JPH02307765A - Label printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To remove even waste of a sheet of a label by a method wherein a printable area of recording paper and length of a divided area are determined based on a held data, and a feed amount required for coming of a specific position on a top side of an area to be printed of the recording paper to a printing part position is obtained from relation between this determined value and a distance between the printing part position and a sensor position, and cueing is performed. CONSTITUTION:Transmittance and reflectivity of recording paper are examined with a transmission sensor 75 or a reflection sensor 76 existing on a supply route of the recording paper, and a gap part G is detected by this difference. After detecting a next gap part G by sending a specific amount, when paper is sent excessively by contents equivalent to 'residuals' obtained by dividing respective distances between a thermal head 71 and sensor 75, 76 by one sheet content label occupied length (l), heading of a second label can be performed. A platen 72 is so controlled by reverse rotation as to bring back the recording paper by a length of one sheet label occupied area length (l) content following this cueing operation. At a point of time when it is ended, the cueing control is ended, and a waiting state for printing follows.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a label printer that can print characters, barcodes, lines, etc. on labels and tags.

[Prior Art] A label printer is a printer that can print characters (letters and symbols including alphanumeric characters), barcodes, lines, etc. on labels and tags.

Such a label printer is schematically shown in FIG. 5, and there are usually three types of labels and tags used in this label printer, as shown in FIG. 6. What is shown in FIG. 6(a) is a recording paper 81 for labels, which is placed on a band-shaped mount part 82 at regular intervals (gap G
), a blank label 83 is attached, and the label 83 is an adhesive layout, and this label 83 is removably attached to the mount part 82. FIG. 6(b) shows a tag recording paper 91, and this tag recording paper 91, which is a strip-shaped recording paper, has black markers 92 printed at predetermined positions on the back of the printing surface at predetermined intervals. (C
) As shown in Fig.
There is one that forms 3. The black marker 92 and the notch 93 of the tag recording paper 91 are for forming a gap G, and are formed to have a predetermined width in the feeding direction of the tag recording paper 91. The positioning of these recording papers when printing is done by recognizing the label 83 and the mount part 82 in the case of the label recording paper shown in FIG. ), (e) tag recording paper 9
In the case of 1, the black marker 92 attached to the back of the printed surface
or notch 93. That is, by knowing the position where the gear part is formed and skipping by this gap part G, printing can be performed at a prescribed position.

Taking the label printer shown in FIG. 5 as an example, a thermal head 71 and a platen 72 are arranged facing each other at the printing position. The ink film 73 is continuous. The ink film 73 is in the form of a wide band and is wound around a bobbin 74, and is configured to feed the film in synchronization with paper feed during printing. Then, the recording paper 81 or the tag recording paper 91 is placed between the ink film 73 and the platen 72. The recording paper 81 or the tag recording paper 91 is placed on the platen 72.
It is sent by rotating. Further, on the supply side of the recording paper (label recording paper 81 or tag recording paper 91) when viewed from the platen 72, a transmission sensor 75 consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element is provided so as to sandwich the recording paper and face each other. A reflection sensor 76 consisting of a light emitting element and a light receiving element is also provided. The reflective sensor 76 is connected to the tag recording paper 9
It is arranged opposite to the passage area of the black marker 92 or notch 93 of No. 1, and when it encounters the black marker 92 or notch 93, the reflected light disappears, which is used to detect the section where there is no reflected light. This section is used to recognize this section without reflected light as a gap section G. Similarly, the transmission sensor 75 is a sensor for detecting the gap G by using the difference in light transmittance between the part of the label recording paper 81 where the label 83 is located and the part where only the mount part 82 is located. The gap G is recognized from the level of the detection output of the transmission sensor 75.

In such a configuration, the recording paper is fed by sending a drive pulse to a step motor of a paper feed mechanism (not shown), and printing is performed by giving a drive output for printing to the thermal head 71.

For this printing, a drive output for this printing is given to the signal terminal of the corresponding dot position of the thermal head 71 in accordance with the character pattern contents, so that the heating element at that dot position generates heat, and the ink film 73 at that heating position generates heat. This is done by melting hot melt ink and transferring it to recording paper.

- When printing for a line is completed, pulses necessary to feed the paper with a line are sent to the step motor of the paper feeding mechanism. As a result, the recording paper is fed by -line, and as a result, the recording paper comes to a new unrecorded area or recording area of the thermal head 71 that is shifted by -line, and the next line is recorded here. Ru. Printing is performed by performing these steps one after another.

By the way, when actually printing characters, etc. on the recording paper set in the label printer, in order to print at the specified coordinate position on the recording paper, the printing surface part of the label 83 or the tag recording paper 91 must be placed on the thermal radar 71. must match the beginnings of the . This action is called cueing.

The aforementioned gap portion G is used for positioning during this cueing. In other words, the gap G indicates a separation between the label 83 and the tag recording paper 91. The mechanism of the printing section of a label printer is as shown in Fig. 5, and the transmittance and reflectance are checked using the transmission sensor 75 or the reflection sensor 76, and the difference in reflectance and transmittance is used to detect the gap area. Detect G. The output of the sensor is monitored while feeding the paper by the length that the leading edge of the recording paper reaches the printing position (thermal head position), and after feeding the paper by the length that the leading edge of the recording paper reaches the printing position, the gap is adjusted. At the stage when part G is first detected, the distance between the thermal head 71 and the sensor 75, 76 is divided by the occupied area length ρ (see Fig. 6), which is the occupied area of a part of the label or tag. If you feed the extra paper for the remainder, you will be able to find the beginning.

This makes it possible to print at the correct position during normal printing.

The gap part G is determined by the reflection/transmission sensor 75.76 output.
The principle of control for detecting is as follows.

The label 83 and tag recording paper 91 shown in FIG. 6 are connected to the sensor 75.
When passing through 78, sensors 75 and 76 detect the
Output digital values such as b) and (c) are obtained.

That is, at the position of the gap G, the transmittance and reflectance change, so the detected output value changes greatly to LL and L4 compared to the detected output values L2 and L3 at other parts. L2. L3 is the printing area (area obtained by subtracting the gap G from the area Ω; g is the occupied area length that is the occupied area of one label or tag) detection self-cutting edge in FIG.

Therefore, the difference between the printing area part detection output and the gear part detection output (the difference between 1 and L2, or the difference between L4 and L3 as described above) is set as a threshold value, and this threshold value is set in memory, and during printing, Or, while paper is being fed, the print area position of the label or tag is detected according to the threshold value. Naturally, when replacing labels or tags (replacing recording paper), the threshold value will change, so when replacing labels or tags, feed the paper once before starting printing and set the threshold value. The hold value is calculated and cueing is performed.

[Invention or Problem to be Solved] As shown in Figure 6, the recording paper for labels and tags used in label printers has a printable area and a gear/lug part, and when printing, the printable area The target content is printed in the target printing area by skipping at the gap position. and,
The printing area and the gap can be recognized by the light transmittance if the recording is for labels only, or if the recording paper is for tags, a black marker or notch is provided on the recording paper to indicate the position of the gap. This is done by detecting this part based on the degree of light reflection.

For this purpose, a sensor for detecting light transmission and light reflection is provided for the recording paper path on the recording paper supply side as seen from the platen, and the light transmission or light reflection of the recording paper is detected. Detect the gap. That is,
When the position of the gap portion is reached, the transmittance and reflectance change, so the detected output value changes significantly compared to the detected output value at the print area. Therefore, the difference between the printing area detection output and the gear detection output is set as a threshold value, this threshold value is set in memory, and the printing area of the label or tag is set according to the threshold value during printing or paper feeding. Detect location.

The above threshold value will change when the chart paper is replaced, so in such a case, the paper should be fed once before printing starts, and the threshold value should be calculated and the chart paper positioned. , cueing is performed. This cueing is performed by loading the recording paper and feeding it a predetermined amount while monitoring the output of a sensor that detects light transmission or light reflection on the recording paper.During this time, the gap and print area are detected and both are detected. After obtaining the length information for each area and feeding the paper by a predetermined amount, when the sensor detects a gap, the paper is fed by the amount until the leading edge of the recordable area of the recording paper remains at the printing position. Do it by controlling.

In other words, the recording paper is fed by a paper feeding mechanism driven by a step motor. Therefore, the paper is fed until the leading edge of the recording paper reaches the printing position, and during this time the printing area is determined based on the sensor detection output. Detection data for both the area and the gap area are obtained, and at the stage where data for both areas is obtained, in other words, entering the printing area from the gap area, detecting the entire printing area, and then entering the gap area. In the transition process of detecting the boundary between the printing area and the next printing area, information on the length of both the printing area and the gap area is obtained in relation to the number of driving steps of the step motor, and the printing position is determined by At the stage after the leading edge of the recording paper reaches, based on this information, the occupied area length p, which is the occupied area of one label or tag, is obtained. Or the distance between the sensor that detects light reflection and the occupied area length Ω, which is the occupied area of one label or tag.
(Refer to Figure 6) If you feed the paper an extra amount (remainder), you will be able to find the beginning of the paper and also obtain information about the length of the occupied area Ω and the length of the gap. At this stage, paper feeding is stopped for the first time, and preparation for starting printing is completed.

Therefore, when replacing the recording paper, at least one label or tag is always left in the thermal head at the cue stage, and depending on how the recording paper is loaded and the length of the occupied area Ω, there will always be at least one label or tag in the thermal head. The paper is ejected to the downstream side of the paper feed position, and this downstream part is not used for printing, so
This will be completely thrown away.

In this way, when replacing paper for labels or tags, it is necessary to feed the paper by at least one sheet, so at least one sheet of the first label or tag used for cueing is wasted.

Not only when paper with a high unit price is used, but also when the paper is replaced frequently even when the unit price of the paper is low, this waste amounts to a considerable amount, which is extremely uneconomical.

This is a problem that cannot be tolerated by supermarkets, retail stores, etc., which use a wide variety of labels and tags and are concerned about reducing costs.

Therefore, the purpose of this invention is to locate the beginning of the label or tag when replacing paper for the label or tag.
To provide an economical label printer that can eliminate the waste of a single label or tag.

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows. That is, in addition to using a band-shaped recording paper in which a printable area and a dividing area are defined at regular intervals for each recording paper,
This recording paper has a structure in which the printable area and the delimited area can be optically distinguished, and a sensor for optical detection is provided in the recording paper supply path to the printing section, and the sensor is driven by a drive control signal. In a printer in which the recording paper can be fed out and pulled back by a recording paper feeding mechanism, when replacing the recording paper, the recording paper is set so that the leading edge of the recording paper is near the printing area position, and the recording paper is fed by a predetermined distance. a control means for controlling the recording paper feeding mechanism in the recording paper feeding direction, and upon receiving information on a recording paper pullback amount, controlling the recording paper pullback according to this information; and this feeding d:
l A holding means for holding the data of the L control amount and the output of the sensor as data, and determining the length of the partition area based on the data held by this holding means, and combining this determined information and the above-mentioned information. The control means determines the amount of feed required for a predetermined position on the leading edge of the area to be printed on the recording paper to come to the printing unit position from the relationship between the printing unit position and the distance between the sensor position, and issues the recording paper feeding command for cueing to the control unit. and calculation means for calculating the amount of pulling back of the recording paper necessary for locating the area to be printed located at the head of the recording paper after the cueing is completed, and supplying it to the control means.

[Function] In such a configuration, when the recording paper is replaced and the recording paper is set so that the leading edge of the recording paper is near the printing section position, the control means controls the recording paper feeding mechanism in the recording paper feeding direction. feed the recording paper a predetermined amount in the direction of the print position,
During this time, the data obtained from the sensor is held in the holding means, and at the same time data on the amount of recording paper feeding is collected and held in the holding means. Then, the calculation means determines the printable area and the length of the delimiter area of the recording paper based on the data held by the holding means, and determines the length of the printable area and the separation area of the recording paper. From the relationship between the value and the distance between the printing part position and the sensor position, the feed force required for the leading end side of the area to be printed on the recording paper to come to the printing part position is determined, and a record for cueing is calculated. It is sent to the control means as a paper feed command to perform cueing. Then, after the cueing is completed, the amount of pulling back of the recording paper necessary to cue the area to be printed located at the head of the recording paper is obtained, and the amount is supplied to the control means to pull back the recording paper.

As a result, the area to be printed on the leading edge of the recording paper that has passed the printing position during cueing can be pulled back to the printing position. It becomes possible to provide an economical label printer that eliminates the waste of a single label or tag when starting the page.

[Example] Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the basic configuration of a printer device according to the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a CPU (processor) that plays a central role in controlling the printer device;
PU l is program ROM 2, character ROM 3
, backup RAM 4, data buffer RAM
5, and executes commands for data processing and various controls. Programs for this purpose are stored in the program ROM 2, and the CPU 1 sequentially executes the programs stored in the program ROM 2 to execute commands for data processing and various controls.

The character ROM 3 is a memory that stores character font data, which is a character pattern, and is configured so that when a character code is received via the CPU 1, character font data corresponding to the character code is read out and output on the bus. be. Backup RAM 4 is a battery-backed static RAM that is used to store information that should not be lost in the event of a power failure, and as a working area and data area required by CPt11 to execute programs. It is. Further, the data buffer RA) I5 is a buffer for temporarily holding data exchanged during input/output. 6 is UART
(asynchronous receiver/transmitter), and this UART [i is an interface for controlling transmission and reception for exchanging data and commands with the outside, and is connected to a host computer (personal computer, etc.). Ru. A frame memory 7 is a memory for holding the content to be printed as image data, and has a memory capacity for one screen. Reference numeral 8 denotes a motor driver, which drives the paper feed motor of the printer device. A thermal head driver 9 is used to control the thermal head based on data to be printed. ]0 is an interface for taking in the detection output of the transmission sensor or reflection sensor.

In this apparatus having such a configuration, the layout of the label to be printed is performed on the host computer side and created as print data. This printing data includes product name, price, quantity, unit price,
This includes character information, barcodes, etc. that indicate "Japanese", product codes, etc.

In the host computer, an operator creates a desired item while laying out such print data by label editing. Then, when this data is sent to the printer side, the printer side receives this data via LIART6, and the CPU 1 stores it in the data buffer RAM.
5 and then back up the data to RAM
4, and according to the data contents, the CPU 1 reads the font of characters etc. from the character ROM 3, and according to the coordinate information of the data, reads out the font at the specified position in the frame memory 7 at the magnification added to the data. Expand the font image data. Then, it is stored as image data.

In this way, the print data of the label given by the host computer is developed and stored in the frame memory 7 as image data, and this image data is then used in the main scanning direction (line type) of the thermal head, which is the printer head. In the case of a thermal head, the data is sequentially read by -line in a manner corresponding to the line direction (the direction in which the heat generating elements are arranged) and provided to the thermal head driver 9. As a result, the thermal head driver 9 gives a drive signal corresponding to the image data to the thermal head, so that an image corresponding to -line is printed on the recording paper. When printing for -line is completed, CPU 1 gives a paper feed command for -line to motor driver 8, so motor driver 8 gives a rotational drive signal for -line to the paper feed motor, and prints the recording paper. Send one line. Next, the image data of the second line is read out and the same control as described above is performed. By repeating such control, the print content as image data is printed on the recording paper as a hard copy of the image.

This apparatus has a feature in the cue control when replacing the recording paper, so this feature will be explained next. When replacing the recording paper, the recording paper is first pulled in and the beginning of the recording paper is pulled in. For this purpose, when a command to start the recording paper is given, a paper feed mechanism (not shown) is driven to move the recording paper a predetermined amount in the direction of the printing position. For example, feed the recording paper by the length necessary for the leading edge of the recording paper to reach the position of the thermal head. As shown in FIG. 5 -19-', the transmittance and reflectance of the recording paper as shown in FIG. The gap G is detected based on the difference in reflectance and transmittance. After feeding a predetermined amount and detecting the next gap G, the distance between the thermal head 71 and the sensor 75, 76 is determined by the occupied area length ρ (6th
If the leading edge of the recording paper has already reached or passed the printing position immediately before this stage of restarting paper feeding, if the leading edge of the recording paper has already reached or passed the printing position, then You will be able to cue up the tags.

At this point, as in the conventional example, at least one label or tag has been fed out from the position of the platen 72 toward the disposal side, and therefore, as in the conventional example, this portion cannot be used for printing. Therefore, following this cueing operation, the platen 72 is controlled to rotate in the reverse direction so as to pull back the recording paper by the length of 9 occupied areas, which is the occupied area of one label or tag, and when this is completed, The cueing control is ended with , and the printer enters the printing standby state (standby).

