Sheet inspection device and sheet inspection method

Abstract

To provide a sheet inspection device which delivers a sheet from a discharge port to a suction part in a more stable manner when causing the suction part to suction the sheet to move the sheet concurrently with inspecting an identification code printed on the sheet discharged from the discharge port after printing.SOLUTION: An aspect of the invention is a sheet inspection device including: a transport part which transports a sheet toward a discharge port; a printing part which prints information including an identification code in at least a portion at an upstream side in a transport direction of a printing surface of the sheet moving toward the discharge port; a suction part which suctions the sheet in a state that the portion at the upstream side in the transport direction of the printing surface of the discharged sheet is exposed; an inspection part which is disposed at a position facing the printing surface of the sheet discharged from the discharge port and inspects the identification code printed at the portion at the upstream side in the transport direction of the suctioned sheet; and a moving device which moves the suction part in a direction toward the discharge port when the printed sheet is discharged from the discharge port and moves the suction port in a direction away from the discharge port after the discharged and printed sheet is suctioned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper inspection device and a paper inspection method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a paper inspection device that issues a label on which a barcode is printed by a thermal head and has a function of checking whether or not the barcode on the issued label is normal. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a label printing and pasting device that uses a thermal head to print a barcode on label paper that can be peeled off from a backing paper, peels the label paper from the backing paper with a dispenser, and adsorbs the label paper to an adsorption surface of an application unit adjacent to the dispenser, and then affixes the label paper to a product. In this label printing and pasting device, a laser scanner is provided above the thermal head to check whether the barcode printed on the label paper is normal. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-262541 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the label printing and pasting device described in Patent Document 1, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of Patent Document 1, a barcode is printed on the downstream side in the transport direction, and this downstream side in the transport direction is peeled off by a dispenser. The peeled off label is adsorbed and held on a label holding surface plate (adsorption plate) of the labeling unit. In this conventional label printing and pasting device, the irradiation position of the laser scanner is located at a predetermined distance between the thermal head and the labeling unit (see L1 in Fig. 4 of Patent Document 1), so the label needs to be delivered to the adsorption plate beyond this distance. However, the provision of this distance may hinder stable delivery of the label, for example, by causing the downstream tip of the label in the transport direction to abut against the adsorption plate, causing the label to jam.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention aims to more stably transfer the paper from the discharge outlet to the suction section when the paper is adsorbed to the suction section for movement while inspecting the identification code printed on the paper discharged from the discharge outlet after printing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printer including: a conveying unit that conveys paper toward an outlet; a printing unit that prints information including an identification code on at least a portion of the print surface of the paper toward the discharge port that is upstream in the conveying direction; a suction section that suctions the paper while a portion of the print surface of the paper discharged from the discharge opening that is on an upstream side in the transport direction is exposed; an inspection unit that is disposed at a position facing a printed surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port and inspects an identification code printed on an upstream portion of the paper that is adsorbed by the adsorption unit in the conveying direction; a moving device that moves the suction unit in a direction approaching the discharge outlet when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge outlet, and moves the suction unit in a direction away from the discharge outlet after the suction unit has adsorbed the discharged printed paper; The paper inspection device is provided with: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to one aspect of the present invention, when inspecting the identification code printed on paper discharged from the discharge port after printing while the paper is adsorbed to the suction section for movement, the transfer from the discharge port to the suction section can be performed more stably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a system configuration of a paper inspection device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of a printer of the paper inspection device according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sheet of paper to be inspected by a sheet inspection device according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the paper inspection device of the embodiment over time. [Diagram 5] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating the operation of the paper inspection device of the embodiment over time. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating each part constituting the paper inspection device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a paper inspection device including a paper support plate. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a paper inspection device and a paper inspection method according to the present invention will be described. Note that the embodiment described below is not limited to the drawings described in the brief description of the drawings. A first aspect of the present invention is a paper inspection device having the following configuration. -Transport section that transports paper toward the ejection port A printing unit that prints information including an identification code on at least a portion of the print surface of the paper toward the discharge port on the upstream side in the conveying direction. a suction section that sucks the paper while a portion of the print surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port that is upstream in the transport direction is exposed; an inspection unit that is disposed at a position facing the printed surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port and inspects the identification code printed on the upstream side of the paper adsorbed to the adsorption unit in the transport direction; a moving device that moves the suction unit in a direction approaching the discharge port when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge port, and moves the suction unit in a direction away from the discharge port after the suction unit has adsorbed the discharged printed paper.

[0010] According to a first aspect of one aspect of the present invention, when inspecting an identification code printed on paper discharged from the discharge outlet after printing while the paper is adsorbed to the suction section for movement, the transfer from the discharge outlet to the suction section can be performed more stably.

[0011] A second aspect of the present invention is a printer described in the first aspect, wherein the inspection unit has an optical sensor that reads the identification code, and the optical sensor reads the identification code printed on the printed paper that is adsorbed to the suction unit while the moving device moves the suction unit in a direction away from the discharge outlet. According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the optical sensor reads the identification code, a wide range of scanning angles can be ensured as seen from the optical sensor, enabling stable reading.

[0012] A third aspect of the present invention is a printer according to the first or second aspect, further comprising a control unit that controls the distance from the discharge outlet to the front end of the printed paper when the paper is discharged from the discharge outlet, thereby controlling the length in the transport direction of the printed surface of the paper that is exposed from the suction portion. According to a third aspect of a certain embodiment of the present invention, the length of the printed surface of the paper in the transport direction can be appropriately adjusted so that the identification code on the adsorbed paper is exposed, depending on identification codes of various sizes or the printing position of the identification code on the paper.

[0013] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a printer according to any of the first to third aspects, further comprising a control unit that stops at least one of the conveying unit, the printing unit, and the moving device if an inspection result of the identification code by the inspection unit is an error. According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, if the inspection result indicates an error, subsequent transport, printing, or movement of the paper is stopped, thereby preventing the paper for which the inspection result indicates an error from being sent to a subsequent process.

[0014] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a paper inspection method including the following arrangement. A step of conveying the paper toward a discharge port and printing information including an identification code on at least a portion of the print surface of the paper toward the discharge port on the upstream side in the conveying direction. A step of adsorbing the paper by a suction unit while a portion of the print surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port on the upstream side in the transport direction is exposed. A step of inspecting an identification code printed on a portion of the paper adsorbed by the adsorption unit on the upstream side in the conveying direction at a position facing a printed surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port. a step of moving the suction portion in a direction approaching the discharge port when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge port; a step of moving the suction unit in a direction away from the discharge port after the suction unit has absorbed the discharged printed paper;

[0015] According to a fifth aspect of one embodiment of the present invention, when inspecting an identification code printed on paper discharged from the discharge outlet after printing while the paper is adsorbed to the suction section for movement, the transfer from the discharge outlet to the suction section can be performed more stably.

[0016] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a paper inspection method according to the fifth aspect, in which, in the inspecting step, an optical sensor is used to read the identification code printed on the printed paper adsorbed to the suction portion while the suction portion is moving in a direction away from the discharge outlet. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the optical sensor reads the identification code, a wide range of scanning angles can be ensured as seen from the optical sensor, enabling stable reading.

[0017] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a paper inspection method described in the fifth or sixth aspect, further including a step of controlling the distance from the discharge outlet to the front end of the printed paper when discharging the printed paper from the discharge outlet, thereby controlling the length in the transport direction of the printed surface of the paper that is exposed from the suction portion. According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the length of the printed surface of the paper in the transport direction can be appropriately adjusted so that the identification code on the adsorbed paper is exposed, depending on identification codes of various sizes or the printing position of the identification code on the paper.

[0018] An eighth aspect of the present invention is a paper inspection method described in any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, further including a step of performing at least one of stopping the transportation of the paper, stopping printing on the paper, and stopping the movement of the suction portion if the inspection result of the identification code in the inspection step is an error. According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, if the inspection result indicates an error, subsequent transport, printing, or movement of the paper is stopped, thereby preventing the paper for which the inspection result indicates an error from being sent to a subsequent process.

[0019] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a printer described in any of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a paper support section that supports the upstream portion of the paper in the transport direction, the portion being adsorbed to the adsorption section, with a surface opposite the printing surface. According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, the upstream portion of the paper in the transport direction can be prevented from sagging while the paper is adsorbed to the suction section, and the identification code can be inspected more accurately.

