Printer device

Abstract

To provide a printer device capable of reducing the use amount of an ink ribbon in a non-printing region.SOLUTION: A printer device includes: a conveyance unit which includes a platen roller that conveys a medium; a supply unit which supplies an ink ribbon at a supply speed corresponding to the conveyance speed of the medium; a thermal head which performs printing by transferring ink of the ink ribbon onto the medium; a moving unit which moves the arrangement position of the thermal head relative to the platen roller; and a control unit which controls the supply unit and the moving unit, and performs a ribbon-saving operation in which the thermal head is separated from the platen roller and deceleration of the ink ribbon is started at a start position of a non-printing region where no printing is performed on the medium, and the ink ribbon is accelerated to the supply speed and the thermal head is moved close to the platen roller in accordance with an end position of the non-printing region. In the ribbon-saving operation, the control unit moves the ink ribbon in a direction opposite to the supply direction and then accelerates the ink ribbon to the supply speed in accordance with the end position of the non-printing region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD An embodiment of the present invention relates to a printer device. [Background technology]

[0002] There are thermal transfer printers that heat an ink ribbon to print on a medium such as paper. In such printers, the ink ribbon is fed at a feed speed that corresponds to the paper transport speed (printing speed), and printing is performed by bringing the ink ribbon into contact with the medium using a thermal head.

[0003] Furthermore, a technique has been proposed to reduce ink ribbon consumption by controlling the head position of the thermal head and the ink ribbon supply speed according to the non-printing area and the printing area. For example, at the start of the non-printing area, the thermal head is moved away from the medium to stop the supply of ink ribbon, and the supply of ink ribbon is resumed shortly before the end of the non-printing area, and the thermal head is brought into contact with the medium at the end of the non-printing area.

[0004] However, in the conventional technology described above, a moment of inertia occurs when the supply of the ink ribbon is stopped and when it is restarted, so the ink ribbon is fed out an extra distance equal to the sum of the distance until it stops and the distance until it is accelerated to the supply speed. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a printer device that can reduce the amount of ink ribbon used in non-printing areas. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] a thermal head disposed opposite the platen roller with the medium and the ink ribbon interposed therebetween and performing printing by transferring ink from the ink ribbon to the medium; a moving unit that moves the position of the thermal head relative to the platen roller; and a control unit that controls the supply unit and the moving unit to perform a ribbon saving operation in which, at the start of a non-printing area where no printing is performed on the medium, the thermal head is moved away from the platen roller to begin decelerating the ink ribbon, and the ink ribbon is accelerated to the supply speed to coincide with the end of the non-printing area, thereby bringing the thermal head closer to the platen roller; and in the ribbon saving operation, the control unit moves the ink ribbon in a direction opposite to the supply direction, and then accelerates the ink ribbon to the supply speed to coincide with the end of the non-printing area. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a label printer according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the label printer according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a timing chart showing a reference example of a conventional ribbon save operation. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of the ribbon save operation performed by the label printer of the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of ribbon saving processing executed by the label printer of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below.

[0009] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a label printer according to an embodiment. The label printer 1 is an example of a printer device in the present disclosure.

[0010] In FIG. 1, the X axis runs horizontally through the label printer 1, from the left side to the right side of the label printer 1. The Y axis runs vertically through the label printer 1, from the rear to the front of the label printer 1. The Z axis runs vertically through the label printer 1, from the bottom to the top of the label printer 1. Below, the positive side of the Y axis is also referred to as the front side of the label printer 1. The negative side of the Y axis is also referred to as the back side of the label printer 1.

[0011] The label printer 1 houses a label roll (not shown) made of label paper P, an example of a medium, wound into a roll inside a housing 2. The label paper P is a long backing sheet on which multiple labels are attached at predetermined intervals. The label printer 1 prints on the labels while pulling out the label paper P from the label roll. In this embodiment, "printing" is not limited to printing characters and symbols, but is a similar concept to "printing" and includes printing of designs and the like.

[0012] The label printer 1 includes, inside the housing 2, a first conveyor roller 11, a platen roller 12, a print head 13, a label detection sensor 14, a peeling guide 15, and a second conveyor roller 16. The label printer 1 also includes, inside the housing 2, a ribbon holding shaft 21, a ribbon winding shaft 22, a first guide shaft 23, a second guide shaft 24, and a movement mechanism 31.

[0013] The first conveyor roller 11 has a first capstan roller 111 and a first auxiliary roller 112. The label paper P pulled out from the label roll is inserted between the first capstan roller 111 and the first auxiliary roller 112.

[0014] The platen roller 12 is disposed in a position facing the print head 13. The label paper P is inserted between the platen roller 12 and the print head 13.

[0015] The print head 13 is a thermal head having a structure in which multiple heating elements are aligned. The print head 13 prints on labels on the label paper P held between the platen roller 12 and the print head 13 by heating the heating elements that correspond to the print pattern.

