JPH0462549B2 - - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the efficiency of operation by a method wherein data corresponding to a label set on a label printer are extracted sequentially from subscribed-issuance instructing data for printing. CONSTITUTION:Two subordinate machines B are connected to a master machine A. The master machine A is connected to a host computer C and so designed as to receive and store data on subscribed issuance. A display element 5, displaying items to be printed on a label 8, comprises an area 5a for displaying the names of commodities, the properties thereof and messages of various kinds, an area 5b for displaying dates of manufacture, the weight of the commodities, dates of sale, etc., an area 5c for displaying the commodity number and a sale unit price, and an area 5d for displaying the kind of the label and others. Moreover, a printing control means whereby data to be printed on the label of the kind detected by this kind detecting means are extracted sequentially from issuance subscriptions and printed is provided. By the construction as described above, data to be printed on labels of the same kind are extracted sequentially from data subscribed for issuance and are printed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to a label printer that prints labels to be affixed to various products, and in particular, a label printer suitable for printing a large number of different types of labels. Regarding.

[Terminology] In front of the label, there is a frame, "product name", "weight", etc.
If no display characters such as "unit price" or "price" are printed, the label type is generally determined by the label size. In other words, label size and label type are synonymous. In this case, even if the label type is the same, the print format may be different.

On the other hand, some labels have frames and fixed data such as display characters such as "product name", "weight", "unit price", and "price" printed in advance. in this case,
Even if the label size is the same, if the printing is different, the type of label will be different. Once the label type is determined, the print format and label size are usually determined. In this specification, the label type includes the former case as well as the latter case.

[Conventional technology] In recent years, with the development of supermarkets that sell a wide variety of products in large quantities, many types of labels with different types and printing formats are being issued in large quantities depending on the size, shape, or nature of the product. There is a demand for a label printer that can In response to these demands, a label printer has been developed that is equipped with multiple printing formats and is configured to automatically select and print the format according to the type of label (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 174294-1983). Publication No.).

In this type of label printer, generally, a label roll in the form of a roll of mount paper with labels pasted thereon is attached to the printer, and the labels are sequentially transferred and printed. Therefore, when a label runs out during printing or when changing the type of label, it is necessary to install a label roll. In this case, the tip of the label roll must be routed along a predetermined guide to attach it, which is a cumbersome process.Especially when there are many types of labels, replacement work increases, which is a factor in reducing work efficiency. I'm getting older.

Therefore, measures have been taken to reduce the frequency of label roll replacement by preparing a plurality of label printers and attaching different labels to each label printer. However, this method has disadvantages in that it requires more space for arranging the label printer and increases cost.

In order to solve this inconvenience, some label rolls are stored in cassettes so that labels can be easily replaced (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 188821/1982), and some are equipped with multiple printing formats and are available in various sizes. A label printer that can print on different labels has been developed (Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 101379/1983).

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, this type of conventional label printer has the following problems.

In the invention described in JP-A-59-101379, the label format was specified manually, so
If a label format that does not match the label actually attached is specified, a large number of erroneous labels will be issued.

Some label printers allow you to reserve labels to be printed, but if you reserve different types of labels in a random order, you will have to replace the label roll each time the type changes, which will make the process more difficult. It was extremely complicated.

Therefore, when making a reservation, it is necessary to make reservations for items with the same label type all at once, making the reservation process troublesome.

This invention was made against this background, and even if a mixture of different types of labels is reserved, the work of replacing label rolls is kept to a minimum, and the label rolls can be easily matched with those actually mounted. To provide a label printer which prevents wastage of labels by not printing labels when they do not match a specified label.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a label printer that is equipped with a plurality of print formats and is capable of printing on different types of labels, by specifying the type of label. Reservation means for generating reservation issuance instruction data for multiple types of labels by reserving issuance of labels, type detection means for detecting the type of label attached, and type of label detected by the type detection means The present invention is characterized by comprising a print control means for sequentially extracting print data corresponding to the above-mentioned reserved issue instruction data and printing this with priority over other print data.

[Operation] According to the above configuration, from among the reservation issue instruction data generated by issuing reservations for multiple types of labels,
Print data to be printed on the same type of label is sequentially extracted and printed with priority over other types of labels. Therefore, after all printing on one type of label is completed, the next type of label can be moved on, and the number of label roll replacement operations can be minimized.

Furthermore, since the type of label is automatically detected and compared with the specified type, there is no possibility of printing on a different type of label.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1a is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, A is a parent device, B is a child device, and two child devices B are connected to the parent device A. Base unit A is also connected to host computer C, and is adapted to receive and store label reservation issue data sent from host computer C.

Here, the parent device A and the slave device B have the configurations shown in FIGS. 1b to 8. In these figures, 1 is a label printer main body, and 2 is a stand that supports the label printer main body 1. A display section 5 and an operation section 6 are provided at the top of the front panel 3 of the label printer main body 1, and a switch section 7 is provided at the bottom of the front panel 3. Further, from the lower right end of the front panel 3, a label 8 affixed to a mount 8a is let out and taken up on a take-up reel 9.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the display section 5, operation section 6, and switch section 7. As shown in FIG.

First, the display section 5 displays each item to be printed on the label 8, including an area 5a for displaying the product name, product attributes, and various messages, as well as an area 5a for displaying the manufacturing date, product weight, sales date, etc. Area 5b for displaying the product number and area 5 for displaying the product number and selling price
Area 5 that displays c, flight number, label type, etc.
It consists of d. In addition, each area 5a to 5d
consists of a liquid crystal display.

The operating section 6 is composed of a flat keyboard 6a consisting of a numeric keypad and function keys, and a mode changeover switch 6b for changing the operating mode of the label printer. Note that the operation modes include a label issuing mode, an online mode, a master registration mode, and a date mode.

The switch section 7 includes a power switch 7a, a label rewind switch 7b, a label feed switch 7c, and a label detection sensor sensitivity adjustment knob 7.
d, and a connector 7e for connecting external equipment.

Next, the main parts of the label printer main body 1 and the cassette 30 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3 to 8.

In these figures, 10 is a side plate fixed perpendicularly to the main body 1. The center and lower portions of the support plate 11 are fixed to the front surface of the side plate 10 in an overlapping manner (FIG. 6). Further, the upper part of the support plate 11 is bent forward into a step shape, and a cassette attachment plate 12 is fixed to this part in parallel with the side plate 10.

A stepping motor 13 is fixed to the back side of the side plate 10 where the side plate 10 and the support plate 11 overlap. Shaft 13a of stepping motor 13
protrudes forward of the support plate 11, the motor side gear 14 is fitted into the protruding part, and the shaft 13
The tip of a is the bearing 1 attached to the bearing plate 15.
6 (Fig. 3). Note that the bearing plate 15 is fixed to the front surface of the support plate 11 with screws. In addition, the shaft 13a of the stepping motor 13
A pulley 17 is fitted on the back side of the side plate 10 (FIG. 8) to drive a timing belt 18. The timing belt 18 rotationally drives the platen roller 21 of the printing section 20, and is stretched horizontally between the pulley 17 and the pulley 22, and has a gear 22a that shares a common axis with the pulley 22.
and a gear 2 that shares a shaft with the platen roller 21.
The platen roller 21 is rotationally driven via the platen roller 1a.

A thermal head 23 is disposed above and facing the platen roller 21, and is pressed against the platen roller 21 by a head pressing spring 24 that urges it downward. Then, printing is performed on the label 8 that is transferred between the platen roller 21 and the thermal head 23. This label 8 is
It is unrolled from the cassette 30, guided between a pair of upper and lower guide plates 25a and 25b, reaches a platen roller 21, and is unwound to the outside by the platen roller 21. Moreover, in the middle of the guide plate 25,
A label detection sensor 26 consisting of a light emitting element 26a and a light receiving element 26b is provided to detect the label 8. This detection is performed by utilizing the fact that the amount of light received increases at intervals between the labels 8 attached to the mount 8a in a row.

The printing section 20 is also provided with a lever 27 that rotates around a pin 27a, and when the upper end of the lever 27 is rotated counterclockwise, the support section 2 of the platen roller 21
1a rotates downward around the pin 21b, the platen roller 21 separates from the thermal head 23,
The heating element of the thermal head 23 can be cleaned. The support portion 21a is supported by a pin 21c that fits into a recess at the lower end of the lever 27.
It is stopped in the position shown in FIG. 3 or 4. Also,
There is a cutter 28 at the front upper part of the platen roller 21.
However, there is a guide plate 29 below the thermal head 23.
is provided.

Next, the cassette 30 will be explained with reference to FIG. 5 and the like.

The cassette 30 stores a label roll and feeds out the tip of the label 8 to the printing part 20, and includes a circular container-shaped storage part 30a having a bottom plate 30c, and a feeding part 3 provided at the bottom thereof.
0b.

The storage portion 30a is covered by a circular cassette lid 32 with a handle 31 attached to the center. When the cassette lid 32 is removed, a label roll set shaft 33 is provided at the center of the storage section 30a, protruding from the bottom plate 30c, and when the center hole of the label roll is fitted into the shaft 33, the label roll is mounted. The cassette lid 32 has a lock pin 33a protruding inward from the label roll set shaft 33;
A fixing plate 31a (FIG. 6) attached to the tip of the handle 31 is engaged and fixed. Further, a guide hole 42a' is provided at the center of the rear end surface of the label roll set shaft 33, passing through the bottom plate 30c.
A guide hole 42b' is provided near the feeding portion 30b.

The feeding section 30b includes a feeding roller 35,
It is composed of a pinch roller 36 that is pressed by the pinch roller 36, a guide plate 37 that guides the unreeled label, and a rewind guide plate 38.

The rear end of the shaft of the feeding roller 35 is connected to the cassette 3.
A gear 35a is fixed to this protruding portion. The gear 35a is a gear that meshes with the above-mentioned motor side gear 14 when the cassette 30 is attached to the main body 1, and thereby the feeding roller 35 is rotationally driven. On the other hand, a coil spring 35b that biases the roller 35 rearward is fitted into the front end of the shaft of the feeding roller 35. This means that even if the motor side gear 14 and gear 35a do not mesh when the cassette 30 is attached to the main body 1, when the stepping motor 13 starts rotating,
This is to ensure automatic engagement.
Note that a manual knob 35c is attached to the front end of the feeding roller 35, so that the label 8 can be fed out manually. Further, the gear 35a is covered by a cover 35d.

The pinch roller 36 is rotatably fitted onto a shaft 36a, and both ends of the shaft 36a are supported by coil springs 36.
b in the direction of the feeding roller 35 (FIG. 8). Also, the bearing 36c of the shaft 36a
is formed in the shape of a long hole, and is configured such that the pinch roller 36 comes into contact with the feeding roller 35 and moves away from it. The reason for this will be explained later.

The label 8 transferred between the feeding roller 35 and the pinch roller 36 is moved to the upper and lower guide plates 37.
It is guided by a guide plate 37 consisting of a and 37b and transferred to the guide plate 25 on the main body 1 side. Note that a cutter 37c is formed at the tip of the upper guide plate 37a.

The unwinding guide plate 38 is opened and closed by a hinge provided at its lower end (FIG. 4 shows the closed state and FIG. 5c shows the open state), and the label 8
When it is unwound, it is prevented from escaping outward and is stored in the storage part 30.

Next, the mounting portion 40 of the cassette 30 will be explained with reference to FIGS. 3, 6, and 8. First, the support plate 11 includes two support rods 41,
41 is erected and protrudes forward. Similarly, a guide rod 42b is provided near the gear 14,
The guide rod 42a is provided at the center of the cassette mounting plate 12. And the support rod 41,
41 and push the cassette 30 into the main body, the label roll set shaft 33 of the cassette 30
The guide hole 42a' provided in the guide rod 42
At the same time, the guide rod 42b is fitted into the guide hole 42b', and the cassette 30 is mounted in a predetermined position. In this case, the guide rod 42b
is provided near the gear 14, so that the cassette 3
0, the main body side gear 14 and the cassette side gear 35a are configured to mesh reliably. Furthermore, four spacers 43...
It is maintained at regular intervals by... Furthermore, the legs 30f of the cassette 30 fit into escape holes 44, 44 provided in the cassette mounting plate 12. Furthermore,
The bottom plate 30c is attracted and fixed by magnets 45, 45. Note that in this embodiment, the magnet 4
Although the cassette 30 is fixed by the levers 5 and 45, a locking mechanism may be provided to prevent the cassette 30 from being removed unless the lever is actuated.

Next, the cassette type discrimination mechanism will be explained. This determination is made by using a backing plate 50 (FIG. 7) fixed to the upper part of the bottom plate 30c of the cassette 30, and a four
The detection is performed using limit switches 51a to 51d. Here, the limit switch 51a~
51d is turned on when the backing plate 50 is detected and turned off when the backing plate 50 is not detected. Therefore, by appropriately arranging the backing plate 50, it is possible to detect whether a cassette 30 is attached or not and to detect 15 types of cassettes 30. That is, all limit switches 51a to 51
When d is off, it is detected that the cassette 30 is not installed, and the limit switch 5 is turned off.
15 due to the binary value (1 to 15) formed by 1a to 51d.
A cassette 30 containing different types of labels is detected.

Next, the electrical configuration of the base unit A will be explained with reference to FIGS. 9 to 11.

In these figures, 60 is a CPU.
The CPU 60 controls printing of the label 8 using a program stored in the ROM 61. ROM61
In addition to the above-mentioned programs, there are stored print formats corresponding to each type of label, a character generator for generating character patterns, and the like. 62 is a RAM, which includes a work area for the CPU 60, an instruction data memory 81 to be described later, a preset memory 91, various registers for storing data read from these memories, a number counter for counting the number of printed labels, and a label. Provides an area such as a print screen memory in which a pattern image to be printed is written. 63
64 is an interface for communicating with the slave unit B, and 64 is an interface for communicating with the host computer C.

The print control unit 70 is connected to the CPU 60 via a printer interface 71. This printer interface 71 receives output signals from limit switches 51a to 51d for label type detection, and a light receiving element 26b of the label detection sensor 26.
is supplied with the output of Further, from the printer interface 71, a DC motor 72 that drives the take-up reel 9 and a stepping motor 1 are connected.
At the same time, a control signal is sent to the drive circuit 73 of the thermal head 23, and a drive signal DP is sent to the shift register 74 connected to the front stage of the drive circuit 73.
Print data DATA and clock CP are supplied to .

The drive circuit 73 is composed of an AND gate group 73a and a driver circuit 73b, and is adapted to drive the heating elements R1 to Rn of the thermal head 23 to perform dot printing. Further, the shift register 74 is connected via the printer interface 71.
The print data DATA supplied from the CPU 60 in 8-bit units is shifted and taken in, and is supplied to the AND gate group 73a.

Next, referring to FIG.
2 instruction data memory 81 and preset memory 9
The contents stored in 1 will be explained.

The instruction data memory 81 stores reservation data sent to the base unit A from the host computer. In other words, it is possible to store the product number, delivery number, price, sale date, manufacturing date, number of issues, label type, processing flag, etc. for each of 1000 types of items, and with the exception of the processing flag, the host computer C Data sent from the controller is written, and these become instruction data.

The preset memory 91 is capable of storing product numbers, product names, font sizes of product names (full-width/half-width), additional characters, label types, etc. for 1200 types of items. Then, the preset memory 91 is searched using the product number selected from the instruction data memory 81, and label printing is performed based on the contents of these tables 81 and 91. Note that the details will be described later.

The preset memory 91 is also provided with an area (not shown) in which data extracted from the instruction data memory 81 is transferred and stored. This is later used as data for additionally printing the same label as the pre-issued label.

The above is the configuration of base unit A. On the other hand, the configuration of slave unit B includes an interface 64 for communication from base unit A to host computer C, and an instruction data memory 8.
1 and the preset memory 91 are excluded.

In the above configuration, when the cassette 30 in which the label roll is set is mounted on the mounting section 40,
The limit switches 51a to 51d detect this, and the stepping motor 13 is driven to rotate in the normal direction under the control of the CPU 60. As a result, the feed roller 35 and the platen roller 21 are rotationally driven in conjunction with each other, and the feed roller 35 feeds out the label 8. Then, the label 8 passes through the guide plate 25 and the label detection sensor 26, and then passes through the platen roller 2.
1 and the thermal head 23, and is stopped at a predetermined printing position. This stopping at the printing position is performed by driving the stepping motor 13 a predetermined number of steps after the end of the label 8 passes the label detection sensor 26. Note that this predetermined number of steps is stored in the ROM 61 for each label type.
is stored in

Here, the label transport speed by the platen roller 21 is slightly higher than the label transport speed by the feed roller 35. Thereby, even if the label 8 becomes loose between the feeding roller 35 and the platen roller 21, it can be returned to the naturally stretched state. Also, if the tension is too high, the pinch roller 36 will cause the feed roller 3
Escape in the direction away from 5 to eliminate this tension. This is why the bearing 36c of the shaft 36a of the pinch roller 36 is formed into a long hole. In this way, the amount of label 8 to be transported is determined by the platen roller 21, and the label 8 is reliably transported by a predetermined amount.

On the other hand, if the stepping motor 13 is reversed,
The platen roller 21 and the feed roller 35 rotate in the opposite direction to rewind the label 8. At this time, the guide plate 38 prevents the label 8 from escaping outward.
By using this rewinding, the cassette 30
There is no need to waste the label 8 located between the cassette 30 and the printing section 20 when removing it.

Next, the operation of label reservation issuing, which is the gist of this embodiment, will be explained. Reservation issuance of a label is sent from the host computer to base unit A using instruction data stored in the instruction data memory 81 of base unit A and preset data registered and stored in the preset memory 91 of base unit A. This is executed on either the base unit A or the slave unit B based on the following. In the following, reservation issuance by base unit A and reservation issuance by slave unit B will be roughly divided into explanations.

Issuance of a reservation on base unit A Before explaining the issuance of a reservation on base unit A, an overview of the operation of the control program of base unit A will be explained.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the main routine of base unit A. When the power switch 7a is turned on, each part of the input/output device is initialized (stage S1), and the main routine begins. In this main routine, the mode changeover switch 6b is read (stage S2), and depending on the switching position, the issuance mode routine (stage S3),
Each routine is executed: an online mode routine (stage S4), a master registration mode routine (stage S5), and a date mode routine (stage S6). Also, after each routine ends, the slave unit B
polling process is executed (stage
S7). Note that the polling process is performed every time one label is issued in the label issue routine in the issue mode routine, and this will be described later.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an overview of the operation of the issue mode routine. In this mode routine, the function key and feed switch 7c in the flat keyboard 6a are read (stage S11), and depending on the on state of these switches, the label issuing routine (stage S12) is started.
A level check routine (stage S13) for the label detection sensor 26 is executed.

The above is an overview of the control program for base unit A.
Label reservation issuance is performed in the label issuance routine described above.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing details of label reservation issuing. After the operator has loaded the cassette 30 containing the desired label, the operator presses the numeric keypad and the flight key on the flat keyboard 6a to specify the flight number, and then presses the issue key to start the label reservation issue routine. be done.

First, in step SP1, the instruction data memory 81 is searched using the flight number and label type as keys, and it is determined whether there is unprocessed data with the corresponding flight number and label type in the instruction data memory 81. find. Here, the label type is determined by detecting the backing plate 50 using limit switches 51a to 51d. Further, to determine whether or not the process is unprocessed, the process flag is checked and if it is "0", it is determined that the process is unprocessed.

If applicable data exists (step SP2), this data is read from the instruction data memory 81. Furthermore, the preset memory 91 is searched using the product number of the read data as a key, and the product name, etc. are read out (step SP3). Note that all read data is set in a register reserved in the RAM 62. Further, the processing flag of the instruction data memory 81 corresponding to the data read above is turned on (step SP4), and the read instruction data is stored in an area (not shown) of the preset memory 91. This is done in case additional labels need to be issued, and the product number, delivery number, price, sale date, manufacturing date, label type, etc. in the instruction data memory 81 are transferred and stored. . However, in the case of additional issuance, the number of sheets is entered from the numeric keypad, so the number of sheets in the instruction data memory 81 is unnecessary and is not transferred to the preset memory 91.

Next, in step SP5, the label type in the instruction data memory 81 and the preset memory 91 are
Check whether the label type inside matches. This is to check whether the input of instruction data or preset data is being performed normally. If the label types match, the number of issued sheets in the instruction data memory 81 is set in the number of sheets counter of the RAM 62 (step SP6).

Then, in the following steps SP7 to SP10,
A predetermined number of labels as shown in FIG. 17 are issued. First, the print format corresponding to the label type is read from the ROM 61 to the RAM 62, and based on this print format, patterns such as product name, manufacturing date, sales date, product attributes such as additives, price, etc. are printed respectively. Write to screen memory and print the contents of this memory on a label (step SP7). Also, each time a label is issued,
The content of the number of sheets counter is subtracted by 1 and the number of sheets is counted (step SP8). Furthermore, every time one label is printed, polling processing is performed on slave unit B (step SP9), and when a specified number of labels have been printed (step SP10), a check label is printed (step SP11). This check label is used to check the status of the thermal head 23 and to indicate that printing for one item has been completed.When printing is completed, this check label is located at the bottom of the cutter 28. , it's about to get cut off here. After printing the check label, execute the polling process again (step
SP12), when printing continuously, return from step SP13 to step SP1 and search for the next specified data. If it is not continuous printing, the process returns to stage S7 in FIG. 12 via stage S12 in FIG. 13.

In step SP2 above, if there is no data reserved for publication, "No data" is displayed in area 5a of display section 5 (step SP2).
SP14), return. If the label types do not match in step SP5, "Label types do not match" is displayed in the area 5a (step SP15), and the process returns. in this case,
The operator checks the contents of the instruction data memory 81 and preset memory 91 by displaying or printing them, and investigates the cause of the discrepancy.

Issuance of reservation by slave device B In this case, slave device B prints the label while receiving instruction data etc. from parent device A. The operation of the base unit A and the operation of the slave unit B in this case will be described below.

(1) Operation of base unit A (FIG. 15) As described above, base unit A polls slave unit B sequentially. Now, when polling the Nth slave unit BN (step SP21), the slave unit BN
When a request for print data is received from the base unit A to the base unit A (step SP22), the base unit A sends the mail number and label type data to be printed to the slave unit.
Request to BN. When this data is sent, base unit A receives the data and notifies slave unit BN of the fact that it has received the data (step SP23). Then, using the data sent from the handset BN as a key,
The instruction data memory 81 is searched to find an unprocessed flight with the corresponding flight number and label type (step SP24).

If applicable data is found, step
The process moves from SP25 to step SP26, and the above-mentioned corresponding data is transmitted to the slave unit BN (step SP26).
That is, base unit A transmits a selecting signal to slave unit BN to request a status signal. When a status signal is sent from slave unit BN to base unit A, base unit A transmits the above data. Cordless handset
After receiving this data, BN sends a receipt notification to base unit A. After receiving the receipt notification, the base unit A
turns on the processing flag in the instruction data memory 81 corresponding to the data, and writes the data into the preset memory 91 (step SP27). This is for use when issuing additional documents.

On the other hand, in step SP22 above, slave unit B
If there is no request for print data from , the process moves to step SP28, adds 1 to N, prepares to poll the next slave unit B (N+1), and returns. At this time, when the last slave device is polled, the value of N is updated so that the polling returns to the first slave device.

In addition, in step SP25 above, if there is no corresponding data, the parent device A will
Notify BN (step SP29), step SP28
Return after. Note that the notification is executed in the same manner as step SP26.

(2) Operation of handset B (Fig. 16) On the other hand, handset B issues labels through the following operations.

First, when the cassette 30 is attached to the main body 1, the flight number is specified, and the issue key is pressed, this routine is started. Note that the type of label is detected by limit switches 51a to 51d.

At step SP31, a request for print data is issued to base unit A. When a data transmission request is received from base unit A, the flight number and label type data are transmitted (step SP32). As a result, print data is sent from parent device A. This print data is read from the instruction data memory 81 and preset memory 91 as described above.

In this way, once the print data is complete, the step
In SP34 to SP43, a label is issued, but since this is the same as the label issuing in parent device A, the explanation will be omitted. However, unlike base unit A, polling processing is not performed, so there are no steps corresponding to steps SP9 and SP12 in FIG.

The above are the main operations of this embodiment. According to this embodiment, from among the reserved data,
The data corresponding to the attached labels is extracted and printed in sequence, so after all the label printing for the attached labels is finished,
Just replace the label. Therefore, there is an advantage that the number of label exchanges is minimized.

In addition, the type of label attached is automatically detected by the limit switches 51a to 51d and the backing plate 50, and the corresponding instruction data is automatically extracted and printed, so that the wrong label can be Printing can be prevented.

