Consumable loading structure of label printer and label printer

Abstract

The utility model relates to a consumable loading structure of a label printer and the label printer, and relates to the technical field of printers, the structure comprises a consumable carrier, a communication assembly, a consumable label and an information analysis module; the consumable carrier comprises a consumable containing cavity, and the consumable containing cavity is used for containing consumable roll paper; the consumable label is fixed on the side surface of the consumable roll paper in the extending direction of a reel, the communication assembly is matched with the consumable label, and the communication assembly is fixed on the consumable carrier on the side, away from the consumable roll paper, of the consumable label; and the information analysis module is in communication connection with the communication component and is used for identifying the consumable information included in the consumable label through the communication component. The consumable loading structure of the label printer can prolong the service life of the printer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of printer technology, and in particular to the consumable loading structure of a label printer and a label printer. Background Technology

[0002] Most printer consumables on the market are generally compatible. However, the quality of consumables from different manufacturers varies. Low-quality consumables can cause wear and tear on printer components during use, significantly limiting the printer's lifespan. However, wide-format label printers do not have consumable limitations; consumables from different manufacturers are compatible and can be used. Using low-quality consumables will increase wear and tear on the printer, shortening its lifespan. Therefore, wide-format label printers in this technology suffer from a shorter lifespan. Utility Model Content

[0003] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a consumable loading structure and label printer for a label printer to address the issue of short printer lifespan.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a consumable loading structure for a label printer, including a consumable carrier, a communication component, a consumable label, and an information parsing module;

[0005] The consumable carrier includes a consumable receiving cavity, which is used to hold consumable rolls of paper;

[0006] The consumable label is fixed to the side surface of the consumable roll in the direction of the roll extension. The communication component is matched with the consumable label and is fixed on the consumable carrier on the side of the consumable label away from the consumable roll.

[0007] The information parsing module is communicatively connected to the communication component and is used to identify the consumable information included in the consumable tag through the communication component.

[0008] In one embodiment, the consumable carrier includes two side baffles and a sliding assembly;

[0009] The two side baffles are arranged opposite each other and are respectively fixed at both ends of the sliding assembly; the two side baffles and the sliding assembly surround to form the consumable receiving cavity;

[0010] The communication component is fixed to one side of the side baffle near the consumable receiving cavity.

[0011] In one embodiment, the sliding assembly includes two sliding rods and a gear;

[0012] One of the sliding rods is fixedly connected to one of the side baffles, and the other sliding rod is fixedly connected to the other side baffle. The gear is disposed between the two sliding rods and connected to the two sliding rod gears. The gear is used to drive the two sliding rods to move the corresponding side baffles toward each other or away from each other.

[0013] In one embodiment, the sliding rod includes a serrated sliding rod and an auxiliary sliding rod;

[0014] The serrated slide bar and the auxiliary slide bar are fixedly connected on the side near the side baffle, and the gear is connected between the two serrated slide bars;

[0015] In a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sliding rod, the consumable paper roll, the auxiliary sliding rod of one of the sliding rods, and the serrated sliding rod of the other sliding rod are stacked in sequence.

[0016] In one embodiment, the information parsing module is an RFID reader;

[0017] In one embodiment, the communication component is an RFID antenna.

[0018] In one embodiment, the RFID antenna includes: a coil and a connecting wire;

[0019] The coil is fixed to the consumable carrier on the side of the consumable tag away from the consumable roll paper. One end of the connecting line is connected to the coil, and the other end of the connecting line is connected to the RFID reader.

[0020] In one embodiment, the shape of the coil is the same as the shape of the consumable tag.

[0021] In one embodiment, the consumable tag is an RFID tag; the consumable information of the RFID tag includes the specifications and dimensions of the consumable roll, the tag template, and the number of tags.

[0022] Secondly, this application provides a label printer, including the consumable loading structure of the label printer described in any of the above embodiments.

[0023] The aforementioned label printer's consumable loading structure and label printer include a consumable carrier, a communication component, a consumable label, and an information parsing module. The consumable carrier includes a consumable receiving cavity for accommodating consumable rolls. The consumable label is fixed to the side surface of the consumable roll in the direction of its spool extension. The communication component is matched to the consumable label and fixed to the consumable carrier on the side of the consumable label away from the consumable roll, enabling accurate and rapid acquisition of consumable information from the label. The information parsing module is communicatively connected to the communication component and is used to identify the consumable information included in the consumable label. This allows for the determination of whether the consumable roll matches the label printer based on the identified consumable information, selecting suitable consumable rolls, avoiding damage to the label printer caused by incompatible consumable rolls, and extending the lifespan of the label printer. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the consumable loading structure of a label printer in one embodiment;

[0025] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the consumable loading structure of the label printer in another embodiment;

[0026] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relative relationship between the consumable roll paper and the consumable label in one embodiment. Detailed Implementation

[0027] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features, and advantages of this application more apparent and understandable, the specific embodiments of this application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application can be implemented in many other ways different from those described herein, and those skilled in the art can make similar modifications without departing from the spirit of this application. Therefore, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0028] In the description of this application, it should be understood that if terms such as "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" appear, these terms indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0029] Furthermore, where the terms "first" and "second" appear, these terms are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of that feature. In the description of this application, where the term "multiple" appears, "multiple" means at least two, such as two, three, etc., unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0030] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "joining," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components, unless otherwise expressly limited. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application based on the specific circumstances.

[0031] It should be noted that if an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "set on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or there may be an intervening element. If an element is considered to be "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or there may be an intervening element. If so, the terms "vertical," "horizontal," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," and similar expressions used in this application are for illustrative purposes only and do not represent the only possible implementation.

[0032] As described in the background section, label printers of this technology suffer from a short lifespan. The inventors discovered that this problem arises because current wide-format label printers on the market do not restrict consumable usage; they are generally compatible with each other, and consumables from different manufacturers can be used with the printer. While consumables are generally interchangeable, the quality of consumables from different manufacturers varies, and low-quality consumables significantly limit the printer's lifespan. Therefore, the problems include: the use of interchangeable consumables, the mixing of high-quality and low-quality consumables affecting printer lifespan, and the inability to recognize consumable information and determine parameters such as the remaining number of labels.

[0033] For the reasons mentioned above, this application provides a consumable loading structure for a label printer and a label printer, which aims to extend the life of the label printer.

[0034] See Figure 1 , Figure 1A schematic diagram of the consumable loading structure of a label printer according to an embodiment of the present application is shown. The consumable loading structure of the label printer provided in an embodiment of the present application includes a consumable carrier 11, a communication component 12, a consumable label 13, and an information parsing module 14.

[0035] The consumable carrier 11 includes a consumable receiving cavity for accommodating consumable rolls of paper; a consumable label 13 is fixed to the side surface of the consumable roll in the direction of the roll's extension; a communication component 12 is matched with the consumable label 13 and is fixed to the consumable carrier 11 on the side of the consumable label 13 away from the consumable roll; and an information parsing module 14 is communicatively connected to the communication component 12 and is used to identify the consumable information included in the consumable label 13 through the communication component 12.

[0036] It is understandable that consumable paper rolls are printer consumables. The consumable paper roll has a hollow center, with a spool positioned within this hollow portion. Both ends of the spool are secured in the consumable storage cavity using methods such as groove fixing or friction fixing, thus holding the consumable paper roll within the cavity. Different consumable paper rolls correspond to different consumable labels 13 containing different consumable information. This allows the label printer to read the consumable information and determine if the consumable paper roll matches its settings, enabling consumable selection. Furthermore, during normal operation, the remaining consumable paper level can be obtained by reading the consumable labels in real time.

[0037] It should be noted that the consumable receiving cavity can be open or closed. An open cavity facilitates the insertion and removal of the consumable roll, while a closed cavity reduces the entry of dust and impurities into the consumable receiving cavity, thus minimizing their impact on printer operation. The consumable label 13 can be fixed to the side surface of the consumable roll along the spool extension direction using methods such as adhesive or electrostatic adsorption. The consumable label 13 may contain a chip, and consumable information is recorded in the corresponding consumable label 13 when the consumable roll leaves the factory. The communication component 12 obtains the consumable information data signal by scanning the chip in the consumable label 13. The communication component 12 and the information parsing module 14 can be connected via wired or wireless communication. In another implementation, the consumable label 13 can also be equipped with a QR code or other encoded consumable information. The communication component 12 can be equipped with a scanning unit to scan the QR code or identify the encoded information on the consumable label 13 to obtain the consumable information. The specific implementation method is not limited, as long as it achieves the function of the information parsing module 14 reading the consumable information of the consumable roll through the collaborative work of the communication component 12 and the consumable label 13.

[0038] The consumable loading structure of the aforementioned label printer includes a consumable carrier 11, a communication component 12, a consumable label 13, and an information parsing module 14. The consumable carrier 11 includes a consumable receiving cavity for accommodating consumable rolls. The consumable label 13 is fixed to the side surface of the consumable roll in the direction of its extension along the spool. The communication component 12 is matched with the consumable label 13 and fixed to the consumable carrier 11 on the side of the consumable label 13 away from the consumable roll, enabling accurate and rapid acquisition of consumable information from the consumable label 13. The information parsing module 14 is communicatively connected to the communication component 12 and is used to identify the consumable information included in the consumable label 13 through the communication component 12. This allows for the determination of whether the consumable roll matches the label printer based on the identified consumable information, filtering out suitable consumable rolls, avoiding damage to the printer caused by incompatible consumable rolls, and extending the printer's lifespan.

[0039] Combination Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the consumable loading structure of a label printer according to another embodiment of this application is shown. In one embodiment, the consumable carrier 11 includes two side baffles 21 and a sliding assembly 22. The two side baffles 21 are arranged opposite to each other and are respectively fixed at both ends of the sliding assembly 22. The two side baffles 21 and the sliding assembly 22 surround to form a consumable receiving cavity. The communication assembly 12 is fixed on the side of one side baffle 21 near the consumable receiving cavity or away from the consumable receiving cavity.

[0040] It should be noted that the opposing arrangement of the two side baffles 21 is used to fix the consumable paper roll 23, preventing the consumable paper roll 23 from falling out of the consumable receiving cavity and causing printing failure. In addition, fixing the consumable paper roll 23 with the side baffles 21 also allows the communication component 12 to more reliably identify the consumable label 13. Furthermore, if the communication component 12 is located on the side of either side baffle 21 closest to the consumable receiving cavity, it can more accurately identify the consumable label 13.

[0041] It is understood that the sliding component 22 included in the consumable carrier 11 can slide in a gear and rack manner, and can be adjusted according to the size of the consumable roll 23, thereby adaptively expanding or shrinking the space of the consumable accommodating cavity, improving the flexibility of the consumable loading structure of the label printer, and can be adapted to consumable rolls 23 of different sizes.

[0042] Continue reading Figure 2, in one embodiment, the sliding component 22 includes two sliding rods 221 and a gear 222; wherein, one sliding rod 221 is fixedly connected to one side baffle 21, and the other sliding rod 221 is fixedly connected to the other side baffle 21. The gear 222 is connected between the two sliding rods 221 and is in gear connection with the two sliding rods 221; the gear 222 is used to drive the two sliding rods 221 to drive the corresponding side baffles 21 to move towards each other or away from each other.

[0043] It can be understood that when the size of the consumable roll paper 23 is greater than the current accommodating size of the consumable accommodating cavity, the gear 222 drives the two sliding rods 221 to drive the corresponding side baffles 21 to move away from each other, so as to expand the accommodating size of the consumable accommodating cavity. When the size of the consumable roll paper 23 is less than the accommodating size of the consumable accommodating cavity, the two sliding rods 221 drive the corresponding side baffles 21 to move towards each other, so as to reduce the accommodating size of the consumable accommodating cavity. Further improves the flexibility of the consumable loading structure of the label printer and can adapt to consumable roll papers 23 of different sizes. In addition, when the gear 222 is used to drive the two sliding rods 221 to drive the corresponding side baffles 21 to move towards each other or away from each other, since the communication component 12 is fixed on any one of the side baffles 21, the communication component 12 moves along with the side baffle 21 during the movement, ensuring that the consumable label 13 can always be read.

[0044] Continue to refer to Figure 2 , in one embodiment, the sliding rod 221 includes a serrated sliding rod 2211 and an auxiliary sliding rod 2212;

[0045] Wherein, the serrated sliding rod 2211 and the auxiliary sliding rod 2212 are fixedly connected on the side close to the side baffle 21, and the gear 222 is connected between the two serrated sliding rods 2211; in the direction perpendicular to the plane where the sliding rod 221 is located, the consumable roll paper 23, the auxiliary sliding rod 2212 of one sliding rod 221 and the serrated sliding rod 2211 of the other sliding rod 221 are stacked in sequence.

[0046] It should be noted that a protrusion or a groove can be provided on the side of the serrated sliding rod 2211 close to the auxiliary sliding rod 2212. Correspondingly, a groove or a protrusion can be provided on the side of the auxiliary sliding rod 2212 close to the serrated sliding rod 2211, so that the serrated sliding rod 2211 and the auxiliary sliding rod 2212 can be coupled together. Refer to Figure 2 , with the entire sliding component 22 arranged with each serrated sliding rod 2211, auxiliary sliding rod 2212 and gear 222, it forms a "hui" character shape. During the process of the gear 222 driving the serrated sliding rod 2211 to slide, there is a certain restraining effect, making the structure of the sliding component 22 more firm and stable.

[0047] Refer to Figure 2 and Figure 3, Figure 3 A schematic diagram showing the relative relationship between consumable paper rolls and consumable labels is provided. In one embodiment, the information parsing module 14 is an RFID reader; the communication component 12 is an RFID antenna; the consumable label 13 is an RFID tag; the consumable information of the RFID tag includes the specifications and dimensions of the consumable paper roll 23, the label template, and the number of labels.

[0048] The specifications of the consumable roll 23 refer to its physical parameters, typically including width, outer diameter, inner diameter, total length, and label height. These parameters help match the printer model, facilitating capacity planning and label adaptation. The label module of the consumable roll 23 refers to the pre-defined label layout design, usually including size layout, content format, data integration, and compatible label design software. This improves printing efficiency and reduces printing errors. The label count of the consumable roll 23 refers to the number of labels that can be printed from a single roll of consumable roll 23. This is usually determined by parameters such as single label size, roll length, and spacing. This helps calculate printing costs and estimate the amount of printing work that can be completed. Therefore, by obtaining the above consumable information, the label printer can reduce printing costs, determine the appropriate consumable roll 23, reduce printer wear and tear, and improve the reliability of label printing.

[0049] It should be noted that RFID technology (Radio Frequency Identification) is a type of automatic identification technology that uses wireless radio frequency for non-contact, two-way data communication. It reads and writes data to a recording medium (electronic tag or RFID card) using radio frequency to achieve target identification and data exchange. The working principle of this embodiment is as follows: The RFID reader emits a radio frequency signal through its RFID antenna. When the RFID tag enters the magnetic field range of the receiving RFID reader's radio frequency signal, if the RFID tag is passive, it transmits the consumable information stored in its chip using the energy obtained from the induced current. If the RFID tag is active, it can directly transmit a signal of a certain frequency to interact with the RFID reader. The RFID reader reads and decodes the information and sends it to the central information system for further processing.

[0050] Understandably, the RFID reader is located on the main control board 24 of the label printer, which is located outside the consumable carrier 11. The main control board 24 controls the operation and control of the entire label printer. The main control board 24 also has a main control chip 25. The RFID reader is connected to the main control chip 25 and sends the consumable information it reads to the main control chip 25, which then performs further calculations and processing. Figure 3The cylindrical shape of the consumable roll 23 is one example. The consumable roll 23 may take on other polyhedral shapes depending on the size of each label. There is no specific limitation on this, as long as the consumable roll 23 can be fixed in the consumable accommodating cavity to meet the printing requirements.

[0051] Continue reading Figure 2 In one embodiment, the RFID antenna includes a coil 121 and a connecting line 122; the coil 121 is fixed to the consumable carrier 11 on the side of the consumable tag 13 away from the consumable roll 23, and one end of the connecting line 122 is connected to the coil 121 and the other end is connected to the RFID reader.

[0052] Understandably, the connecting cable 122 and the RFID reader can transmit the RFID signal emitted by the RFID reader to the coil 121 fixed on the consumable carrier 11 on the side of the consumable tag 13 away from the consumable roll 23. This allows the coil 121 to form a magnetic field corresponding to the RFID signal, which can be radiated to the consumable tag 13 on the consumable roll 23 in a timely manner, thereby more accurately reading the consumable information contained in the consumable tag 13. In addition, the connecting cable 122 can be connected to the RFID reader installed on the main control board 24, and the RFID reader can also transmit the consumable information to the main control chip 25 in a timely manner, improving signal transmission efficiency and thus improving the response speed of the label printer.

[0053] Continue reading Figure 2 and Figure 3 In one embodiment, the shape of coil 121 is the same as the shape of consumable tag 13.

[0054] Understandably, the shape of the RFID antenna coil 121 is the same as the shape of the consumable tag 13, and the size of the coil 121 is also the same as the size of the consumable tag 13. This facilitates quick alignment of the coil 121 and the consumable tag 13 during the installation of the consumable roll 23, improving information acquisition efficiency. Furthermore, when the coil 121 and the consumable tag 13 are the same size, the magnetic field energy generated by the coil 121 can evenly cover the consumable tag 13, reducing energy leakage.

[0055] It should be noted that this embodiment is only one example among all situations. The size and shape of the coil 121 and the consumable label 13 may also be different. For example, the size of the coil 121 may be slightly larger than that of the consumable label 13 to leave room for error and to avoid failure to read the information of the consumable label 13 when the consumable roll 23 is slightly misaligned.

[0056] In one embodiment, a label printer is provided, which includes the consumable loading structure for the label printer described in any of the above embodiments.

[0057] It should be noted that this label printer includes a main control board, which houses a main control chip, which can be an MCU (Microcontroller Unit). This main control chip connects to the information parsing module of the label printer's consumable loading structure. When the label printer is powered on, the information parsing module automatically activates under the control of the main control chip. When the consumable roll is placed into the consumable receiving cavity of the label printer, the main control chip sends a control signal to the information parsing module. The information parsing module then sends an RFID signal via a communication component to read the consumable information contained in the consumable tag attached to the consumable roll. The information parsing module sends the read consumable information to the main control chip. The main control chip determines whether the currently installed consumable roll matches the label printer based on the consumable information. If the consumable roll matches the label printer, the main control chip initiates the entire label printer's printing process. If the main control chip does not obtain consumable information that matches the label printer, the label printer will not enter normal operating mode. Furthermore, after the main control chip initiates the entire label printer's printing process, it can also obtain the remaining number of labels on the consumable roll in real time through the information parsing module.

[0058] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0059] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are relatively specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this patent application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A consumable loading structure for a label printer, characterized in that, This includes consumable carriers, communication components, consumable tags, and information parsing modules; The consumable carrier includes a consumable receiving cavity, which is used to hold consumable rolls of paper; The consumable label is fixed to the side surface of the consumable roll in the direction of the roll extension. The communication component is matched with the consumable label and is fixed on the consumable carrier on the side of the consumable label away from the consumable roll. The information parsing module is communicatively connected to the communication component and is used to identify the consumable information included in the consumable tag through the communication component.

2. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The consumable carrier includes two side baffles and a sliding assembly; The two side baffles are arranged opposite each other and are respectively fixed at both ends of the sliding assembly; the two side baffles and the sliding assembly surround to form the consumable receiving cavity; The communication component is fixed to one side of the side baffle near the consumable receiving cavity.

3. The consumable loading structure for the label printer according to claim 2, characterized in that, The sliding assembly includes two sliding rods and a gear; One of the sliding rods is fixedly connected to one of the side baffles, and the other sliding rod is fixedly connected to the other side baffle. The gear is disposed between the two sliding rods and connected to the two sliding rod gears. The gear is used to drive the two sliding rods to move the corresponding side baffles toward each other or away from each other.

4. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 3, characterized in that, The sliding rod includes a serrated sliding rod and an auxiliary sliding rod; The serrated slide bar and the auxiliary slide bar are fixedly connected on the side near the side baffle, and the gear is connected between the two serrated slide bars; In a direction perpendicular to the plane of the sliding rod, the consumable paper roll, the auxiliary sliding rod of one of the sliding rods, and the serrated sliding rod of the other sliding rod are stacked in sequence.

5. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The information analysis module is an RFID reader.

6. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 5, characterized in that, The communication component is an RFID antenna.

7. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 6, characterized in that, The RFID antenna includes a coil and a connecting wire; The coil is fixed to the consumable carrier on the side of the consumable tag away from the consumable roll paper. One end of the connecting line is connected to the coil, and the other end is connected to the RFID reader.

8. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 7, characterized in that, The shape of the coil is the same as the shape of the consumable label.

9. The consumable loading structure for a label printer according to claim 1, characterized in that, The consumable label is an RFID label; the consumable information of the RFID label includes the specifications and dimensions of the consumable roll, the label template, and the number of labels.

10. A label printer, characterized in that, The label printer includes the consumable loading structure of the label printer according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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