[0016] Specifically, the ink ribbon IR is inserted between the platen roller 12 and the print head 13. The ink applied to the ink ribbon IR is transferred onto the label on the label paper P by the heated print head 13.

[0017] The label detection sensor 14 is provided on the transport path of the label paper P between the first transport roller 11 and the platen roller 12. The label detection sensor 14 detects the leading edge position of the label (or the gap between the label and the backing) from the label paper P. For example, the label detection sensor 14 detects the part of the label paper P where the light reception level is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold as the leading edge position of the label. The label detection sensor 14 can be realized, for example, by a transmission sensor composed of a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element.

[0018] The sensors provided in the label printer 1 are not limited to the label detection sensor 14. For example, the label printer 1 may include various sensors, such as sensors for detecting the temperature of the print head 13 and print density.

[0019] Based on the detection result of the label detection sensor 14, the label printer 1 determines the leading edge position of the label on the label paper P, and adjusts the position of the label to the print start position of the print head 13, adjusts the print timing, etc.

[0020] After printing is complete, the label paper P is separated into the backing paper and the label in the peeling guide 15, which is an example of a peeling section. The peeling guide 15 is a V-shaped columnar member with two surfaces that intersect at an acute angle. The peeling guide 15 is installed along the X direction. The peeling guide 15 bends the label paper P transported toward the discharge outlet 3 to peel the label from the backing paper.

[0021] The label peeled off from the backing sheet is discharged (issued) from a discharge outlet 3 provided in the housing 2. Meanwhile, the backing sheet from which the label has been peeled is transported into the housing 2 by a second transport roller 16.

[0022] The second conveyor rollers 16 have a second capstan roller 161 and a second auxiliary roller 162. The liner peeled off by the peeling guide 15 is inserted between the second capstan roller 161 and the second auxiliary roller 162. The second conveyor rollers 16 convey the liner towards the back side of the label printer 1. The liner conveyed by the second conveyor rollers 16 is taken up by a take-up shaft (not shown).

[0023] Here, the first conveyor roller 11 (first capstan roller 111), platen roller 12, and second conveyor roller 16 (second capstan roller 161) are rotated by a feed motor 106 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. For example, when printing on label paper P, the feed motor 106 rotates the first capstan roller 111, platen roller 12, and second capstan roller 161 clockwise in the drawing. As a result, the label paper P is conveyed toward the discharge outlet 3, and the backing paper from which the label has been peeled is conveyed toward the back of the label printer 1. Hereinafter, the direction in which the label paper P is conveyed toward the discharge outlet 3 is referred to as the conveyance direction, and the rotation direction of the feed motor 106 that conveys the label paper P toward the discharge outlet 3 is also referred to as the "forward direction."

[0024] The feed motor 106 is also used to return the next label to the printing start position after printing of the label is complete. In this case, the feed motor 106 rotates the first capstan roller 111, the platen roller 12, and the second capstan roller 161 counterclockwise in the figure, thereby transporting the label paper P in the direction opposite to the transport direction.

[0025] The ink ribbon IR is suspended between a ribbon holding shaft 21 and a ribbon take-up shaft 22. The ribbon holding shaft 21 has an unused ink ribbon IR wound in a roll. The ribbon take-up shaft 22 is a shaft that takes up the ink ribbon IR fed from the ribbon holding shaft 21. The first guide shaft 23 and the second guide shaft 24 are guide members that guide the ink ribbon IR suspended between the ribbon holding shaft 21 and the ribbon take-up shaft 22 to a predetermined position.

[0026] The ribbon holding shaft 21 is rotationally driven by a ribbon feed motor 107, which will be described later. The ribbon take-up shaft 22 is rotationally driven by a ribbon take-up motor 108, which will be described later. The ribbon holding shaft 21 and the ribbon take-up shaft 22 are rotationally driven by the ribbon feed motor 107 and the ribbon take-up motor 108 to supply the ink ribbon IR to the print head 13 when printing on the label paper P. As a result, the ink ribbon IR is fed from the ribbon holding shaft 21 to the ribbon take-up shaft 22 with a constant tension applied to it.

[0027] Hereinafter, the direction in which the ink ribbon IR is fed from the ribbon holding shaft 21 to the ribbon take-up shaft 22 will also be referred to as the "supply direction." Furthermore, the rotation direction of the ribbon feed motor 107 when the ribbon holding shaft 21 and the ribbon take-up shaft 22 are rotated counterclockwise in the figure will also be referred to as the "feed direction," and the rotation direction of the ribbon take-up motor 108 will also be referred to as the "take-up direction." Furthermore, the rotation direction of the ribbon feed motor 107 when the ribbon holding shaft 21 and the ribbon take-up shaft 22 are rotated clockwise in the figure will also be referred to as the "tension direction," and the rotation direction of the ribbon take-up motor 108 will also be referred to as the "return direction."

[0028] The print head 13 is configured so that its position relative to the platen roller 12 can be moved by a movement mechanism 31 driven by a head-up motor 109, which will be described later. By driving the head-up motor 109, the movement mechanism 31 can switch between a state in which the print head 13 is in contact with the platen roller 12 and a state in which the print head 13 is separated from the platen roller 12.

[0029] The print head 13 comes into contact with the platen roller 12 when printing on the label paper P. When the print head 13 comes into contact with the platen roller 12, the ink ribbon IR is sandwiched between the print head 13 and the platen roller 12. During printing, the ink ribbon IR is fed from the ribbon holding shaft 21 by the ribbon feed motor 107 and the ribbon take-up motor 108 at a feed speed that corresponds to the transport speed of the label paper P, and the ink ribbon IR used for printing by the print head 13 is sequentially taken up by the ribbon take-up shaft 22.

[0030] Furthermore, the print head 13 is separated from the platen roller 12 during non-printing periods when no printing is being performed on the label paper P. Accordingly, the ink ribbon IR is separated from the label paper P (platen roller 12) and feeding from the ribbon holding shaft 21 is also stopped. This prevents the ink ribbon IR from being accidentally consumed during non-printing periods on the label paper P in the label printer 1.

[0031] In this embodiment, the non-printing period of the label paper P refers to the time during which no printing is performed on the label paper P while the label paper P is maintained in the transport direction. Specifically, the non-printing period is the time obtained by dividing the length of the "non-printing area" (described below) in the transport direction of the label paper P by the transport speed of the label paper P.

[0032] Next, the hardware configuration of the label printer 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the label printer 1.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 2, the label printer 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103.

[0034] The CPU 101 is an example of a processor, and is the main controller of the label printer 1. The ROM 102 stores various programs. The RAM 103 loads the programs and various data. The CPU 101, ROM 102, and RAM 103 are connected via a bus or the like. The CPU 101, ROM 102, and RAM 103 constitute the control unit 100. That is, the control unit 100 executes various control processes related to the operation of the label printer 1 by the CPU 101 operating in accordance with a control program 1041 stored in the ROM 102 or in the storage unit 104 (described later) and loaded into the RAM 103.

[0035] The storage unit 104 is configured with non-volatile memory such as an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), flash memory, or SSD (Solid State Drive), which retains stored information even when the power is turned off. The storage unit 104 stores a control program 1041 for controlling the operation of the label printer 1. The storage unit 104 also stores various setting information related to the operation of the label printer 1.

[0036] The control unit 100 is also connected to a controller 105 that controls the input and output of data via a bus, etc. In addition to the print head 13 and label detection sensor 14 described above, the controller 105 is also connected to a feed motor 106, a ribbon feed motor 107, a ribbon winding motor 108, a head-up motor 109, etc.

[0037] The feed motor 106 is a drive source for the first conveyor roller 11 (first capstan roller 111), the platen roller 12, and the second conveyor roller 16 (second capstan roller 161). The ribbon feed motor 107 is a drive source for the ribbon holding shaft 21. The ribbon winding motor 108 is a drive source for the ribbon winding shaft 22. The head-up motor 109 is a drive source for the movement mechanism 31.

[0038] Here, the feed motor 106, together with the first transport roller 11, platen roller 12, and second transport roller 16 described above, functions as an example of a transport unit that transports the label paper P. The ribbon feed motor 107 and ribbon take-up motor 108, together with the ribbon holding shaft 21 and ribbon take-up shaft 22, function as an example of a supply unit that supplies the ink ribbon IR. The head-up motor 109, together with the movement mechanism 31, functions as an example of a movement unit that moves the position of the print head 13 relative to the platen roller 12.

[0039] Any or all of the feed motor 106, ribbon feed motor 107, ribbon take-up motor 108, and head-up motor 109 are realized by, for example, a DC motor, a stepping motor, etc. In this embodiment, at least the ribbon feed motor 107 and the ribbon take-up motor 108 are realized by a stepping motor.

[0040] In this embodiment, the first conveyor roller 11, the platen roller 12, and the second conveyor roller 16 are driven by a common feed motor 106, but this is not limiting, and for example, a configuration in which a separate drive source is provided for each roller may be used. Also, in this embodiment, the ribbon holding shaft 21 and the ribbon winding shaft 22 are driven by separate drive sources, but this is not limiting, and the ribbon holding shaft 21 and the ribbon winding shaft 22 may be driven by a common drive source.

[0041] The controller 105 outputs the detection results of various sensors, such as the label detection sensor 14, to the control unit 100. Furthermore, the controller 105 receives instructions from the control unit 100 and controls the operation of each unit of the label printer 1. For example, the controller 105 receives instructions from the control unit 100 and controls the operation of the feed motor 106, ribbon feed motor 107, ribbon take-up motor 108, and head-up motor 109.

[0042] The control unit 100 is also connected to a communication unit 110 via a bus or the like. The communication unit 110 communicates with an external device such as an information processing device via a communication line (not shown). For example, the communication unit 110 acquires print data to be printed on a label from the external device, and acquires printing instructions. The communication line may be a wired communication line or a wireless communication line.

[0043] The hardware configuration of the label printer 1 is not limited to the configuration shown in Fig. 2. For example, the label printer 1 may also include an operation unit for receiving operations from the user, a display unit for displaying various information, etc. Also, various sensors (not shown) are connected to the controller 105.

[0044] In the label printer 1 configured as described above, the control unit 100 cooperates with the control program 1041 to control the operation of each unit of the label printer 1 and print characters, barcodes, etc. on the label paper P, for example.

[0045] Specifically, the control unit 100 generates print data consisting of dot-based data from data representing character strings or designs to be printed, such as barcodes. The control unit 100 also generates line print data by dividing the generated print data into units of one line printed by the heating elements of the print head 13. In the line print data, the portion to be printed is expressed as a dot pattern. For example, if the print resolution is 360 dpi, line print data divided into 360 lines per inch is generated.

[0046] The control unit 100 prints one line by controlling the on / off and power supply time of each heating element of the print head 13 based on the dot pattern of the line print data. The control unit 100 also prints each line sequentially in accordance with the transport speed of the label paper P, thereby forming the barcode or other data to be printed on the label of the label paper P.

[0047] Furthermore, if there is a non-printing area in the multiple line print data generated for each line, the control unit 100 executes control to reduce consumption of the ink ribbon IR (hereinafter also referred to as ribbon saving operation). Here, the non-printing area means an area in the series of line print data that make up the print data where there is a continuous line print data in which there is no dot pattern to be printed.

[0048] The ribbon saving operation performed by the control unit 100 will be described below. First, a reference example of a conventional ribbon saving operation will be described with reference to FIG. 3 to compare it with the ribbon saving operation performed by the control unit 100 of this embodiment. It should be noted that the printer device that performs the operation assumed in FIG. 3 has the same hardware configuration as the label printer 1 of this embodiment. In the following, the printer device that performs the operation will be referred to as a reference example, and the configuration of the label printer 1 described above will be used to explain the printer device assumed in FIG. 3.

[0049] Figure 3 is a timing chart showing a reference example of a conventional ribbon save operation. The horizontal axis represents time. On the vertical axis, "Print" represents printing on / off, "LFMT" represents the speed change of the feed motor 106, "HUMT" represents the speed change of the head-up motor 109, "RBNMT" represents the speed change of the ribbon take-up motor 108, and "RFMT" represents the speed change of the ribbon feed motor 107. Note that the print data includes a non-print area NA.

[0050] Furthermore, a "0" for "Print" indicates that printing is not occurring, and a "1" indicates that printing is occurring. A "0" for "LFMT," "HUMT," "RBNMT," and "RFMT" indicates that the motors are stopped. The + direction of "LFMT" indicates rotation in the forward direction. The + direction of "RBNMT" indicates rotation in the winding direction, and the - direction indicates rotation in the return direction. The + direction of "RFMT" indicates rotation in the tensioning direction, and the - direction indicates rotation in the feeding direction. Note that in Figure 3, in the initial state before time T11, the print head 13 is in contact with the platen roller 12.

[0051] First, in the reference example, at time T11, the feed motor 106 starts rotating in the forward direction and accelerates to a predetermined speed V1. This starts the transport of the label paper P. Also, in the reference example, as the transport of the label paper P starts, the ribbon take-up motor 108 starts rotating in the take-up direction and the ribbon feed motor 107 starts rotating in the tensioning direction, starting the supply of the ink ribbon IR. Here, the rotation of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tensioning direction is for applying a predetermined tension to the ink ribbon IR, and the acceleration of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tensioning direction is smaller than the acceleration of the ribbon take-up motor 108 in the take-up direction.

[0052] Next, in the reference example, printing of the print data begins at time T12, and the speed of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tension direction is set to a constant speed V2. Also, in the reference example, at the following time T13, when the speed of the ribbon take-up motor 108 in the take-up direction reaches speed V3, that speed V3 is maintained. Also, in the reference example, at the following time T14, when the speed of the feed motor 106 in the forward direction reaches speed V1, that speed is maintained. As a result, the label paper P and the ink ribbon IR are moved at constant conveyance and supply speeds. Note that the ink ribbon IR is supplied at a supply speed that corresponds to the conveyance speed of the label paper P (for example, an equal speed).

[0053] In the reference example, when the start position of the non-printable area NA is reached at the following time T15, the head-up motor 109 starts to drive, causing the print head 13 to move away from the platen roller 12. In the reference example, the supply of the ink ribbon IR is stopped, causing the ribbon take-up motor 108 to start decelerating at time T15. At this time, in order to prevent the ink ribbon IR from bending due to the deceleration of the ribbon take-up motor 108, the speed of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tension direction is increased, and when a predetermined speed V4 is reached at time T16, that speed is maintained.

[0054] At the next time T17, the ribbon take-up motor 108 stops, and the ribbon feed motor 107 begins to pull the ink ribbon IR as it rotates in the tensioning direction. In this reference example, the speed of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tensioning direction is set to a small speed V5, thereby maintaining the tension of the ink ribbon IR. This stops the supply of the ink ribbon IR. The drive of the head-up motor 109 is stopped at time T18 when the distance between the print head 13 and the platen roller 12 reaches a predetermined amount.

[0055] Next, in the reference example, at time T19, which is prior to the end position of the non-printing area NA, the head-up motor 109 starts to be driven, thereby moving the print head 13 toward the platen roller 12. The ribbon take-up motor 108 also starts to rotate in the take-up direction, accelerating it toward speed V3. Furthermore, in the reference example, to promote the supply of the ink ribbon IR, the ribbon feed motor 107 is rotated in the feed direction, and when speed V6 is reached at time T20, that speed V6 is maintained. Then, in the reference example, at the timing when the take-up direction speed of the ribbon take-up motor 108 reaches speed V3, the ribbon feed motor 107 starts to rotate in the tensioning direction at time T21 so that the tensioning direction speed becomes V2.

[0056] In the reference example, when the speed of the ribbon take-up motor 108 in the take-up direction reaches speed V3 at time T22, it maintains that speed V3. Also, in the reference example, when the speed of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tension direction reaches speed V2 at the timing of time T22, it maintains that speed V2. The drive of the head-up motor 109 is stopped at time T23 when the non-printing area ends, and the print head 13 comes into contact with the platen roller 12.

[0057] In this way, in the ribbon save operation of the reference example, the supply (feed-out) of the ink ribbon IR is stopped during the non-printing area NA, so that the consumption of the ink ribbon IR in the non-printing area NA can be reduced.

[0058] Incidentally, in the ribbon save operation of the reference example, a moment of inertia acts when the ribbon take-up motor 108 is decelerated from speed V3 to a stopped state of zero speed (period X in the figure), and when it is accelerated from a stopped state of zero speed to speed V3 (period Y in the figure), so the ink ribbon IR is fed out in the supply direction during deceleration and acceleration. In particular, when the printing speed (the transport speed of the label paper P) is high, the feed distance in the supply direction due to the moment of inertia also increases, and the consumption of the ink ribbon IR in the non-printing area NA increases.

[0059] Therefore, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, in order to reduce the consumption of the ink ribbon IR in the above-mentioned non-printing area NA, the control unit 100 executes a ribbon saving operation different from that of the above-mentioned reference example. Specifically, the control unit 100 executes the ribbon saving operation shown in FIG.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of the ribbon save operation performed by the label printer 1 of this embodiment. In FIG. 4, the vertical and horizontal axes are the same as those in FIG. 3. Note that the control content executed by the control unit 100 until the non-printing area is reached (time T31 to time T35) is the same as the control content from time T11 to time T15 in FIG. 3 described above, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0061] In the timing chart of FIG. 4, when the start position of the non-printable area NA is reached at time T35, the control unit 100 drives the head-up motor 109 to move the print head 13 away from the platen roller 12. The control unit 100 also reverses the rotation direction of the ribbon take-up motor 108 at time T35, thereby decelerating the motor to a reverse speed V7. The deceleration of the ribbon take-up motor 108 here is the same as the deceleration from time T15 to time T17 in FIG. 3. To prevent sagging of the ink ribbon IR, the control unit 100 also increases the speed of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tension direction at time T35, and when speed V4 is reached at time T36, the control unit 100 maintains that speed V4.

[0062] At the next timing T37, when the ribbon feed motor 107 begins to pull the ink ribbon IR, the control unit 100 sets the speed of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tensioning direction to a slight speed V5. Meanwhile, the ribbon take-up motor 108 continues to decelerate after time T37, and when the speed in the reverse direction reaches speed V7 at the next timing T38, the control unit 100 maintains this speed V7. As a result, the ink ribbon IR is moved in the reverse direction after time T37.

[0063] Next, at time T39, the control unit 100 starts deceleration to stop the ribbon take-up motor 108, and at time T40, stops the ribbon take-up motor 108. Furthermore, the control unit 100 maintains the speed V5 of the ribbon feed motor 107 in the tension direction, thereby stopping the ink ribbon IR with a predetermined tension applied to the ink ribbon IR.

[0064] Here, the control unit 100 calculates the distance by which the ink ribbon IR is moved in the reverse direction from time T37 to time T40 (hereinafter also referred to as the return distance) as follows: The control unit 100 determines the return distance as the sum of the amount (length) of ink ribbon IR supplied from when the ribbon take-up motor 108 starts to decelerate at the start position of the non-print area NA until it reaches a zero speed state, and the amount (length) of ink ribbon IR supplied from the zero speed state at time T41 until it reaches speed V3. More specifically, the control unit 100 determines the return distance as the sum of the amount of ink ribbon IR supplied from time T35 to time T37 and the amount of ink ribbon IR supplied from time T41 to time T44, which will be described later. This allows the start and end positions of the non-print area NA to be approximately the same on the ink ribbon IR.

[0065] Next, at time T41, which is prior to the end position of the non-printing area NA, the control unit 100 starts driving the head-up motor 109, thereby moving the print head 13 toward the platen roller 12. Then, from time T41 to time T45, the control unit 100 performs the same control as from time T19 to time T23 in the above-described reference example.

[0066] Here, comparing the ribbon saving operation of the reference example with the ribbon saving operation of the control unit 100, the supply of the ink ribbon IR is stopped in the non-printing area NA in both cases, but in the ribbon saving operation of the control unit 100, the supply speed of the ink ribbon IR is restored after returning a distance corresponding to the amount sent out during deceleration and acceleration.

[0067] As a result, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, the position on the ink ribbon IR that comes into contact with the print head 13 at the end position of the non-printing area NA can be made the same position on the ink ribbon IR that came into contact with the print head 13 at the start position of the non-printing area NA. Therefore, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, the amount of ink ribbon IR consumed in the non-printing area NA can be reduced more efficiently than in existing printers.

[0068] It is preferable that the control unit 100 determines whether the ribbon saving operation described above can be performed in the non-printing area NA based on the specifications of the label paper P transport unit and the ink ribbon IR supply unit, and performs the ribbon saving operation if it is possible. Whether it is possible to perform the ribbon saving operation can be determined, for example, based on the non-printing period A of the non-printing area, which is calculated by dividing the length of the non-printing area NA in the transport direction by the transport speed of the label paper P.

[0069] Specifically, the control unit 100 may determine that the operation is executable if the total time E obtained by adding the time B required for deceleration from time T35 to time T37, the time C required for acceleration from time T41 to time T44, and the time D required for moving the return distance from time T37 to time T40 is less than the non-printing period A. In this case, by performing the ribbon saving operation, the control unit 100 can make the start and end positions of the non-printing area NA approximately the same on the ink ribbon IR, thereby reliably reducing the consumption of the ink ribbon IR.

[0070] Furthermore, if the total time E is equal to or greater than the non-printing period A, the control unit 100 may perform the conventional ribbon saving operation described in FIG. 3, or may not perform the ribbon saving operation and continue to supply the ink ribbon during the non-printing area NA.

[0071] Furthermore, when total time E is equal to or greater than non-printing period A, control unit 100 may change settings related to the ribbon save operation to perform the ribbon save operation within non-printing period A. For example, when total time E is equal to or greater than non-printing period A and the sum of time B and time C is less than non-printing period A, control unit 100 may perform the ribbon save operation by shortening time D so that it falls within non-printing period A. This allows control unit 100 to return the ink ribbon IR for the shortened time D, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon IR consumed in the non-printing area NA compared to existing printers.

[0072] Furthermore, for example, if the total time E is equal to or greater than the non-printing period A and the total time E after changing the deceleration and / or acceleration of the ribbon take-up motor 108 is less than the non-printing period A, the control unit 100 may perform the ribbon saving operation with the changed settings. This allows the control unit 100 to make the start and end positions of the non-printing area NA approximately the same position on the ink ribbon IR, thereby reducing the consumption of the ink ribbon IR. Note that in this example, if the total time E after the change is equal to or greater than the non-printing period A, the control unit 100 may be configured not to perform the ribbon saving operation, or may reduce the time D in the same manner as described above.

[0073] Next, an example of the operation of the label printer 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of ribbon save processing executed by the label printer 1 of this embodiment. Note that this processing is premised on the assumption that the data to be printed (print data) has already been acquired.

[0074] First, prior to printing the print data, the control unit 100 analyzes the print data to detect the presence or absence of a non-print area and the start and end positions of the non-print area (step S11). Note that the analysis of the print data is not limited to before printing, but may be performed in parallel with the printing process while pre-reading line print data for tens to hundreds of lines.

[0075] Next, the control unit 100 starts transporting the label paper P and supplying the ink ribbon IR, and transports the label paper P to the printing position of the print head 13 (step S12). Next, the control unit 100 controls the print head 13 to cause the heating elements to heat based on the dot pattern of the line print data, thereby printing each line of the line print data (step S13).

[0076] Next, the control unit 100 determines whether or not the non-printing area has been reached (step S14). If the non-printing area has not been reached (step S14; No), the control unit 100 proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if it is determined that the non-printing area has been reached (step S14; Yes), the control unit 100 determines whether or not the ribbon saving operation can be performed based on the non-printing period, etc. (step S15). If it is determined that the ribbon saving operation cannot be performed in step S15, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S17. In this case, the control unit 100 passes the non-printing area while keeping the print head 13 in contact with the platen roller 12.

[0077] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S15 that the operation is executable, the control unit 100 reduces the consumption of the ink ribbon IR by performing the ribbon save operation described with reference to Fig. 4 during the non-printing area (step S16). Then, when the non-printing area ends, the control unit 100 proceeds to step S17.

[0078] In the next step S17, the control unit 100 determines whether or not to end printing (step S17). If printing is to continue because the print data is halfway through or the printing of the predetermined number of sheets is not yet complete (step S17; No), the control unit 100 returns the process to step S13. If printing is to end because the end of the print data has been reached or the printing of the predetermined number of sheets has been completed (step S17; Yes), the control unit 100 ends this process.

[0079] As described above, the label printer 1 of this embodiment comprises a transport unit including the platen roller 12 that transports the label paper P, a supply unit that supplies the ink ribbon IR at a supply speed that corresponds to the transport speed of the label paper P, a print head 13 that is positioned opposite the platen roller 12 across the label paper P and the ink ribbon IR and prints by transferring ink from the ink ribbon IR to the label paper P, a movement mechanism 31 that moves the position of the print head 13 relative to the platen roller 12, and a control unit 100 that controls the supply unit and movement mechanism 31 to perform a ribbon save operation that moves the print head 13 away from the platen roller 12 at the start of a non-printing area where no printing is performed on the label paper P, begins decelerating the ink ribbon IR, and accelerates the ink ribbon IR to the supply speed to match the end of the non-printing area, thereby bringing the print head 13 closer to the platen roller 12. In the ribbon save operation, the control unit 100 moves the ink ribbon IR in the direction opposite to the supply direction, and then accelerates the ink ribbon IR to the supply speed to match the end of the non-printing area.

[0080] As a result, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, during ribbon save operation in the non-printing area, the ink ribbon IR can be moved in the opposite direction to the supply direction and then returned to the supply speed. Therefore, the label printer 1 of this embodiment can reduce the amount of ink ribbon IR supplied when the ink ribbon IR is decelerating and accelerating by moving it in the opposite direction, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon used in the non-printing area.

[0081] Furthermore, the label printer 1 of this embodiment moves the ink ribbon IR a predetermined amount in the reverse direction so that the start and end positions of the non-printing area are at the same position on the ink ribbon IR, and then accelerates the ink ribbon IR to the supply speed to align it with the end position of the non-printing area.

[0082] As a result, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, when performing ribbon save operation in the non-printed area, the start and end positions of the non-printed area can be positioned at the same position on the ink ribbon IR, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon used in the non-printed area.

[0083] Furthermore, the label printer 1 of this embodiment moves in the reverse direction by an amount equal to the sum of the length of the ink ribbon IR fed from when the ink ribbon IR starts to decelerate until its speed in the feed direction reaches zero, and the length of the ink ribbon IR fed from when the ink ribbon IR starts to accelerate until it reaches the feed speed.

[0084] As a result, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, when performing ribbon save operation in the non-printed area, the start and end positions of the non-printed area can be positioned at the same position on the ink ribbon IR, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon used in the non-printed area.

[0085] Furthermore, prior to the ribbon save operation, the label printer 1 of this embodiment calculates the total time from the start of deceleration of the ink ribbon IR until the speed in the supply direction reaches zero, the time for movement in the reverse direction, and the time for acceleration from a state where the speed in the supply direction is zero to the supply speed, and if this total time is less than the non-printing period required to transport the non-printing area, the ribbon save operation is performed.

[0086] As a result, in the label printer 1 of this embodiment, if it is possible to reliably perform the ribbon save operation within the non-printing period, it is possible to perform the ribbon save operation, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon used in the non-printing area and preventing printing errors and the like caused by the ribbon save operation.

[0087] Furthermore, when the total time is equal to or greater than the non-printing period, the label printer 1 of this embodiment adjusts the amount of movement of the ink ribbon IR in the reverse direction and executes a ribbon save operation within the non-printing period.

[0088] As a result, the label printer 1 of this embodiment can perform ribbon save operation within the non-printing period, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon used in the non-printing area and preventing printing errors and the like caused by the ribbon save operation.

[0089] Furthermore, when the total time is equal to or greater than the non-printing period, the label printer 1 of this embodiment adjusts the magnitude of the deceleration and / or acceleration of the ink ribbon IR to execute a ribbon save operation within the non-printing period.

