JP7219293B2 - recording device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a recording apparatus, and more particularly to a recording apparatus that performs recording on a tubular recording medium.

In this type of recording apparatus, when recording on a tubular recording medium, recording is performed in a state where the tubular recording medium is sandwiched between the recording head and the platen and the tubular recording medium is compressed. On the other hand, due to factors such as the low temperature of the environment in which the recording apparatus operates, the tubular recording medium may become hard and difficult to deform. If the tube-shaped recording medium is difficult to deform, the tube-shaped recording medium will not properly abut against the recording head that performs recording, resulting in a problem that normal recording cannot be performed.

In order to solve such a problem, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-200000 describes arranging a heater in the vicinity of the upstream side of a recording mechanism between a recording head and a platen in a conveying path of a tubular recording medium. Specifically, a pipe-shaped heater through which a tubular recording medium passes is arranged in the vicinity of the upstream side of the recording mechanism. As a result, the tube-shaped recording medium can be heated immediately before it is transported and supplied to the recording mechanism. The mechanism facilitates deformation of the tubular recording medium.

JP 2003-103844 A

However, since the heating configuration described in Patent Document 1 heats the tubular recording medium passing through the pipe-shaped heater, there is a space (a layer of air) between the heater and the tubular recording medium. ), which reduces the efficiency of heating the tubular recording medium. For this reason, there is a problem that a relatively large amount of electric power is required in order to achieve the desired purpose of heating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a recording apparatus having a tube heating unit capable of efficiently heating a tubular recording medium. .

a conveying means for conveying a tubular recording medium; a recording head for recording on the tubular recording medium conveyed in the conveying direction by the conveying means; It is characterized by having heating means including a heating element for heating the member, and pressing means for pressing the tubular recording medium toward the metal member.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to efficiently heat the tubular recording medium in the recording apparatus having the tube heating unit.

1A and 1B are diagrams showing the appearance of a printer having a tube heating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display section of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a detailed diagram showing the periphery of a printing unit of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention; It is a figure explaining the tube heating unit which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. 5A is a view for explaining the heater configuration of a heater unit according to the present invention, and FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view of the heater unit shown in FIG. 5A taken along the Vb-Vb cross section. (a) is an arrow view of the heater unit shown in FIG. 5(a) through which the large-diameter tube is passed and viewed from the direction V, and (b) is a view through which the small-diameter tube is passed through the heater unit shown in FIG. 5(a). It is the arrow directional view seen from the V direction. (a) is a diagram for explaining a heater unit and heater configuration in a conventional tube heating unit as a comparative example, and (b) is a VIIb-VIIb cross section of the conventional heater unit shown in FIG. 7(a). FIG. 4 is a cut cutaway view; 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration for controlling printer 1 in one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. (a) and (b) are flow charts showing the control flow in manual mode of the tube heating unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flow chart showing the control flow in automatic mode of the tube heating unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. 4(a) to 4(c) are diagrams each showing a configuration for defining a range in which a pressing unit presses a tube in a printer according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11B is a cross-sectional view of the heater unit shown in FIG. 11C taken along the line XII-XII.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the appearance of a recording apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a printer) provided with a tube heating unit 101 according to one embodiment of the invention. The printer 1 of this embodiment performs printing on a recording medium including a tubular recording medium (hereinafter simply referred to as a tube), and is configured to be portable like a notebook computer.

The printer 1 is roughly divided into an operation unit 13 having a keyboard, etc., a display unit 14 having an LCD and a display control unit, a transport unit for transporting a tube as a recording medium, and a recording unit 20 for recording on a tube. , a cutting unit 30 for cutting the tube recorded by the recording unit 20, and a tube heating unit 101 for heating the tube. The tube heating unit 101 includes therein a heater for heating the tube and a pressing unit for pressing the tube. The tube heating unit 101 also serves as a guide unit that guides the tube to the recording section 20 .

[Operation part]
The operation unit 13 in FIG. 1 includes function keys, letter/number/symbol keys, a space key, a conversion key, a cross direction key, a return key, etc. By operating these keys, the user can select the type of recording medium, Printing information for the printer 1 can be set by inputting the size, printing conditions, and the like.

[Display part]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing display contents on the display unit 14 of FIG.
The LCD of the display unit 14 includes a various information display area 14A for displaying input modes and the like, a character information display area 14B for displaying characters, numbers, and symbols (hereinafter abbreviated as characters) input from the operation unit 13, and characters. It is divided into three display areas, namely a parameter display area 14C for displaying the size, etc. The various information display area 14A and the parameter display area 14C are arranged above and below the character information display area 14B, respectively.

