JPH0145438B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a label printer that winds up and stores printed labels in a loaded cassette case.

Conventional label printers have an input device that inputs required data to a central processing unit, a printing mechanism that performs printing operations under the control of the central processing unit, and a label feeding mechanism that transports a backing sheet with a label removably attached. Predetermined characters are sequentially printed on the upper label.

However, since the conventional printers are large and heavy, they are not portable, and the printed labels are automatically peeled off from the backing paper and issued one by one, making it difficult to carry and attach the issued labels to products. Extremely bad and impractical.

On the other hand, hand printers are used for portable devices, but they require a lot of effort to set input data such as prices and check digits, making them inefficient and prone to setting errors.

Furthermore, since hand printers are constructed with a manual printing mechanism using a rubber stamp, there are problems such as variations in shading in the printing due to the distribution of manual force, and problems such as dust adhering to the drum and issuing defective labels. In particular, when applied to a barcode printer, there are problems such as a reduction in printing accuracy that makes it impossible for a reading device to read it or causes misreading.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, the present invention provides a label printer that improves the desktop printer and stores printed issued labels in a cassette case to provide portability, and provides a hand-held applicator with a simple structure that does not require a printing mechanism. The purpose of this is to enable label pasting with excellent workability and printing accuracy by using it in combination with.

The label printer of the present invention is characterized in that, in conjunction with the feeding operation of the label feeding mechanism, the label mount is wound up and stored in the cassette case with the printed label still attached.

To explain an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings, label printer A is a desktop printer, and is provided with an input device 1 and a display section 2 on the front side of a frame a, and a central processing unit CPU, A label feeding mechanism 3 and a printing mechanism 4 are installed, and a cassette case, which will be described later, is loaded on the side of the input device 1 within the container frame a.

The input device 1 is composed of various keys such as a numeric keypad 5 and a function key 6, as well as switches, and the numeric keypad 5 and function key 6 are used to input required product data, that is, product name, date of processing, date of validity, etc. Various data such as tare weight, unit quantity, weight, price, code number, bar code, bar code code system, and number of labels issued are input, and the converted signal is input to the central processing unit CPU.

Data input to the input device 1 may be performed using a cassette method using a tape on which predetermined data is stored, a method of reading data with a light pen, or a method of inputting data using a magnetic tape or floppy disk.

The display section 2 is connected to the central processing unit CPU and digitally displays all or part of the required data inputted by the input device, check digits, etc.

The central processing unit CPU includes a storage unit that stores required data inputted by the input device 1 or output data corresponding to the required data, an arithmetic unit that calculates the effective date or check digit, and a data transfer operation. It is composed of a control section that controls the operations of the display section 2, the label feeding mechanism 3, and the printing mechanism 4. Furthermore, in the case of this embodiment, the storage unit stores a control program and also stores the number of labels required to attach the leading edge of the label to the cassette, which will be described later.
Further, the calculation unit has a function of counting the number of labels based on a detection signal from a label position detector 11, which will be described later, and comparing and calculating the count value with the number of labels stored in the storage unit. . The control section includes drivers and interfaces to be described later for controlling each section, and based on the program, outputs the calculation results and switch signals such as a start switch of the input device 1. By inputting , a control signal or a data signal is sent to each driver or each interface (I/F) to control each part.

Inside the container frame a, a label mount 10 is rotatably mounted on a shaft at the rear thereof, and a guide roller 7 is arranged near it, and a feed roller 8 and a press roller 8' are arranged facing each other at the front upper part. The label mount 10 is guided between rollers 8 and 8' via a guide roller 7.

The feed roller 8 is driven by a feed motor 9 such as a stepping motor, rotates intermittently, and transports the label mount 10. This feed motor 9
is driven and stopped under the control of a motor driver of the control unit of the central processing unit CPU.

Labels 1 are placed on the label mount 10 at predetermined intervals.
0, 10'... are attached in a removable manner.

A label position detector 11 is installed on the transport path of the mount 10 to determine the print start position on the label by detecting the position of the subsequent label, stop the motor 9, and generate a count signal for the issued labels. . That is, the label position detector 1
A count signal of 1 is sent to the central processing unit CPU. Then, in the calculation section of the central processing unit CPU, the number of printed and sent out labels is counted based on the count signal and compared with the stored value in the storage section. Based on the comparison value, the control section of the central processing unit CPU sends a stop signal to the motor driver, and the feed motor 9 is stopped under the control of the motor driver.

The label feeding mechanism 3 includes the feeding motor 9, feeding roller 8, presser roller 8', and label position detector 1.
1.

In addition, a printing head 12 and a platen roller 13 are installed opposite to each other on the transfer path of the mount 10 in front of the feed roller 8, so that the mount 10 passes between them.

The printing head 12 and platen roller 13 constitute a printing mechanism 4.

The print head 12 is operated by the electronic control of the central processing unit CPU to print the label 1 which passes under the print head 12.
0', and the printing mechanism 4 uses a dot type printer such as a thermal head, wire dot, inkjet, discharge breakdown, electrostatic recording, photosensitive recording, or a type wheel. A type printer is used. The figure shows an example of a thermal printing method (either a coloring type or a transfer type) using a thermal head.

Note that the label feeding mechanism 3 and the printing mechanism 4 are located in the label feeding direction, and their front and rear positions may be reversed as desired.

In addition, a cutter 14 for cutting the label mount 10 is installed in front of the feed roller 8 and presser roller 8', and when the required number of labels 10' is reached, the cutter 14 cuts the label mount 10. 10 is cut.

Further, the feed motor 9 is provided with a pulley 15 that rotates integrally with the feed motor 9, and the rotation of the pulley 15 is transmitted to the feed roller 8 via a belt 16 to intermittently feed the label mount 10.
7 to the winding shaft 18. A fixing pin 19 is provided at a position slightly apart from the winding shaft 18, and a solenoid 20 is provided between the cutter 14 and the winding shaft 18 and is operated under the control of the central processing unit CPU. .

On the other hand, the cassette case 21 is loaded onto the winding shaft 18 and the fixing pin 19 by opening a side plate (not shown) of the label printer A. This cassette case 21 has the structure of the embodiment shown in FIG. In other words, cassette case 2
Label mount 10 is inserted into the storage section 22 of 1 from the opening 23.
is wound into a roll and stored, and the opening 23
A peeling plate 24 for bending the label mount 10 and peeling off the label 10', and a pressing roller 25 facing the peeling plate 24 are provided near the storage section 22 and the opening 23. In between,
A reversible counter 26 capable of addition and subtraction counting is provided, which detects unevenness etc. by contacting the label 10' or the label mount 10 and counts the number of labels 10. A return button 26a is provided for returning the count display to "0" when operated. A feed roller (driven by a hand label or the like) 27 is provided on the back side of the peeling plate 24 to guide the bent label mount 10 in a desired direction (such as the direction of the chain line). A label mount 10 is placed near the roller 27.
A guide member 28 is provided for guiding the release plate 24, and a positioning pin 29 for engaging with a hand label or the like is provided near the peeling plate 24.

In addition, a rotatable support shaft 30 is provided in the storage section 22.
is provided, and an engagement hole 31 at the axial center of the support shaft 30 is provided.
The winding shaft 18 is inserted into the support shaft 30 to transmit rotational force, and a slit 32 is formed on the outer periphery of the support shaft 30 for holding the winding start end of the label mount 10. In addition, a cover 33 that can be opened and closed is attached to one side of the storage section 22.
3 is formed with a viewing window 34, and a fitting plate 36 for fixing the cassette case 21 integrally with a peripheral wall 35 surrounding the storage section 22 is provided.
6 is formed with a mounting hole 37 for fixing to a hand labeler or the like, and a positioning hole 38 into which the fixing pin 19 is inserted, with the axial direction aligned with the engagement hole 31.

Then, the engaging hole 31 and the positioning hole 38 of the cassette case 21 are fitted to the winding shaft 18 and the fixing pin 19, the label mount 10 is guided into the storage section 22 through the opening 32, and the tip is manually inserted through the viewing window 34. By operation, it is inserted into the slit 32 and clamped, and the label mount 10 can be rolled up as shown in FIG. Note that the support shaft 30 may be provided with an autoloading mechanism for automatically winding up the label mount 10.

Then, when the necessary data such as code number, price, date, etc. and the required number of labels to be issued are manually operated using the input device 1 and input into the central processing unit CPU to start the printer A, these input data are transferred to the central processing unit CPU. The data is sent to the display unit 2 via the display I/F of the control unit and displayed. Also, a check digit is automatically calculated based on the input data in the calculation section of the central processing unit CPU, and is displayed at a predetermined position on the display section 2 via the display I/F in the same manner as above.

Next, by turning on the start switch in function key 6, the central processing unit
A return signal is sent from the control section of the CPU to the solenoid driver, and the solenoid 20 is operated under the control of the solenoid driver so that the display on the reversible counter 26 becomes "0". At the same time, the central processing unit
A start signal is sent from the control unit of the CPU to the motor driver, and the feed motor 9 is started under the control of the motor driver to start label feeding, and the necessary data input from the central processing unit CPU is printed by the control unit. The code number, price, bar code, etc. corresponding to the input data are automatically printed on the label 10' by the print head 12 through the I/F, and the code number, price, bar code, etc. are automatically printed on the label 10' by the print head 12, and by this continuous operation, the code number, price, bar code, etc. are printed on the label 10'.
Required data is sequentially printed on the upper labels 10', 10', . . . .

Here, in this printing operation, a count signal for detecting the label is sent from the label position detector 11 to the central processing unit CPU every time the printed label is sent out as described above, so the count signal is calculated. While counting the number of sheets in the storage section, the count value is stored in the storage section as a predetermined number (for example, about 5 sheets).
When the values become the same, a stop signal is sent from the control section of the central processing unit CPU to the motor driver, and the feed motor 9 is stopped under the control of the motor driver. Sending of print data from the processing unit cpu is stopped,
Printing operation stops. By printing a predetermined number of labels 10' in this manner, the label mount 10 is fed out for each value stored in the storage section, that is, the length necessary for winding up the label mount 10.

After confirming that printing has stopped, the worker opens the cover 33, then inserts the tip of the label mount 10 into the storage section 22 through the opening 23, and clamps the tip in the slit 32 of the support shaft 30. . Next, the worker closes the cover 33 and turns on the start switch in the function key 6 again.

As a result, a start signal is sent from the control section of the central processing unit CPU to the motor driver, and the feed motor 9 is restarted under the control of the motor driver, and the print data is sent to the print head 12 again via the print I/F. After being fed out, printing is resumed, and the label mounts 10 are sequentially fed out to the opening 23 of the cassette case 21 by the feed roller 8. At the same time, the winding shaft 18 is intermittently driven by the motor 9, and the label mount 10 is wound up.

In this way, printing is performed on the labels 10 in sequence, and after printing is restarted, the remaining required number of sheets, that is, the number of sheets obtained by subtracting the predetermined number of sheets from the required number of issued labels, is printed, and then at least An extra amount of label mount 10 corresponding to the length up to . cut. At this time, the reversible counter 26 also counts a predetermined number of labels 10'. Therefore, when pulling out the label mount 10 from the cassette case 21 that has been removed from the label printer A, as shown by the chain line B in FIG. This means that the net amount of sheets ′ has been secured.

Note that if the operator turns on the start switch in the function key 6 without setting the required number of labels, the printed labels will print the predetermined number stored in the storage unit and then stop. Then, when you turn on the start switch in function key 6 again, the issue stop switch (not shown) turns on.
Publish until operated.

Further, in the present embodiment, the explanation has been given of winding the film onto a cassette, but the invention is not limited to this, and the film may simply be wound onto a winding shaft.