[0090] As a result, the label printer 1 of this embodiment can perform ribbon save operation within the non-printing period, thereby reducing the amount of ink ribbon used in the non-printing area and preventing printing errors and the like caused by the ribbon save operation.

[0091] The above-described embodiment can be modified as needed by partially changing the configuration or functions of each of the above-described devices. Therefore, several modifications of the above-described embodiment will be described below as other embodiments. The following mainly focuses on differences from the above-described embodiment, and detailed descriptions of commonalities with the content already described will be omitted. The modifications described below may be implemented individually or in appropriate combination.

[0092] (Variation 1) In the above embodiment, a label printer 1 that prints on label paper P has been described, but the printer device to which the invention is applicable is not limited to this. For example, the invention can also be applied to printer devices such as receipt printers and barcode printers that print on media that do not require peeling.

[0093] (Variation 2) In the above-described embodiment, in the ribbon save operation, a stop period (time T40 to time T41 in FIG. 4) is provided in which the paper take-up motor 108 is stopped after the ink ribbon IR is moved in the reverse direction, but this is not limited to this, and a configuration without a stop period may also be used.

[0094] For example, the stop period can be used as an adjustment time between the time D for moving the ink ribbon IR in the reverse direction during ribbon save operation and the time C for accelerating from a stopped state to speed V3, but it is also possible to control the acceleration from speed V7 in the rewind direction to speed V3 in one go without setting a stop period.

[0095] (Variation 3) In the above embodiment, no particular reference is made to the transport speed of the label paper P, but the transport speed of the label paper P may be a constant speed, or may be configured to be variable depending on the type of medium, etc. Note that the control unit 100 adjusts the distance and timing for moving the ink ribbon IR in the reverse direction during the ribbon save operation depending on the transport speed.

[0096] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, modifications, and combinations can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included within the scope and spirit of the invention, and are also included in the inventions and their equivalents as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1 label printer 2. Case 3 outlet 11 First conveyor roller 12 Platen roller 13 Print head 14 Label detection sensor 15 Peeling guide 16 Second conveyor roller 21 Ribbon holding shaft 22 Ribbon winding shaft 23 First guide shaft 24 Second guide shaft 31 Moving mechanism 100 control section 106 Feed motor 107 Ribbon feed motor 108 Ribbon winding motor 109 Head-up motor [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0098] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-188827

Claims

1. a conveying unit including a platen roller that conveys the medium; a supply unit that supplies an ink ribbon at a supply speed corresponding to a transport speed of the medium; a thermal head disposed opposite the platen roller with the medium and the ink ribbon interposed therebetween, the thermal head transferring ink from the ink ribbon onto the medium to perform printing; a moving unit that moves the position of the thermal head relative to the platen roller; a control unit that controls the supply unit and the movement unit, and performs a ribbon save operation in which the thermal head is moved away from the platen roller at a start position of a non-printing area where no printing is performed on the medium, thereby starting to decelerate the ink ribbon, and then accelerates the ink ribbon to a supply speed in line with an end position of the non-printing area, thereby moving the thermal head closer to the platen roller; Equipped with In the ribbon save operation, the control unit moves the ink ribbon in a direction opposite to the supply direction, and then accelerates the ink ribbon to the supply speed in line with the end position of the non-printing area.

2. the control unit moves the ink ribbon a predetermined amount in the reverse direction so that the start position and the end position of the non-printing area are at the same position on the ink ribbon, and then accelerates the ink ribbon to the supply speed in accordance with the end position of the non-printing area.

2. The printer device according to claim 1.

3. the control unit moves the ink ribbon in the reverse direction by a movement amount equal to the sum of a length of the ink ribbon that is supplied from when the ink ribbon starts to decelerate until the speed in the supply direction becomes zero and a length of the ink ribbon that is supplied from when the ink ribbon starts to accelerate until the speed reaches the supply speed, 3. The printer device according to claim 2.

4. the control unit calculates, prior to the ribbon saving operation, a total time including a time from when the ink ribbon starts to decelerate until the speed in the supply direction becomes zero, a time for the ink ribbon to move in the reverse direction, and a time for the speed in the supply direction to accelerate from a state where the speed is zero to the supply speed, and executes the ribbon saving operation if the total time is less than a transport time required to transport the non-printed area.

2. The printer device according to claim 1.

5. When the total time is equal to or greater than the transport time, the control unit adjusts the amount of movement of the ink ribbon that is moved in the reverse direction, and executes the ribbon save operation.

5. The printer device according to claim 4.

6. when the total time is equal to or greater than the transport time, the control unit adjusts the magnitude of the deceleration and / or acceleration of the ink ribbon to execute the ribbon save operation.

5. The printer device according to claim 4.

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