Commodity processing device

Abstract

To provide a commodity processing device for printing on a label a nutrient content corresponding to the weight of food, the commodity processing device being able to reduce a burden on an operator of satisfying a predetermined display standard.SOLUTION: A measuring label printer 1 includes: a printing unit 9; a measuring unit 7; a storage unit 10a that stores a unit nutrient content; and a control unit 10 that controls the printing unit 9 so as to print on a label a nutrient content corresponding to the weight of food. The storage unit 10a stores, as formats for printing the nutrient content on the label, a first format corresponding to a first display standard and a second format corresponding to a second display standard different from the first display standard. When the weight of the food is equal to or less than a weight threshold value, the control unit 10 controls the printing unit 9 to print on the label according to the first format the nutrient content corresponding to the weight of the food; and when the weight of the food exceeds the weight threshold value, the control unit controls the printing unit 9 to print on the label according to the second format the nutrient content corresponding to the weight of the food.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a product processing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cash registers are known that print the calorie count calculated based on the weight data of the weighed product and calorie information per unit weight preset for each product on the receipt for purchased products (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-113325 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In product processing devices that print nutritional content on labels, the printing content must comply with predetermined labeling standards. For example, for foods whose prices are determined by weight, several different labeling standards, such as per serving, per package, or per sheet, may apply. However, in stores and other locations that handle a variety of foods, if workers manually set labeling standards based on the weight of the food, mistakes are likely to occur, which could increase the burden on the workers.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a product processing device that prints the amount of nutritional components on a label according to the weight of food, and that can reduce the burden on workers to meet specified labeling standards. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present invention is a product processing device that prints a nutrient component amount corresponding to the weight of a food product on a label, the product processing device comprising: a printing unit that prints the nutrient component amount on the label; a weighing unit that acquires the weight of the food product; a memory unit that stores the unit nutrient component amount per unit weight of the food product; and a control unit that controls the printing unit to print the nutrient component amount corresponding to the weight of the food product on the label based on the weight of the food product and the unit nutrient component amount. The memory unit stores a first format corresponding to a first display standard and a second format corresponding to a second display standard different from the first display standard as formats for printing the nutrient component amount on the label. The control unit controls the printing unit to print the nutrient component amount corresponding to the weight of the food product on the label in accordance with the first format if the weight of the food product is equal to or less than a predetermined weight threshold, and controls the printing unit to print the nutrient component amount corresponding to the weight of the food product on the label in accordance with the second format if the weight of the food product exceeds the weight threshold.

[0007] In a product processing device according to one aspect of the present invention, when the weight of a food item is equal to or less than a preset weight threshold, the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food item is printed on the label in a first format. When the weight of the food item exceeds the weight threshold, the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food item is printed on the label in a second format. Therefore, for example, in cases where different labeling standards may be applied substantially depending on weight, by presetting the weight threshold according to the labeling standard, the label is automatically printed according to the format corresponding to the labeling standard. This reduces the burden on the worker, who may otherwise have to manually adjust the printed content to meet the labeling standard. Therefore, in a product processing device that prints the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of a food item on a label, the burden on the worker to meet the predetermined labeling standard can be reduced.

[0008] (2) In (1) above, the memory unit may store a weight threshold for each of a plurality of foods, the product processing device may include a designation unit that accepts an operation to designate one of the plurality of foods, and the control unit may control the printing unit using the weight threshold corresponding to the designated food. In this case, the weight threshold is automatically switched when an operator designates one of the plurality of foods, and therefore the label format can be automatically switched using the weight threshold corresponding to each food.

[0009] (3) In (1) or (2) above, the first format may be a format for printing on the label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food, with one portion of food as the unit, and the second format may be a format for printing on the label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food, with the food package as the unit. In this case, depending on whether the weight of the food is equal to or less than the weight threshold, it is possible to automatically switch between printing on the label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food in accordance with the format for one portion of food, or printing on the label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food in accordance with the format for the food package as the unit.

[0010] (4) In any one of (1) to (3) above, the first labeling standard may be a food labeling standard in which the first format is a format in which the amount of nutritional components per serving and the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food are printed on the label, and the second labeling standard may be a food labeling standard in which the second format is a format in which the amount of nutritional components per package and the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food are printed on the label. In this case, it is possible to automatically switch between printing the amount of nutritional components per serving or the amount of nutritional components per package on the label depending on whether the weight of the food is equal to or less than a weight threshold.

[0011] (5) In any one of (1) to (4) above, the product processing device may include a designation unit that accepts an operation to select whether to treat the food as a measured food sold at a price according to weight, or as a fixed-quantity food sold at a fixed price by regarding it as a predetermined fixed weight, and the control unit may control the printing unit to print the amount of nutritional components according to the fixed weight on the label in accordance with a first format when it is selected to treat the food as a fixed-quantity food. In this case, when the operator selects to treat the food as a fixed-quantity food, the format can be automatically switched to the first format and the amount of nutritional components according to the fixed weight can be printed on the label. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, in a product processing device that prints on a label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of food, the burden on an operator to meet predetermined labeling standards can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is an external perspective view of a product processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the product processing device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of unit amounts of nutrients per unit weight that are stored. [Figure 4] (a) is an example of a product to which the first labeling standard applies, and (b) is an example of a product to which the second labeling standard applies. [Figure 5] (a) is an example of a label that follows the first format. (b) is an example of a label that follows the second format. [Figure 6] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the product processing device of FIG. 1; [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of a product processing device according to a modified example. [Figure 8] 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the product processing device of FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is an external perspective view of a product processing device according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0015] 1 is a perspective view of the exterior of a measurement label printer 1 (product processing device) according to the first embodiment. The measurement label printer 1 has the function of measuring the weight of a product and issuing a label to be affixed to the weighed product. The product in this case is, for example, a food product contained in a container to which a label can be affixed.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the measurement label printer 1 comprises a main body case 3, an operation unit 5 (designation unit), a measurement unit 7, a printing unit 9, and a control unit 10 (control unit).

[0017] The main body case 3 is disposed behind the weighing unit 7, and is provided with an operation unit 5, a printing unit 9, and a control unit 10. The main body case 3 has, for example, a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0018] The operation unit 5 is provided on the top of the main body case 3. The operation unit 5 may be configured to include a touch panel that receives operations from the operator and displays various information, and fixed keys 5A. Information necessary for operating the weighing label printer 1 is displayed on the touch panel under the control of the control unit 10. The fixed keys may include, for example, a "unit price" key, a "fixed amount" key, a "tare" key, a "print" key, and a "call" key, and these may be arranged appropriately together with the numeric keys.

[0019] The weighing unit 7 acquires the weight of the food. The weighing unit 7 is located in front of the main body case 3. The weighing unit 7 mainly comprises a weighing pan 7A, a load cell (not shown), a signal processing circuit, and a transmission module. The load cell is located below the weighing pan 7A and supports the weighing pan 7A. It converts mechanical strain generated when an object to be weighed is placed on the weighing pan 7A into an electrical signal and outputs the electrical signal. The signal processing circuit amplifies the electrical signal output from the load cell and converts it into a digital signal. The transmission module transmits the digital signal to the control unit 10 in the main body case 3 wirelessly or via a wired connection.

[0020] The printing unit 9 is housed in the main body case 3 and includes, for example, a cassette, a printing unit, a cutter unit, and a temporary attachment unit (not shown). The printing unit 9 issues labels based on printing information from the control unit 10. The printing unit 9 prints information such as the product name, unit price, and product price, as well as the amount of nutritional ingredients on the label.

[0021] The control unit 10 is a part that controls various operations in the weighing label printer 1, and the CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), and RAM (Random Access Memory) are interconnected via bus lines such as an address bus and a data bus. The control unit 10 executes various control processes in the weighing label printer 1. The control unit 10 can be configured as software in which a program stored in a storage unit 10a such as a ROM is loaded onto the RAM and executed by the CPU. The control unit 10 may also be configured as hardware such as electronic circuits.

[0022] The weighing label printer 1 prints the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on a label. When an operator places a product on the weighing pan 7A, the control unit 10 receives a digital signal sent from the weighing unit 7 and calculates the price by multiplying the weight obtained from the received signal by a preset unit price per unit mass.

[0023] The weighing label printer 1 stores a product master in the memory 10a of the control unit 10, which associates information such as product names and unit prices. The product master includes the product names of food products, unit prices per 100g, and the tare weights of the containers used for each food product. The weight of the food products in the weighing unit 7 is obtained by subtracting the tare weights of the containers from the total weight including the containers.

[0024] The storage unit 10a stores the unit nutrient amount per unit weight of food in the product master. The unit nutrient amount is the nutrient value per 100g. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the unit nutrient amount per unit weight stored. As shown in FIG. 3, a screen for registering details of the unit nutrient amount is displayed on the touch panel of the operation unit 5. Types of nutrients include, for example, calories, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, salt equivalent, sugars, and saccharides.

[0025] The control unit 10 controls the printing unit 9 to print the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on a label based on the weight of the food and the unit amount of nutritional components. The control unit 10 controls the printing unit 9 to automatically switch the format of the amount of nutritional components according to the result of comparing the weight of the food with a weight threshold, for example, and to print the amount of nutritional components on a label.

[0026] The storage unit 10a stores a first format corresponding to a first labeling standard and a second format corresponding to a second labeling standard different from the first labeling standard as formats for printing the nutritional component amounts on a label. The first format and the second format are used selectively in calculating the nutritional component amounts according to the weight of the food.

[0027] The weight threshold is a threshold value for the weight of food for automatically switching the format of the nutrient amount. The weight threshold is a value that is set in advance by the operator, for example, by inputting information via the operation unit 5. In the example of FIG. 3, the character string L1 for "weight threshold" and the input value of the weight threshold, "200 g," are displayed on the right side of the screen for registering details of the unit nutrient amount. The input value "200 g" is a value that can be input by the operator.

[0028] The storage unit 10a stores a weight threshold for each of a plurality of foods. The weight threshold can be set to an appropriate food weight as a boundary for switching between the first format and the second format, for example, in accordance with customer needs or food labeling standards.

[0029] The operation unit 5 receives an operation from an operator to specify one of a plurality of foods. The control unit 10 reads out the weight threshold value corresponding to the specified food from the storage unit 10a and controls the printing unit 9 using the weight threshold value.

[0030] If the weight of the food is equal to or less than a preset weight threshold, the control unit 10 controls the printing unit 9 to print the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on the label in accordance with the first format.

[0031] The first format is, for example, a format in which the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of a food product is printed on the label in units of one portion. "In units of one portion" refers to a food unit that assumes a single-serving pack of the food product suitable for consumption by one person. In this case, the amount of the single portion may vary depending on the type of food product, such as the amount of a main dish and a side dish. An individual-serving pack suitable for consumption by one person may be, for example, a product in which one portion of food is served in a small pack P1, as shown in FIG. 4(a).

[0032] Another example of the first format may be a format in which the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of a food product is printed on a label using "per serving" as the food unit. "Per serving" does not necessarily refer to a single portion of the same food product, but may also refer to a product unit in which food for multiple people (a predetermined amount of food) is served in a household pack (a large-capacity pack that does not particularly matter how many people will consume it) that is intended to be shared and consumed by multiple people, such as a family. The large-capacity pack may be, for example, a pack P2 larger than the example in FIG. 4(a), as shown in FIG. 4(b). In this case, the first labeling standard may be, but is not limited to, the first labeling standard RG1, which is a food labeling standard in which the first format is a format in which "per serving" (see FIG. 5(a)) as the food unit and the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food product are printed on a label.

[0033] If the weight of the food exceeds the weight threshold, the control unit 10 controls the printing unit 9 to print the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on the label in accordance with the second format.

[0034] The second format is a format in which the amount of nutritional content based on the weight of the food product is printed on the label, with the food package as the unit. "Based on the food package" refers to a food unit intended for a large-volume pack, regardless of the number of people who consume the food. This food unit may be consumed by one large eater or by two or more people. An example of a large-volume pack that does not particularly matter the number of people who consume the food may be Pack P2 shown in FIG. 4(b). In this case, the second labeling standard may be, but is not limited to, the second labeling standard RG2, which is a food labeling standard that uses a format in which "per package" (see FIG. 5(b)), the amount of nutritional content based on the weight of the food product, and "serves 2" corresponding to the predetermined amount are printed on the label. On the label in FIG. 5(b), the text "serves 2" corresponding to the predetermined amount may be added to the right of "macaroni salad." The predetermined amount "serves 2" may be stored in advance in the product master.

[0035] In calculating the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food, the actual weight measured by the weighing unit 7 may be used as the weight of the food, or a fixed amount input by the operator may be used. The operation unit 5 may accept an operation to select whether to treat the food as a measured food sold at a price according to weight, or as a fixed amount food sold at a fixed price assuming a predetermined fixed weight. In the example of Figure 3, the upper right corner of the screen for registering details of the unit nutritional component amount displays the text "Calculate using measured values" L2 and operation button images L3 labeled "Yes" and "No." When one of the operation buttons labeled "Yes" or "No" is pressed to enable it, the other is grayed out and disabled.

[0036] When the operation button marked "Yes" is pressed, calculation using the measured values ​​is enabled, and the actual measured values ​​of the weighing unit 7 are used. In this case, the control unit 10 multiplies each nutrient component value per 100 g registered in the product master by the actual measured value of the weighing unit 7 to calculate the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food.

[0037] When the operation unit 5 receives an operation to select to treat the product as a weighed food product, the control unit 10 uses the actual weight value of the weighing unit 7 as the weight value. In this case, in the example of FIG. 5(a), "contents 150 g" means the actual weight value of the weighing unit 7. If the actual weight value of the weighing unit 7 changes depending on the product, the numerical value of the content value changes using the acquired actual weight value of the weighing unit 7 instead of "contents 150 g".

[0038] When the operation button marked "No" is pressed, the calculation using the measured value is invalidated, and the quantitative value input by the operator is used. In this case, the control unit 10 sets the weight of the food to the quantitative value input by the operator. The control unit 10 sets each numerical value of each nutrient component value in FIG. 3 to the amount of nutrient component corresponding to the weight of the food. In other words, when the calculation using the measured value is invalid, each nutrient component value registered in the product master is not per 100g, but is the nutrient component value (fixed value) corresponding to the quantitative value of the food weight, and is a value input in advance by the operator.

[0039] When the operation unit 5 accepts the selection to treat the product as a fixed-quantity food, the control unit 10 uses the fixed-quantity value input by the operator as the measurement value. In this case, in the example of Fig. 5(a), "contents 150g" means the fixed-quantity value input by the operator. Treating the product as a fixed-quantity food means a sales mode in which the product is sold at a fixed price, assuming that the weight of the food is a fixed weight of 150g, even if the actual measurement value of the weighing unit 7 is different from 150g.

[0040] When it is selected to treat the food as a measured food, the control unit 10 controls the printing unit to print on the label, in accordance with the first format, the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the actual measurement value of the measuring unit 7. When it is selected to treat the food as a fixed-quantity food, the control unit 10 controls the printing unit to print on the label, in accordance with the first format, the amount of nutritional components corresponding to a fixed weight.

[0041] Next, the operation of the weighing label printer 1 configured as described above when printing a label will be described mainly with reference to FIG.

[0042] The operator performs an operation to designate one of multiple foods to be weighed from the product list displayed on the operation unit 5. The operation unit 5 accepts the designation operation (step S1). When the food to be weighed is selected, the registration information of the designated food to be weighed is read from the product master, and a screen (see FIG. 3) showing the nutrient component values ​​(unit nutrient component amounts) per 100 g of the food is displayed (step S2). In step S2, the weight threshold of the designated food is read from the weight thresholds for multiple foods stored in the memory unit 10a and displayed on the screen showing the unit nutrient component amounts. The operator may use the read weight threshold as the set value as is, or may reset the weight threshold via the operation unit 5 as necessary. In step S2, a selection button for whether or not to perform calculation using the measured value may also be displayed. The operator may reset the selection state of the selection button for whether or not to perform calculation using the measured value via the operation unit 5 as necessary.

[0043] Next, when the operator places the product on the weighing tray 7A, the weighing unit 7 starts weighing the product. The weight of the food product is obtained by subtracting the tare weight of the container from the total weight including the container (step S3).

[0044] The control unit 10 determines whether the acquired weight of the food is equal to or less than the weight threshold (step S4). If the control unit 10 determines that the acquired weight of the food is equal to or less than the weight threshold (S4: YES), the control unit 10 determines whether to perform calculation using the measured value, depending on the selection state of the selection button for whether to perform calculation using the measured value (step S5).

[0045] If the control unit 10 determines to use the measured values ​​for calculation (S5: YES), it controls the printing unit 9 to multiply each nutrient value per 100 g registered in the product master by the actual measured value of the measuring unit 7, and prints the result as the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on a label in accordance with the first format (step S6). The printing unit 9 issues a label on which the weight, price, product name, and amount of nutritional components are printed in accordance with the first format (step S7). Then, the processing of FIG. 6 ends.

[0046] On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines not to use the measured values ​​for calculation (S5: NO), it controls the printing unit 9 to multiply each nutrient value per 100g registered in the product master by the quantitative value entered by the operator, and prints the result as the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on a label in accordance with the first format (step S8). The printing unit 9 issues a label on which the weight, price, product name, and amount of nutritional components are printed in accordance with the first format (step S7). Thereafter, the processing of FIG. 6 ends.

[0047] On the other hand, if the control unit 10 determines that the acquired weight of the food exceeds the weight threshold (S4: NO), it controls the printing unit 9 to multiply each nutrient component value per 100g registered in the product master by the actual weighing value of the weighing unit 7, calculate the result, and print the result on a label in accordance with the second format as the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food (step S9). The printing unit 9 issues a label on which the weight, price, product name, and amount of nutritional components are printed in accordance with the second format (step S7). Thereafter, the processing of FIG. 6 ends.

[0048] In product processing devices that print nutritional content on food labels, the printed content must comply with predetermined labeling standards. Previously, even when the weight of a food item was small, the quantitative value entered by the operator was used. However, for foods whose prices are determined by weight, several different labeling standards, such as per serving, per package, or per sheet, may be applicable. In this case, assuming the above-described operation, manually switching the format to use the actual weight measured by the weighing unit 7 when the weight of the food item is small places a burden on the worker. In stores and other locations that handle a variety of foods, manually setting the labeling standards based on the weight of the food items is prone to errors and may increase the worker's workload.

[0049] In this regard, in the measurement label printer 1 described above, when the weight of a food item is equal to or less than a preset weight threshold, the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food item is printed on the label in a first format (see FIG. 5(a)). When the weight of the food item exceeds the weight threshold, the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food item is printed on the label in a second format (see FIG. 5(b)). Therefore, for example, in cases where different labeling standards may be applied depending on weight, by presetting the weight threshold according to the labeling standard, the label is automatically printed in a format corresponding to the labeling standard. This reduces the burden on the worker, who would otherwise have to manually adjust the printed content to meet the labeling standard. Therefore, in a measurement label printer 1 that prints nutritional component amounts according to the weight of a food item on a label, the burden on the worker to meet the predetermined labeling standard can be reduced.

[0050] The memory unit 10a stores a weight threshold for each of a plurality of foods. The weighing label printer 1 includes an operation unit 5 that accepts an operation to designate one of the plurality of foods. The control unit 10 controls the printing unit 9 using the weight threshold corresponding to the designated food. As a result, the weight threshold is automatically switched when an operator designates one of the plurality of foods, and the label format can be automatically switched using the weight threshold appropriate for each food.

