JPS59135175A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provides which can print a bar code in various lengths by selectively setting the feed value of a label with a setting section while a signal is applied to a heat generating body of a thermal head for printing the bar code. CONSTITUTION:A thermal head 14 in which a number of heat generating bodies are arranged in the direction perpendicular to the direction of feeding labels 18 provided and the heat generating bodies of thermal heads 14 are provided with a setting section for setting the feed value of labels with a printing command given for a bar code. This reduces the length of the bar code to a minimum necessary limit thereby extending the life of the thermal head.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a label printer that prints a print code on a label using a thermal head.

Technical Background and Problems Generally, with the spread of POS systems, label printers that can print barcode information on labels have been developed. In such label printers, since barcodes require printing accuracy, a thermal head is often used as a printing device. The lifespan of this thermal head can be roughly divided into electrical lifespan and mechanical lifespan. Here, electrical life refers to deterioration and destruction of the resistance value of the heating resistor, and mechanical life refers to destruction due to wear. The electrical life is determined by the number of energizing pulses applied to the heating resistor, but in the case of barcodes, the same heating resistor is energized continuously, so
Electrical deterioration is significant.

Therefore, the printed barcode is read using a Yoruba code scanner such as a laser, but with the advancement of this scanner, the reading accuracy has become extremely high, and the length of the barcode can be shortened in some cases. It's good.

In this way, when the length of the barcode can be made short in relation to the scanner, the life of the thermal head that prints the barcode can be extended.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION Based on the background as described above, an object of the present invention is to obtain a label blinker on which barcodes of various lengths can be printed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention allows the label feeding amount to be selectively set by a setting section when a signal indicating that barcode printing is not allowed is given to the heating element of the thermal head. can be printed, thereby
This structure is designed to extend the life of the thermal head by keeping the barcode length to the minimum necessary.

Embodiment of the invention First, in the first figure, the CPU (1) has a weighing part (2).
, a mode selector switch (3) is connected, and a program memory (4) consisting of ROM and RAM.
, a PLU memory (5) consisting of a RAM, a display/key device (6) equipped with keys as a setting section, and a CPU 2 (7) for controlling the printer are connected. Connected to this CPU 2 (7) are a program memory (8) consisting of ROM and RAM, a character generator (9) consisting of ROM, and a print buffer consisting of RAM. Further, the CPU 2 (7) is connected to a label detector a1), a pulse motor drive α1 for driving one pulse motor a, a common drive αυ for controlling the thermal head α→, and an image signal drive 0Q.

Next, the printer section will be explained based on FIG.

First, a label θ formed in a rectangular shape on a long mount
The caps are attached at equal intervals. This backing paper passes through a roller (19), a platen serving as a label feeding section, a peeling plate (c), and a roller (a), and is then wound up into a winding section indicated by A in the figure. And, on the top of the platen (a),
Thermal head α that connects to the label and performs printing
There is a crowd. Still, the label 0 sand is peeled off and pushed out horizontally at the part of the peeling plate Qυ because the mount α is sharply bent.
A label detector Ql) is provided in close proximity to. Furthermore, a pulley @ is formed at the end of the platen blade,
A timing belt (C) is stretched between this pulley (C) and the pulse motor 0-year-old pulley (C).

Next, the structure and operation of the thermal head ◇→ will be explained in the third section.
This will be explained based on the diagram and FIG. First, in the thermal head ◇→, 256 heating elements (C) of R1-R256 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction of the label (on the label), and these heating elements (C) are R1-R256. R32,
They are grouped into 32 groups such as R32 to R64, . . . and divided into eight groups, COMI to C0M8. And the common drive α is classified into 94 by 4 transistors (b), and COMI is C0M8 and C
'Connected to the heating element (c) of OM1. Similarly C
0M2 is connected to the heating element (c) of C0M7 and C0M2, C0M3 is connected to the heating element (c) of C0M6 and C0M3, and C0M4 is connected to the heating element (c) of C0M5 and C0M4.
c) is connected to.

Further, two data latch/picture signal drive circuits (c) and (c) are provided which operate in response to a data latch signal from the CPU 2 (7) and a picture signal drive control signal from the picture signal drive 0Q. On one side is C
Heating element QQ of OMI~C0M4 is connected, and C
Heating elements (c) of 0M5 to C0M8 are connected.

Therefore, actual printing is performed at the timing shown in FIG. That is, one line printing cycle is divided into four equal parts and the pulse motor (6) is sent intermittently to perform in-feed in the area.
I and C0M8, C0M2 and C0M7, C0M3 and C0M
6. Electrify the heating elements (c) of C0M4 and C0M5.

Next, the operation will be explained based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6. First, according to Figure 5 p C1
'! The operation of Ul (1) will be explained. After the power is turned on, each connected device is initialized, and the feed amount for controlling the print position and print format on the label α barrel is transferred to the CPU 2 (7) that controls the printer. Thereafter, the main routine is entered by scanning the display on the display/key device (6).

In this main routine, the data of the weighing section (2) is read, the state of the mode changeover switch (3) is read, and modes such as fixed amount issue mode, inspection settlement mode, setting mode, etc. are set. , said display/key device (6)
key information is captured and processed.

After this, if it is in the weighing mode, the data in the weighing section (2) is multiplied by the unit price to obtain the price, and when the conditions for issuing the label θ→ are set, F is set to 1, and the display/key device (6) is set. Output and display data such as prices. And print F
If is 1, check the status of the printing device, if printing is OK, set the print data, and send it to CPU2.
Transfer to (7). Thereafter, print F is reset to 0 and the process returns to the main routine.

If the mode is the inspection settlement mode, judge the inspection settlement F, and if it is not "0", check the status of the printing device, and if printing is OK, set the print data, and send this to the CPU2. Transfer to (7).

After that, the inspection settlement F is reset to 0 and the process returns to the main routine. Furthermore, if the mode is the setting mode, each setting task is performed and the process returns to the main routine.

Next, the operation of the CPU 2 (7) that controls the printer will be explained based on FIG. After turning on the power,
Initialize each connected device and turn on the CPU
From (1), the feed amount that controls the printing format, printing position, etc. on the label 0 mark is received, and the main routine is entered. In the main routine, it is first determined whether the paper is to be fed, and if it is, the pulse motor drive α1 is driven, the pulse motor α is rotated, and the process returns to the main routine. At this time, if paper is not being sent, data is received from CPUI (1). If this data is the amount of feed, that data is processed and the process returns to the main routine. If this is print data, process the data, process the character generator (9), and print buffer 0.
Generate a print pattern on 0, print, and return to the main routine.

Next, each subroutine will be explained based on FIGS. 7 to 12. First, what is shown in Fig. 7 is the feed amount transfer, and when the power is turned on, the height of the barcode and the feed amount are stored in the FLU memo IJ-(5) and transferred from the CPU (1).
Transfer to PU2 (7). In response to this, as shown in FIG. 8, the CPU 2 (7) processes the feed amount data and sets a feed counter 1 (not shown).

Also, the routine for setting the print buffer 00 shown in FIG. 9 will be explained. When the label issuing data is transferred from CPU2 (1) to CPU2 (7), CPU2 (
7) is executed by the program. Sweet, print buffer 0
0 is cleared and a print pattern is generated in the order of price, unit price, and weight on the print buffer (], 0) so that the print format for label 0 barrel shown in Figure 3 is obtained, and then the ri-1 code height is generated. Print the bar code and generate a turn for the H dimension, then print the product name and generate an S turn,
Set a print line counter (not shown).

Next, the print routine will be explained based on FIG. First, feed counter 1 is transferred to feed counter 2 (not shown).
Set the value of . This feed counter 1 is a value that controls the distance from when the label detector 01) detects the leading edge of the label θ barrel until the label 0 → is fed and stopped, and prints at the normal position on the label 0 frame. This is the value that will force you to do so. Next, data for the cloudy line is set and printed on the label θ→ by turning on the common. After this, four lines of feeding are performed and repeated in the groove where one line is printed. When one line of printing is completed, it is checked whether the label U frame is overlapping the edge of the label detector, and if so, the feed counter 2 is decremented by 1. Thereafter, the print line counter is minus 1 and printing and feeding are repeated until the print line counter becomes 0. Then, when the print line counter reaches 0, 12 infeits are repeated without printing. Here, when the feed counter 2 reaches O again, the feeding is stopped and the process returns. Accordingly, a label 0 barrel as shown in FIG. 3 is issued.

Next, to change the height of the barcode, the key processing routine shown in FIG. 11 and the setting work routine shown in FIG. 12 are used. First, in key processing, check that the mode setting switch (3) is in the setting mode and that it is the mode for setting the barcode height, and then use the display/key device (6) to check that the mode is set. Set the data. This number ranges from 5 to 15 p, which means a height range of 5 to 15 wI+. If the number is outside this range, it will be an error.
If it is within this range, set barcode height H, set bar setting F to 1, and return.

In the setting routine shown in FIG. 12, if the bar setting F is 1, it is set as the "feed amount" by following the feed amount transfer routine shown in FIG.
Return as. Therefore, in the above print routine, the height of the bar code is determined as the feed t of the label 081 while the print signal to the heating element (g) is being applied.

Effects of the Invention The present invention provides a thermal head in which a large number of heating elements are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the label feeding direction as described above, and when a barcode printing command is given to the heating elements of this thermal head. Since a setting section is provided to set the label feed amount, barcodes of various lengths can be selectively set.

This makes it possible to extend the life of the thermal head by minimizing the length of the barcode.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a block diagram, FIG. 2 is a side view of the main parts of the printer section, and FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the thermal head shown in relation to a label. FIG. 4 is a timing chart, FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU I, FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the CPU 2, FIGS. 7 to 12 are flowcharts of subroutines, and FIG. FIG. 6... Display/key device (setting section), 14... Thermal head, 18... Label, 20... Platen (label feeding section), 26... Heating element Applicant Tokyo Electric Co., Ltd. Company C-〇-N Eijitsu

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a thermal head in which a large number of heating elements are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the label feeding direction, characters or figures are printed in synchronization with the label feeding,
The label is fed by the label feed unit while a signal for printing a barcode is applied to the heating element of the thermal head. A label printer characterized by having a setting section for selectively setting seven amounts.