JPH04347670A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent that paper jamming becomes further worse in a printer provided with a cutter by detecting the jamming of label paper. CONSTITUTION:A sensor 16 detecting the presence of the label paper 11 corresponding to one label protruding to the outside of a cutter 15 is provided and, when the label paper 11 is not detected by the sensor 16 at the time of the cutting of the label paper by the cutter 15, the publication of a label is stopped to judge the generation of an error and, when the label paper 11 is detected by the sensor 16 at the time of the cutting due to the cutter, the publication of the label is continued.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printer that prints on label paper containing tags and cuts it with a cutter to issue labels.

0002

[Prior Art] Generally, a label printer equipped with a cutter prints predetermined print information on a label paper containing a tag, and then cuts the printed label with a cutter to issue a label. Are known. For example, FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of main parts of a conventional label printer.

Label paper 1 is supplied between a print head 2 and a platen 3 disposed opposite to this print head 2, and after being printed by the print head 2, it is delivered to a label outlet via a conveyance path 4. It is conveyed to a cutter 5 provided. At this time, one printed label of the label paper 1 protrudes from the cutter 5 to the outside of the apparatus. Then, the protruding label is cut by the cutter 5, and one label is issued. Here, the label paper 1 is back-feeded by the distance traveled after printing, and positioned at the printing position for printing the next label.

0004

Generally, when a label is cut with a cutter, the cut portion of the remaining label paper tends to be bent in the cutting direction of the cutter. Further, for example, label paper stored in a roll may have a curling tendency.

[0005] In a label printer equipped with a conventional cutter, especially when thick and hard label paper is used, the remaining label paper after being cut by the cutter 5 is back-feeded and then transported, etc. Because the leading edge of the label paper is bent due to curls or cutting by a cutter, for example,
The leading end of the paper sometimes gets caught between the conveyance path 4 and the cutter 5, and a paper jam, commonly called a "jam", occurs at that part.

However, in such a label printer,
There is no means to detect the paper jam, and labels continue to be issued until the operator notices the paper jam, which may make the paper jam even worse and eventually lead to a malfunction of the label printer.

[0007] Accordingly, the present invention is capable of detecting a paper jam of label paper in a device equipped with a cutter.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a label printer that can prevent paper jams from getting worse.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides a label printer that is provided with a cutter, prints print information on label paper including tags, and issues labels by cutting the printed label paper with the cutter. This device is provided with a sensor which is provided on the outside and detects the presence or absence of a label to be cut and issued by a cutter, and a label issue stop means which stops label issue when no label is detected by the sensor during cutting by the cutter.

[0009]

[Operation] In the present invention having such a structure, if a label is not detected by the sensor at the time of cutting, label issuance is stopped by the label issuance stopping means.

0010

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 schematically shows the main structure. Label paper 11 is fed between a thermal head 12 and a platen 13 disposed opposite to this thermal head 12, and is printed by the thermal head 12. Then, the label is conveyed via the conveyance path 14 to a cutter 15 provided near the label outlet. At this time, one printed label of the label paper 11 protrudes downstream from the cutter 15 in the conveyance direction. At this time, a sensor 16 is provided on the downstream side of the cutter 15 in the transport direction of the label paper so as to detect one label of the protruding label paper 11.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 21 denotes a CPU (central processing unit) constituting the main body of the control section. A ROM (read only memory) 22 in which program data for processing performed by this CPU 21 is stored, and an RA in which various memory areas used when the CPU 21 performs processing are formed.
A communication I/F (interface) 24 connected to the M (random access memory) 23 and the host computer via a line connects to the C via a system bus 25.
It is connected to PU21. A head controller 26 that controls the thermal head 12 is also connected to the CPU 21 via the system bus 25.

A motor driver 28 that drives a pulse motor 27 for conveying label paper, and the cutter 1
a separation motor driver 30 that drives a cutter motor 29 for operating the sensor 16;
A/A for converting the output signal from the
The D (analog/digital) converter 31 is controlled by a drive controller 32 connected to the CPU 21 via the system bus 25. Label issuance is started by an issuance command received from the host computer via the communication I/F 24. So label 1
Tickets will be issued. FIG. 3 shows a flowchart of the process of issuing one label performed by the CPU 21. First, pulse motor 2
7, printing for one label is performed on the label paper 11 positioned at the printing position of the thermal head 12. Next, the label paper 11 is conveyed by the pulse motor 27 by the distance between the thermal head 12 and the cutter 15. Here, the presence or absence of the label paper 11 protruding from the cutter 15 is checked based on the output from the sensor 16.

[0014] Label paper 1 that sticks out due to this check
1 is detected, the cutter motor 29 is driven to cut the label paper 1 protruded from the cutter 15 by the cutter 15.
Cut part 1.

When the cutter 15 finishes cutting,
The pulse motor 27 backfeeds the label paper 11 by the distance between the thermal head 12 and cutter 15 (
Then, the process of issuing one label is completed.

Further, if the label paper 11 protruding from the cutter 15 is not detected by the sensor 16, the printer operation is stopped as a paper jam, and a printer error signal is sent to the host computer to issue a single label. Finish the process.

In this embodiment having such a configuration, first, as shown in FIG. 4a, the necessary printing information for one label is printed on the label paper 11 positioned at the printing position A of the thermal head 12. It will be printed. In addition, in FIG. 4, B indicates the cutting position by the cutter 15, and C indicates the detection position by the sensor. When printing is completed, the image appears as shown in FIG. 4b.

Here, the thermal head 12 and cutter 1
Label paper 1 for the distance between A and B, that is, the distance between A and B.
1 is conveyed, and as shown in FIG. 4c, the final end of the portion where printing information for one sheet has been completed is positioned at the cutting position B.

When the conveyance is completed, the sensor 16 detects the presence or absence of the label paper 11.
1 is detected, one label is cut from the label paper 11 by the cutter 15, and one label 11a is issued. At that time, it becomes as shown in FIG. 4d. Next, the label paper 11 is back-feeded by the distance between AB, and as shown in FIG. 4e, the label paper 11 is
1 is positioned at the next printing position.

If a paper jam of the label paper 11 occurs in the apparatus, the sensor 16 cannot detect the label paper because the label paper does not protrude beyond the cutting position B, unlike the case shown in FIG. 4c. It's going to happen. Therefore, at that time, label issuance is stopped and the device enters an error state.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, a label paper jam can be detected by detecting the label to be cut and issued by the sensor 16 provided on the downstream side of the cutter 15 in the transport direction of the label paper. By detecting this, label issuing is stopped and the device is placed in an error state, further deterioration of the paper jam can be prevented.

[0022]

[Effects of the Invention] As detailed above, according to the present invention,
A label printer that is equipped with a cutter and can detect a label paper jam by installing a sensor downstream of the cutter in the label paper transport direction, thereby preventing the paper jam from worsening further. can be provided.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of essential parts of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of main parts showing the same embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of processing for issuing one label in the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the process of issuing one label in the same embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of main parts of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

11...Label paper, 12...Thermal head, 15...Cutter, 16...Sensor, 21...CPU.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A label printer that is provided with a cutter, prints print information on label paper including a tag, and cuts the printed label paper with the cutter to issue a label, in which the cutter is used in the transport direction of the label paper. A sensor provided on the downstream side that detects the presence or absence of a label to be cut and issued by the cutter, and a label issue stop means that stops label issue when no label is detected by the sensor during cutting by the cutter. A label printer characterized by: