horizontal member 72 of the T-shaped link member 71 of the link mechanism portion 7, which will be described later, is arranged so as to incline upward to the right.

The weight 75 is arranged below the vertical member 73 of the T-shaped link member 71, as shown in FIGS. The weight portion 75 is formed extending in the Y direction, as shown in FIG. Both ends of the weight portion 75 in the Y direction are connected to lower portions of the vertical members 73 of the pair of T-shaped link members 71 . The weight portion 75 rotates around the rotation axis J of the rotating shaft member 74 so as to move the T-shaped link member 71 to the reference position by gravity. As a result, when only gravity acts on the T-shaped link member 71, the weight 75 tends to move downward due to its own weight. easy to be located.

The pair of magnet portions 76 are spaced apart in the Y direction and arranged below the weight portion 75 near both ends in the Y direction. The magnet portion 76 is arranged below the vertical member 73 of the T-shaped link member 71 and attracts the weight portion 75 by magnetic force so as to move the T-shaped link member 71 to the reference position.

In this embodiment, the weight portion 75 is made of metal that is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet portion 76 . As a result, when the weight portion 75 moves downward, it is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet portion 76, so the weight portion 75 is easily guided downward, and the T-shaped link member 71 is easily positioned at the reference position. .

The rotation angle detection sensor 77 is attached to the axial end of the rotation shaft member 74 and detects the rotation angle of the rotation shaft member 74 . The rotation angle detection sensor 77 can detect the positions of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 from the reference position. A detection signal of the rotational position of the T-shaped link member 71 detected by the rotation angle detection sensor is transmitted to the control unit 10 .

The control unit 10 controls the printing operation of the thermal printer 1 , movement of the printer body 2 in the Y direction, rotation of the platen roller 4 , and operation of the clutch 43 .
The control unit 10 controls the printer body 2 so that the printing unit prints on the long film F based on the print instruction.

During printing, the control unit 10 can move the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 from the reference position to the low speed transfer position or the high speed transfer position while the clutch 43 is connected. , the platen roller 4 is rotated at a predetermined speed. In this embodiment, during printing, the predetermined rotation speed of the platen roller 4 is, for example, a peripheral speed of 20 m/min.

During non-printing, the control unit 10 controls the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 based on rotation angle information (position information) detected by the rotation angle detection sensor 77 while the clutch 43 is in a connected state. to the reference position. When the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved to the reference position during non-printing, the control unit 10 controls the platen roller 4 so as to move the long film F from the downstream side to the upstream side. can be rotated in the forward rotation direction, and the platen roller 4 can be rotated in the reverse rotation direction opposite to the forward rotation direction so as to move the long film F from the upstream side to the downstream side. is.

The control unit 10 controls to switch the clutch 43 from the connected state to the non-connected state or from the non-connected state to the connected state. When the clutch 43 is in the connected state, the platen roller 4 and the motor 44 are connected, and the rotational driving force of the motor 44 is transmitted to the platen roller 4 . When the clutch 43 is in the disengaged state, the platen roller 4 is disconnected from the motor 44 and the rotational driving force of the motor 44 is not transmitted to the platen roller 4 .

For example, the control unit 10 controls the rotation of the platen roller 4 while the clutch 43 is connected in a non-printing operation during standby when the thermal printer 1 does not perform a printing operation. and the downstream link roller 62 to the reference position. When the thermal printer 1 performs a printing operation, the control unit 10 sets the rotation speed of the platen roller 4 to a predetermined rotation speed (for example, a peripheral speed of 20 m/min) while the clutch 43 is connected. The printing operation is executed by moving the thermal head 21 to the pressing position.

Note that the control unit 10 controls the clutch 43 to switch from the connected state to the non-connected state when the system power supply of the thermal printer 1 is turned off. By disengaging the clutch 43 when the system power supply of the thermal printer 1 is turned off, the platen roller 4 is pulled and rotated by the long film F. By decoupling the motor 44 from the rotating motion, the motor 44 can be prevented from being forced to rotate by an external load.

Based on the detection signal of the rotation angle information (position information) of the T-shaped link member 71 detected by the rotation angle detection sensor 77, the control unit 10 controls the T-shaped link member 71 to rotate within a predetermined rotation angle range. Control is performed so that the clutch 43 is switched from the connected state to the non-connected state when it reaches (predetermined movement range). This disconnects the platen roller 4 from the motor 44 . For example, the range of the predetermined rotation angle can be a range in which the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 can move in the upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112, for example. By controlling in this way, when the movable range of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 is reached, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 cannot be moved beyond this range. Therefore, the platen roller 4 can be separated from the motor 44, and the platen roller 4 can be driven by the transport speed of the long film F and rotated. As a result, the motor 44 is separated from the excessive rotation of the platen roller 4 caused by the rotation of the platen roller 4 pulled by the long film F, and the motor 44 is prevented from being forced to rotate by an external load. can.