Note that the following modifications can be considered to this embodiment.

(1) In this embodiment, the reservation data is transmitted online from the host computer to the label printer of the base unit, and is stored in the instruction data memory of the base unit. However, the configuration is not limited to this. For example, it is conceivable to connect a disk device to the label printer of the parent device and input reservation data to the label printer of the parent device using the disk as an intermediary. Also,
A keyboard for inputting reservation data may be connected to the operation unit of the label printer of the parent device or to the label printer of the parent device, and the reservation data may be input using the keyboard.

(2) In the present embodiment, in the parent-child system, the parent device manages the child devices, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, it is conceivable to configure a separate communication control unit that exclusively performs functions such as communication with the host computer performed by the base unit and management of the slave units. With this configuration, there is no need to distinguish between parent and child.

Further, the present invention can also be applied to a stand-alone label printer. In this case, the reservation data is input using a recording medium such as a disk or cassette tape, or a keyboard, as described above.

(3) In this embodiment, a limit switch is used to detect the type of cassette and then the type of label. This is because in this embodiment, label type=print format, and even if the label size is the same, the types are different.

However, when label type=label size, it is also possible to directly detect the label size using a sensor. At this time, the label length (label width in the traveling direction) can be measured by the output of the label detection sensor.

In this case, it is conceivable that the label types may be the same even if the printing formats are different.
In order to apply the present invention to such a case, it is necessary to store data specifying the print format rather than the label type in the instruction data memory. A table showing the correspondence between print formats and label types is provided, and this table is used to determine which size (=type) of label the print format can be printed on. In other words, although the print format in this case does not directly specify the label type, it indirectly corresponds to the label type, and the term "designation of label type" in the present invention does not include such cases. There is.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, the present invention sequentially extracts the print data corresponding to the label attached to the label printer from the reservation issue instruction data and prioritizes this data over other types of labels. Since printing is performed on one type of label after all printing is completed on the next type of label, the number of label replacement operations can be minimized. As a result, work efficiency can be improved.

Furthermore, since the type of label is automatically detected and printed, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience of wasting the label by printing on the wrong label.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1a is a perspective view showing the external configuration of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1b is a perspective view showing the external configuration of a label printer according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a display section of the label printer. 3 is a side view showing the state of the same label printer before the cassette 30 is installed; FIG. 4 is a side view showing the state of the same label printer after the cassette 30 is installed. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the structure of the cassette 30, in which a is a front view, b is a side view, c is a front view showing the inside, and Figs. 6 to 8 show the state when the cassette 30 is installed. 6 is a side sectional view, FIG. 7 is a plan view, FIG. 8 is a plan sectional view, FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the label printer, and FIG. 10 is a print control section. 70, FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of the instruction data memory 81 and preset memory 91, FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an overview of the control program of the base unit, and FIG. 13 is a diagram of the same program. FIG. 14 is a flowchart for explaining the label issuing operation in the parent device, and FIGS. 15 and 16 are flowcharts for explaining the label issuing operation in the slave device. Fig. 15 shows the operation of the master unit at this time, Fig. 16 shows the operation of the slave unit, and Fig. 17 is a front view showing an example of label printing. is an example of a medium label and C is an example of a small label. 1...Label printer body, 8...Label, 2
0...Printing section, 26...Label detection sensor, 30
...Cassette, 35...Feeding roller (transfer means), 40...Mounting section, 51a to 51d...Limit switch (type detection means), 60...CPU
(Print control means).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a label printer equipped with multiple printing formats and capable of printing on different types of labels, reservations for multiple types of labels can be made by specifying the type of label and reserving the issuance of the label. a reservation means for generating issue instruction data; a type detection means for detecting the type of label attached; and print data corresponding to the type of label detected by the type detection means from among the reservation issue instruction data. extract,
A label printer comprising a print control means for printing this print data with priority over other print data. 2. The label printer according to claim 1, wherein the reservation means is a host computer. 3. The label printer according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the label is attached by attaching a cassette containing the label. 4. The label printer according to claim 3, further comprising transport means for automatically transporting the leading end of the label to a printing section when the cassette is installed. 5. The label printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the label type is detected using an output from a label detector. 6. The label printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the detection of the label type is performed by a detection section attached to the cassette.