The various information display area 14A can display the following. An input mode display indicating which of alphanumeric characters, romaji, and hiragana the user inputs via the operation unit 13, and whether the user inputs via the operation unit 13 by inserting or overwriting. Insert/overwrite mode display (edit mode display), "Type of recording medium" display, "Mode" indicating how to cut between pages when recording multiple pages in one recording operation Display of "command" (full cut, half cut mode cut command, and number of cuts), "cut length" indicating the interval to cut the tube, "character placement" indicating whether the character position is centered or left aligned, and tube Cut length/character alignment/margin display that displays the "margin" that indicates from the left end to the first character of the page, previous page display that is displayed when there is another page before the currently displayed page, currently displayed These include a next page display that is displayed when there is another page after the current page, and a power display that displays that the power is on.

In addition, the parameter display area 14C can display the following. Page display that displays the page number of the currently displayed recorded data, and the orientation of the recording can be set to either "horizontal/horizontal writing", "vertical/vertical writing", or "vertical/horizontal writing". Orientation display to display whether or not, Frame display to display the selected frame shape when adding a frame to the character, Character size display to display the selected character size, Number of lines display to display the number of lines to be recorded , a character interval display for displaying the selected character interval, a continuous record display for displaying how many pages the currently displayed character is recorded, and the like.

In the character information display area 14B, a character string of characters input via the operation unit 13 (characters displayed after predetermined processing of character data as input recording data) is displayed. Note that a cursor is displayed in the character information display area 14B where the user intends to input.

[Cut part]
Referring to FIG. 1 again, a cutting section 30 for cutting a tube or tape as a recording medium is arranged downstream of the conveying roller 4 (see FIG. 3) in the recording section 20 in the conveying direction. The cutting section 30 uses a cutter blade and a cutter receiving member (not shown) to cut the tube T in half or completely, which has been recorded by the recording section 20 . The cut tube T is discharged by the transport unit.

[Recording unit]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the recording unit 20. As shown in FIG. The recording unit 20 includes a supply roller pair 2 including supply rollers 2a and 2b for transporting a tube T as a recording medium, and a supply roller pair 2 arranged downstream of the supply roller pair 2 in the transport direction of the tube T. A recording head 6 and a platen roller 3 are provided. Further, a conveying roller 4 arranged downstream of the recording head 6 and the platen roller 3 is provided. The recording head 6 is provided so as to face the platen roller 3 with the tube T therebetween. Further, the conveying roller 4 is provided so as to face the platen roller 3 at a different position from the recording head 6 in the circumferential direction of the platen roller 3 . The recording head 6 has a predetermined number of heat generating elements arranged in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the tube T is conveyed. Can be transcribed.

The ink ribbon cassette 8 stores the ink ribbon R wound in a roll shape, and conveys the ink ribbon R to the recording section 20 . The ink ribbon R is transported between the platen roller 3 and the recording head 6 to the recording head side of the tube T being transported. The ink ribbon R is supplied from the ribbon supply reel of the ink ribbon cassette 8 and wound up on the ribbon take-up reel of the ink ribbon cassette 8 . The printer 1 of this embodiment can perform recording using the ink ribbon R by mounting the ink ribbon cassette 8 in a replaceable manner.

The conveying roller 4, the platen roller 3, the supply rollers 2a and 2b, and the spool 8a of the ribbon take-up reel of the ink ribbon cassette 8 shown in FIG. Further, the recording head 6 is moved between a recording position at which recording is performed while holding the tube T between itself and the platen roller 3 and a retracted position at which the distance from the platen roller 3 is wider than the recording position. configured to be movable.

When recording on the tube T, the recording head 6 moves to the recording position. The recording head 6 presses the tube T through the ink ribbon R of the ink ribbon cassette 8 and selectively heats the heating elements of the recording head 6 according to the recording data input from the operation unit 13 . As a result, the ink on the ink ribbon R is melted and transferred to the tube T for recording. Further, on the upstream side of the supply roller pair 2 and on the downstream side of the conveying roller 4, transmission integral sensors (not shown) for detecting the tip of the tube T being conveyed by detecting the presence or absence of the tube T are provided. are placed.

