JPH0541018Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field This invention relates to a label printer that prints a product code, price, etc. on a label attached to a product.

Prior Art For example, there is a label printer that prints data such as a product code and price on a roll of label paper.

Among the data printed by such label printers, price data is especially essential.
For export label printers that target many countries and regions with different currencies, ¥ (yen),
It would be wasteful to change the hardware (e.g. key mark, etc.) or software (e.g. character font, etc.) each time to correspond to each country's currency symbols such as $ (dollar) and £ (pound). This leads to an increase in the variety of products, which not only increases production costs, but also makes sales more troublesome and makes mistakes more likely.

Therefore, some types of currency symbols can be selected in advance, and a single selection key is provided for each currency symbol on the keyboard, as shown in FIG.

However, this increases the number of keys and complicates the keyboard, and the number of unnecessary keys for each user can cause typing errors. Therefore, the types of currency symbols that can be prepared are also limited.

Purpose This idea was created in view of the above points, and the purpose is to improve operability by minimizing the number of keys on the keyboard while supporting a wide variety of currency symbols. .

Structure In order to achieve the above object, this invention provides a currency key on the keyboard in a label printer equipped with a keyboard, and also provides a currency symbol selection switch outside the keyboard, so that when the currency key is pressed, the currency symbol The apparatus is equipped with means for inputting the currency symbol selected by the selection switch as print data.

Hereinafter, a specific explanation will be given based on one embodiment of this invention.

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of a label printer implementing this invention.

The outer casing of this label printer is provided with a keyboard 1 on the top surface and a switch board 2 on the side surface, as well as a display section 3 using an LCD (liquid crystal display) and a printer unit 4 such as a thermal printer or a digital wheel printer. We are preparing for In addition, 5 is a label paper roll storage part, 6 is a printed label, and 7 is a printed label delivery port.

An example of the arrangement of the keys on the keyboard 1 is shown in FIG. 5, as shown in FIG.
0 (hereinafter representatively referred to as a "numeric keypad"), special keys including a clear key 11, a currency key 12, a number key 13, and a print key 14.

This keyboard 1 only has one currency key 12 in place of the currency symbol selection key for each currency in the conventional keyboard shown in FIG. It's simple and easy to use.

Next, the side switch board 2 is provided with a currency symbol selection switch, examples of which are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 shows an example of using three deep switches 21 to 23 as currency symbol selection switches.
7 code allows you to select 8 different currency symbols.

FIG. 4 shows an example in which a rotary switch 20 with eight contacts is used as a currency symbol selection switch.

The currency symbols corresponding to the codes specified by these currency symbol selection switches are set as follows, for example.

Designation code Currency symbol Notes 0 ¥ Yen (Japan) 1 $ Dollar (US) 2 〓 Cent (US) 3 £ Pound (UK) 4 S Shilling (UK) 5 P Pence (UK) 6 DM Mark (Germany) 7 Fr Franc (France) Here, we have shown an example of 8 types, but if you use a dip switch with 4, 6, or 8 types, you can select 16, 64, and 256 types of currency symbols, respectively.

In the case of a rotary switch, it is not possible to specify too many codes, or currency symbols, due to its mechanism, but switching is quick and easy, so even when it is necessary to display prices in multiple different currencies, such as at an airport kiosk, it is possible to It can be switched and used in the same way as a conventional label printer that has a key dedicated to currency symbols.

In addition, even if there are many types of currency symbol fonts built into the label printer (for example, 100 types), for example, if the specified code (1
digit), currency key, currency symbol code (2 digits), currency key (twice), etc., extract frequently used currency symbols and match them with any specified code using a rotary switch, etc. If it is made possible, eight types of designation codes are sufficient.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a label printer according to this embodiment.

The control unit 8 is composed of a microcomputer such as a CPU, and is connected to a memory 9 consisting of a RAM that stores input print data and a ROM that stores programs and fonts such as numbers and symbols. , a keyboard 1 having a currency key 12 etc. on the input side and a currency symbol selection switch 2
A switch board 2 having switches 1 to 23 (or 20) is connected to a display section 3 and a printer unit 4 on the output side, respectively.

The operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference also to FIGS. 3 and 5.

In this label printer, the manufacturer selects a currency symbol in advance using a currency symbol selection switch on the switch board 2, depending on the export destination. In the case of FIG. 3, the depth switches 21 and 23 are all turned off, so the designated code is "0" and the currency symbol is "¥". In the case of FIG. 4, "¥" is similarly selected.

This currency symbol can also be changed freely by the user by subsequently operating the currency symbol selection switch on the switch board 2.

When using, first press clear key 1 on keyboard 1.
When 1 is pressed, the signal is input to the control section 8, the print data and number of sheets data in the memory 9 are cleared, and the display contents on the display section 3 are also cleared accordingly.

Next, press currency key 12 on keyboard 1.
The control unit 8 checks the state of the currency symbol selection switch on the switch board 2 and stores the font data of the currency symbol corresponding to the specified code in the memory 9.
Reads from ROM and stores as print data in memory 9
Store in RAM. Subsequently, when a price is input using the numeric keypad 10, it is also stored in the memory 9 as print data.

Note that these print data are displayed on the display section 3 at the same time as they are stored in the memory 9.

Furthermore, press number key 13, then numeric key 1
When the number of copies to be printed is input using 0, the control section 8 stores the numerical data in the memory 9 as the number of copies to be printed.

Finally, when you press print 14, the control unit 8 prints out the memory 9.
The print data within is sent to the printer unit 4 to be printed, and each time printing is performed, the print number data in the memory 9 is subtracted and printing is repeated, and when the data reaches ``0'', printing is completed.

The flow of this key operation and processing by the control section 8 is shown in the flowchart of FIG.

Effects As explained above, according to this invention, it is possible to select a large number of currency symbols, reduce the number of keys on the keyboard, and print the preselected currency symbol as print data just by pressing the currency key. Since the information can be entered, the operability of the label printer can be greatly improved.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is an external perspective view showing an example of a label printer implementing this invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the same configuration, and Figs. 3 and 4 show different currency symbol selection switches on the switch board. A front view showing an example; FIG. 5 is a plan view showing the arrangement of keys on the keyboard in the embodiment of FIG. 1;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing key operations according to this embodiment and the flow of processing by the control section of FIG. 2, and FIG. 7 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of keys on a keyboard in a conventional label printer. 1...Keyboard, 2...Switch board, 3
... Display section, 4 ... Printer unit, 8 ... Control section, 9 ... Memory, 10 ... Numerical input key group (numeric keypad), 12 ... Currency key, 20 ... Rotary switch (currency symbol selection switch) , 21-2
3... Date switch (currency symbol selection switch).

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] In a label printer equipped with a keyboard,
A currency key is provided on the keyboard, and a currency symbol selection switch is provided outside the keyboard, and means for inputting the currency symbol selected by the currency symbol selection switch as print data when the currency key is pressed. A label printer characterized by: