Printer and method for operating printer

Abstract

To enable a printer to appropriately perform half-cut over a long period of time.SOLUTION: A printer comprises: a half cutter 30 that performs half-cut on a printing object medium; a motor 60 that drives the half cutter 30; a counting unit (control circuit 80) that counts a cumulative number of half-cuts performed by the half cutter 30; a setting unit (control circuit 80) that sets information relating to energy applied to the motor 60 on the basis of the cumulative number counted by the counting unit; and a drive control unit (drive circuit 70, control circuit 80) that drives the motor 60 according to the information relating to energy set by the setting unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a printing apparatus and a method of operating the printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Among printing apparatuses that perform printing on a tape including a tape body and a separator, some have a half cutter that cuts only the tape body in addition to a full cutter that cuts the entire tape. A label printer equipped with a half cutter is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

[0003] For the full cutter, a scissors structure in which a pair of opposing blade portions cross each other to cut the tape is frequently used. On the other hand, for the half cutter, a pushing structure is frequently used in which a blade portion with a stopper is pressed against a blade receiving member, and the tape body is cut while ensuring a predetermined interval between the blade receiving member and the blade portion by the stopper.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] When the blade of the cutter is used for a long period of time, its sharpness deteriorates due to wear. In the case of a full cutter, it may be configured such that a certain amount of force is applied from the full cutter to the tape in advance in anticipation of the deterioration of the sharpness.

[0006] However, in the case of a half cutter, if a force larger than necessary is applied to the tape, there is a risk of cutting the separator that should not be cut.

[0007] Based on the above circumstances, an object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for appropriately performing a half cut over a long period of time in a printing apparatus.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a cutter that performs a half cut on a printing medium, a motor that drives the cutter, a counting unit that counts the cumulative number of times of the half cut by the cutter, a setting unit that sets information regarding energy applied to the motor based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit, and a drive control unit that drives the motor according to the information regarding energy set in the setting unit.

[0009] An operation method of a printing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes counting the cumulative number of times of the half cut by a cutter that performs a half cut on a printing medium, setting information regarding energy applied to a motor that drives the cutter based on the counted cumulative number of times, and driving the motor according to the set information regarding energy.

Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the above aspect, it is possible to appropriately perform a half cut over a long period of time in a printing apparatus.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] The printing apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that prints a label image composed of characters, images, etc. on a tape Tp pulled out from a tape roll R, cuts the printed tape Tp (label), and discharges it to the outside of the apparatus. A label is what is obtained by using the tape Tp as a printing medium and printing some information (label image) on the tape Tp.

[0013] Hereinafter, a case where the printing apparatus 1 is a thermal printer that performs printing by a thermal method will be described as an example, but the printing apparatus 1 may be a thermal transfer type thermal printer. Further, the printing apparatus 1 is not limited to a thermal printer, and may be an inkjet printer, a laser printer, or the like.

[0014] In this specification, the tape Tp is an elongated and thin strip-shaped printing medium having a predetermined width (for example, 9 mm, etc.) made of plastic, paper, or any other material. The tape Tp is, for example, as shown in FIG. 2, a separator L1 is detachably adhered to a tape body L3 having a printing surface, and an adhesive layer L2 is provided between the separator L1 and the tape body L3. That is, the tape Tp has a multilayer structure including a tape body L3 having a printing surface, an adhesive layer L2, and a separator L1, and the separator L1 is detachably adhered to the tape body L3 by the adhesive layer L2. In this example, the tape Tp is a thermal tape that develops color by applying heat, and the tape body L3 includes a thermal layer.

[0015] The tape roll R is formed by winding the tape Tp in a roll shape. The tape Tp is not limited to a width of 9 mm, and the printing device 1 can use tapes Tp of various widths such as 3.5 mm, 6 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm, etc. by replacing the tape roll R. The tape roll R is disposed in the printing device 1 in a state of being accommodated in a tape adapter (not shown), for example.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 includes, in the conveyance path of the tape Tp from the tape roll R accommodated in the housing 2 to the discharge port 3, in order from the upstream side, a printing unit 10 that performs printing on the tape Tp, a full cutter 20 that performs a full cut on the tape Tp to cut the entire tape Tp to create a tape piece, a half cutter 30 that performs a half cut on the tape Tp to cut a part of the tape Tp to make a cut in the tape Tp, and a discharge roller pair 40 that discharges the tape Tp outside the printing device 1.

[0017] The printing unit 10 includes a platen roller 11 and a thermal head 12 that are disposed opposite to each other with the conveyance path of the tape Tp therebetween. The platen roller 11 is a rotating body that feeds the tape Tp toward the discharge port 3 by the power of a motor (not shown). The platen roller 11 is movable to a position separated from the thermal head 12 and a position in contact with the thermal head 12, and is positioned at the position in contact with the thermal head 12 when the printing device 1 performs a printing operation. The thermal head 12 is a device that applies heat to the conveyed tape Tp, and includes a plurality of heating elements aligned in the width direction of the tape Tp.

[0018] The full cutter 20 includes a fixed blade 21 and a movable blade 22 that are disposed opposite to each other with the conveyance path of the tape Tp therebetween. The fixed blade 21 is fixed within the housing 2. The movable blade 22 moves across the conveyance path along the side surface of the fixed blade 21. In the full cutter 20, the movable blade 22 moves as described above, so that the fixed blade 21 and the movable blade 22 sandwich the tape Tp supported by the fixed blade 21, and further, the tape Tp is cut entirely by their intersection to create a tape piece.

[0019] The half cutter 30 includes a blade receiving member 31 and a cutting blade 32 which are arranged to face each other with the conveyance path of the tape Tp therebetween. The half cutter 30 cuts the tape body L3 of the tape Tp sandwiched between the blade receiving member 31 and the cutting blade 32 by pressing the cutting blade 32 against the blade receiving member 31. Note that FIG. 2(a) shows the state of the half cutter 30 before the cutting blade 32 is pressed against the blade receiving member 31, and FIG. 2(b) shows the state of the half cutter 30 after the cutting blade 32 is pressed against the blade receiving member 31.

[0020] The blade receiving member 31 is, for example, a plate-like member having a plane approximately parallel to the conveyance path for receiving the cutting blade 32. The blade receiving member 31 is fixed within the housing 2 in the same manner as the fixed blade 21. The blade receiving member 31 may be fixed to the fixed blade 21 by any method such as screwing, adhesion, welding, or the like. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the blade receiving member 31 is configured to support the separator L1 side of the tape Tp with its plane when a half cut is performed on the tape Tp.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the cutting blade 32 has a cutting blade body 33 having a blade surface 33a and a protruding portion 34. The cutting blade 32 moves in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance path toward the blade receiving member 31. The protruding portion 34 has a structure that protrudes toward the conveyance path side more than the blade surface 33a of the cutting blade body 33, and is formed at both ends in the width direction of the tape Tp of the cutting blade body 33. That is, as shown in FIG. 2(b), when a half cut is performed on the tape Tp, the cutting blade 32 is configured such that the protruding portion 34 hits the blade receiving member 31 so that the blade surface 33a does not reach the blade receiving member 31. Further, the protruding amount D2 of the protruding portion 34 with respect to the blade surface 33a is designed to be smaller than the thickness D1 of the separator L1. That is, as shown in FIG. 2(b), when a half cut is performed on the tape Tp, the cutting blade 32 is configured to cross the tape body L3 of the tape Tp supported by the blade receiving member 31 and reach halfway through the separator L1 and stop.

[0022] The discharge roller pair 40 is a pair of rollers arranged to face each other with the conveyance path of the tape Tp therebetween. The discharge roller pair 40 conveys the tape Tp or the tape pieces cut by the full cutter 20 outside the printing apparatus 1.

[0023] In addition to the above-described configuration, as shown in FIG. 3, the printing apparatus 1 includes a power transmission mechanism 50, a motor 60, a drive circuit 70, and a control circuit 80 as configurations related to the operation of the half cutter 30.

[0024] The power transmission mechanism 50 includes a gear train and cams provided between the half cutter 30 and the motor 60. The driving force generated by the motor 60 is transmitted to the half cutter 30 by the power transmission mechanism 50. The motor 60 is, for example, a brushed DC motor, and drives the half cutter 30 with the generated driving force. The operation of this motor 60 is controlled by the drive circuit 70 and the control circuit 80. Note that the motor 60 is not limited to a brushed DC motor as long as it can control torque and driving time as will be described later.

[0025] The drive circuit 70 is a circuit that applies electrical energy to the motor 60. A power source (not shown) such as a battery or an AC power source is connected to the drive circuit 70. The control circuit 80 is a circuit that controls the drive circuit 70.

[0026] The control circuit 80 is set with parameter information regarding the energy applied to the motor 60 during half-cutting (hereinafter referred to as energy setting information). The energy setting information includes, for example, information regarding the driving time of the motor and information regarding the torque of the motor. The information regarding the driving time of the motor is, for example, information indicating time, number of pulses, etc. The information regarding the torque of the motor is, for example, information indicating current value, voltage value, etc. The control circuit 80 counts the cumulative number of half-cuts by the half-cutter 30 and sets the energy setting information based on the counted cumulative number. That is, the control circuit 80 is an example of a counting unit that counts the cumulative number of half-cuts by the half-cutter 30, and is also an example of a setting unit that sets the energy setting information based on the counted cumulative number.

[0027] The control circuit 80 controls the drive circuit 70 according to the set energy setting information. Thereby, the drive circuit 70 drives the motor 60 with the energy corresponding to the energy setting information. That is, the drive circuit 70 and the control circuit 80 are also an example of a drive control unit that drives the motor 60 according to the set energy setting information.

[0028] As described above, the printing apparatus 1 is configured such that the control circuit 80 controls the drive circuit 70 according to the set energy setting information, and the drive circuit 70 drives the motor 60 with the energy corresponding to the energy setting information. Further, the printing apparatus 1 sets the energy setting information so that the half-cutting is performed by applying an appropriate force to the tape Tp such that the half-cutter 30 does not apply too strong or too weak a force to cut the tape body L3. More specifically, the printing apparatus 1 is configured to count the cumulative number of half-cuts by the half-cutter 30 and set the energy setting information based on the counted cumulative number.

[0029] Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can operate the motor 60 with settings according to the state of the half cutter 30, and can appropriately perform half cutting regardless of the state of the half cutter 30 (for example, a new state with a sharp cutting edge or a state with a dulled cutting edge due to aging deterioration associated with use). Therefore, according to the printing apparatus 1, half cutting can be appropriately performed over a long period of time.

[0030] Hereinafter, specific examples of the processing performed by the printing apparatus 1 during half cutting will be described in the first to third embodiments. <First Embodiment> This embodiment is an example in which the setting unit updates the energy setting information in a direction of increasing the energy applied to the motor 60 based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, the processing according to this embodiment performed by the printing apparatus 1 during half cutting will be described.

[0031] When a half cut is instructed, the printing apparatus 1 first acquires the half cut cumulative number of times N (step S1), and further acquires the currently set energy setting information (step S2). In step S2, the printing apparatus 1 acquires information regarding the drive time (tc) and torque (Tc) of the currently set motor 60 as the energy setting information. The half cut cumulative number of times and the energy setting information are stored, for example, in the storage device of the control circuit 80.

[0032] Thereafter, the printing apparatus 1 determines whether the half cut cumulative number of times N is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (step S3). The predetermined threshold value is, for example, 5000 times. The predetermined threshold value may be any number of half cuts at which the cutting edge of the half cutter 30 deteriorates during normal use in the assumed usage environment, and may be determined by a previously conducted test or the like.

[0033] If the half-cut cumulative count N is less than the threshold value (step S3 NO), the printing apparatus 1 does not update the energy setting information. On the other hand, if the half-cut cumulative count N is equal to or greater than the threshold value (step S3 YES), the printing apparatus 1 resets the half-cut cumulative count stored in the control circuit 80 to 0 (step S4), and then updates the energy setting information in a direction to increase the energy applied to the motor 60 (step S5). In step S5, the printing apparatus 1 updates the information in a direction to extend the driving time Δt (for example, 200 ms) of the motor 60, which is one of the energy setting information. That is, the printing apparatus 1 updates the information regarding energy, specifically, the information regarding the driving time of the motor 60, in a direction to increase the energy applied to the motor 60 based on the half-cut cumulative count. More specifically, the printing apparatus 1 updates the information regarding energy so as to change the driving time of the motor 60 based on the half-cut cumulative count.

[0034] Thereafter, the printing apparatus 1 drives the motor 60 according to the setting to half-cut the tape Tp with the half-cutter 30 (step S6). That is, if the half-cut cumulative count N is equal to or greater than the threshold value, half-cutting is performed by applying energy corresponding to the torque T of the motor 60 acquired in step S2 and the driving time of the motor 60 updated in step S5 to the motor 60. If the half-cut cumulative count N is less than the threshold value, half-cutting is performed by applying energy corresponding to the torque T of the motor 60 acquired in step S2 and the driving time of the motor 60 to the motor 60.

[0035] Finally, the printing apparatus 1 updates the half-cut cumulative count N (step S7) and ends the process shown in FIG. 4.

[0036] According to the printing apparatus 1 that performs the process shown in FIG. 4, each time the half cut is performed a predetermined number of times corresponding to the threshold value, the driving time of the motor 60 at the time of the half cut becomes longer, so that it is possible to compensate for the deterioration of the cutting edge of the half cutter 30 caused by use. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can appropriately perform the half cut over a long period of time. In particular, in the process according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 4, since it is possible to cope with the deterioration of the cutting edge of the half cutter 30 only by adjusting the driving time of the motor 60, it is desirable in that it is possible to divert the existing drive circuit 70 to the printing apparatus 1.

[0037] <Second Embodiment> This embodiment is an example in which the setting unit updates the energy setting information in a direction of increasing the energy applied to the motor 60 based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit, similar to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the process according to this embodiment performed by the printing apparatus 1 at the time of half cut will be described with reference to FIG. 5.

[0038] In this embodiment, the item of the energy setting information to be updated is different from that of the first embodiment. That is, in step S15, in addition to the information regarding the driving time of the motor 60, the information regarding the torque is updated in a direction of increasing the energy applied to the motor 60 based on the half cut cumulative number of times, which is different from the first embodiment. That is, the printing apparatus 1 updates the information regarding the energy so as to change the torque of the motor 60 in addition to the driving time of the motor 60 based on the half cut cumulative number of times. Other points, that is, the processes from step S11 to step S14 and from step S16 to step S17 are the same as the processes from step S1 to step S4 and from step S6 to step S7 shown in FIG. 4, respectively.

[0039] Even with the printing apparatus 1 that performs the process shown in FIG. 5, each time the half cut is performed a predetermined number of times corresponding to the threshold value, the time of the motor 60 driven at the time of the half cut becomes longer, so that it is possible to compensate for the deterioration of the cutting edge of the half cutter 30 caused by use. Therefore, in the printing apparatus 1, the half cut can be appropriately performed over a long period of time. In the process according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 5, since the torque is adjusted in addition to the driving time of the motor 60, even when the tape body L3 cannot be cut simply by extending the time acting on the tape Tp, the half cut can be performed. Therefore, it is particularly suitable when used for a long period of time or in an environment where it is likely to deteriorate.

[0040] <Third Embodiment> This embodiment is an example in which the setting unit sets the candidate information selected based on the cumulative number counted by the counting unit from a plurality of candidate information prepared in advance as energy setting information. The plurality of candidate information is information with different corresponding energies. Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 6, the process according to this embodiment performed by the printing apparatus 1 at the time of half cut will be described.

[0041] When the half cut is instructed, the printing apparatus 1 first acquires the half cut cumulative number N (step S21), and then determines the number range to which the acquired half cut cumulative number belongs (step S22).

[0042] In step S22, when the printing apparatus 1 determines that the half cut cumulative number is less than the threshold value TH1 times (N < TH1), that is, it belongs to the number range of less than the threshold value TH1 times, it selects candidate information including the driving time t0 of the motor and the torque T0 of the motor from the candidate information prepared in advance, and sets the candidate information as energy setting information (step S23).

[0043] In step S22, when the printing apparatus 1 determines that the cumulative number of half-cuts N is equal to or greater than the threshold TH1 and less than the threshold TH2 (TH1 ≦ N < TH2), that is, it belongs to the range of the number of times equal to or greater than the threshold TH1 and less than the threshold TH2, the printing apparatus 1 selects candidate information including the driving time t1 of the motor and the torque T1 of the motor from the candidate information prepared in advance, and sets the selected candidate information as the energy setting information (step S24). Here, it is desirable that the driving time t1 is longer than the driving time t0, and the torque T1 is greater than the torque T0.

[0044] In step S22, when the printing apparatus 1 determines that the cumulative number of half-cuts N is equal to or greater than the threshold TH2 (N ≧ TH2), that is, it belongs to the range of the number of times equal to or greater than the threshold TH2, the printing apparatus 1 selects candidate information including the driving time t2 of the motor and the torque T2 of the motor from the candidate information prepared in advance, and sets the selected candidate information as the energy setting information (step S25). Here, it is desirable that the driving time t2 is longer than the driving time t1, and the torque T2 is greater than the torque T1.

[0045] As described above, the printing apparatus 1 selects information regarding the energy corresponding to the cumulative number of times from a plurality of pieces of candidate information, and sets the selected information as information regarding the energy applied to the motor 60. Thereafter, the printing apparatus 1 drives the motor 60 according to the settings performed in steps S23 to S25, and half-cuts the tape Tp with the half-cutter 30 (step S26). Finally, the printing apparatus 1 updates the cumulative number of half-cuts N (step S27), and ends the process shown in FIG. 6.

[0046] In the printing apparatus 1 that performs the process shown in FIG. 6, appropriate energy setting information is selected and set from a plurality of pre-prepared energy setting information according to the number of half-cuts, so that it is possible to compensate for the deterioration of the cutting edge of the half-cutter 30 caused by use. Therefore, the printing apparatus 1 can appropriately perform half-cuts over a long period of time. In addition, also in the process according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 6, as in the process shown in FIG. 5, since the torque is adjusted in addition to the driving time of the motor 60, even when the tape body L3 cannot be cut simply by extending the time acting on the tape Tp, it is possible to perform a half-cut.

[0047] The above-described embodiments show specific examples for ease of understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and should be understood to include various modified forms and alternative forms of the above-described embodiments. For example, it will be understood that the above-described embodiments can be embodied by modifying the components without departing from the gist thereof. Also, it will be understood that various embodiments can be implemented by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various embodiments can be implemented by deleting some components from all the components shown in the embodiments or adding some components to the components shown in the embodiments. That is, the above-described printing apparatus and the operation method of the printing apparatus can be variously modified and changed without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0048] In the above-described first and second embodiments, an example of updating only the driving time or both the driving time and the torque was shown, but only the torque may be updated according to the cumulative number of half-cuts. Also, in the above-described third embodiment, a plurality of candidate information in which both the driving time and the torque are different was exemplified, but the plurality of candidate information only needs to have at least one of the driving time and the torque different.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0049] 1: Printing apparatus 20: Full cutter 21: Fixed blade 22: Movable blade 30: Half cutter 31: Blade receiving member 32: Cutting edge 33: Cutting edge body 33a: Blade surface 34: Protrusion 50: Power transmission mechanism 60: Motor 70: Drive circuit 80: Control circuit D1: Thickness D2: Protrusion amount L1: Separator L2: Adhesive layer L3: Tape body Tp: Tape

Claims

1. A cutter that performs a half cut on a printing medium, A motor that drives the cutter, A counting unit that counts the cumulative number of times of the half cut by the cutter, A setting unit that sets information regarding the energy applied to the motor based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit, A drive control unit that drives the motor in accordance with the information regarding the energy set in the setting unit, comprising A printing apparatus characterized by the above.

2. In the printing apparatus according to Claim 1, The setting unit updates the information regarding the energy in a direction to increase the energy applied to the motor based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit A printing apparatus characterized by the above.

3. In the printing apparatus according to Claim 2, The information set in the setting unit includes information regarding the driving time of the motor, The setting unit updates the information regarding the energy so as to change the driving time based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit, A printing apparatus characterized by the above.

4. In the printing apparatus according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, The information set in the setting unit includes information regarding the torque of the motor, The setting unit updates the information regarding the energy so as to change the torque based on the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit, A printing apparatus characterized by the above.

5. In the printing apparatus according to Claim 1, The setting unit Selects information regarding the energy corresponding to the cumulative number of times counted by the counting unit from a plurality of candidate information, And sets the selected information as information regarding the energy applied to the motor A printing apparatus characterized by the above.

6. In the printing apparatus according to Claim 1 or Claim 2, The cutter Has a cutting blade and a blade receiving member, And cuts a part of the printing medium sandwiched between the blade receiving member and the cutting blade by pressing the cutting blade against the blade receiving member A printing apparatus characterized by the above.

7. Counting the cumulative number of times of the half cut by a cutter that performs a half cut on a printing medium, Setting information regarding the energy applied to a motor that drives the cutter based on the counted cumulative number of times, And driving the motor in accordance with the set information regarding the energy, including A method of operating a printing apparatus characterized by the above.

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