Figure 5 is printed by label printer A,
This is an example of a label 10' issued by a hand labeler or the like loaded with a cassette case 21. Note that the printed content on the label 10' may be as simple as only the product number and price, or only a bar code. Further, after printing a predetermined number of labels 10', extra label mount 10 is fed, but if the printing mechanism 4 is a dot type printer, the printing head of the printing mechanism 4 can be used to print an arbitrary number of labels 10' in that part. The printing mechanism 4 may be checked by printing a check pattern necessary for checking the operation of the printing mechanism 4.

In this way, the present invention allows the label mount to be rolled up and stored in the cassette case with the printed label attached in conjunction with the feeding operation of the label feeding mechanism of the label printer, so that the label printer can be of a stationary type. To overcome the inconvenience of not being able to use the product while moving it to the location where the product is stored, the printed label is stored in a cassette case to provide portability, and the label is loaded into a hand labeller or the like and affixed to the product. This problem can be solved by making the labeling process easier and improve the work efficiency.Moreover, the labeling work does not require waiting time for printing and is a continuous pasting work, so the workability is improved. The improvement is remarkable.

Further, since label printing is performed by the electronically controlled main body functions of the printer itself, data input operations can be easily performed, there are fewer operational errors, and work efficiency and accuracy can be improved.

Furthermore, unlike conventional hand printers, it is possible to adopt a thermal printing method using a thermal head, etc., which significantly improves printing accuracy, and the read rate by the reading device reaches nearly 100%, resulting in a remarkable improvement in accuracy.

Further, according to the present invention, when the start switch is operated for the first time, by printing a predetermined number of labels, the leading edge of the label backing paper is placed in a state where it can be attached to the cassette, and the printing operation is temporarily stopped, and the leading edge of the label backing paper is After the label is inserted into the cassette, the second operation of the start switch restarts the printing operation and prints the remaining number of sheets, so printing starts from the first label attached to the top of the label mount. This eliminates label waste.

In addition, even if the person who inputs print data and presses the print key for the first time and the person who presses the print key for the second time after automatic stop are different people, the desired number of labels can be printed. , easy to operate.

Furthermore, once the automatic stop occurs, you can peel off the label from the backing paper and affix it to the specified position on the product, and use this as a sample.From then on, anyone can paste the label in the specified position while looking at this sample. , never waste labels.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a label printer, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional side view thereof, Fig. 3 is a block diagram of a schematic configuration of the label printer, and Fig. 4 is a cassette. Cross-sectional side view of the case,
FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the label. A...Label printer, a...Device frame, CPU...Central processing unit (print control means), 1...Input device, 3...Label feed mechanism, 4...Printing mechanism, 6...Function key (operation key), 8...Feed Roller, 8'... Presser roller, 9... Feed motor (winding drive means), 10
...Label mount, 10'...Label, 15...Pulley,
16, 17... Belt, 18... Winding shaft, 19... Fixing pin, 20... Solenoid, 21... Cassette case, 22... Storage section, 23... Opening, 26... Reversible counter, 26a... Return button, 30... support shaft,
31...Engagement hole, 37...Mounting hole, 38...Positioning hole.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An input device that inputs required data to a central processing unit, a printing mechanism that performs a printing operation under the control of the central processing unit, and a label feeding mechanism that transports a label mount to which a label is removably attached. In a label printer which sequentially prints predetermined characters on the labels on the label mount while transporting the label mount by the label feeding mechanism, the label printer is removably loaded in a container frame near the label feeding mechanism. a cassette case, a winding drive means that is linked to the operation of the label feeding mechanism and winds up and stores the label mount in the cassette case with the printed label attached, and an operation for instructing the start of the printing operation. a key, a storage unit that stores the number of sheets required to load the leading edge of the label into the cassette, a label detection unit that detects the feeding of the label affixed to the label mount, and a detection signal of the label detection unit. calculating means for calculating the number of labels fed out based on the number of labels fed out and comparing the number of labels stored in the storage unit; Print control means that drives the printing mechanism and the label feeding mechanism until the value stored in the storage unit reaches the same value, and drives the printing mechanism and the label feeding mechanism again when the operation key is operated for the second time. A label printer comprising: