JPH0650437Y2 - Tag guide width adjustment mechanism for tag printer - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] (Industrial field of application) The present invention relates to a tag guide width adjusting mechanism of a tag printing device, and in particular sends out single-leaf single tags with threads having various widths one by one. The present invention relates to a tag guide width adjusting mechanism of a tag printing device that prints on a tape.

(Prior Art) Conventionally, one single leaf tag is attached from a tag hopper that stores a plurality of single leaf tags with or without threads attached to a product or the like as needed for stacking. A tag printing device is known in which one sheet is sent into a predetermined transport path and printed by a predetermined printing mechanism, and then a print tag is discharged and stored in a stacker or the like.

However, the above-mentioned single-leaf tag needs to be guided stably so as not to sway back and forth, right and left from the time when it is sent out to the time when it is conveyed or printed, and it also has various widths depending on the type of product to be attached. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the so-called guide width for guiding this.

Further, when the thread-attached single-leaf tags to which the above-mentioned hanging thread is attached are sent out one by one and are conveyed into a predetermined conveying path, the yarn is also drawn out into the conveying path. However, this thread has a certain length,
Since it is formed on a closed loop and swings back and forth and left and right depending on the transport condition of the single leaf tag in the transport path, it catches on various internal mechanisms or parts of the printing device and hinders the transport of the single leaf tag. There is a case. Therefore, in the case of a single-leaf tag with a thread, it is indispensable to carry it more stably than a single-leaf tag without a thread.

Also, if the part to which this thread is attached is the side edge surface in the transport direction of the single-leaf tag, this thread easily gets into the surface of the single-leaf tag, so there is a removal mechanism that removes this thread from the surface of the single-leaf tag, that is, its printing surface. It is necessary and there is a problem that this removing mechanism becomes complicated. Therefore, attaching the thread to the trailing edge of the single-leaf tag makes the thread removal mechanism or treatment mechanism simpler, but the thread follows the single-leaf tag to be transported. The swaying of the yarn in the front, back, left and right may be further increased.

Due to the various circumstances as described above, when loading single-leaf tags with threads having different widths into a printing device to perform transport printing, the guide width of the single-leaf tags can be adjusted easily and reliably, and the front and back surfaces of the single-leaf tags can be adjusted. It is necessary to pinch and hold it for stable transportation.

(Problems to be solved by the invention) The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances. Printing is performed by feeding out the single-leaf tags one by one from a tag hopper in which a plurality of single-leaf tags with threads are stacked for printing. In the device, by guiding the side surface portion according to the width of the threaded single-leaf tag, stable conveyance is ensured, and when the width of the threaded single-leaf tag, that is, the tag guide width is different, the guide width can be easily and easily An object of the present invention is to provide a tag guide width adjusting mechanism for a tag printing device that can be surely adjusted and can sandwich the front and back surfaces of a thread-attached single-leaf tag.

(Means for Solving the Problem) That is, the present invention provides a tag hopper for accommodating a plurality of monofilament tags with threads in a stack and a single monofilament tag with threads for sending out from the tag hopper to a predetermined transport path. In a thread tag printing apparatus having a threading mechanism and a printing mechanism for printing information of a predetermined content on the threaded single-leaf tag sent by the sending mechanism, the threaded tag printing apparatus meshes with and separates from each other by a shaft engraved with a screw. Alternatively, a pair of central support frames for maintaining the width of the thread-attached single leaf tag that has been sent out from the tag hopper and regulating the side surface portion of the single leaf tag are provided along the transport path, and the thread is attached to the transport path. A pair of belt means for sandwiching the front and back surfaces of the attached single-leaf tag to convey to the printing mechanism side is provided, and the central support frame and the one set of belt means guide the thread-attached single-leaf tag. And a tag guide width adjusting mechanism for a tag printing device.

(Operation) In the tag guide width adjusting mechanism of the tag printing device,
When each monofilament tag with a thread is sent out from the tag hopper, a pair of left and right central support frames and a pair of belt means arranged along the above-mentioned conveying path removes the left and right side surfaces and front and back sides with respect to the conveying direction. Since it is guided, it is possible to prevent the conveyance failure due to the swinging in the left-right direction due to the conveyance and the entanglement of the yarn.

When a single-leaf tag with a thread having a different width is loaded and conveyed and printed, for example, a guide width adjusting screw shaft connected to a guide width adjusting puls motor as a driving means via a timing belt is used. By rotating the pair of left and right central support frames away from or closer to each other by rotating in the direction, the tag guide width therebetween is adjusted.

(Embodiment) Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5, taking as an example a case of a tag printing apparatus that performs printing of a thermal transfer system as a printing mechanism.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional side view of a tag printer 1 equipped with a tag guide width adjusting mechanism 1A according to this embodiment, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same with a part omitted, and FIG. It is a partially cutaway perspective view of FIG. The tag printer 1 includes a pair of left and right main frames 2 (FIG. 2) and a tag hopper 3 that can store a plurality of single-leaf tags T with threads (hereinafter, simply referred to as single-leaf tags T) in a stacked manner. The tag hopper 3 has a feeding mechanism 4 for feeding the single-leaf tags T one by one, an intermediate conveying mechanism 5, a pusher roller mechanism 6, a printing mechanism 7, and a discharging mechanism 8.

The tag hopper 3 includes a pair of left and right hopper frames 9
It is possible to accommodate a plurality of stacked single-leaf tags T, and the weight 10 applies a predetermined load. The bottom of the tag hopper 3 is open and opposed to the upper surface of the feeding mechanism 4.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the tag hopper 3
A tag mounting frame 11 and a thread pressing member 12 for pressing the thread S of the single-leaf tag T are provided at the bottom of the tag.

A tag mounting surface 11A is formed on the upper surface of the tag mounting frame 11, and a thread pressing surface 11B is formed on one side surface different from the tag mounting surface 11A. A pair of thread pressing member guide grooves 11C are formed on the left and right outer surface portions of the tag mounting frame 11, and fixing recesses 11D are formed in communication with the respective groove 11C, and a limit switch 11E is provided near the bottom thereof.
Is provided. Further, a thread passage notch 11F is formed at the center of the tip of the thread S in the delivery direction.

The thread pressing member 12 is made of, for example, a steel plate material having appropriate elasticity, and the tag mounting frame 11
A cushion member 13 made of a foamed material is provided at the tip portion on the side, that is, the tip portion facing the thread pressing surface 11B. The yarn S is bundled between the cushion member 13 and the yarn pressing surface 11B of the tag mounting frame 11 and is pressed in the state of being extended in the lengthwise direction so that the yarn S can be stably fed out. It is a guarantee.

The thread pressing member 12 is engaged with and removable from the tag mounting frame 11, and has a pair of engagement holding portions 12A and a pair of engagement protrusions 12B formed at the tip of the engagement holding portions 12A.
Have been formed. Further, a limit switch pressing portion 12C is formed at the lower end of the thread pressing member 12. The pressing portion 12C presses the limit switch 11E so that the attachment of the thread pressing member 12 can be confirmed.

The unwound monofilament tag yarn S is formed by a pair of yarn groove frames 14 that are continuously arranged below the discharge mechanism 8 along the conveying path 1C.
You will be guided inside. However, in the portion of the printing mechanism 7, the thread S once exits from the thread groove 15 and passes between a platen 50 and a thermal head 51 described later. Again,
It is assumed that the thread passage notch 11F of the tag mounting frame 11 faces the thread groove 15.

The delivery mechanism 4 has a delivery roller 16 arranged to face the bottom of the tag hopper 3 and a delivery DC motor 19 that rotationally drives the delivery roller 16 via belts 17 and 18. is doing.

As shown in FIG. 1, a feeding interval adjusting frame 20 is provided on the front surface of the tag hopper 3 so as to be vertically movable, and a cam roller 21 is operated to vertically move along a fixed frame (not shown). Then, one single-leaf tag T can be sent out from between the lower end portion and the tag mounting frame 11.

The intermediate conveying mechanism 5 includes two pairs of guide width adjusting support shafts 22 provided between the pair of left and right main frames 2 and yarn groove frames 14, and a single leaf along the guide width adjusting support shafts 22. It has a pair of left and right central support frames 23 that can reciprocate in the width direction of the tag T, that is, can move away from and approach each other. The pair of central support frames 23 extend from the tag mounting frame 11 to the printing mechanism 7, which will be described later.

The central support frame 23 includes the hopper frame 9,
A guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 for the single-leaf tag T, a belt rotating pulse motor 25, and a pair of belt opening / closing solenoids 26 are provided.

The guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 is connected to a pair of left and right guide width adjusting screw shafts 28 by a pair of left and right timing belts 27. The guide width adjusting screw shaft 28 is supported by the pair of thread groove frames 14 and the main frame 2, and the rotation thereof causes the central support frame 23 to open and close vertically in FIG. The tag guide width G of T can be adjusted.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the pair of guide width adjusting threaded shafts 28 are threaded in opposite directions.
A pair of central support frames 23 are threaded along their respective guide width adjusting threaded shafts 28. Further, each of the guide width adjusting threaded shafts 28 can be rotated in the same direction by the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24.

Therefore, for example, when the guide width adjusting threaded shaft 28 rotates clockwise in FIG. 1, the center support frames 23 move away from each other and the tag guide width G increases. On the contrary, when the guide width adjusting threaded shaft 28 rotates counterclockwise, the central support frames 23 move toward each other, and the tag guide width G is reduced. of course,
The angle direction for threading the guide width adjusting screw shaft 28 and the rotation direction when adjusting the guide width are determined by the combination with the rotation directions of the left and right guide width adjusting screw shafts 28 and the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24. It can be designed arbitrarily. For example, left and right guide width adjustment screw shafts
If the thread cutting directions of 28 are not the opposite directions as shown in FIG. 2 but the same directions and the rotation directions of the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 are opposite to each other, the separation and the approach similar to those described above. The action can be performed.

One side of the central support frame 23 has a detection tongue piece.
29 is provided, and this can be detected by the sensor 30 for adjusting the guide width.

The belt rotation pulse motor 25 is a timing belt.
This is connected to a flat belt 32 as a belt means by 31. An opening / closing frame 34 is rotatably attached to an opening / closing fixed rotation shaft 33 of the central support frame 23, and a pair of left and right round belts 35 as belt means are provided on the opening / closing frame 34. The pair of left and right round belts 35 and the pair of left and right flat belts
32, that is, a pair of belts, a round belt 35 and a flat belt 32, can sandwich the left and right end portions of the front and back surfaces of the single-leaf tag T from above and below and convey the same.

The flat belt 32 is opened by the opening / closing mechanism of the intermediate conveyance mechanism 5.
The round belt 35 is brought into and out of contact with the round belt 35, but since this opening / closing mechanism is not directly related to the gist of the present invention,
The description is omitted here.

Further, the central support frame 23 has a first transmission type sensor 3
8. The second sensor 39, the third sensor 40, and the fourth sensor 41 are provided so that passage of the single-leaf tag T can be detected.

Next, the pusher roller mechanism 6 will be described. The pusher roller mechanism 6 is for transferring and transporting the single-leaf tag T transported by the intermediate transport mechanism 5 to the printing mechanism 7 of the next stage. The pusher roller mechanism 6 includes a pair of left and right drive rollers 42 and a pair of the drive rollers 42. It has a pair of left and right driven rollers 43 that come into contact with and separate from each other. The drive roller 42 is connected to the printing pulse motor 44 via a timing belt 45 and is driven and rotated.

Although the drive roller 42 and the driven roller 43 are brought into contact with and separated from each other by the opening / closing mechanism of the pusher roller mechanism 6,
This opening / closing mechanism is not directly related to the gist of the present invention, so the description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the printing mechanism 7 will be described. The printing mechanism 7 can employ any method, but is, for example, a thermal transfer type printing mechanism, which supplies a platen 50, a thermal head 51 arranged to face the platen 50, and an ink ribbon R for thermal transfer. It has a shaft 52 and a winding shaft 53. It is assumed that the platen 50 is rotationally driven by the printing pulse motor 44 via the timing belt 54.

The thermal head 51 is a solenoid for vertical movement during printing.
It can be moved up and down by 61. That is, when the printing operation is required, the downward movement is performed, and when the single-leaf tag T for which the printing operation is completed passes through the thermal head 51 portion, the single leaf tag T is moved upward so that a space through which the platen 50 can pass is opened. is there. The thermal head 51 can be opened and closed by an opening / closing lever (not shown) when the thermal transfer ink ribbon R is loaded. Such a mechanism is directly related to the gist of the present invention. Since it is not, its description is omitted.

Next, returning to FIG. 1, the discharge mechanism 8 will be described.
The discharging mechanism 8 includes a discharging DC motor 76 and a driving roller 78 driven by the discharging DC motor 76 via a belt 77.
And a driven roller 79. Also, the fifth sensor
80 is provided, and the printed single-leaf tag T is discharged on the discharging chute 81.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control circuit 90 of the tag printer 1. The central processing unit 91 includes a ROM 93 for storing a program, a RAM 94 for storing input data and the like by a data bus 92.
Power switch 95, the limit switch 11E, the first
The sensor 38, the second sensor 39, the third sensor 40, the fourth sensor 41, and the fifth sensor 80 are connected. Further, the sending DC motor 19 is sent through the sending DC motor drive circuit 96.
To the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 via the guide width adjusting pulse motor drive circuit 97, and to the belt rotating pulse motor via the belt rotating pulse motor drive circuit 98.
25, to the printing pulse motor 44 via the printing pulse motor driving circuit 99, to the discharging DC motor 76 via the discharging DC motor driving circuit 100, and to the belt opening / closing solenoid driving circuit
The belt opening / closing solenoid 26 via 101, the opening / closing solenoid 46 via the opening / closing solenoid drive circuit 102, the vertical movement solenoid 61 via the vertical movement solenoid drive circuit 103, and the thermal head via the thermal head drive circuit 104. It is connected to each of the heads 51.

Further, the data bus 92 is connected with a display unit 105 for the number of printed single-leaf tags T, a printing operation panel 106, and a guide width setting operation panel 107, respectively. Furthermore, it is connected to an external personal computer 109 via the interface 108, and data input from the keyboard 110 of the personal computer 109 is possible. Of course, another keyboard input device 111 can be connected so that data can be input from now on.

By using the tag printing device 1 having the above-described configuration, the single-leaf tag T
The case of printing on the paper will be described below.

First, the thermal transfer ink ribbon R is loaded into the tag printing apparatus 1, a desired number of single-leaf tags T are loaded into the tag hopper 3, and, for example, after printing data and the like is input by the keyboard 110 of the personal computer 109, printing is performed. The operation panel 106 is operated to start printing.

When this printing is started, one single-use tag T is sent out from the tag hopper 3 to the intermediate conveying mechanism 5 by the sending roller 16.

The single-leaf tag T sent from the sending mechanism 4 passes through the intermediate transport mechanism 5 and the pusher roller mechanism 6, is printed by the printing mechanism 7, and is then stored in a predetermined stacker or the like by the discharging mechanism 8. It will be. Moreover, during such feeding and conveyance, the single-leaf tag T starts from the pair of hopper frames 9 above the tag mounting frame 11 and is always guided to the left and right by the central support frame 23. It is possible to stably convey the sheet along the sheet along with printing without swinging in the left-right direction. Further, since the single-leaf tag T sent from the tag hopper 3 is conveyed on the conveying path IC while being sandwiched from above and below by a pair of belts of the round belt 35 and the flat belt 32, for example, the thread is squeezed by the tag hopper 3. Even if they are entangled, they are easily disentangled, and conveyance failure due to entanglement is unlikely to occur. Since the single-leaf tag T that has passed through the printing mechanism 7 is only ejected, it is not particularly necessary to be guided to the left and right by the central support frame 23, but if necessary, the central support frame 23 up to the ejection mechanism 8 portion. It is also possible to extend.

When the single-leaf tags T have different widths, the position of the central support frame 23 or the distance between them, that is, the tag guide width G is adjusted by driving the pulse motor 24 for adjusting the guide width. About this operation No. 5
The description will be given below with reference to the flowchart of the drawing.

First, the width setting key 107A of the width setting operation panel 107 is operated to set the tag guide width G of the single-leaf tag T to a desired value, and the width setting button 106A of the printing operation panel 106 is pressed. This is judged in step S1. At the next step S2, the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 is driven to rotate clockwise, and the pair of guide width adjusting screw shafts 28 respectively rotate clockwise in FIG. 1 to expand the tag guide width G. The central support frames 23 are moved away from each other so that

Then, in step S3, it is determined whether or not the detecting tongue piece 29 is detected by the guide width adjusting sensor 30, and when detected, the rotation of the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 is temporarily stopped in step S4. That is, after detecting that the pair of center support frames 23 have separated from each other to the maximum expansion position,
At step S5, the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24 is rotated counterclockwise.

Then, it is determined whether the center support frame 23 has approached the position of the set tag guide width G (step S6). As this judgment, when the number of steps corresponding to half the difference in the interval from the maximum expansion position of the center support frame 23 to the set width position is supplied to the guide width adjusting pulse motor 24, the center support frame 23 reaches the set position. You can

Therefore, the central support frames 23 approach each other so as to reduce the width of each other and stop at the position of the set tag guide width G (step S7).

Thus, the single-leaf tag T is always guided between the central support frame 23 and the hopper frame 9 of the tag hopper 3, and even in the case of the single-leaf tags T having different widths, the single leaf tag T can be reliably operated by a simple operation. Its tag guide width G
Can be adjusted.

(Effect of the Invention) As described above, according to the present invention, the tag guide width can be adjusted by moving the pair of central support frames away from or closer to each other by rotating the shaft for adjusting the guide width. Therefore, the tag guide width can be adjusted by a simple operation, and the transport printing of the single-leaf tag can be performed smoothly and stably.

Further, the front and back of the single leaf tag with a thread is clamped in the transport path 1
Since a pair of belt means is provided, even if the yarn is entangled in the tag hopper, it is easy to loosen it, and conveyance failure due to entanglement is unlikely to occur.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a tag guide width adjusting mechanism according to an embodiment of the present invention.
1A is a cross-sectional side view of the tag printing apparatus 1, FIG. 2 is the same, partially omitted plan view, FIG. 3 is the same, partially cutaway perspective view of the thread pressing mechanism 1B part, and FIG. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the control circuit 90, and FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining the adjustment operation of the tag guide width G. 1 …… Tag printing device 1A …… Tag guide width adjustment mechanism 1C …… Transport path 3 …… Tag hopper 4 …… Sending mechanism 7 …… Printing mechanism 23 …… Left and right center support frame 28 …… Left and right pair Shaft with screw for adjusting the guide width 32 …… A pair of left and right flat belts 35 …… A pair of left and right round belts T …… Single leaf tag S …… Thread of single leaf tag G ………… Tag guide width

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A tag hopper for accommodating a plurality of single-leaf tags with threads in a stack, a sending-out mechanism for sending out one single-leaf tag with threads from the tag hopper to a predetermined transport path, and a sending-out mechanism by this sending-out mechanism. In a tag printing device with a thread, which has a printing mechanism that prints information of a predetermined content on a threaded single-leaf tag, a threaded shaft meshes with a shaft engraved with a screw and separates from or approaches each other and is sent out from the tag hopper. A pair of central support frames that keep the width of the single leaf tag with thread and regulate the side surface of the single leaf tag are provided along the transport path, and the front and back surfaces of the single leaf tag with thread are sandwiched in the transport path. A tag of a tag printing device, characterized in that a set of belt means for carrying to the printing mechanism side is provided, and a single leaf tag with thread is guided by the central support frame and the set of belt means. Well width adjustment mechanism.