JPH0644393A - Bar code printer, method for printing bar code, and bar code recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print a bar code symbol with high contrast and reading rate by substantially matching the ink printing direction on the recording carrier with the height direction of the bar code symbol to be printed. CONSTITUTION:The ink printing direction on the recording medium and the direction of a height 8 of the bar code symbol to be printed and substantially matched. In this case, the height 8 of the bar code symbol is defined for a height 7 of the bar code symbol. Namely, when the printing position of a drop of ink to be ejected from a certain nozzle constituting an ink head at a certain moment on the recording body is taken as a point A and the printing position of a drop of ink to be ejected from the same nozzle at the next moment leaving the absolute minimum time interval is taken as a point B, the printing direction in the recording carrier means the direction connecting the point A and B. Thus, the edge section of the bar is formed by effectively using the direct visuality in the horizontal direction being the feature of the printer.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a bar code printer for printing a bar code, a printing method for printing a bar code by the apparatus, and a bar code recording body printed by the apparatus.

In recent years, barcodes have been added to products and products, or workpieces, semi-finished products and products in the manufacturing process,
By enabling single item identification, these processing and assembly,
In various processes such as inventory, shipping, and distribution management, automation or labor-saving management has been achieved.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, when a bar code is printed by a dot type printer, "JAN standard" and "NW standard" are used.
Bar code type such as "-7" or "CODE39", width of minimum bar code element (module) width such as "1 dot", "2 dots", or "3 dots", and the number or alphabetic character to be printed -By specifying and inputting characters (information) including special symbols and spaces, the image pattern of the barcode corresponding to them is once expanded on the working memory of the bitmap system, and then the pattern data is stored from the memory. Are sequentially read out, transferred to the print buffer memory, sent to the print head and printed on the record carrier. Then, in order to develop the barcode pattern in the working memory, the horizontal (width direction) one dot row for each character forming the barcode is referred to by referring to the code conversion table (for example, "●●● ○○"). ● ○)), the module configuration composed of bit strings (for example, “1110010”) is sequentially written into the working memory, thereby creating a pattern for one horizontal row of the barcode (width direction). It has been a conventional practice to complete a bar code symbol by copying (repeat) to a predetermined area in the working memory as many times as necessary in the vertical length, that is, the bar code height.

The conventional method will be described in detail below by taking a serial scanning type ink jet printer as an example. In the serial scanning type, as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, the ink head 1 prints while reciprocating in the lateral direction 3 with respect to the record carrier 2, and the record carrier 2 is intermittently synchronized with this. To the transport direction 4. The effective print width 5 is naturally determined by the lateral movement distance of the ink head. If the effective print width 5 is printed in the length direction of the bar code symbol 6 as shown in FIG. 2, and the effective print width 5 is printed in the height direction of the bar code symbol 6 as shown in FIG. Compared with, the amount of working memory required to expand the barcode symbol can be saved significantly. This is because the bar code symbol length 7 and the bar code symbol height 8 in the present invention are as shown in FIG. 3, and the bar code height 8 is originally
It is thought that 10 mm or more is necessary because it affects the read operability, but this is because the bar code length 7 is generally longer than the bar code height 8.

Further, in the barcode, it is common to additionally write characters (human-readable interpretation) above or below the barcode symbol so that a human can visually confirm the recorded character (information). However, if the characters are printed in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, the characters in the part written together are purposely rotated by 90 °,
So-called vertical / horizontal conversion must be performed before printing. In view of these points, the bar code symbol is conventionally printed with the arrangement shown in FIG.

However, when the barcode symbol is printed with the arrangement shown in FIG. 2 by using the serial scanning type ink jet printer apparatus, it essentially contributes to the printing at the ink droplet forming stage (arrow 9 is the ink ejection direction) of FIG. In addition to the main droplets 10, unnecessary satellite droplets 11 are generated, and these are spot-like stains 12 on the space (white bar) of the barcode symbol on the record carrier as shown in FIG. 5A.
Occurs, which causes a large decrease in the reading rate. The generation of the satellite droplets 11 can be suppressed by optimizing the ink droplet forming conditions, but the barcode symbol is required to maintain as high a contrast as possible, and the PCS value defined by the following equation is used. The minimum value is specified. In order to satisfy this, it is essential to reduce the reflectance of the black bar portion (increase the printing density), and this is dealt with by using ink of high density, that is, high viscosity. However, since the satellite droplets 11 tend to form when the viscosity of the ink rises, when printing a barcode symbol with an ink jet printer, it is necessary to select contradictory conditions regarding so-called print density and stain. It was being done.

PCS value = (RL−RD) / RD × 100 (%) RL: Space reflectance RD: Bar reflectance

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and to provide a very high contrast.
Moreover, it is another object of the present invention to provide a bar code printer capable of printing a bar code symbol having a very high reading rate.

By utilizing the features of the recording method of the present invention, it is possible to print on a record carrier having a curved surface, a spherical surface, or a surface having fine irregularities, so that it is possible to print a bar code symbol on, for example, a fiber cloth. Since it can be colored, it is possible to combine colorful marks and barcode symbols, and it is very effectively used for various record carriers.

In view of the above point, another object of the present invention is to provide a printing method for printing a bar code symbol having a very high contrast and a very high reading rate.
It is to provide a bar code recording body.

[0011]

With respect to the above object, the present inventor finally arrived at the present invention as a result of extensive studies over many years. The outline is as follows.

That is, the bar code printer of the present invention comprises an ink jet printer which prints information containing a bar code symbol on a record carrier, and the ink printing direction on the record carrier and the height of the bar code symbol to be printed. The bar code printer is characterized in that the vertical direction and the vertical direction are substantially the same.

Further, in the bar code printing method of the present invention, by using the ink jet printer device, the ink printing direction on the record carrier and the height direction of the printed bar code symbol are substantially the same direction. Is a bar code printing method.

Further, the bar code recording material of the present invention is a bar code recording material which is produced by the above-mentioned bar code printing method of the present invention.

[0015]

The present invention will be described in detail below.

The bar code symbol length 7 and the bar code symbol height 8 in the present invention are as shown in FIG.

The printing direction of the ink on the record carrier, which is a key point of the present invention, is various types of ink heads such as continuous jet type, intermittent jet type, on-demand type and ink mist type. Is defined regardless of. That is, the print position on the record carrier of an ink droplet ejected from one nozzle constituting the ink head at a certain moment is set to point A, and the same nozzle ejects the ink at the next moment with a minimum required time interval. When the printing position of the formed ink droplet is point B, the ink printing direction on the record carrier of the present invention means the direction connecting points A and B.
The serial scanning type bar code printer will be described in detail. Since the ink head prints while moving in the lateral direction with respect to the record carrier, that is, in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the record carrier, on the record carrier in this case. The printing direction of the ink is defined as a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the record carrier. It should be noted that the basic idea of the present invention is not deviated even in the direction connecting point B to point A rotated by 180 degrees.

Further, the unexpected effect of the present invention is as follows. That is, since the serial scanning type inkjet printer device is originally positioned as a character printer because it has a good direct visibility in the lateral direction, when the barcode symbol having the arrangement shown in FIG. Even if the recording medium has a high flatness (dedicated recording paper), there is a 13 "mark on the edge portion of the bar as shown in FIG. 5 (b) due to the unavoidable swing accompanying the lateral movement of the ink head. It causes "distortion". In the case of the present invention, since the edge portion of the bar is formed by effectively utilizing the lateral direct visibility which is a characteristic of the printer device, a very high quality bar code symbol can be obtained. Furthermore,
When a barcode symbol is printed with the configuration of the present invention, a long barcode symbol can be printed in the barcode length direction without being limited by the effective printing width determined by the lateral movement distance of the ink head. That is, a so-called "long" bar code symbol can be obtained even with a small-sized serial scanning type inkjet printer having an extremely narrow effective print width, and a compact label printer can be realized. If the effective print width is narrow, it is not necessary to secure a large capacity for the working memory described above.

As the record carrier used in the present invention, conventionally used paper, fiber cloth, film sheet or the like can be used. As the fiber cloth, a woven or knitted fabric woven or knitted with a high woven density or knit density,
Alternatively, a non-woven fabric or the like can be used. The fibers constituting these fiber cloths are ultrafine fibers having a single fiber fineness of 1 denier or less, preferably 0.1 denier or less. As the woven or knitted fabric or the non-woven fabric, a fabric whose surface is flattened or highly entangled by calendering treatment, various resin treatments, water jet punching treatment, or the like may be used.

In the above description, an ink jet printer device in which the printing mechanism is a serial scanning type is used as an example, but another proposed printing mechanism of another type, for example, a recording carrier is wound around a drum. Even if the drum scanning type in which the rotation of the drum is the main scanning and the lateral movement of the ink head is the sub scanning, or the plane scanning type in which the horizontal one-row type ink head (multi-nozzle line head) is used, The present invention can be implemented by configuring the ink printing direction and the height direction of the barcode symbol to be printed to be substantially the same.

Further, the bar code printer of the present invention does not limit the information input section, and is equipped with a keyboard type input section that enables manual input so that it can be used alone (standalone). Alternatively, it may be a type that incorporates various communication interfaces that have already been proposed and can input information from an external computer.

[0022]

The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following examples.

A commercially available personal computer was connected to an ink jet printer in which the ink head was an on-demand type and the printing mechanism was a serial scanning type. From the keyboard of a personal computer "JAN standard", "NW-
Barcode type such as "7" or "CODE39"
The width of the minimum barcode element (module) such as "1 dot", "2 dots", or "3 dots" is designated, and data (character) is input. The input data was developed into a bar code image pattern on the working memory secured in the personal computer by referring to the code conversion table.

On the other hand, a high density woven fabric obtained by weaving ultrafine fiber yarn having a single fiber fineness of 0.07 denier as a constituent fiber was subjected to a water jet punch to obtain a fiber cloth sheet for a record carrier.

The above-mentioned image patterns were sequentially transferred to the printer device and printed on the sheet using the record carrier sheet.

In order to compare the method of the present invention with the conventional method in such printing, the conventional arrangement shown in FIG. 2 and the bar code printing method of the present invention in which the same hardware is rotated by 90 ° are used in order to compare the method. Based on the two arrangements shown in FIG. 1, printing was performed.

The results of these prints are shown in FIG. FIG. 6 is an enlarged photomicrograph (magnification 18 times) of the fiber surface on which the barcode is printed on the fiber cloth, where the black image shows the black bar and the white image shows the white bar. FIG. 3 (a) is based on the method of the present invention,
FIG. 1B shows the conventional method. The code system of the barcode symbol shown in FIG. 6 is "JAN standard".

FIG. 6 (a), which is a bar code recording material of the present invention produced by the bar code printing method of the present invention, shows that there is no stain due to satellite droplets and a highly linear bar edge is obtained. It can be distinguished from the conventional bar code recording body shown in FIG. 6 (b) at a glance. That is, in the conventional method, the satellite droplets in the bar code symbol are often printed in the conventional method, and the blurring of the white bar is particularly noticeable.

Both of these bar codes are repeatedly read and inspected by a commercially available touch type bar code reader, and as a result, a conventional bar code recording medium is shown in FIG. 6 (b).
Is difficult to read, and can be read only once by several reading operations, whereas the barcode recording body according to the present invention shown in FIG. 6A is very easy to read. .

[0030]

As described above, according to the bar code printer and the bar code printing method of the present invention, it is possible to prepare a bar code recording body of very high quality with less dirt caused by satellite droplets, and further, ink jet. By making use of the characteristics of the recording method, it is possible to add a barcode symbol to things such as fiber cloth with a slightly uneven surface, making it effective for the delivery of textile products for which automation has been postponed, such as uniform rental business. It is used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a model diagram showing an example of an embodiment in which a printing method of a bar code printer of the present invention is a serial scanning type.

FIG. 2 is a model diagram of a conventional serial scanning bar code printer shown for comparison.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram defining the length and height of a barcode symbol.

FIG. 4 is a model diagram showing an ink droplet formation state after being ejected from a nozzle.

5A and 5B are model conceptual diagrams showing, as a model, a defective portion of a bar code symbol printed by a conventional serial scanning type inkjet printer device.

FIG. 6 is a magnified micrograph (magnification 18 times) of the fiber surface on which a barcode is printed on the fiber cloth obtained in the example, in which black portions are black bars and white portions are white. A white bar is shown. The figure (a) is based on the method of the present invention, and the figure (b) is based on the conventional method.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: Ink head 2: Record carrier 3: Moving direction of ink head 4: Recording carrier transport direction 5: Effective print width 6: Bar code symbol 7: Bar code symbol length 8: Bar code symbol height 9: Ink jetting direction 10: Main droplet 11: Satellite droplet 12: Spot-like stain 13: "Distortion" of edge part of bar

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] June 30, 1993

[Procedure Amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Name of item to be corrected] Figure 6

[Correction method] Change

[Correction content]

[6] a sign barcodes fabric obtained in Example
It is an enlarged micrograph (magnification 18 times) showing the shape of the fiber in the fiber cloth obtained by lettering , the black part is the black bar and the white part is the white bar. Is shown. The figure (a) is based on the method of the present invention, and the figure (b) is based on the conventional method.

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Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An inkjet printer device for printing information including a bar code symbol on a record carrier,
1. A bar code printer device, characterized in that the ink printing direction on the record carrier and the height direction of the printed bar code symbol are substantially the same direction. 2. The bar code printer according to claim 1, wherein the printing mechanism is a serial scanning type. 3. A bar which is printed by using an ink jet printer so that an ink printing direction on a record carrier and a height direction of a bar code symbol to be printed are substantially the same direction. Code printing method. 4. A bar code recording material prepared by the bar code printing method according to claim 3. 5. The barcode recording body according to claim 4, wherein the record carrier is a fiber cloth.