JP2745027B2 - Label detection device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention uses an optical sensor to detect a label-attached portion and a non-adhered portion of a label sheet having a label attached to a mount. A label detecting device.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, in order to discriminate between a label sticking portion and a non-sticking portion of a label sheet, it is general to detect a difference in the amount of light transmitted through the label sheet by an optical sensor.

FIG. 4 (a) shows a label detecting device in a conventional printing apparatus. The label detecting device is a light emitting element of the optical sensor 1 by a conveying means (not shown) for the label paper 4 of FIG. 4 (b). When passing between the light receiving element 2 and the light receiving element 3, a change in light transmitted through the label paper 4 is detected, and it is determined whether or not the label 5 is attached to the mount 6.

The label 5 for which attachment has been determined is printed by a print command when passing through the printing means constituted by the print head 9 and the platen 10.

A reference value for discriminating between the label sticking portion 7 and the non-sticking portion 8 of the label paper 4 is usually set at the time of factory shipment. The setting is performed by the optical sensor 1 using the label sticking part 7 and the non-sticking part 8.
Are detected, the output signals of the respective optical sensors at the time of detection are measured by a measuring instrument, and the variable resistance on the electronic circuit is varied, so that the middle of the output signals is set to be a reference value. The set reference value is compared with the output signal of the optical sensor in a printing operation or the like, and the magnitude of the signal is used to discriminate the label sticking portion 7 and the non-sticking portion 8 of the label paper 4.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the conventional label detection device requires an expensive measuring instrument such as an oscilloscope when setting the reference value, and also requires a label sticking part and a non-sticking part. When the absolute value and the difference of the amount of transmitted light are extremely small, there is a disadvantage that the workability is extremely poor, such as a large number of adjustment steps for setting a reference value as a criterion.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, the label detecting device of the present invention is a current switching unit that switches a current flowing through a light emitting element in a stepwise manner to a current set for each range when adjusting a reference value. And detecting the label non-adhered portion at the time of adjusting the reference value, setting the range of the current switching means to the lowest range once, and setting one lens until the optical sensor output signal of the light receiving element becomes a voltage of 4.0 V or more. And the light sensor output signal is 4.0V
Current setting means for determining the light emitting element drive current range at the time when the above voltage is reached, and an optical sensor output signal and a non-adhered part detection at the time of detecting the label attached part in the light emitting element drive current range at the time of adjusting the reference value. Reference value setting means for setting the average value of the optical sensor output signal at the time as a reference value in the storage means.

The purpose is to set an appropriate reference value without setting up an expensive measuring instrument when setting the reference value for detecting the label sticking part and the non-sticking part of the label paper. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple label detecting device.

[Operation] The label detection device of the present invention first detects a label non-adhered portion at the time of reference value adjustment, sets the range of the current switching means to the lowest range once, and sets the light sensor output signal of the light receiving element to 4.0 V When the output signal of the optical sensor reaches a voltage of 4.0 V or more, a light emitting element driving current range is determined, and a label sticking part and a non-sticking part are determined in this current range. Is measured and the average value is set as a reference value, so that an appropriate reference value can be set without using a measuring instrument.

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described based on one example.

FIG. 1 shows a circuit diagram of a label detecting device according to the present invention. The optical sensor 11 that detects the label paper 4
The light-emitting element 12 and the light-receiving element 13 are constituted. The anode of the light-emitting element 12 and the collector of the light-receiving element 13 are connected to a + 5V power supply, and the cathode and the emitter are connected to a 0V potential of the power supply via a current switching circuit 14 and a resistor 15, respectively. It is connected to the.

The current switching circuit 14 is connected to the I / O port 16 and has a five-stage current switching function from the lowest current range 1 to the highest current range 5, and controls the current of the light emitting element 12 under the control of the CPU 17. I do.

An emitter of the light receiving element 13 is connected to a + input terminal of a comparator 19 via an amplifier 18 and further connected to an A / D converter 2.
It is also connected to I / O port 16 via 0.

The negative input terminal of the comparator 19 is connected to the I / O port 16 via the D / A converter 21.

The output of the emitter signal of the light receiving element 13 is
The signal is amplified by the A / D converter 20, converted into a digital signal (hereinafter referred to as an optical sensor output signal) by the A / D converter 20, and input to the I / O port 16. On the other hand, the CPU 17 is connected to the RAM 22 backed up by a battery 23 and the ROM 24 storing an operation program, in addition to the I / O port 16.

Next, the reference value adjusting method of the label detecting apparatus of the present invention when setting the reference value will be described with reference to the reference value adjusting sequence flowchart of FIG.

First, in the sequence [1], the label non-sticking portion 8 is detected by the optical sensor 11, and the output signal is measured.

In the sequence [2], the range of the current switching circuit 14 is switched to 1.

In the sequence [3], it is checked whether the output signal of the optical sensor is higher than 4.0V, and if it is lower than 4.0V,
In the sequence [8], the range of the current switching circuit 14 is set to 1
Raise the range and repeat the above check.

If the optical sensor output signal is 4.0 V or more, the optical sensor output signal (X1) is stored in the RAM 22 in sequence [4].

In the sequence [5], the label sticking section 7 is detected by the optical sensor 11, and the output signal is measured. In the sequence [6], the optical sensor output signal (X2) at that time is stored in the RAM 22
To memorize.

In sequence [7], the CPU 17 converts the light sensor output signals X1 and X2 into And calculates a reference value (Th) as a reference for discriminating between the label sticking portion 7 and the non-sticking portion 8, and the RAM 1
Remember in 2.

With the above, the reference value adjustment of the label detecting device of the present invention is completed. However, compared to the conventional label detecting device, a high-priced measuring device is unnecessary, and the label sticking portion and the non-sticking portion are determined. For example, it is possible to appropriately set the determination reference value, and thus there is an advantage that the workability can be greatly improved.

FIG. 3 is a chart showing the output timing of the optical sensor output signal (X) at the time of label paper detection and the detection signal Z output from the comparator 19. The reference value (Th) stored in the RAM 12 is, as shown in FIG. 3, a light sensor output signal (X1) at the time of detection of a non-labeled portion, which is a maximum value of the light sensor output signal (X), and a minimum value. It is at an intermediate potential of the optical sensor output signal (X2) of a certain label sticking part detection unit.

When the label paper 4 is detected, the voltage of the reference value (Th) is compared with the voltage of the optical sensor output signal.
The output signal of No. 19, that is, the detection signal Z becomes high level,
When Th> X, the detection signal Z is at a low level.
And the non-sticking portion 8 can be determined.

That is, if the detection signal Z of the label paper 4 is at a low level, the label sticking section 7 is determined, and if the detection signal Z is at a high level, the label non-sticking section 8 is determined.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above in detail, according to the label detection device of the present invention, the reference value for automatically determining the label sticking portion and the non-sticking portion is automatically set. When adjusting the value, it is possible to set an appropriate current value of the light emitting element and an appropriate reference value without using an expensive measuring instrument, and it requires very little man-hour for adjustment. is there.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of the label detection device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an adjustment sequence flowchart showing an adjustment sequence of the label detection device, and FIG. FIG. 4 (a) is a configuration diagram of a conventional label detecting device, and FIG. 4 (b) is a label paper 4 in which the output timing of the optical sensor output signal X and the detection signal Z for detecting the sticking portion is detected. FIG.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A light detecting means comprising a light receiving element and a light emitting element; an A / D converter for converting an output signal of the light receiving element into a digital signal and outputting it as a light sensor output signal; a storage means; The label adhering part and the non-adhering part are detected by detecting the amount of light passing through the label paper to which the affixed label is applied by the light detecting means and comparing the optical sensor output signal with a reference value stored in the storage means. A label detection device having a determination means for determining, wherein the reference value can be adjusted; current switching means for changing a current flowing through the light emitting element in a stepwise manner to a current set for each range when the reference value is adjusted; Detect the label non-adhered part at the time of reference value adjustment, set the range of the current switching means to the lowest range once, until the light sensor output signal of the light receiving element becomes a voltage of 4.0 V or more. Current setting means for raising the lens by one lens and determining a light emitting element driving current range when the optical sensor output signal becomes a voltage of 4.0 V or more; and attaching a label in the light emitting element driving current range when adjusting the reference value. A label detecting device comprising: a reference value setting unit that sets an average value of an optical sensor output signal at the time of detecting a portion and an optical sensor output signal at the time of detecting a non-sticking portion as a reference value in the storage unit.