JPH04327126A - Label printer and label sheet - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To issue various sizes of labels freely, corresponding with the quantity of information to be printed. CONSTITUTION:A label sheet 2 on the rear surface of which a water soluble starch has already been applied is provided. A cutter mechanism 12 which cuts the label sheet 2 at a position which is behind a printed area after an image with a desired length has been printed on the label sheet 2 is provided. In addition, a moisture feeding mechanism 15 which feeds moisture 14 at least on the rear surface of the front end part of the label sheet 2, which protrudes from a label issuing port 13, to reproduce the adherent force of the starch, is provided.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printer and a label sheet used for issuing labels to be attached to products such as foodstuffs.

0002

2. Description of the Related Art Label printers are currently being used to efficiently issue labels to be attached to products. Here, the above-mentioned label printer generally prints labels using a label sheet, in which a label with adhesive applied to the back side is releasably affixed to a mount made of continuous paper. There is. In other words, such a label printer, for example, sequentially transports a rolled label sheet along with a backing paper using a platen roller or the like, prints product information using a thermal printer, etc., and then quickly prints only the backing paper of this label sheet. By bending the label at an angle and winding it up, only the label is allowed to protrude from the label issuing port for label issuing.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The above-mentioned label printer uses a label sheet in which a plurality of labels, each of which has been coated with adhesive with long-lasting adhesive strength on the back, are releasably attached to a mount made of continuous paper. Labels are issued using this method.

[0004] However, with such label sheets, the format of product information to be printed is limited due to the use of standard-sized labels, and it is not possible to print in a flexible format on labels of various sizes. . For example, it is now required to clearly indicate the names of additives on food labels, but the quantities of such additives vary significantly from product to product. Therefore, if such product information is printed on a standard label, a label will be issued in which part of the product information is not written, or a label in which most of the printing area is blank.

[0005] As a means to solve such problems,
It is conceivable to provide a label sheet in which a label made of continuous paper is attached on a mount made of continuous paper, and cut such a label sheet into a desired length using a cutter mechanism provided at a label issuing port. However, in this case, since the adhesive applied to the back surface of the label has adhesive properties, it adheres to the cutting blade of the cutter mechanism, resulting in malfunction of the cutter mechanism.

[0006] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned label printer,
The need for a mechanism to wind up the liner in order to issue labels hinders the ability to make devices smaller and lighter and improve productivity, and the need to store the liner along with the labels limits the amount of labels that can be stored. It's getting less. Furthermore, in such label printers, the backing paper is ejected when the label is issued, so, for example, label printers that store the backing paper are hindered from becoming smaller and lighter; With these label printers, processing of mounts when issuing labels is complicated, reducing work efficiency.

[0007]

[Means for solving the problem] The invention according to claim 1 includes:
A label sheet made of continuous paper with a water-soluble glue applied to the back side in advance is provided, and a printer mechanism is provided that sequentially conveys the label sheet and prints on the front surface of the label sheet.This printer mechanism prints an image. A label issuing port from which a printed label sheet protrudes and stops is formed in the main body housing, and a cutter mechanism is provided for cutting the label sheet located above the label issuing port of the main body housing at least at the rear of the printing area. A moisture supply mechanism is provided for supplying moisture to at least the back surface of the front end of the label sheet protruding from the label sheet.

[0008] According to the second aspect of the invention, a long and thin thermal paper is coated with a water-soluble glue material on the back surface of which the adhesive strength is restored by replenishing water even after drying and is wound into a roll.

[0009]

[Operation] According to the invention as claimed in claim 1, the moisture supply mechanism supplies moisture to the back surface of at least the front end of a label sheet made of continuous paper whose back surface is coated with a water-soluble glue material in advance. Since a non-adhesive label sheet can be cut by the cutter mechanism, labels of various sizes can be freely issued by cutting the label sheet to a desired length according to the amount of information to be printed.

[0010] The invention as claimed in claim 2 forms a label sheet made of a long and thin thermal paper wound into a roll with a water-soluble glue material on the back surface of which regains adhesive strength by replenishing water even after drying. By doing this, labels of various sizes can be freely issued by cutting this label sheet to a desired length according to the amount of information to be printed.

[0011]

[Embodiment] An embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on the drawings. First, the label printer 1 of this embodiment uses a special label sheet 2 to issue the labels 3. It is made of a thin strip of thermal paper that is wound into a roll with a sticky adhesive applied to the back side. In this label printer 1, as illustrated in FIG.
A printer mechanism 9 consisting of a platen roller 7 and a line thermal head 8 and a cutter mechanism 12 consisting of cutting blades 10 and 11 facing each other so as to be openable and closable are sequentially provided on the sheet conveyance path 6 formed in a position continuous with the sheet conveyance path 6. It is being and,
A label issuing port 13 formed on the upper front surface of the main body housing 5 faces the cutter mechanism 12, and water 14 is sprayed onto the back surface of the front end of the label 3 protruding from the label issuing port 13. A pump device 15 serving as a supply mechanism is provided at the bottom of the main body housing 5.

Here, in this label printer 1, as shown in FIG.
As shown in the example below, the CPU (Ce
In the processing unit (Processing Unit) 16, each member 7, 8 of the printer mechanism 9, the cutter mechanism 12, the pump device 15, an interface 17 for inputting product information, etc., and a RAM for temporarily storing product information, etc.
(Random AccessMemory) 18,
ROM (Read On) that stores programs etc.
ly Memory) 19 etc. are connected.

In such a configuration, when the label printer 1 issues a label 3 for food products, for example, product information including names of additives, etc. is sent from the host computer (not shown) to the interface 17. This is input to the RAM 18 via the printer mechanism 9, and under the control of the CPU 16, the heat generation drive of the line thermal head 8 and the rotation drive of the platen roller 7 are started. Therefore, product information is printed on the surface of the label sheet 2 that is sequentially conveyed by the rotation of the platen roller 7 by heat-generating scanning of the line thermal head 8, and the label sheet 2 after such printing is printed after the printing area. It is conveyed by the rotation of the platen roller 7 and stopped so that the end portion is located between the cutting blades 10 and 11 of the cutter mechanism 12. Therefore, this label sheet 2 is cut by a cutter mechanism 12 at the rear end of the printing area to form a label 3, and in this state, the label issuing port 1
Water is sprayed from the pump device 15 onto the back surface of the front half of the label 3 protruding from the label 3. Then, the moisture restores the adhesive strength of the adhesive of the label 3, so that the user can pull out the label 3 from the label issuing port 13 and stick it on the product.

By doing this, the label printer 1 can freely issue labels 3 of various sizes by cutting the label sheet 2 into desired lengths according to the amount of information to be printed. Labels 3 for foods, where the quantity of items varies for each product, can be issued in appropriate sizes for each product, and it is possible to issue labels 3 that do not contain part of the product information or labels 3 where most of the printing area is blank. Issuance can be prevented.

Furthermore, in this label printer 1, since the adhesive applied to the back side of the label sheet 2 is normally dry and non-adhesive, this adhesive applies to the cutting blade 10 of the cutter mechanism 12.
, 11 will not be adversely affected. Since such a label sheet 2 does not have a backing paper, this label printer 1 omits a mechanism for winding up the backing paper, making it smaller and lighter and improving productivity. Even if the mount is the same length as a label sheet (not shown), the volume when wound into a roll is small, so this label printer 1 has a substantially increased amount of labels 3 that can be stored. Furthermore, in this label printer 1,
Since there is no need to provide a storage section for the mount in the main body housing 5, it is possible to reduce the size and weight, and since it is not necessary to process the mount, the efficiency of the label 3 issuance work is improved.

In this embodiment, the label printer 1 is illustrated in which the pump device 15 starts supplying moisture after the label sheet 2 is cut by the cutter mechanism 12, but the present invention is not limited to the above format. After supplying moisture to the back side of the label sheet 2 with the pump device 15, the cutter mechanism 12
It is also possible to use a label printer (not shown) that cuts the paper with a . Further, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, the pump device 15 that injects water is illustrated as a moisture supply mechanism that supplies moisture to the back side of the label sheet 2, but the present invention is not limited to the above structure. For example, a moisture supply mechanism that supplies moisture to the back surface of the label sheet 2 using a sponge roller, a moisture supply mechanism that sprays water vapor to the back surface of the label sheet 2, etc. can also be implemented.

[0017]

[Effects of the Invention] The invention as claimed in claim 1 provides a label sheet made of continuous paper with a water-soluble adhesive applied to the back surface in advance, and sequentially conveys this label sheet while printing is performed on the surface of the label sheet. A printer mechanism is provided, and a label issuing opening from which a label sheet with an image printed by the printer mechanism protrudes and stops is formed in the main body housing, and the label sheet located above the label issuing opening of the main body housing is at least rearward of the printing area. By providing a cutter mechanism for cutting and a moisture supply mechanism for supplying moisture to at least the back surface of the front end of the label sheet protruding from the label printing port of the main body housing, the label sheet can be cut to a desired length according to the amount of information to be printed. Since labels can be cut and printed in various sizes, it is possible to prevent the printing of labels that do not contain part of the product information or that have a large part of the printing area blank. The adhesive applied to the back side of the label is normally dry and non-sticky, so this adhesive does not have a negative effect on the cutter mechanism, and since the label sheet does not have a liner, it is difficult to use the mechanism for winding the liner or the storage area. This eliminates the need to reduce size and weight, improve productivity, increase the amount of labels that can be stored, and eliminate the need to process paper mounts, contributing to improved efficiency in label issuance work. It is effective.

[0018] In the invention as claimed in claim 2, the label sheet is provided with a long and thin thermal paper which is wound into a roll and a water-soluble glue material whose adhesive strength is restored by replenishing water even after drying is applied to the back side. By cutting this label sheet to the desired length according to the amount of information to be printed, labels of various sizes can be freely issued. It is possible to prevent printing of blank labels, etc., and since the adhesive on the back is normally dry and non-sticky, it will not have a negative effect on the cutter mechanism of the label printer. Since it does not require pasting, it can contribute to reducing the size and weight of label printers and improving productivity by omitting the mechanism and storage section for winding the backing paper.
This has the effect of increasing the amount of labels that can be stored in the label printer, and since there is no need to process mounts, it can contribute to improving the efficiency of label issuing work.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Label printer 2
label sheet 3
Label 6 Sheet conveyance path 9
Printer mechanism 12
Cutter mechanism 13 Label issuing port 14
moisture

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A printer is provided with a label sheet made of continuous paper with a water-soluble adhesive applied to the back surface in advance, and a printer mechanism that sequentially conveys the label sheet and prints on the front surface of the label sheet. A label issuing opening from which the label sheet with an image printed thereon is projected and stopped by a mechanism is formed in the main body housing, and a cutter mechanism is provided for cutting the label sheet located above the label issuing opening of the main body housing at least at the rear of the printing area. 2. A label printer comprising a moisture supply mechanism for supplying moisture to at least the back surface of the front end of the label sheet protruding from the label issuing port of the main body housing. 2. A label sheet comprising an elongated thermal paper wound into a roll and coated with a water-soluble glue material that regains its adhesive strength by replenishing moisture even after drying.