JP4494479B2 - Printer - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printer that performs printing on a tag continuum that is a continuous tag continuum, and in particular, detects a center hole formed in the center in the width direction of the tag continuum, and at a print timing based on the detection. The present invention relates to a printer that performs printing.

  In a printer that detects a center hole formed at the center in the width direction of a continuous tag body and performs printing at a print timing based on the detection, the center hole is detected so that it can correspond to a continuous tag body of a different width. A sensor moving mechanism for moving the hall detection sensor in the width direction is provided. This sensor moving mechanism is generally connected to a guide plate moving mechanism that moves the guide plate that guides the end of the continuous tag body in the width direction, and uses a pulley and a belt or meshes with each other. By using a small pinion and a large pinion with a gear ratio of 1: 2, the center hole detection sensor is configured to move half the amount of movement of the guide plate as the guide plate moves ( For example, see Patent Document 1).

  However, in the conventional technique using a pulley and a belt, a shift occurs between the pulley and the belt due to use over time, and the movement amount of the center hole detection sensor is not half of the movement amount of the guide plate, and the center hole is detected. In the conventional technique using a small pinion and a large pinion with a gear ratio of 1: 2 that mesh with each other, the meshing position is a rack and a large pinion, a large pinion and a small pinion attached to the guide plate. In this case, there are three locations of the small pinion and the rack attached to the center hole detection sensor, and the operation of moving the guide plate becomes heavy.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 01-294424

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and an object of the present invention is to accurately reduce the amount of movement of the center hole detection sensor to half of the amount of movement of the guide plate. The object is to provide a printer that can be easily moved.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.
The gist of the invention described in claim 1 is a printer that conveys a continuous tag continuum in which a tag in which a center hole is formed is formed, and performs printing at a printing timing based on detection of the center hole. A first guide means fixed to the transport path for guiding one end of the tag continuum to be transported, and a first slide portion movably provided in the width direction of the tag continuum to be transported. A second guide means disposed on the first slide portion so as to face the first guide means and guiding the other end portion of the tag continuous body to be conveyed; and the first slide portion. A first rack which is provided and moves by the same distance in the same direction as the second guide means by the movement of the first slide portion; a driving-side large pinion meshed with the first rack; and the driving side To a large pinion A two-stage gear in which a driven small pinion having a gear ratio of ½ is integrally formed, and a second rack that is positioned above the first rack and meshed with the driven small pinion A center that is integrated with the second rack, moves the same distance in the same direction, and is disposed at an intermediate point between the first guide means and the second guide means in the width direction of the tag continuum to be conveyed. A hole detection sensor , integrated with the first slide portion and moved in the same direction as the second guide means, and in the width direction of the tag continuum than the second guide means. A printer comprising a side hole detection sensor disposed at a predetermined distance in the direction of the first guide means.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, the second guide means is provided on the sheet supply portion side of the first slide portion, and the first rack is provided on the print portion side of the first slide portion. The printer according to claim 1, wherein the printer is characterized in that:

  The printer of the present invention is fixed to the conveyance path of the tag continuum, and the first guide means and one end of the tag continuum to be conveyed are movable in the width direction of the tag continuum to be conveyed. A second guide means arranged opposite to the guide means and guiding the other end of the tag continuous body to be conveyed, and a first guide integrated with the second guide means and moved by the same distance in the same direction A two-stage gear integrally formed with a rack, a driving-side large pinion meshed with the first rack, and a driven-side small pinion having a gear ratio of 1/2 with respect to the driving-side large pinion; A second rack meshed with the pinion, a first guide means and a second guide means integrated in the second rack and moved by the same distance in the same direction, and in the width direction of the tag continuous body to be conveyed; A center hole detection sensor is installed at the midpoint. As a result, the first guide means and the center hole detection sensor are connected to each other by a gear, so that there is no deviation due to use over time, and the driving-side large pinion and the driven-side small pinion are integrally formed. Since the two-stage gear requires only two meshing locations, the amount of movement of the center hole detection sensor can be exactly half of the amount of movement of the second guide means, and the second guide means. There is an effect that the operation of moving the can be performed lightly.

  Further, the printer of the present invention is integrated with the second guide means and moved by the same distance in the same direction, and has a predetermined distance in the direction of the first guide means in the width direction of the tag continuum rather than the second guide means. By providing the side hole detection sensor arranged at a distant place, there is an effect that it is possible to deal with a tag continuum in which tags whose center holes are located at a predetermined distance from the end portion are continuous.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the embodiment of the thermal printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a top view of the conveyance path from the supply shaft shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a view showing an example of a continuous tag body used in the embodiment of the thermal printer according to the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the thermal printer 10 according to the present embodiment is arranged so that a platen roller 11 and a surface on which a plurality of heating elements are formed in the width direction are opposed to the platen roller 11 as a printing unit. A thermal head 12 and a continuous tag 1 with continuous tags and the ink ribbon 2 are stacked and conveyed between the platen roller 11 and the thermal head 12 to selectively generate heat from the thermal head 12. By doing so, the ink is transferred from the ink ribbon 2 to the tag continuum 1 to perform printing. Further, the printed tag continuum 1 is cut off at a predetermined position and discharged by a cutter device 50 provided at a subsequent stage of the printing unit.

  The continuous tag body 1 is rolled around a cylindrical body such as a paper tube, that is, is rotatably supported on a supply shaft 13 as a roll paper 3, and is nipped and conveyed by a platen roller 11 and a thermal head 12. Thus, the tag continuum 1 pulled out to the transport path 14 and pulled out from the supply shaft 13 is supplied between the platen roller 11 and the thermal head 12 via the transport path 14. Reference numeral 15 shown in FIG. 1 is a roll paper guide plate for guiding the roll paper 3 mounted on the supply shaft 13, and reference numeral 16 shown in FIG. 1 indicates the tag continuous body 1 drawn from the supply shaft 13. It is a guide roller that guides between the platen roller 11 and the thermal head 12.

  The ink ribbon 2 is stretched between the ribbon supply shaft 17 and a ribbon take-up shaft 18 that is driven to rotate in conjunction with the platen roller 11, and is wound around the ribbon supply shaft 17 in a roll shape. So that the unused ink ribbon 2 supported in step 1 is supplied together with the tag continuum 1 between the platen roller 11 and the thermal head 12, and the transferred ink ribbon 2 is taken up by the ribbon take-up shaft 18. It has become. 1 is a guide roller for guiding the unused ink ribbon 2 drawn from the ribbon supply shaft 17 to the printing unit, and reference numerals 20 and 21 shown in FIG. 1 are ink ribbons after transfer. 2 is a guide roller for guiding 2 to the ribbon take-up shaft 18.

  Referring to FIG. 2, the conveyance path 14 has one end side in the width direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the tag continuum 1 to be conveyed (hereinafter simply referred to as the width direction), that is, the right side in the conveyance direction of the tag continuum 1. A first guide plate 22 that guides the end portion is fixed to the conveyance path 14 and faces the first guide plate 22, and the other end side of the tag continuous body 1, that is, the conveyance direction of the tag continuous body 1. A second guide plate 23 that guides the left end portion is disposed so as to be movable in the width direction. By operating the operation unit 24, the movement of the second guide plate 23 in the width direction can be operated. It is like that. In the thermal printer 10 according to the present embodiment, the supply shaft 13, the ribbon supply shaft 17, the ribbon take-up shaft 18 and the like are cantilevered by the side plate 25, and the supply shaft 13, the ribbon supply shaft 17 and the ribbon take-up are supported. The tag continuum 1 and the ink ribbon 2 are exchanged from the open end side of the shaft 18. Therefore, the first guide plate 22 fixed to the conveyance path 14 is close to the side plate 25, and the second guide plate 23 is disposed on the release end side, and is mounted from the release end side. After the tag continuum 1 is aligned by the first guide plate 22 disposed in the back side, that is, close to the side plate 25, the second guide plate 23 is moved in the width direction according to the width of the tag continuum 1. The first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 are respectively configured to guide both ends in the width direction of the tag continuous body 1 to be conveyed. Further, in the present embodiment, the first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 are used as the guide means for guiding both ends in the width direction of the tag continuous body 1 to be conveyed, but as the guide means, In addition to the plate-like member, a pole (bar), a roller, or the like can be used, and a side plate 25 can be used as the first guide plate 22.

  Further, a center hole detection sensor 26 and a side hole detection sensor 27 are arranged in the transport path 14 so as to be movable in the width direction, and openings such as center holes formed periodically in the tag continuous body 1 are arranged. Printing is performed using the thermal head 12 and the platen roller 11 at a printing timing based on the detection of the opening by the center hole detection sensor 26 or the side hole detection sensor 27. In the thermal printer 10 of the present embodiment, referring to FIG. 3, the tag continuum 1 in which the center hole 4 is formed is used. As shown in FIG. A tag continuum 1a in which a tag located at the center is continuous, and a tag continuum 1b in which a tag whose center hole 4 is located at a predetermined distance M from the left end in the transport direction is continuous as shown in FIG. 3B. The center hole detection sensor 26 is provided in the tag continuum 1b in which the center hole 4 is located at the side, the center hole detection sensor 26 is provided in the tag continuum 1b in which the center hole 4 is located in the side. The side hole detection sensor 27 is used. In addition, the code | symbol C shown in FIG. 3 has shown the cutting position cut | disconnected by the cutter apparatus 50. FIG.

  The center hole detection sensor 26 is used when the tag continuous body 1a in which the center hole 4 is located at the center in the width direction is used. The center hole detection sensor 26 is interlocked with the movement of the second guide plate 23. Referring to FIG. 2, the center hole detection sensor 26 is always an intermediate point between the first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 in the width direction. If the distance between the first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 is L, the distance between the second guide plate 23 and the second guide plate 23 in the width direction is a distance L / 2 apart from the first guide plate 22. Is done.

  The side hole detection sensor 27 is used when the tag continuum 1b in which the center hole 4 is located at a predetermined distance M from the left end in the transport direction is used. The side hole detection sensor 27 is interlocked with the movement of the second guide plate 23. Referring to FIG. 2, the side hole detection sensor 27 always has a distance M in the direction of the first guide plate 22 in the width direction than the second guide plate 23. It is arranged at a distant place.

Next, a guide plate moving mechanism for moving the second guide plate 23 in the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.
4 is a schematic perspective view showing a configuration of a guide plate moving mechanism for moving the second guide plate shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is a guide plate moving mechanism for moving the second guide plate shown in FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of these.

  Two support shafts 28 are bridged below the transport path 14 in a direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the tag continuum 1, and two shaft insertions for inserting the two support shafts 28 respectively. A first slide portion 31 in which a hole 30 is formed is provided so as to be movable in the width direction. An operation unit 24, a second guide plate 23, and a side hole detection sensor 27 are attached to the first slide unit 31, and the operation unit 24 is operated to move the first slide unit 31 in the width direction. Thus, the second guide plate 23 and the side hole detection sensor 27 are integrated and moved in the same direction by the same distance. Accordingly, when the side hole detection sensor 27 is disposed at a position separated by a distance M in the direction of the first guide plate 22 in the width direction from the second guide plate 23, the second guide plate 23 moves in the width direction. Even so, the side hole detection sensor 27 is always disposed at a position separated by a distance M in the width direction from the second guide plate 23 in the direction of the first guide plate 22.

  The first slide portion 31 has a first rack 32 attached thereto, and has a gear ratio with respect to the drive-side large pinion 33 meshed with the first rack 32 and the drive-side large pinion 33. A two-stage gear 35 integrally formed with a half driven side small pinion 34 is rotatably attached to a holding shaft 36 that is orthogonal (perpendicular) to the moving direction of the first slide portion 31. The second rack 37 is engaged with the driven-side small pinion 34 so that the second rack 37 is moved by half the moving distance of the first rack 32 as the first rack 32 moves. It has become.

  Further, a second slide portion 40 having a shaft insertion hole 39 through which the support shaft 38 spanned in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the tag continuous body 1 is formed is provided so as to be movable in the width direction. The center hole detection sensor 26 and the second rack 37 are attached to the second slide portion 40, and the second rack 37 and the center hole detection sensor 26 are integrated to move in the same direction by the same distance. Is done. As a result, the center hole detection sensor 26 is set at an intermediate point between the first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 in the width direction, that is, the distance between the first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 is set to L. As a result, if the second guide plate 23 is moved in the width direction, the center is disposed even if the second guide plate 23 is moved in the width direction. The hall detection sensor 26 is always disposed at an intermediate point between the first guide plate 22 and the second guide plate 23 in the width direction.

  In the present embodiment, the example in which the center hole detection sensor 26 and the side hole detection sensor 27 are provided only on the lower side of the conveyance path 14 has been described. However, the light emitting element and the light receiving element sandwich the conveyance path 14 vertically. Alternatively, a transmissive sensor in which these are arranged may be used.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the one end of the tag continuous body 1 that is fixed to the transport path 14 of the tag continuum 1 and transported is connected to the first guide plate 22 and the tag transported. A second guide plate 23, which is disposed to face the first guide plate 22 so as to be movable in the width direction of the continuous body 1 and guides the other end of the tag continuous body 1 to be conveyed, and a second guide The first rack 32 integrated with the plate 23 and moved by the same distance in the same direction, the drive-side large pinion 33 meshed with the first rack 32, and the gear ratio with respect to the drive-side large pinion 33 are 1 / Two driven gears 35 integrally formed with two driven small pinions 34, a second rack 37 meshed with the driven small pinions 34, and the second rack 37, which are integrated in the same direction. In the width direction of the tag continuum 1 that is moved and conveyed, the first By providing the id plate 22, the second guide plate 23, and the center hole detection sensor 26 disposed at the intermediate point, the second guide plate 23 and the center hole detection sensor 26 are connected by a gear. There is no deviation due to use over time, and since the two-stage gear 35 in which the driving side large pinion 33 and the driven side small pinion 34 are integrally formed, only two meshing positions are required, so that the center hole is detected. The movement amount of the sensor 26 can be accurately reduced to half the movement amount of the second guide plate 23, and the operation of moving the second guide plate 23 can be easily performed.

  Further, according to the present embodiment, the first guide plate is integrated with the second guide plate 23 and moved by the same distance in the same direction, and the first guide plate in the width direction of the tag continuum 1 rather than the second guide plate 23. By providing the side hole detection sensor 27 arranged at a predetermined distance in the direction 22, the center hole 4 can also correspond to the tag continuum 1 b in which the tags located at a predetermined distance from the end are continuous. There is an effect that can be done.

  Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it is obvious that the embodiments can be appropriately changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. In addition, the number, position, shape, and the like of the constituent members are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be set to a number, position, shape, and the like that are suitable for implementing the present invention. In each figure, the same numerals are given to the same component.

1 is a schematic side view showing a configuration of an embodiment of a thermal printer according to the present invention. It is the top view which looked at the conveyance path from the supply axis | shaft shown in FIG. 1 to a printing part from upper direction. It is a figure which shows the example of a tag continuous body used for embodiment of the thermal printer which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of the guide plate moving mechanism which moves the 2nd guide plate shown in FIG. It is a schematic side view which shows the structure of the guide plate moving mechanism which moves the 2nd guide plate shown in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1a, 1b Tag continuum 2 Ink ribbon 3 Roll paper 4 Center hole 10 Thermal printer 11 Platen roller 12 Thermal head 13 Supply shaft 14 Transport path 15 Roll paper guide plate 16, 19, 20, 21 Guide roller 17 Ribbon supply shaft 18 Ribbon take-up shaft 22 First guide plate 23 Second guide plate 24 Operation unit 25 Side plate 26 Center hole detection sensor 27 Side hole detection sensor 28 Support shaft 30 Shaft insertion hole 31 First slide portion 32 First rack 33 Drive side large pinion 34 Driven side small pinion 35 Two-stage gear 36 Holding shaft 37 Second rack 38 Support shaft 39 Shaft insertion hole 40 Second slide portion 50 Cutter device

Claims (2)

A printer that conveys a continuous tag continuum in which a center hole is formed and performs printing at a printing timing based on detection of the center hole,
A first guide means fixed to a conveying path of the tag continuum and guiding one end of the tag continuum to be conveyed;
A first slide portion provided movably in the width direction of the tag continuum to be conveyed;
Second guide means for guiding the other end portion of the tag continuum which is disposed and conveyed on the first slide portion so as to face the first guide means;
A first rack that is provided on the first slide part and moves by the same distance in the same direction together with the second guide means by the movement of the first slide part;
A two-stage gear in which a driving-side large pinion meshed with the first rack and a driven-side small pinion having a gear ratio of 1/2 with respect to the driving-side large pinion are integrally formed;
A second rack positioned above the first rack and meshed with the driven small pinion;
A center hole that is integrated with the second rack, moves the same distance in the same direction, and is disposed at the intermediate point between the first guide means and the second guide means in the width direction of the tag continuum being conveyed. A detection sensor,
The first guide unit is integrated with the first slide part and moves in the same direction as the second guide unit, and the direction of the first guide unit in the width direction of the tag continuum rather than the second guide unit. And a side hole detection sensor disposed at a predetermined distance from the printer. The second guide means is provided on the paper supply section side of the first slide section, and the first rack is provided on the print section side of the first slide section. The printer according to claim 1.

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