JPH089247B2 - Label printer - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printer that uses a label paper in which a large number of labels are attached at equal intervals on a long mount.

2. Description of the Related Art In a label printer that intermittently feeds a long sheet of paper on which many labels are attached with equal pitches and prints on the label, it is necessary to control the sheet feeding length according to the length of the label. is there.

Conventionally, a program for controlling the operation of the mount feeding unit that feeds the mount according to the length of the label is stored in the memory, and the program corresponding to the label to be used is called from the memory by key input.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, there is a problem that such a device is very troublesome because it requires an operation of selecting a program each time it is used or whenever the power is turned on. Also, a label that is not normally used cannot be used unless a new program is set up for the label.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a label printer that does not need to input the type even if the label is changed and is easy to operate at the time of label exchange.

Means for Solving Problems A print unit and a mount feeding unit for feeding the mount are provided in a path of a long mount on which a large number of labels are attached by equal pitches.
Label detecting means for detecting a length l of the label based on an output interval of the detector, by forming a large number of detected portions by a detector along a side edge of the mount with equal pitches, and the detection. The feed amount of the mount from the time when the detected part is detected by the detector is the feed amount (L-kl), where L is the distance between the printing part and the detector, and k is the maximum natural number where kl does not exceed L. A control means is provided which is configured to determine the stop timing of the mount feeding portion so as to stop the label at the printing position based on the calculation result of the calculation means.

The action detector detects the detected part and outputs a detection signal.
The label detecting means measures the label length l based on the output interval, and the calculating means calculates the feed amount of the mount as (L-kl) to control the feed of the mount. Even if a label is used, it is possible to obtain the feed amount of the mount for stopping the label at the printing position by the calculating means, and thereby, even if the label is changed, a new input operation for feeding the mount is omitted. Is something that can be done.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. A board guide plate 2, a thermal head 3 which is a printing section, a platen 4 which also functions as a board feeding section, and a label peeling body 5 which bends the board 1 at an acute angle are arranged along the drawing path of the board 1. Further, an ink ribbon 7 wound around the supply reel 6 and passed between the thermal head 3 and the platen 4.
A take-up reel 8 is provided for winding the. Further, a detector 9 is provided at a printing position, that is, at a distance L from the center of the thermal head 3. This detector 9
Is a photoelectric conversion element for detecting and outputting a detected hole 10 which is a detected portion formed on the side edge of the mount 1.

A large number of labels 11 are attached to the mount 1 with equal pitches, and the arrangement pitch of the holes 10 to be detected is the same as the arrangement pitch of these labels 11. In addition, on both sides of the mount 1, a sprocket, that is, a plurality of feed holes that engage with the mount feeding portion, which are not shown
12 are formed.

Next, the operation of the control means for measuring the length of the label 11 on the basis of the output interval of the detector 9 to determine the stop operation timing of the step motor for driving the sprocket will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. 5 and 6. It will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the power is turned on, an initial process including a process of clearing the memory of the counter is performed, and then the step motor is rotated to drive the mount feeding unit to start the mount feeding. That is, the mount 1 is the supply reel 6
It is sent to the thermal head 3 from the side. At this time,
A detector 9 acting as a label detecting means detects the hole 10 to be detected and outputs a detection signal. The detector 9 detects the next detected hole 10 as long as the feeding of the mount 1 is continued. While the two detection signals are output, 1 is added to the memory of the counter each time the step motor that drives the mount feeding unit rotates by one step, and the count of the memory of this counter is added to the detected hole 10 to be detected. The interval, that is, the length l of the label 11 is automatically calculated. Correspondingly to this, the feed amount (L-kl) of the mount 1 is calculated by the computing means which constitutes the control means together with the label detecting means, and the actual feed amount of the mount 1 is coincident with this value (L-kl). Sometimes the stepper motor stops and the board feed stops. After that, the printing process by the thermal head 3 is performed through the main routine. Note that k is
kl is the maximum natural number that does not exceed L. For example, L = 13
When 0 mm, l = 20 mm, k = 6, the detector 9 detects the hole 1
The feed amount (L-kl) of the mount after detecting 0 is 10 mm.

In the main routine, detection including whether the label 11 has been replaced is performed. That is, when replacing the label 11, the thermal head 3 is moved away from the platen 4,
As shown in FIG. 6, it is checked whether or not the thermal head 3 is down due to the label 11 replacement work. This is detected by the operation of a drive unit (not shown) that drives the thermal head 3. If this detection is made, the memory of the counter is cleared, the mount 1 is fed by driving the step motor, and the length 1 of the label 11 is calculated and the mount feed amount (L-kl) is calculated in the same manner as the above-mentioned operation. The paper feed is stopped according to this calculated value, and normal printing processing is performed.

In this way, at the time of starting, when the power is turned on and the label 11 is exchanged, the length l of the label 11 and the feed amount (L-kl) of the mount 1 corresponding to this are based on the detection signal of the detector 9. ) And are automatically measured, it is possible to omit the troublesome input operation of selecting a program using any kind of label 11.

Although the detected portion has the detected holes 12, the gap between the labels 11 or a large number of marks formed on the mount 1 may be optically detected.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, the present invention is provided with a printing unit and a mount feeding unit that feeds the mount in the path of a long-sized mount having a large number of labels attached with equal pitches, and a side edge of the mount. A large number of detected parts to be detected along with the detector are formed by equal pitches, and the label detecting means for measuring the label length l with reference to the output interval of the detector and the detected part by the detector. The feed amount of the above-mentioned mount from the time of detection is the feed amount (L-kl), where L is the distance between the printing unit and the detector, and k is the calculation means that calculates kl as the maximum natural number that does not exceed L. Since the control means is provided so as to determine the stop timing of the mount feeding portion so as to stop the label at the printing position based on the calculation result by the means, the detector detects the detected portion and outputs a detection signal. Output, but based on this output interval The bell detection means measures the length l of the label, and the calculation means calculates the amount of feed of the mount as (L-kl) to control the feed of the mount, so that the label of any length is used. Also, the amount of feed of the mount for stopping the label at the printing position can be obtained by the calculating means, and thus even if the label is changed, a new input operation for feeding the mount can be omitted. Have.

[Brief description of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a side view, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a reduced size of a roll-wrapped mount, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a part of the mount. Shown in plan view, 4th
The drawing is a partially enlarged side view, and FIGS. 5 and 6 are flow charts. 1 ... Mount, 3 ... Thermal head (printing part), 4 ...
Mount paper feeder, 9 ... Detector, 10 ... Detected hole (detected part), 11 ... Label

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Yukihiro Hirosaki 6-78 Minamimachi, Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture Mishima Plant, Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. (56) Reference JP-A-57-174294 (JP, A) JP-A- 59-156773 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A printing unit and a mount feeding unit for feeding the mount are provided in a path of a long mount having a number of labels attached with equal pitches, and a detector is detected along a side edge of the mount. A plurality of detected parts formed with equal pitches, the label detecting means for measuring the label length l with reference to the output interval of the detector, and the mount from the time when the detected parts are detected by the detector The feed amount of L is the feed amount (L-kl) where L is the distance between the printing unit and the detector k is the maximum natural number for which kl does not exceed L A label printer, characterized by further comprising control means for determining a timing of stopping the mount feeding unit so as to stop the label at a printing position.