Then, upon receiving a signal for printing, the printing operation begins.

This eliminates the waste of labels and tags caused by cueing even when the recording paper is replaced, and also eliminates the waste of labels and tags during normal printing (
At this time, printing can be performed at the correct position on the label or tag.

Next, details of this effect will be explained.

FIG. 2 shows the printer control program in functional blocks. As shown in Figure 2, the printer's control system consists of two systems: a system 2 that decodes commands related to drawing, and a system 22 that transmits data, and a system 22 that decodes commands for printing and paper feeding, and a system 22 that transmits data. , a monitor 23 that takes in these decoded commands, passes these commands and data to other tasks, and performs various management during execution; The drawing package 24 generates processing and drawing output, and the engine task 24 performs paper feeding and printing control of the printer based on information from the monitor 23.

When the system 22 receives a command related to paper feeding from the keyboard of the printer, an application, or an application for label editing and printing on the host side, the system 22 sends the command to the monitor 23, and the monitor 23 sends this command to the command processing queue managed by itself. Register to. monitor 23
reads the registered command from the command processing queue and gives it to the engine task 24, so the engine task 24
The paper feed command is used to control a stepping motor that feeds the thermal head and label, a DC motor that moves a helad cam for raising and lowering the thermal head, and the like. This allows printing to be performed.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show processing flows for paper feed and cue control in this embodiment. This is when using tags,
This is an example of paper feeding control using detection output from a reflection sensor. Also, in order to improve accuracy, we will show an example of detecting three tags and obtaining the average value, and controlling based on this, or of course, using data from one tag detection. , it goes without saying that it is also possible to perform control based on data detected for four or more sheets.

The flow of the control method will be explained according to this flowchart i. In this control, first, the A/D converted value of the output of the sensor is taken in (Sl). Next, it is checked whether three images (three images) have been captured (S2), and if three images have not been captured, the captured A/D conversion values are stored in the memory (S6). Then return to the main routine.

In the main routine, the routine shown in FIG. 3 is executed at predetermined time intervals during paper feed control during recording paper exchange, and the A/D conversion values are sequentially stored in the memory (S6). In S2, if it is determined that 3 pieces (3 sheets) have been captured,
Based on the A/D conversion values stored in the memory, find the tag length ρ and the length of the gap G for one piece (average value obtained from data for three pieces) and set these in the memory. (S3). Next, it is checked whether the base level, that is, the printable area data for one tag has been set (S4
), if not set, the base level value (Ω
-X) and set it (S5). Then return to the main routine. In S4, if it is determined that the setting has been completed, then the base level is set from the average value of A/D conversion values plus a (a is the minimum value of the difference between the base level and the gap level). Check whether it is larger (S7), and if it is larger, set the gap level, which is the length of the gap part, in memory (S8). Then, return to the main routine. In S7, if it is smaller, the base level is A/
It is checked whether it is smaller than the average value of the D conversion values (S9), and if it is larger, it is checked whether the gap level has already been set (SIO). If it has already been set, a/2 is added to the value of the base ψ level, and this is set as the threshold value. If it is small in S9, and if it is not set in SIO, all clear 5L2
), retry the paper feed and settings or generate an error. This completes the threshold value setting.

Next, cue control is started. This is similar to the flow shown in Figure 4, and to explain it with reference to this, first, the tag length data is saved in memory (821), and then the paper feeding stepping motor is controlled to rotate for one line. Shiku 5
22), then set the threshold value to Sera I (9
23). Then, it is checked whether the threshold value has been set (S24). As a result, if the setting is not completed, the process returns to S22, and if it is completed, then the paper feeding stepping motor is reversely rotated by one line (S25). Next, the output of the sensor is compared with the set threshold value, and the presence or absence of the gap G of the recording paper at the sensor position is detected (32G
). As a result, if there is no gear part G, the presence or absence of paper is checked (S27), and if there is paper, the process returns to S25.

When there is a gap in S2[i, and
If there is no paper in S27, then 828 is entered. Then, the tag length and the number of reversely rotated steps are compared, and if it is outside a certain allowable range (20 steps in this example), an error is determined and the process is terminated at this point.

This is to check the tag length from the application and the tag length of the tag actually set. Therefore, in 828, it is checked whether the number of reverse rotation steps plus 20 is greater than the tag length (S28), and if so, then whether or not the number of reverse rotation steps minus 20 is smaller than the tag length. If it is smaller, the remainder of the distance between the thermal head and the sensor divided by the actual tag length is obtained, and the stepping motor is rotated in the forward direction by this amount to perform cueing (830). Then return to the main routine.

In 828, when it is less than the tag length, and 8
If the length is greater than the tag length in step 29, the process ends and returns to the main routine (S31).

To explain in an easy-to-understand way whether the desired function is achieved through these steps, first, to load recording paper, insert the leading edge of the recording paper into the printer's supply port, give a cue command, and the printer will load the recording paper. The paper feeding mechanism is driven to rotate and feeds this recording paper to the print line position of the thermal head. Then, when the paper passes the position of the reflection sensor, it is detected by the sensor. The output of the reflection sensor is
The data is taken into the CPU 1 via the interface 10. Then, CPU 1 stores the output of this reflection sensor in RAM.
4, and at the same time, data on the number of steps of a step motor, which is a motor for driving paper feed, is stored with temporal correspondence. At the stage when the output from the reflective sensor has been collected for 3 tags (this can be detected by whether or not the gap G has been detected 3 times. However, the distance between the print line position of the thermal head and the reflective sensor position) (in the case where the number of tag groups is three times or more than the number of tag groups), the tag group per tag is determined in relation to the number of steps of the step motor collected above.

That is, the tag group per tag is converted into one corresponding to the number of steps of the step motor. And store this in memory (
RAM) Save to 4. Next, a threshold value is determined using a method similar to the conventional method. Once the threshold value has been determined, the next step is to check the tag group.
Rotate the stepping motor in the opposite direction. At this time, the number of reversely rotated steps is saved in memory (RAM) 4. When the paper is rotated in the reverse direction and the paper is fed in the forward direction, the gap portion is determined according to the calculated threshold value. When it is determined that there is no gear or tag, the number of reverse rotation steps is compared with the tag group saved in memory, and if it is outside a certain tolerance range (20 steps in this example), an error is determined at this point. Terminate the process. This is to check the tag base from the application and the tag base of the actually set tag.

If there is no error, the stepping motor is rotated forward again by the remainder of (distance between head and sensor ÷ actual tag base) to complete cueing with respect to the thermal head. Once the cueing is completed, use the calculated tag base and the distance from the reflective sensor position to the thermal head to find the necessary distance to bring the tip of the first tag to the print line position of the thermal head. Obtain the paper return distance of the recording paper, that is, the return amount equivalent to the length of one tag, and calculate this amount by
By controlling the paper to return, it becomes possible to print from the tag at the beginning.

In the case of labels, a transmission sensor is used, but since the output of the sensor is different from that of the reflection sensor (see FIG. 7), the overall processing remains the same except that the threshold value calculation process is reversed. The above control is realized by the CPU 1 executing a control program.

In this way, in addition to using a band-shaped recording paper in which printable areas and separation areas are defined at regular intervals for each recording paper,
This recording paper has a structure in which the printable area and the delimited area can be optically distinguished, and a sensor for optical detection is provided in the recording paper supply path to the printing section, and the sensor is driven by a drive control signal. In a printer in which the recording paper can be controlled to feed out and pull back the recording paper using a recording paper feeding mechanism, when the recording paper is replaced, the recording paper is fed by at least the length necessary for the leading edge of the recording paper to reach the printing section position. a control means for controlling the mechanism in the recording paper feeding direction and controlling the recording paper pulling back according to the information when receiving information on the amount of paper pull back; and holding data on the feeding control amount and holding the output of the sensor as data. Based on the data held by this holding means, the lengths of the printable area and the separation area are calculated, and from the relationship between the calculated information and the distance between the printing part position and the sensor position, The amount of feed necessary for a predetermined position on the leading edge of the printable area to reach the printing unit position is determined, and is sent to the control means as a recording paper feeding command for cueing, and after cueing is completed, at least the previous printable area is at the top. The apparatus is constructed by providing a calculation means for determining the amount of pulling back of the recording paper necessary for ejecting the recording paper and applying it to the control means. Then, when the recording paper is replaced, the control means controls the recording paper feeding mechanism in the recording paper feeding direction to feed the recording paper in the printing position direction at least by the amount that the recording paper reaches the printing position, and during this time, the data obtained from the sensor is is held in the holding means, and at the same time, data on the recording paper feed tray is collected and held in the holding means, and the calculation means calculates the length of the printable area and separation area of the recording paper based on the data held by the holding means. From the relationship between the obtained data and the distance between the printing part position and the sensor position, the feed amount required for a predetermined position on the leading edge of the printable area to reach the printing part position is determined, and a recording paper feed command for cueing is issued. Then, after the cueing is completed, a recording paper pull-back tray necessary for at least one previous printable area to be cued is obtained, and the recording paper is sent to the control means to perform cueing. It is controlled so that the pullback is performed.

Specifically, in the cueing control when replacing the recording paper, this device first controls the feeding of the recording paper and counts the amount of feeding, and during this time, a transmission sensor or a reflective sensor in the recording paper supply path performs control. , check the transmittance and reflectance of the recording paper, detect the gap and printable area based on the difference in reflectance and transmittance, and based on this, calculate the occupied area length Ω for one label or tag. ; including the gap) and the length of the gap, and calculate the distance from the printing position to the sensor and the occupied area length ρ.
Based on the relationship between
After cueing, based on the amount of recording paper fed until the end of the cueing control, calculate the return amount necessary to return the leading edge of the first label or tag to the above print position. Since the recording paper is pulled back, this eliminates the waste of labels and tags due to cueing even when the recording paper is replaced, and also eliminates the waste of labels and tags during normal printing. It becomes possible to print in the correct position.

Therefore, according to the present label printer, it is possible to eliminate one label or tag from being wasted when finding the beginning of the label or tag when replacing paper for labels or tags.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope without changing the gist thereof.

[Effects of the Invention] As described in detail above, according to the present invention, when locating the beginning of a label or tag when replacing paper for the label or tag,
It is possible to eliminate the waste of one label or tag, and therefore, it is possible to provide an economical label printer.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control program of this device, FIGS. 3 and 4 are flowcharts 1 and 4 for explaining the operation of the device of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a general diagram of the printing mechanism in a label printer. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration, and FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of recording paper used in a label printer.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing sensor output relationships for explaining the principle of detecting general printing areas and gaps of labels and tags in a label printer. 1...CPU (processor), ■...Program ROM, 8...Character I? OM, 4...RA
M, 7...Frame memory, 8...Motor driver, 9...Thermal head driver, 10-...Interface, 71...Thermal head, 75...Transmissive sensor, 76...Reflective sensor, 81... ...recording paper for labels, 82...mounting paper portion, 83...labels, 91 recording paper for tags, 92 black marker, 93...notches. Figure 7

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] A band-shaped recording paper is used in which divided areas are defined at regular intervals, and the recording paper is configured so that the divided areas can be optically determined, and the recording paper is supplied to the printing section. In a printer in which a sensor for this optical detection is installed in the path and the recording paper can be fed out and pulled back by a recording paper feeding mechanism driven by a drive control signal, when the recording paper is replaced, the position of the printing part is The recording paper feeding mechanism is controlled in the recording paper feeding direction to feed the recording paper by a predetermined amount with the recording paper set so that the leading edge of the recording paper is located nearby, and upon receiving information on the amount of recording paper pulled back, the recording paper is pulled back according to this information. a control means for controlling; a holding means for holding the data of the feed control amount and the output of the sensor as data; a length of the divided area is determined based on the data held by the holding means; From the relationship between this determined information and the distance between the printing part position and the sensor position, the feed amount required for the recording paper to reach a predetermined position on the leading edge of the area to be printed on the printing part is determined, and calculating means for sending the recording paper as a feed command to the control means, determining the recording paper pullback amount necessary for the area to be printed located at the beginning of the recording paper to be indexed after the completion of cueing, and supplying the calculated amount to the control means; A label printer characterized in that after the beginning of the recording paper, it is pulled back to eliminate waste of the recording paper.