An example of the material of the tube T used as the recording medium in this embodiment is PVC (polyvinyl chloride). The PVC tube is crushed when passing through the recording head 6 and the platen roller 3 in the recording section 20, but after passing through the recording section 20, it restores its original tubular shape from the collapsed state.

[Tube heating unit]
In FIG. 1, a heater unit is provided inside the tube heating unit 101 positioned upstream of the recording unit 20 in the direction of transport of the recording medium.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the inside of the tube heating unit 101. As shown in FIG. The tube heating unit 101 according to one embodiment of the present invention heats the tube T while pressing it against the heat-generating portion of the heater unit 401, thereby warming the tube T and reducing the rigidity of the tube T. FIG. As a result, the tube T is easily deformed, so that the tube T and the recording head 6 are brought into proper contact with each other, and normal recording can be performed.

The tube T is pressed toward the metal member 502 by a pressing member 504 to be described later, and comes into contact with the metal member 502 . When the metal member 502 is heated by the heater 501 provided on the metal member 502 , the tube T is heated via the contact portion with the metal member 502 . The tube T is conveyed by the supply roller pair 2 while receiving heat from the heater unit 401 . In FIG. 4, above the heater unit 401, a control board 402 for controlling the temperature of the heater 501, which will be described later, is arranged.

The heater unit 401 will be described with reference to FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b).

FIG. 5A is a top view showing the configuration of the heater unit 401. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the heater unit 401 includes a heater 501 as a heat generating member (see FIG. 5(b)), a heater wiring portion 507 for supplying power to the heater 501, and the heater 501. and a pressing unit 503 for pressing the tube T against the metal member 502 to bring the tube T into contact with the metal member 502. ing. The pressing unit 503 is composed of a holding member 505 that holds the pressing member 504, an elastic member 506 as a biasing means that biases the holding member 505 toward the metal member, and the like.

In order to efficiently heat the tube T with the heat generated by the heater, it is desirable that the metal member 502 be made of a material with high thermal conductivity such as aluminum or copper. .

Further, regarding the shape of the metal member 502, a shape that allows a larger contact area with the tube T is preferable. Therefore, in this embodiment, the metal member 502 is made of aluminum and has a semi-cylindrical shape. However, the shape of the metal member 502 is not limited to a semi-cylindrical shape, and may be a curved surface with a predetermined curvature.

FIG. 5(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along Vb-Vb in FIG. 5(a).
As shown in FIG. 5B, a heater 501 is provided at the bottom of the metal member 502, and the heater 501 is connected to the control board 402 of FIG. A holding member 505 that holds the pressing member 504 is installed in the heater unit 401 so as to be rotatable about the rotation axis P. As shown in FIG. By rotating the holding member 505 about the rotation axis P, the pressing member 504 can move in the directions of the rotation direction arrows X and Y together with the holding member 505 . The holding member 505 is biased by an elastic member 506 in a direction in which the pressing member 504 approaches the metal member 502 . As the elastic member 506, in addition to a spring, an elastically deformable member such as rubber can be used. Further, when the direction of pressing by the pressing member 504 is vertically downward, the weight of the pressing member 504 can be used to press. Note that the pressing member 504 may be formed integrally with the holding member 504 . Further, by forming the pressing member 504 from a material having good slidability, the resistance when the tube T is conveyed can be reduced. By using a rotatable roller as the pressing member 504, the resistance when the tube T is conveyed can be further reduced.

With such a configuration, the tube T conveyed inside the heater unit 401 can be pressed by the pressing member 504 so as to come into contact with the metal member 502 .

A state in which the heater unit 401 heats the tube T will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b). 6(a) and 6(b) are views viewed from the direction of arrow V in FIG. 5(a).

As shown in FIG. 6A, the pressing member 504 provided in the pressing unit 503 is biased toward the metal member 502 by an elastic member 506 using a spring. The tube T is pressed toward the metal member 502 by the pressing member 504 and comes into contact with the metal member 502 . When the metal member 502 is heated by the heater 501 provided on the metal member 502 , the tube T is heated via the contact portion with the metal member 502 .

In this manner, the tube T is conveyed by the supply roller pair 2 shown in FIG. 3 while being heated by the tube heating unit 101 . Since the tube T is heated by being in direct contact with the heat-conducting metal member 502 of the heater 501, the tube heating unit 101 can heat the tube T efficiently.

