JPH0145169Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (a) Technical field of the invention This invention uses a print medium on which index information is recorded, reads the index information with a reader section, and creates an index using the read information of the reader section. The present invention relates to a printing device that prints print information on the print medium.

(b) Prior Art and Problems A printing device that obtains predetermined print information to be printed based on index information recorded on a print medium and performs printing is configured as shown in FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing a conventional printing apparatus.

The document 2 is delivered from the paper feed section 1 loaded with the document 2, which is a printing medium, by the rotational drive of the feed roller 3 as indicated by the arrow.
is sent to the transport path indicated by arrow A.

The paper feed section 1 has a base plate 1A that serves as a loading platform for the forms 2, and the base plate 1A is held by a spring 1B. It is formed to be pressed against the outer periphery. Therefore, when the delivery roller 3 is driven to rotate in a predetermined manner, only the topmost form 2 is delivered to the transfer path. The delivered form 2 is transferred to the printing section by rotation of the roller 4, and inserted into the gap between the platen 7 provided in the printing section and the opposing printing head 8. The form 2 printed by the print head 8 is discharged to the stacker section 11 by rotation of the roller 10.

In printing by the print head 8, the bar code index information recorded on the form 2 is first read by the bar code sensor 9 attached to the print head 8.
The index information generating section 13 inquires the index signal through the interface section 15 to a computer center (not shown), and then receives predetermined print information from the center's file data through the interface section 15 and sends it to the storage section 12. This is done using the print information stored in the storage section 12 stored in the storage section 12.

On the other hand, the barcode is read by detecting the leading edge of the form 2 transferred along the transfer path A by the roller 4 using the light emitting element 6 and the light receiving element 5.
When a predetermined location of the bar code reaches the printing position of the print head 8, the print head 8 is moved by a space to read the bar code. Print head 8 is constructed as shown in FIG. 2a.

A printing head 8, a ribbon cartridge 17 containing an ink ribbon 18, and a barcode sensor 9 are mounted on a carriage 16 fixed to a belt 19 that moves in the direction of arrow B. This carriage 17 is locked to a guide shaft 20, and as the belt 19 moves, the printing head 8 and the barcode sensor 9 are spaced with respect to the printing surface of the form 2 that is being transported along the outer periphery of the platen 7. conduct.

Since the barcode 2A is printed on the printing surface of such a form 2 at the leading end in the transport direction A as shown in b, the barcode 2A is first detected by the barcode sensor 9 in the first line of the printed area. After reading, the above-mentioned print information is obtained, and printing 2B based on the print information is performed in subsequent lines.

Therefore, in such a configuration, barcode 2
This method has the drawback that it requires a waiting time for information indexing between when A is read and the print information for the next print is obtained, and especially when printing a large number of forms 2, the print process is difficult. The problem was that it took a long time.

(c) Purpose of the invention The purpose of the invention is to read the barcode of the index information and index the printed information until the form is fed out and reaches the printing section, so that the feeding operation of the form and the indexing of the printed information can be performed. The present invention aims to eliminate the above-mentioned problems by allowing the operations to overlap with each other and shortening the printing processing time.

(d) Structure of the invention The purpose of the invention is to provide a loading platform on which print media on which information for indexing is recorded is loaded with the side on which the information is recorded facing upward; A reader unit disposed on the top surface of the loading table so as to read information for an index recorded on the surface of the loaded print media, and an indexing operation for obtaining recorded information to be recorded on the print media. index information for generating an index signal corresponding to the information for the read index in response to the completion of the reading operation of the reader unit so as to cause the reader unit to perform the indexing operation; and outputting the index signal to cause the index unit to perform the indexing operation. a generating section; a feeding section that sequentially feeds out the print media on the loading platform from the top side in response to the reading operation of the reader section; This is achieved by a printing device characterized by comprising: a printing section that prints on a printing medium fed out by a printing section;

(e) Examples of the invention The invention will be explained in detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a paper feeding section.

A barcode sensor mechanism 21 for reading a barcode 2A recorded on a form 2 is provided in the paper feed section 1.

The operation will be explained below.