Next, the operation of the thermal printer 1 according to the invention will be described.
First, the operation of the thermal printer 1 during printing will be described. When the system power supply of the thermal printer 1 is turned off, the clutch 43 is controlled to be in a non-connected state. By switching the system power supply of the thermal printer 1 from OFF to ON, the control unit 10 controls the clutch 43 to switch from the non-connected state to the connected state.

In this embodiment, at the start of the printing operation of the thermal printer 1, the upstream side link roller 61 and the downstream side link roller 61 are controlled by control during non-printing when the thermal printer 1 is on standby, which will be described later, in the connected state in which the clutch 43 is connected. The side link roller 62 is positioned at the reference position and waits until the next print signal is received.

Here, the non-printing operation during standby after the printing operation of the thermal printer 1 is completed will be described.
When the thermal printer 1 completes the printing operation, the control unit 10 performs the non-printing operation while the clutch 43 is connected during standby. The control unit 10 controls the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 61 based on rotation angle information (position information) of the T-shaped link member 71 detected by the rotation angle detection sensor 77 during non-printing during standby. The rotation of the platen roller 4 is controlled so that 62 moves to the reference position. In this embodiment, the reference position is the position where the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are horizontally aligned. As a result, the controller 10 accelerates or decelerates the long film F by controlling the rotation of the platen roller 4, and the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 10 are rotated until a print signal for the next printing is received. Control is continued so that 62 is positioned at the reference position. As shown in FIG. 1, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 continue to be controlled to be positioned at the reference position during non-printing. , is placed in a movable position. This non-printing operation is performed during standby after the printing operation is finished.

Next, the printing operation of the thermal printer 1 will be explained.
The thermal printer 1 receives a print signal during standby and executes an operation of printing by the printing unit. The control unit 10 continues control to position the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 at the reference positions during non-printing during standby. When the thermal printer 1 prints the printed portion on the long film F, the platen roller 4 rotates at a predetermined rotational speed (for example, a peripheral speed of 20 m/min) while the clutch 43 is connected. The print operation is performed with the The transfer speed of the long film F transferred by the film transfer section (not shown) of the packaging machine (not shown) can be changed, and may change.

Here, in the present embodiment, the rotation speed of the platen roller 4 is constant at a predetermined rotation speed (for example, a peripheral speed of 20 m/min) during execution of the printing operation. Therefore, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are interlocked by the link mechanism 7 when the transfer speed of the long film F is faster or slower than the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation. It moves in the vertical direction Z in the upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112 . As a result, when the transport speed of the long film F is slower or faster than the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, the transport control during printing of the long film F in the thermal printer 1 can be controlled by the packaging machine (not shown). ) can be separated from the transfer control of the long film F by the film transfer section (not shown).

For example, when the transfer speed of the long film F is slower than the circumferential speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, the link mechanism 7 moves from the reference position (see FIG. 1) to the low speed transfer speed as shown in FIG. position (see FIG. 4). As a result, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are interlocked by the link mechanism portion 7, the upstream link roller 61 moves above the reference position, and the downstream link roller 62 moves above the reference position. Move down.

Further, for example, when the transfer speed of the long film F is faster than the circumferential speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, as shown in FIG. It is moved to the transfer position (see FIG. 5). As a result, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are interlocked by the link mechanism portion 7, the upstream link roller 61 moves below the reference position, and the downstream link roller 62 moves below the reference position. Move upwards.

In this way, when printing the printing part on the long film F, regardless of the transfer speed of the long film F transferred by the film transfer part (not shown) of the packaging machine (not shown), the link mechanism 7, while maintaining the rotation speed of the platen roller 4 according to the speed difference between the transfer speed of the long film F and the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, the rollers are shifted from the upstream guide roller 81 to the downstream guide roller. It can be adjusted so that the length of the transfer path of the long film F up to 82 does not change. As a result, even when the transport speed of the long film F and the peripheral speed of the platen roller 4 are different, printing can be performed at a constant printing speed, and the printing unit can be stably moved to the long film F. can be printed.

Here, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 move in the vertical direction Z along the upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112 . The movement range of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 is the range of the upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112 . When the movement range of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 reaches the movable range of the upstream vertical slit 111 and the downstream vertical slit 112, the control unit 10 changes the clutch 43 from the connected state to the non-connected state. Control to switch.

When the clutch 43 is in the disengaged state, the platen roller 4 is disconnected from the driving of the motor 44 . As a result, the platen roller 4 is in a state of being disconnected from the rotational drive of the motor 44, so that when the long film F to be wound around moves, the long film F moves along with the movement of the long film F. It rotates following the movement of . As a result, the motor 44 is separated from the excessive rotation of the platen roller 4 caused by the rotation of the platen roller 4 pulled by the long film F, and the motor 44 is prevented from being forced to rotate by an external load. can.

After the printing operation is completed, the thermal printer 1 waits by executing the operation during non-printing during standby as described above. As a result, the control unit 10 performs the operation during non-printing and waits, thereby continuing the control of positioning the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 at the reference positions. Therefore, at the time of the next printing, regardless of whether the transfer speed of the long film F by the film transfer section (not shown) of the packaging machine (not shown) is slower or faster than the peripheral speed during rotation of the platen roller 4. , a wide range of transport speeds for the long film F. Therefore, by repeating the operation during printing and the operation during non-printing, the printing unit can stably print during printing.

According to the thermal printer 1 of this embodiment, for example, the following effects are achieved.
The thermal printer 1 of this embodiment includes a thermal head 21, a platen roller 4, and an upstream link roller 61 that is movable upstream of the platen roller 4 so as to change the length of the transfer path of the long film F. , a downstream link roller 62 movable to change the length of the transfer path of the long film F on the downstream side of the platen roller 4, and the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved in conjunction with each other. In the link mechanism 7, the long film F Link mechanism unit 7 capable of adjusting the length of the transfer path and positioning the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 at the reference position, the low speed transfer position, and the high speed transfer position during printing , the rotation of the platen roller 4 is controlled so as to move the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 to the reference position during non-printing, and the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are controlled during printing. from the reference position to the low-speed transfer position or the high-speed transfer position, and rotates the platen roller 4 at a predetermined speed.

Therefore, since the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved to the reference position during non-printing, they are arranged in a position where they can move in both the vertical direction during the next printing. Therefore, in the next printing, even if the transfer speed of the long film F by the film transfer section (not shown) of the packaging machine (not shown) is slower than the circumferential speed of the platen roller 4 during rotation, the platen roller 4 Even when the transfer speed of the long film F by the film transfer unit (not shown) of the packaging machine (not shown) is faster than the peripheral speed during rotation of the , the transfer speed of the long film F can be widely handled. As a result, the printing unit can be stably printed during printing.

Further, in this embodiment, a rotation angle detection sensor 77 capable of detecting the positions of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 from the reference position is further provided. When the link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved to the reference position, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved based on the rotation angle information (position information) detected by the rotation angle detection sensor 77. The rotation of the platen roller 4 is controlled so as to move it to the reference position. As a result, the rotation angle information detected by the rotation angle detection sensor 77 can be used to easily return the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 to the reference positions.

Further, in this embodiment, the T-shaped link member 71 includes a horizontal member 72 extending in the horizontal direction and a horizontal and a vertical member 73 extending downward from the middle of the direction. It further has a weight portion 75 that rotates around the rotation axis J. As a result, the weight portion 75 tends to move downward due to its own weight, so that the T-shaped link member 71 can easily be positioned at the reference position. Therefore, the T-shaped link member 71 can be easily positioned at the reference position.

In this embodiment, the link mechanism section 7 further has a magnet section 76 that is arranged below the vertical member 73 and attracts the weight section 75 by magnetic force so as to move the T-shaped link member 71 to the reference position. As a result, the T-shaped link member 71 can be easily positioned at the reference position by the magnet portion 76 .

Further, in the present embodiment, a motor 44 capable of rotationally driving the platen roller 4 is provided between the motor 44 and the platen roller 4, and is provided within a predetermined movement range of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62. and a clutch 43 capable of switching from a connected state in which the rotational driving force from the motor 44 is transmitted to the platen roller 4 to a non-connected state in which the rotational driving force from the motor 44 is not transmitted to the platen roller 4 when the clutch 43 reaches the platen roller 4 . Therefore, even when the transfer speed of the long film F is too fast or too slow, the platen roller 4 is controlled by the motor 44 when the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 reach the movable range. can be separated from As a result, movement beyond the movable range of the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 can be suppressed, and an excessive load such as being forced to rotate by an external load can be reduced.

In the present embodiment, when the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved to the reference position during non-printing, the control unit 10 directs the long film F from the downstream side to the upstream side. The platen roller 4 can be rotated in the forward rotation direction so as to move the long film F from the upstream side to the downstream side. It is possible to rotate in the direction of rotation. As a result, when the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are moved to the reference position during non-printing, by rotating the platen roller 4 in the forward rotation direction or the reverse rotation direction, the upstream link roller 61 and the downstream link roller 62 are rotated. The downstream link roller 62 can be easily moved to the reference position.

Although preferred embodiments have been described above, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without being limited to the above-described embodiments.
For example, in the above-described embodiment, the weight portion 75 is made of metal that is attracted by the magnetic force of the magnet portion 76, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, magnets and metals may be reversed. That is, a magnet may be used instead of the weight portion 75 of the above embodiment, and a metal that is attracted to the magnet may be used instead of the magnet portion 76 of the above embodiment. Further, for example, the magnet portion 76 of the above embodiment may be used as it is, and a magnet attracted by the magnet portion 76 may be used instead of the weight portion 75 of the above embodiment.

1 thermal printer 4 platen roller (print receiving roller)
7 link mechanism 10 control unit 11 support plate 21 thermal head (print head)
43 clutch 44 motor 61 upstream link roller (upstream moving roller)
62 downstream link roller (downstream moving roller)
71 T-shaped link member (link member)
72 horizontal member 73 vertical member 75 weight portion 76 magnet portion (attracting member)
77 rotation angle detection sensor (position detection sensor)
111 upstream vertical slit 112 downstream vertical slit 721 upstream horizontal slit (upstream cross slit)
722 downstream side slit (downstream cross slit)
F long film

Claims (6)

A thermal printer that prints a printing portion on a long film that is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side,
a print head;
a print receiving roller rotatable while winding at least a portion of the long film around its peripheral surface in a state where the long film is arranged between the print head;
The long film transported toward the print receiving roller is guided on the upstream side of the print receiving roller and is movable to change the length of the transport path of the long film on the upstream side of the print receiving roller. an upstream moving roller,
A downstream that guides the long film transported from the print receiving roller on the downstream side of the print receiving roller and is movable to change the length of the transport path of the long film on the downstream side of the print receiving roller a side-moving roller;
A link mechanism for vertically moving the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller in conjunction with each other according to the speed difference between the transport speed of the long film and the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller during rotation. to adjust the length of the transport path of the long film while maintaining the rotational speed of the print receiving roller, and during printing, the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are used to transport the long film. A reference position that is positioned when the speed is the same as the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller, and a low-speed transfer position that is moved from the reference position when the transfer speed of the long film is lower than the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller. , a high-speed transfer position moved from the reference position when the transfer speed of the long film is faster than the peripheral speed of the print receiving roller;
an upstream vertical slit into which a rotating shaft member of the upstream moving roller is inserted so as to vertically move the upstream moving roller; and rotation of the downstream moving roller so as to vertically move the downstream moving roller. a support plate having a downstream vertical slit into which the shaft member is inserted;
During non-printing, the rotation of the print receiving roller is controlled so as to move the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller to the reference position, and during printing, the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller are controlled. from the reference position to the low-speed transfer position or the high-speed transfer position, and rotates the print receiving roller at a predetermined speed ,
The link mechanism section has a link member rotatable around a rotation axis,
The link member includes an upstream cross slit extending in a direction intersecting the upstream vertical slit into which the rotary shaft member of the upstream moving roller is inserted, and an upstream vertical slit into which the rotary shaft member of the downstream moving roller is inserted. a downstream cross slit extending in a direction crossing the slit . further comprising a position detection sensor capable of detecting positions from a reference position of the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller;
When moving the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller to a reference position during non-printing, the control unit controls the upstream-side moving roller and the downstream-side moving roller based on the position information detected by the position detection sensor. 2. A thermal printer according to claim 1 , wherein rotation of said print receiving roller is controlled so as to move said downstream moving roller to a reference position. The link member includes a horizontal member extending in the horizontal direction and a vertical member extending downward from the middle of the horizontal member in the horizontal direction when the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are positioned at the reference position. , formed with
3. The thermal unit according to claim 1 , wherein the link mechanism further comprises a weight connected to the lower side of the vertical member and rotated about the rotation shaft so as to move the link member to a reference position by gravity. printer. 4. A thermal printer according to claim 3 , wherein said link mechanism further comprises a drawing member arranged below said vertical member and drawing said weight by magnetic force so as to move said link member to a reference position. a motor capable of rotationally driving the print receiving roller;
Provided between the motor and the print receiving roller, when the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller reach a predetermined movement range, the rotational driving force from the motor is transmitted to the print receiving roller. 5. The thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a clutch capable of switching from a connected state in which the power is transmitted to the non-connected state in which the power is not transmitted to the print receiving roller. When the upstream moving roller and the downstream moving roller are moved to a reference position during non-printing, the control unit moves the print receiving roller so as to move the long film from the upstream side to the downstream side . can be rotated in the forward rotation direction, and/or the print receiving roller can be rotated in the reverse rotation direction opposite to the forward rotation direction so as to move the long film from the downstream side to the upstream side . The thermal printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , which is rotatable.

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