5(a) and 5(b), the area of the tube T in contact with the metal member 502 is the area that bends when the tube is crushed in the recording section 20 of FIG. In other words, the direction in which the pressing member 504 presses the tube T is substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the recording head 6 moves from the retracted position to the recording position and contacts the tube T. FIG.

By configuring the recording section 20 of the printer 1 and the tube heating unit 101 in this manner, it is possible to efficiently heat and soften the region of the tube T that is bent at the recording section 20 . Therefore, even in a low-temperature environment, the tube T and the recording head 6 can be properly brought into contact with each other to perform normal recording.

FIG. 6(b) is a diagram showing a state in which the heater unit 401 is heating a tube T' having a smaller diameter than the tube T of FIG. 6(a). 6(b), the tube T' is pressed toward the metal member 502 by the pressing member 504 biased by the elastic member 506, and comes into contact with the metal member 502. In FIG. When the metal member 502 is heated by the heater 501 provided on the metal member 502 , the tube T′ is heated via the contact portion with the metal member 502 .

Thus, by pressing the tube T' with the pressing member 504, the tube T can be brought into contact with the metal member 502 even when the diameter of the tube T' is small. Then, the tube heating unit 101 can efficiently heat the tube T'.

In this embodiment, the heater 501 is provided over substantially the entire area of the metal member 502, but the position of the heater 501 is not limited to this. The heater 501 can be installed in a place other than the places shown in FIGS. can be heated.

7(a) and 7(b) are diagrams for explaining a conventional heating configuration as a comparative example. As shown in these figures, a conventional heater unit 700 is constructed by attaching a heater 701 to the outer surface of a metal pipe 702 . When the tube T is heated by the heater unit 700 , an air layer 705 is interposed between the pipe 702 and the tube T, and the tube T is heated via the air layer 705 warmed by the heater 701 . Generally, the thermal conductivity of air is about 0.024 [W/m·K], and the thermal conductivity of the aluminum material used for the metal member 502 in one embodiment of the present invention is 236 [W/m·K]. K], it is a very small value.

That is, when heat is transferred to the tube T, the case where the heat is transferred directly from the metal member 502 to the tube T and the case where an air layer is interposed between the metal member 502 and the tube T are different from the former case. The latter means that heating the tube T requires more energy.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7B, when the diameter of the tube T is different, the thickness of the air layer 705 interposed between the tube T and the pipe 702 is also different. When the heater unit 700 heats a small-diameter tube T', the air layer 705 intervening between the pipe 702 and the tube T' becomes thicker, so that the heating efficiency of the heater unit 700 for the tube T' deteriorates. If the efficiency of heating the tube decreases, the power required to heat the tube T sufficiently increases.

As described above, the conventional heating structure cannot heat the tube T efficiently.

[Control configuration]
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration for control in the printer 1 of one embodiment according to the invention. The power supply unit 16 is provided in the printer 1, and supplies electric power necessary for operating the operation unit 13, the display unit 14, the recording head 6, the main motor 5, the sub motor 9, the heater 501, the outside air temperature sensor 17, the CPU 15 as a control unit, and the like. is a unit that supplies

The CPU 15 controls the operation and processing of each section in the printer 1, such as control of heating by the tube heating unit 101, control of recording operation by the recording section 20, control of display on the display section 14, and the like.

The operation unit 13 inputs various settings to the printer 1, such as the content of recording on the recording medium, the number of recording jobs, and the cutting pattern of the cutting means, through the user's keyboard operation. Also, the power ON/OFF input to the power supply unit 16 is performed from the power key of the operation unit 13 . Furthermore, selection of automatic mode/manual mode, which will be described later, is also performed by input from the operation unit 13 .

The outside air temperature sensor 17 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the environment in which the printer 1 is installed, and is provided inside the printer 1 at a position that is not affected by the heat of the heater 501 .

The CPU 15 controls the tube heating unit 101 based on the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 17 . For the control of the tube heating unit 101 in the printer 1 of the present embodiment, setting of target temperature ranges of three stages of high temperature, middle temperature and low temperature is provided. The target temperature range is set by an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature. , the target temperature range is set to 43°C to 45°C.

A thermistor 508 for detecting temperature is attached to the metal member 502 so that the temperature of the metal member 502 can be monitored at predetermined sampling intervals. The heater 501 continues to be energized until the temperature of the metal member 502 detected by the thermistor 508 exceeds a predetermined upper temperature limit. Further, when the temperature of the metal member 502 detected by the thermistor 508 falls below the predetermined lower limit temperature, the energization of the heater 501 is resumed. These controls are repeated to keep the temperature of the metal member 502 within a certain range.