[0020] A tenth aspect of the present invention is the printer described in the first aspect, wherein the identification code is a two-dimensional code, the inspection unit has an optical sensor that reads the identification code, and the moving device stops the movement of the printed paper after the suction unit adsorbs the ejected printed paper, and the optical sensor reads the identification code printed on the printed paper while the movement of the printed paper adsorbed to the suction unit is stopped. According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, a two-dimensional code printed on a paper sheet can be inspected.

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. First, the configuration of a paper sheet inspection device 1 of an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a system configuration of the paper sheet inspection device 1 of an embodiment. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the inside of a printer 2 included in the paper sheet inspection device 1. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of paper to be inspected by the paper sheet inspection device 1.

[0022] Referring to FIG. 1, a paper inspection device 1 includes a printer 2 and a drive mechanism 3 (an example of a moving device). The paper inspection device 1 is configured to inspect the printed content of printed paper that has been printed and ejected by a printer 2 placed on a support stand 9, and to store the inspected paper in a paper storage section 8 by a drive mechanism 3.

[0023] 2, roll paper R, which is strip-shaped continuous paper CP wound into a roll, is loaded into a housing 21 of the printer 2. By rotating a platen roller 22 of the printer 2, the continuous paper CP is pulled out from the roll paper R, and a thermal head 23 prints on the printing surface of the leading portion (i.e., the upstream portion) of the pulled out continuous paper CP. When printing is performed, the continuous paper CP is clamped with a predetermined pressure between the thermal head 23 and the platen roller 22. The leading portion of the printed continuous paper CP is cut off by a cutter 24, and the paper PL is discharged from the printer 2 through a discharge port 28.

[0024] The example of the paper PL shown in FIG. 3 is a delivery note, and a barcode bc (an example of an identification code) is printed on the upstream side of the paper PL in the transport direction.

[0025] Referring again to FIG. 1, the drive mechanism 3 is disposed near the printer 2 in order to attract the paper PL discharged from the printer 2 and move it to the paper storage unit 8. The driving mechanism 3 includes an adsorption plate 31, an air hose 34, a main body 35, and an air cylinder 4. The main body 35 is a structure for supporting the air hose 34 and the air cylinder 4. The air cylinder 4 includes a cylinder tube 41 and a rod 42, and an adsorption plate 31 is attached to the tip of the rod 42. A plurality of holes for adsorption are provided at the bottom of the adsorption plate 31, and these holes adsorb the paper PL discharged from the printer 2. One end of an air hose 34 is connected to the adsorption plate 31, and the other end of the air hose 34 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown). The paper PL is adsorbed (sucked) via the plurality of holes in the air hose 34 and the adsorption plate 31 by operating the vacuum pump.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows the positional relationship between the paper PL and the suction surface 31P of the suction plate 31 when the suction plate 31 suctions the paper PL discharged from the printer 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the suction plate 31 suctions the paper PL with the upstream portion of the printed surface of the paper PL discharged from the discharge port 28 exposed in the transport direction. As shown in Fig. 3, a barcode bc is printed on the exposed portion of the printed surface of the printed paper PL, so that the barcode bc can be read with the printed paper PL being suctioned by the suction plate 31. In the printer 2, the transport amount after printing is set according to the position of the cutter 24 so that a predetermined amount of the print surface of the paper PL discharged from the discharge port 28 on the upstream side in the transport direction is exposed.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 2, an optical sensor 5 is attached to the housing 21 of the printer 2 via a sensor attachment portion 51. The optical sensor 5 is disposed at a position facing the printed surface of the paper sheet PL discharged from the discharge port 28, and is provided to read the barcode bc printed on the upstream side in the transport direction of the printed surface of the paper sheet PL adsorbed to the adsorption plate 31. As shown in Fig. 3, the barcode bc is exposed so as to be readable even when the paper sheet PL is adsorbed to the adsorption surface 31P. The optical sensor 5 is not limited to being attached to the housing 21, but may be attached to a mounting member standing on the support base 9 so that the optical sensor 5 is disposed in the same position as in FIG.

[0028] In one embodiment, the optical sensor 5 is a reflective sensor, and is disposed so as to emit light toward the printing surface of the paper PL discharged from the discharge outlet 28 of the printer 2 and receive light reflected from the printing surface. In one embodiment, the optical sensor 5 emits light in a direction perpendicular to the printing surface of the discharged paper PL, or in a direction inclined slightly forward (the transport direction in FIG. 2) from the direction perpendicular to the printing surface so as not to receive unnecessary reflected light from the housing 21.

[0029] In the drive mechanism 3 shown in Fig. 1, the rod 42 of the air cylinder 4 can be raised and lowered along the direction D1 or D2, whereby the suction plate 31 attached to the tip of the rod 42 can be raised and lowered along the direction D1 or D2. In the example shown in Fig. 1, the direction D1 is vertically downward and the direction D2 is vertically upward, but this is not limited thereto.

[0030] The main body 35 houses the air hose 34 and the cylinder tube 41 of the air cylinder 4, and also houses devices (e.g., a vacuum pump, a fluid controller, and an air compressor) for performing the suction operation by the suction plate 31 and for operating the air cylinder 4. The drive mechanism 3 can also be moved in a direction D3 or D4 by a motor (not shown). The direction D3 is a direction that moves the suction plate 31 closer to the discharge port 28. The direction D4 is a direction that moves the suction plate 31 away from the discharge port 28. When the drive mechanism 3 moves along the direction D3 or D4, the air cylinder 4 housed in the main body 35 and the suction plate 31 attached to the tip of the rod 42 move together along the direction D3 or D4.

[0031] In one embodiment, a display 17 is provided to indicate the operating state of the paper inspection device 1. The display 17 includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and changes its lighting state and light color according to the operating state of the paper inspection device 1. For example, the lighting state and light color of the display 17 are changed depending on whether the paper inspection device 1 is operating normally or an abnormality has occurred in the paper inspection device 1. In another example, the lighting state and light color of the display 17 may be changed depending on whether the inspection result by the optical sensor 5 is OK or NG.

[0032] Next, the operation of the sheet inspection device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams each showing the operation of the paper inspection device 1 over time. The operating state of the paper inspection device 1 repeats states ST1 to ST6 shown in Figs. 4 and 5 in order over time.

[0033] In state ST1, the suction plate 31 of the paper inspection device 1 is in the reference position. Note that, although the paper storage unit 8 is not shown in FIG. In state ST1, the printer 2 prints on the leading portion of the continuous paper (i.e., the upstream portion) as illustrated in Fig. 3, and discharges the printed paper PL from the discharge outlet 28. At the timing when the paper PL is discharged, the paper inspection device 1 moves the drive mechanism 3 a distance d in direction D3, as shown in state ST2, thereby moving the suction plate 31 in a direction approaching the discharge outlet 28 of the printer 2. The paper PL discharged from the discharge outlet 28 is adsorbed to the suction plate 31 so that a predetermined amount of the printed surface upstream in the transport direction is exposed. A barcode bc (see Fig. 3) is printed on the exposed portion of the printed surface of the paper PL while it is adsorbed to the suction plate 31. When adsorbing the discharged paper PL, the adsorption plate 31 moves in a direction approaching the discharge outlet 28, so that the end of the adsorption plate 31 on the discharge outlet 28 side is positioned extremely close to the discharge outlet 28, thereby enabling stable transfer from the discharge outlet 28 to the adsorption plate 31.

[0034] Next, the paper inspection device 1 moves the drive mechanism 3, with the paper PL adsorbed, a distance d in a direction D4 away from the discharge opening 28. While the adsorption plate 31 moves from state ST2 to state ST3, that is, while the drive mechanism 3 moves the adsorption plate 31 in a direction away from the discharge opening 28, the optical sensor 5 reads the barcode bc printed on the printed paper PL adsorbed to the adsorption plate 31. When the optical sensor 5 reads the barcode bc, a wide range of scanning angles can be secured as seen from the optical sensor 5, enabling stable reading.

[0035] Next, as shown in state ST4 of FIG. 5, while the suction plate 31 is suctioning the sheet PL, the sheet inspection device 1 lowers the rod 42 of the air cylinder 4 along the direction D1 until the suctioned sheet PL reaches a position directly above the sheet storage section 8. In state ST5, the sheet inspection device 1 stops the operation of the vacuum pump to release the suction of the sheet PL by the suction plate 31, so that the sheet PL released from the suction plate 31 falls freely and is stored in the sheet storage section 8. Thereafter, the sheet inspection device 1 raises the rod 42 of the air cylinder 4 along the direction D2, and the suction plate 31 returns to the reference position (state ST6). Note that the position of the suction plate 31 shown in state ST6 of FIG. 5 is the same as the position of the suction plate 31 shown in state ST1 of FIG. 4. By repeating states ST1 to ST6, the paper PL printed and discharged by the printer 2 is inspected one by one in order and stored in the paper storage unit 8.

[0036] Next, a configuration for operating the sheet inspection device 1 will be described with reference to the block diagram of FIG. The control unit 11 includes a CPU 111, a ROM 112, a RAM 113, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 114, and controls the entire paper inspection device 1. For example, the CPU 111 loads and executes firmware recorded in the ROM 112 to realize various functions. The ROM 112 is a non-volatile memory, and is, for example, a solid state drive (SSD) such as a flash memory. For example, print data that is the basis for printing on paper PL is stored in the ROM 112. The RAM 113 functions as a main memory for the CPU 111 to perform various processes. The communication interface 114 includes a communication circuit for communicating with a host computer (not shown) using a predetermined protocol, and receives print data from the host computer, for example.

[0037] In order to operate the drive mechanism 3, the paper inspection device 1 includes a fluid controller 12, a vacuum pump 13, a motor drive circuit 14, an LED drive circuit 15, and a motor 16. The fluid controller 12 is a device for operating the air cylinder 4 with compressed air supplied from an air compressor (not shown), and includes an air circuit and a solenoid valve. The fluid controller 12 controls the solenoid valve based on a command from firmware to move the rod 42 of the air cylinder 4 along the direction D1 or D2 (see FIG. 1). The vacuum pump 13 is connected to the suction plate 31 via an air hose 34. The operation of the vacuum pump 13 starts or stops based on a command from the firmware. While the vacuum pump 13 is operating, suction is performed through a number of holes provided on the bottom surface of the suction plate 31, and suction is released when the operation of the vacuum pump 13 stops. The motor driving circuit 14 is a circuit that drives the motor 16 based on a command from firmware. The motor 16 is an actuator for moving the driving mechanism 3 in the direction D3 or D4 (see FIG. 1), and is, for example, a servo motor. By the operation of the motor 16, the driving mechanism 3 moves toward a predetermined position in the direction D3 or D4 and stops. The motor driving circuit 14 and the motor 16 are an example of a moving device. The LED drive circuit 15 is a drive circuit for turning on or off the LEDs included in the display 17 based on commands from the firmware.

[0038] To operate the printer 2, the paper inspection device 1 has a cutter drive circuit 25, a motor drive circuit 26, a head drive circuit 27, and a stepping motor M2. The cutter drive circuit 25 operates the blade of the cutter 24 based on instructions from the firmware, and cuts the printed paper PL from the continuous paper so that it can be discharged from the discharge port 28. The motor drive circuit 26 rotates the stepping motor M2 forward or reverse by the number of steps included in the command of the firmware, thereby transporting the continuous paper CP. The stepping motor M2 is connected to the platen roller 22. The motor drive circuit 26, the stepping motor M2, and the platen roller 22 are an example of a transport unit. The head drive circuit 27, under the command of the firmware, performs printing by selectively passing current through the multiple heating elements of the thermal head 23 based on line data sequentially sent by the control unit 11. The head drive circuit 27 and the thermal head 23 are an example of a printing unit.

[0039] In one embodiment, the firmware controls the distance from the discharge opening 28 to the front end of the paper PL when the printed paper PL is discharged from the discharge opening 28, thereby controlling the length in the transport direction of the printed surface of the paper PL that is exposed from the suction plate 31. This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the length in the transport direction of the printed surface of the paper PL so that the barcode bc on the adsorbed paper PL is exposed according to barcodes bc of various sizes or the printing positions of the barcode bc on the paper PL.

[0040] The firmware operates the optical sensor 5 in synchronization with the timing of movement of the main body 35 in the direction D4, controls it to read the barcode bc printed on the printed paper adsorbed to the adsorption plate 31, and checks whether the barcode bc is normal or not based on the reading result of the optical sensor 5. The inspection contents are not limited, but may be, for example, whether the barcode bc complies with a standard, whether the information indicated by the barcode bc is appropriate, etc. The control unit 11 and the optical sensor 5 are an example of an inspection unit. In one embodiment, a barcode indicating information about the paper to be stored in the paper storage unit 8 is displayed on the paper storage unit 8 in which the paper PL is stored, and a barcode reader for reading this barcode is provided. Then, the information indicated by the barcode bc read by the optical sensor 5 may be compared with the information indicated by the barcode on the paper storage unit 8 to check whether they match. In this case, it can be determined whether the paper that should have been stored in the paper storage unit 8 has been stored.

[0041] In one embodiment, if the inspection result of the barcode bc is an error, the firmware controls the motor drive circuit 26, the head drive circuit 27, or the motor drive circuit 14 so as to stop at least one of the platen roller 22, the heat generation by the thermal head 23, and the motor 16. In this case, if the inspection result is an error, subsequent paper conveyance, printing, or movement is stopped, so that the paper PL with an error is prevented from being stored in the paper storage unit 8. In other words, the paper PL with an error inspection result is prevented from being sent to a subsequent process.

[0042] As described above, according to the paper inspection device 1 of this embodiment, when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge outlet 28, the suction plate 31 is moved in a direction approaching the discharge outlet 28 to adsorb the discharged printed paper. Therefore, the delivery from the discharge outlet 28 to the suction plate 31 can be stably performed. The suction plate 31 is attached to the printed surface of the discharged paper in a state where the upstream side in the transport direction of the paper is exposed. The paper inspection device 1 moves the suction plate 31 in a state where the printed paper is attached in a direction away from the discharge port 28, and reads and inspects the identification code, such as the barcode bc, printed on the exposed part of the printed paper. Therefore, according to the paper inspection device 1, it is possible to more stably transfer the paper PL from the discharge outlet 28 to the suction plate 31, while inspecting identification codes such as the barcode bc printed on the paper PL discharged from the discharge outlet 28 after printing.

[0043] In one embodiment, the paper inspection device 1 is equipped with a paper support plate 29 (an example of a paper support section) that supports the upstream portion of the paper PL adsorbed to the adsorption plate 31 in the transport direction on the surface opposite the printing surface (rear surface). 7 shows an example of the setting of the paper support plate 29. In this example, the paper support plate 29 is provided so as to extend from the housing 21 of the printer 2 in the transport direction directly below the discharge port 28. When the printed paper PL is discharged from the discharge port 28, the paper PL is adsorbed to the adsorption plate 31, and at this time, since the upstream side of the paper PL in the transport direction is supported by the paper support plate 29, the exposed portion of the adsorbed paper PL is prevented from sagging down even if it is long in the transport direction. Therefore, the optical sensor 5 can inspect the identification code printed on the paper PL with higher accuracy than when there is no paper support plate 29. The upper surface of paper support plate 29 may be subjected to a release treatment to form a surface treatment such as forming fine irregularities, or a release material may be applied to it. This makes it possible to prevent paper PL from sticking to paper support plate 29 when the upper surface of paper support plate 29 supports the back surface of paper PL, even if an adhesive layer (glue) is formed on the back surface of paper PL.

[0044] In one embodiment, the identification code printed on the printer 2 is a two-dimensional code. In this case, the paper inspection device 1 stops the movement of the printed paper after the suction plate 31 has adsorbed the discharged printed paper. The optical sensor 5 reads the two-dimensional code printed on the printed paper while the movement of the printed paper adsorbed to the suction plate 31 is stopped. In this way, the two-dimensional code can be inspected by temporarily stopping the suction plate 31 while the printed paper is adsorbed. In the configuration of the present application, even if the suction plate 31 is temporarily stopped, a wide range of scanning angles can be secured as seen from the optical sensor 5, and the inspection of the two-dimensional code can be stably performed.

[0045] A paper inspection method according to one embodiment includes the following steps. A step of conveying the paper PL toward the discharge outlet and printing information including the barcode bc on at least a portion of the print surface of the paper PL toward the discharge outlet 28 on the upstream side in the conveying direction. a step of adsorbing the sheet PL discharged from the discharge port 28 by the adsorption plate 31 while exposing a portion of the print surface of the sheet PL on the upstream side in the conveying direction; A step of inspecting the barcode bc printed on the upstream side of the paper PL adsorbed to the adsorption plate 31 in the conveying direction at a position facing the printed surface of the paper PL discharged from the discharge port 28. A step of moving the suction plate 31 in a direction approaching the discharge port 28 when the printed paper PL is discharged from the discharge port 28. A step of moving the suction plate 31 in a direction away from the discharge port 28 after the suction plate 31 has adsorbed the discharged printed paper PL.

[0046] Although an embodiment of the paper inspection device and paper inspection method of the present invention has been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In addition, the above embodiment can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0047] For example, in the paper inspection device 1, an air cylinder 4 is used to raise and lower the suction plate 31, but this is not limited thereto, and an electric cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder may be used as long as it can raise and lower the suction plate 31. In the paper inspection device 1, an optical sensor is used to read the identification code printed on the printed paper, but this is not limiting, and other types of sensors such as a laser sensor may also be used.

[0048] The paper used in the paper inspection device may be one with an adhesive layer (glue) formed on the back side, such as the delivery note exemplified in Fig. 3, or one with no adhesive layer formed on the back side. When paper with an adhesive layer formed on the back side (glued paper) is used, the adhesive paper adsorbed to the adsorption plate may be configured to be affixed to an item, rather than being stored in the paper storage section. The paper used in the paper inspection device may be a label with a liner, which is a strip of paper with multiple labels temporarily attached to it. In this case, the identification code printed on the label is the object of inspection. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...Paper inspection device 11...Control section 111...CPU 112...ROM 113...RAM 114...Communication interface 12...Fluid controller 13…Vacuum pump 14, 26...Motor drive circuit 15...LED drive circuit 16…Motor 17...Indicator 2. Printer 21…Case 22...Platen roller 23…Thermal head 24…Cutter 25…Cutter drive circuit 27...Head drive circuit 28…Discharge port 29…Paper support plate M2: Stepping motor 3. Driving mechanism 31...Adsorption plate 34…Air hose 35…Main body 4...Air cylinder 41...Cylinder tube 42…Rod 5. Optical sensor 51...Sensor mounting part 8...Paper storage section 9…Support stand CP: Continuous paper PL…Paper R…Roll paper

Claims

1. a conveying section that conveys the paper toward an outlet; a printing unit that prints information including an identification code on at least a portion of the print surface of the paper heading toward the discharge outlet that is upstream in the conveying direction; a suction unit that sucks the paper while a portion of the print surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port that is on the upstream side in the transport direction is exposed; an inspection unit that is disposed at a position facing the printed surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port and inspects the identification code printed on the upstream side of the paper that has been adsorbed by the adsorption unit in the conveying direction; a moving device that moves the suction unit in a direction approaching the discharge outlet when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge outlet, and moves the suction unit in a direction away from the discharge outlet after the suction unit has absorbed the discharged printed paper; A paper inspection device comprising:

2. the inspection unit has an optical sensor that reads the identification code, the optical sensor reads the identification code printed on the printed paper that is adsorbed to the adsorption unit while the moving device is moving the adsorption unit in a direction away from the discharge port; 2. The sheet inspection device according to claim 1.

3. a control unit that controls the distance from the discharge outlet to the front end of the paper when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge outlet, thereby controlling the length of the printed surface of the paper in the transport direction that is exposed from the suction unit; 2. The sheet inspection device according to claim 1.

4. a control unit that stops at least one of the transport unit, the printing unit, and the moving device when an error is detected in the inspection result of the identification code by the inspection unit; The sheet inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. conveying the paper toward a discharge outlet and printing information including an identification code on at least a portion of the print surface of the paper toward the discharge outlet on an upstream side in the conveying direction; a step of adsorbing the paper by a suction unit while exposing a portion of the print surface of the paper discharged from the discharge port on the upstream side in the transport direction; inspecting an identification code printed on an upstream side of the paper sheet adsorbed to the adsorption unit in the conveying direction at a position facing the printed surface of the paper sheet discharged from the discharge port; a step of moving the suction unit in a direction approaching the discharge outlet when the printed paper is discharged from the discharge outlet; a step of moving the suction unit in a direction away from the discharge port after the suction unit has absorbed the discharged printed paper; A paper inspection method including:

6. In the inspecting step, an optical sensor is used to read the identification code printed on the printed paper sheet adsorbed to the adsorbing unit while the adsorbing unit is moving in a direction away from the discharge port.

6. The paper inspection method according to claim 5.

7. a step of controlling the distance from the discharge port to the leading edge of the paper when discharging the printed paper from the discharge port, thereby controlling the length of the printed surface of the paper in the transport direction that is exposed from the suction unit; 6. The paper inspection method according to claim 5.

8. The method further includes a step of executing at least one of stopping the transport of the paper, stopping printing on the paper, and stopping the movement of the suction unit when an error is found in the inspection result of the identification code in the inspection step. The paper inspection method according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

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