The printing process begins with the form 2 loaded in the paper feed section 1.
The barcode 2A is read by the barcode sensor mechanism 21, and after reading, the feed roller 3
is driven, and the form 2 is transported along the transport path A to the printing section. On the other hand, the index information generating section 13 uses the barcode information read at the time of this transfer to control the control section 14.
An index signal is outputted via the interface unit 15 and the print information to be printed is inquired, and the inquired print information is stored in the storage unit 12. Therefore, while the form 2 is being transferred to the printing section by the transfer path A, the printing information to be printed is prepared in the storage section 12. Next, as soon as the medium 2 reaches the printing section, printing is started based on the printing information in the storage section 12 and is performed.

Such a barcode sensor mechanism 21 is formed as shown in FIG. It is composed of a guide 23 held in a predetermined position, a metal fitting 22 locked so as to swing in the direction of arrow C under the guidance of the guide 23, and a barcode sensor 24 fixed to the metal fitting 22. There is.

Therefore, the barcode 2 of the form 2 located on the top surface of the paper feed section 1 fed out by the feeding roller 3
A is read by swinging the barcode sensor 24.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart comparing the printing processing operations of a conventional printing apparatus and a printing apparatus according to the present invention.

Conventionally, as shown in a, the form 2 is transported by a load hopper that feeds the form 2 from the paper feed section 1 and reaches the printing section. When the form 2 reaches the printing unit, the bar code is read in response to a read command, and further, file access is performed to index print information to be printed based on the read information. When print information is obtained through this file access, a print command is output and a print operation is performed.

In contrast, in the present invention, as shown in b, when the forms 2 are stacked on the paper feed section 1, the barcode read is performed in response to a read command.
After reading this barcode read,
On the one hand, a file access operation is performed at the computer center for indexing the printed information, and on the other hand, overlapping with this operation, the printed portion of the form 2 is transferred by the load hopper. Generally, the time required to transfer the medium is longer than the time required to access the file, so the file access is performed while the form 2 reaches the printing section, and the printing information is already prepared and the printing operation according to the printing command is immediately performed.

Therefore, with this configuration, the print processing time is the same as the conventional access time removed, and can be shortened.

(f) Effects of the invention As explained above, the invention is such that the barcode sensor mechanism 21 is provided in the paper feed section 1. As a result, the barcode of the form 2 to be printed is first read, then the hopper load is performed, and the file access of the print information to be printed is performed during the medium transfer time of the form 2. When the form 2 reaches the printing section, the file is accessed. , printing can be performed immediately.

Therefore, the printing processing time can be shortened compared to the conventional method, and furthermore, even if it takes some time to access the file, the printing processing time can be prevented from being delayed, which has a great practical effect.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional printing device, FIG. 2 a shows an explanatory diagram of a print head, b shows an explanatory diagram of a form, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the barcode sensor mechanism, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart comparing printing processes. In the figure, 1 is a paper feed unit, 2 is a form, 3 is a feeding roller, 4 and 10 are rollers, 5 is a light receiving element, and 6
is a light emitting element, 7 is a platen, 8 is a print head,
9 and 24 are barcode sensors, 11 is a stacker section, 12 is a storage section, 13 is an index information generation section, 14
1 is a control unit, 15 is an interface unit, 16 is a carriage, 17 is a ribbon cassette, 18 is an ink ribbon, 19 is a belt, 20 is a guide shaft, 2
1 is a barcode sensor mechanism, 22 is a metal fitting, and 23 is a guide.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A loading platform on which print media on which information for indexing is recorded is loaded with the side on which the information is recorded facing upward; and prints stacked on the loading platform. a reader section disposed on the top surface of the loading table to read index information recorded on the medium surface; and a reader section arranged on the top surface of the loading table to perform an indexing operation to obtain recorded information to be recorded on the print medium. an index information generating section that generates an index signal corresponding to information for the read index in response to completion of the reading operation of the reader section, and outputs the index signal to the index section to perform the indexing operation; a feeding section that sequentially feeds out the print media on the loading table from the top side in response to the reading operation of the reader section; and a feeding section that feeds out the recorded information obtained by performing the indexing operation by the feeding section. A printing device comprising: a printing section for printing on a printed printing medium;