Although the thermistor 508 is provided on the metal member 502 in this embodiment, the thermistor 508 may be provided on the heater 501 to monitor and control the temperature of the heater 501 .

The sub-motor 9 drives a cutting section 30 that cuts the tube T, and in one embodiment of the present invention, a stepping motor is employed. The cutting operation of the tube T is performed by forward and reverse driving of the sub-motor 9 . Also, by adjusting the number of pulses when the sub-motor 9 is driven, the cutting depth of the cutting means can be adjusted.

The recording head 6 is provided in the recording section 20 . As described in the description of the recording section 20, the recording head 6 and the platen roller 3 hold the tube T and the ink ribbon R between them. Printing is performed by controlling heat generation of the heating elements of the print head 6 .

The drive pulse for driving the heating elements of the printhead 6 can be changed in multiple steps based on the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 17 . When the temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 17 is low, the temperature of the tube T is low, so the amount of heat applied to the ink ribbon R must be increased. At this time, by lengthening the driving pulse (energization time) of the heating element of the recording head 6, it is possible to perform proper recording even in a low temperature environment.

The main motor 5 drives the platen roller 3, supply roller 2a, etc., and employs a stepping motor in one embodiment of the present invention. Switching between forward feed and back feed of the tube T is performed by forward rotation and reverse rotation of the stepping motor. Also, the transport speed setting of the printer 1 can be changed in three stages from high speed to low speed, and can be changed by driving control of the main motor 5 . The drive of the main motor 5 is also connected to the take-up spool of the ink ribbon cassette 8, and the recovery of the ink ribbon R whose recording on the tube T is completed is also performed by the drive of the main motor 5.

[Control flow chart (manual mode)]
9(a) and 9(b) are flow charts showing the operation up to the end of printing when control of the tube heating unit is set to the manual mode in the printer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. .

The user presses the power button on the operation unit 13, and the printer 1 is energized and starts from a standby state. After turning on the power of the printer 1, the user inputs/determines the contents to be recorded on the tube T, the number of pages to be recorded, the character size, etc., using the keyboard of the operation unit 13. FIG. At this time, the user also selects the manual mode or the automatic mode of the heater unit 401 at the same time. The state in which the manual mode is selected is S901.

In addition, in step S901, when the heater unit 401 is operated in the manual mode, the above-described three stages of mode setting are also performed. In one embodiment of the present invention, there are three stages of low temperature mode (25° C. to 27° C.), medium temperature mode (35° C. to 37° C.), and high temperature mode (43° C. to 45° C.). The user selects and sets one mode from among these.

S902 is a state in which the user inserts a recording medium such as a tube T to be printed into the main body, and the CPU 15 of the printer 1 determines whether or not the tube has been set. In step S902, if a recording medium such as a tube T is inserted and set in the printer 1, the process advances to step S903, and if the tube T is not inserted and set, the process is repeated until it is set.

After the user sets the temperature of the heater unit 401, the user gives an instruction to start temperature control from the operation unit, and the CPU 15 starts energizing the heater 501 via the control board 402 to start temperature control. S903 indicates the state where the

S904 is the state in which the CPU 15 determines whether or not the thermistor 508 has detected that the temperature of the heater 501 has reached the target temperature set by the user's temperature setting. At this time, in one embodiment of the present invention, a heating time of about 1 minute is required under the condition that the outside temperature is 5° C. and the set temperature of the heater unit 401 is the high temperature mode (43° C. to 45° C.).

Therefore, S905 is the state in which the CPU 15 determines whether or not the heating time by the heater 501 has passed for a predetermined time.

In step S905, if the heating time by the heater 501 exceeds the predetermined time under the above conditions, it is assumed that the printer 1 has some sort of failure or abnormality. It is a flow to announce to. The state in which this error is displayed is S906.

When detecting that the temperature of the heater 501 has reached the temperature set by the user within a predetermined time, the CPU 15 starts conveying the recording medium such as the tube T or the like. This state is S907. At the time of S907, the CPU 15 does not perform a printing operation, but transports the tube T to the transmissive integrated sensor arranged downstream of the transport roller 4 described above.

The state in which the CPU 15 determines whether or not the sensor has detected the tip of the tube T is S908. Then, the CPU 15 confirms that the state of [no recording medium] has changed to the state of [recording medium present] with the arrival of the tube T by the detection of the transmission integrated sensor.

At this time, S909 is the state in which the CPU 15 determines whether or not a predetermined time or more has passed for the tube T to be conveyed from the set position of the recording medium to the integrated transmissive sensor.

In step S909, if the arrival of the tube T cannot be detected by the transmission integrated sensor, the CPU 15 displays an error on the LCD screen of the display unit and announces to the user. This state is S910. This is because if the arrival of the tube T cannot be detected by the transmissive integrated sensor even after the tube T has been transported from the set position for a predetermined time, there is a high possibility that a problem such as clogging of the tube T has occurred in the transport path. Therefore, the CPU 15 prompts the user for confirmation by displaying an error in S910.

When the tube T can be detected without any problem by the integrated transmission sensor, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the tube T has been back-fed to the recording start position. The state is S911.

In step S911, if the tube T has reached the recording start position, the process proceeds to step S912. If the tube T has not reached the recording start position, the process is repeated until it reaches the recording start position.

After that, the CPU 15 drives the sub-motor 9 to move the position of the recording head 6 to the recording position where it is pressed against the tube T. As shown in FIG. The state in which the tube T and the ink ribbon R are sandwiched between the platen roller 3 and the recording head 6 is S912.

After that, the CPU 15 starts recording on the tube T based on information such as recording contents and recording/conveyance settings input by the user through the operation unit 13 described above. This operation is S913.

S914 is the state in which the CPU 15 determines whether or not all the setting contents of recording input by the user through the operation unit 13 have been completed. If the number of printing pages set by the user has not been completed, the CPU 15 repeats printing until the printing is completed.

When all the set number of recording pages is completed, the CPU 15 conveys the last recorded tube T to the cutting section 30 shown in FIG. 1 and determines whether or not there is a cutting setting. This state is S915. In step S915, if the cutting setting has been made, the CPU 15 cuts the tube T at the cutting section 30 (S916), and if the cutting setting has not been made, the process proceeds to step S917.

After that, the CPU 15 determines whether or not there remains a job to be recorded. This state is S917. If the print job remains, the CPU 15 returns to the state of S913 and resumes the printing of the remaining print job.

When all the recording jobs are completed, the CPU 15 stops conveying the tube T (S918) and moves the recording head 6 from the recording position to the retreat position (S919). When the user instructs to stop the operation of the heater unit 401 through the operation unit 13, the CPU 15 stops energizing the heater 501 via the control board 402 (S920).

In the manual mode of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention, the CPU 15 waits for an instruction from the user to operate/stop the heater unit 401 . Finally, the process ends with the printer 1 waiting for the start of the next recording.

[Control flow chart (automatic mode)]
FIG. 10 is a flow chart for inserting a tube T as a recording medium into the printer 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention and setting the control of the tube heating unit to the automatic mode.

The user inserts the tube T for recording into the printer 1, presses the power button on the operation unit 13, and energizes the main body to wait for the start. After turning on the power of the printer 1, the user inputs/determines the content to be recorded on the tube T, the number of pages to be recorded, the character size, the transport speed, etc., using the keyboard of the operation unit 13. FIG. At this time, the user also selects the manual mode or the automatic mode of the heater unit 401 at the same time. S1001 is the state in which the CPU 15 detects the outside temperature when the user selects the automatic mode. In the state of S1002, the CPU 15 determines whether or not the outside air temperature is 15° C. or lower by means of the outside air temperature sensor 17 . If the outside air temperature exceeds 15° C., the process proceeds to step S907 in FIG. 9A, and the CPU 15 carries out tube transport, recording, and the like. On the other hand, if the outside air temperature is 15° C. or lower, the process proceeds to step S1003. In step S1003, the automatic mode is operated, so in one embodiment of the present invention, the standard mode (35° C. to 37° C.) is operated. Then, the process proceeds to step S902 in FIG. 9A, and the CPU 15 carries out tube transport, recording, and the like. Subsequent control is the same as in the manual mode, so the description is omitted.

In the automatic mode, the CPU 15 starts temperature control by the heater unit 401 when it detects that the tube T has been inserted and set. Based on this, the CPU 15 may stop the temperature control by the heater unit 401 .

Alternatively, the tube heating unit 101 may be detachable from the printer 1, and the tube heating unit 101 may be attached to the printer 1 when recording in a cold environment.

(Stopper configuration)
FIGS. 11(a) to 11(c) show a more preferred embodiment when the tube T needs to be conveyed in the direction opposite to the conveying direction during printing. 11(a) to 11(c) are views of the present embodiment viewed from the same direction as FIG. 6. FIG. In the printer 1 of this embodiment, there is a certain distance from the recording head 6 to the cutting portion. Therefore, when the recording job is finished and the next recording job is started after cutting the trailing edge of the recorded area of the tube T, the tip of the tube T has a length corresponding to the distance from the recording head 6 to the cutting section 30 . There is a blank space. Therefore, after cutting, the tube T is back-fed by a predetermined amount before the start of the next recording job, that is, by conveying in the direction opposite to the conveying direction at the time of printing, thereby minimizing the margin at the tip of the tube T. can be suppressed.

However, in the printer 1 of this embodiment, when the tube T is back-fed, the tube heating unit 101 is positioned downstream of the supply rollers 2a and 2b in the direction in which the tube T advances. Therefore, the frictional force generated when the pressing member 504 presses the tube T against the metal member 502 acts as a resistance when the tube T is back-fed, and the tube T easily buckles.

In the printer 1 of the present embodiment, the inner diameter of the tube T capable of recording is from Φ1.5 mm to Φ10 mm. Among these tubes, tubes with a diameter of less than 3.0 mm are generally made with a wall thickness of 0.4 mm, and tubes with a diameter of 3.0 mm or more are often made with a wall thickness of 0.5 mm. . Therefore, in the following description, for the sake of convenience, a tube with an inner diameter of less than Φ3.0 mm will be referred to as a small-diameter tube, and a tube with an inner diameter of Φ3.0 mm or more will be referred to as a large-diameter tube.

Since the small-diameter tube has a thin wall thickness, it has low rigidity in the bending direction and is easily buckled. However, the small-diameter tube is easily warmed even at a lower temperature than the large-diameter tube, and can be easily deformed into a flat shape. Therefore, even if the small-diameter tube is not actively pressed against the metal member 502, it is possible to heat the tube, which is necessary for normal recording.

On the other hand, the large-diameter tube has a large heat capacity due to its thick wall thickness. Therefore, it is necessary to positively press the large-diameter tube against the metal member 502 in order to heat the large-diameter tube for normal recording. In addition, since the large-diameter tube is thick, it has high rigidity in the bending direction and is less likely to buckle.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11A, a contact portion 509 for restricting the space between the pressing member 504 and the metal member 502 is provided on a part of the holding member 505 . The holding member 505 is biased toward the metal member 502 by the elastic member 506 , but when the contact portion 509 contacts the metal member 502 , the holding member 505 stops moving toward the metal member 502 . Therefore, a predetermined space is maintained between the pressing member 504 and the metal member 502 when the tube is not set in the tube heating unit 101 . At this time, the maximum vertical distance between the pressing member 504 and the contact surface of the metal member 502 with the tube is the lowest point of the contact surface of the metal member 502 with the tube and directly above it. It is the distance between the lowest point of the pressing member 504 and . The distance between these two points is set longer than the diameter of the small-diameter tube T''. Therefore, when the small-diameter tube T'' is conveyed over the entire area of the metal member 502 in the conveying direction, the small-diameter tube T'' can pass through without coming into contact with these two points at the same time. Therefore, when the small-diameter tube T″ is set in the tube heating unit 101 and is back-fed, the friction generated between the pressing member 504 and the small-diameter tube T″ can be suppressed, and buckling occurs. can be avoided.

Since the small-diameter tube T'' passes between the pressing member 504 and the metal member 502, the space between the small-diameter tube T'' and the metal member 502 does not widen greatly, and the small-diameter tube T'' It can heat efficiently.

On the other hand, when a large-diameter tube is set in the tube heating unit 101 as shown in FIG. abuts. Therefore, the contact portion 509 does not function and does not prevent the tube T from being pressed against the metal member 502 .

Even if friction occurs between the pressing member 504 or the metal member 504 and the tube T, buckling does not occur because the large-diameter tube has high rigidity in the bending direction.

In this embodiment, when the maximum-diameter tube that can be set in the printer 1 is present throughout the conveying direction of the metal member 502 , the printer 1 brings the maximum-diameter tube into contact with the metal member 502 and the pressing member 504 . It can be transported while A predetermined space is maintained between the pressing member 504 and the metal member 502 when the tube is not set in the printer 1 . In this space, when the minimum diameter tube that can be set in the printer 1 is present throughout the conveying direction of the metal member 502 , the printer 1 brings the minimum diameter tube into contact with the metal member 502 and the pressing member 504 . It is a space that can be transported in a state where it is not used. That is, in the state where the contact portion 509 and the metal member 502 are in contact with each other, the maximum distance between the pressing member 504 and the metal member 502 is larger than the minimum outer diameter of the tube T that can be set in the tube heating unit 101. , is less than the maximum value, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of buckling in the small-diameter tube and efficiently heat the large-diameter tube.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11(c), depending on the outer diameter of the tube T', the contact portion 509 and the metal member 502 are in contact, and the pressing member 504 and the tube T' are in contact. Sometimes. Even in such a case, the load applied by the elastic member 506 is such that the contact portion 509 and the metal member 502 are in contact with each other with a predetermined contact pressure so that the tube T' can be pressed by the pressing member 504. is preferably set.

Also, the contact portion 509 is not limited to the position shown in FIG. In FIG. 12, the abutting portion 509 is provided on the opposite side across the rotation center P, and the abutted portion 510 is arranged so as to make contact when the abutting portion 509 moves upward. With this configuration, even when a small-diameter tube is set, a predetermined space can be maintained between the pressing member 504 biased by the elastic member 506 and the metal member 502. can be done.
In order to maintain a predetermined space between the pressing member 504 biased by the elastic member 506 and the metal member 502, the natural length of the spring used as the elastic member 506 may be adjusted. .

As described above, according to the embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a recording apparatus capable of efficiently heating a tubular recording medium.

1 recording device (printer)
3 platen 6 recording head 15 CPU
101 tube heating unit 401 heater unit 501 heater 506 elastic member T tube

Claims (10)

A recording device for recording on a tubular recording medium,
heating means including a metal member and a heating element for heating the metal member;
pressing means for pressing the tubular recording medium against the metal member heated by the heating element ;
a conveying means for conveying the tubular recording medium heated by the heating means;
a recording head for recording on the tubular recording medium heated by the heating means and conveyed by the conveying means;
A recording device comprising: The pressing means is
a pressing member for pressing the tubular recording medium;
a holding member that holds the pressing member;
biasing means for biasing the holding member toward the metal member;
2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, comprising: 3. A recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said biasing means is an elastic member. 4. A recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said pressing member is a rotatable roller. When the tube-shaped recording medium having the maximum diameter that can be set in the recording apparatus is set so as to overlap the entire area of the metal member in the transport direction in which the tubular recording medium is transported in the heating means, the transport means is capable of conveying the tubular recording medium having the maximum diameter while the pressing means is pressing the tubular recording medium having the maximum diameter against the metal member;
When the tubular recording medium is not set on the heating means, a predetermined space is maintained between the pressing means and the metal member,
The predetermined space is
When the tubular recording medium with the smallest diameter that can be set in the recording apparatus is set so as to overlap the entire area of the metal member in the conveying direction, the pressing means presses the tubular recording medium with the smallest diameter onto the metal member. A space in which the conveying means can convey the tubular recording medium with the smallest diameter in a state where it is not pressed against a member.
5. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 4 , characterized in that: The holding member includes an abutting portion ,
6. The predetermined space is maintained by contact between the contact portion and the metal member when the tubular recording medium is not set in the heating means. recording device. 7. The direction in which the pressing means presses the tubular recording medium is substantially orthogonal to the direction in which the recording head contacts the tubular recording medium. The recording device described in . temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the outside air;
a control means for controlling a heating operation by the heating means;
further having
8. The recording apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7 , wherein said control means changes the temperature to be heated in said heating operation according to the temperature detected by said temperature detection means. 9. The recording apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said metal member has a curved surface, and said pressing means presses said tubular recording medium against said curved surface of said metal member. . A tube heating device attachable to a recording apparatus comprising transport means for transporting a tubular recording medium and a recording head for recording on the tubular recording medium transported by the transport means,
The tube heating device
heating means including a metal member and a heating element for heating the metal member;
pressing means for pressing the tubular recording medium against the metal member heated by the heating element ;
has
The recording head of the recording apparatus performs recording on the tubular recording medium heated by the heating means and conveyed by the conveying means.
A tube heating device characterized by:

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