[0051] The first format is a format for printing the amount of nutritional components on the label according to the weight of the food, with one portion as the unit (see Figure 5(a)), and the second format is a format for printing the amount of nutritional components on the label according to the weight of the food, with the food package as the unit (see Figure 5(b)).This makes it possible to automatically switch between printing the amount of nutritional components on the label according to the weight of the food, using the format with one portion as the unit, or printing the amount of nutritional components on the label according to the weight of the food, using the format with the food package as the unit, depending on whether the weight of the food is below the weight threshold.

[0052] The first labeling standard RG1 is a food labeling standard in which the first format is a format in which the amount of nutritional components per serving is printed on the label according to the weight of the food (see Figure 5(a)), and the second labeling standard RG2 is a food labeling standard in which the second format is a format in which the amount of nutritional components per package is printed on the label according to the weight of the food (see Figure 5(b)). This makes it possible to automatically switch between printing the amount of nutritional components per serving or per package on the label depending on whether the weight of the food is below the weight threshold.

[0053] The device includes a designation unit that accepts an operation to select whether to treat a food as a measured food sold at a price according to weight, or as a fixed-quantity food sold at a fixed price by regarding it as a predetermined fixed weight, and the control unit controls the printing unit to print the amount of nutritional components according to the fixed weight on the label in accordance with a first format when it is selected to treat the food as a fixed-quantity food. Thus, when an operator selects to treat the food as a fixed-quantity food, the format can be automatically switched to the first format and the amount of nutritional components according to the fixed weight can be printed on the label.

[0054] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not necessarily limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0055] In the above embodiment, a weighing label printer 1 is used as an example of a product processing device, but the present invention is not limited to this example. Fig. 7 is an external perspective view of a product processing device according to a modified example. An example of a product processing device according to the modified example is a weighing, packaging, and pricing device 101. The weighing, packaging, and pricing device 101 is a device that weighs and packages products, and then issues and affixes printed labels on which product information related to the products is printed to the products.

[0056] As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the weighing, packaging, and pricing device 101 includes a weighing section 102, a packaging section 103, a printing section 104, an attaching section 105, and a control unit 110 (control section).

[0057] The weighing unit 102 weighs the products. The weighing unit 102 is provided in the center of the front of the main body 101a. The weighing unit 102 has a weighing pan 121 that weighs the weight of products such as food placed on a tray when a load is applied to a load sensor such as a load cell, and a conveying mechanism 123 that conveys the products placed on the weighing pan 121 to the packaging unit 103.

[0058] The packaging unit 103 packages the products weighed by the weighing unit 102 in a stretch film. The packaging unit 103 has a lift mechanism 131 that lifts the products to a predetermined position, a film roll support mechanism 132 that supports the stretch film, a film delivery mechanism 133 that delivers the stretch film to a predetermined position, a folding mechanism 134 that folds the stretch film onto the bottom of the product, and a sealing mechanism 135 that seals the stretch film. The lift mechanism 131 lifts the products received from the weighing unit 102 to a predetermined position and lifts the stretch film stretched to the predetermined position by the film delivery mechanism 133 from below. The folding mechanism 134 folds the stretch film lifted by the product onto the bottom of the product to package it. The sealing mechanism 135 heat-seals the stretch film folded onto the bottom of the product by the folding mechanism 134.

[0059] The printing unit 104 prints and issues a label with information such as the product name, unit price, and price, as well as the amount of nutritional ingredients. The printing unit 104 is disposed above the folding mechanism 134 and the sealing mechanism 135. The printing unit 104 is configured integrally with the pasting unit 105. The labels printed by the printing unit 104 may be the same as the labels described in the above embodiment.

[0060] The affixing unit 105 affixes the printed label issued by the printing unit 104 to the product packaged by the packaging unit 103. The affixing unit 105 is provided so as to be movable between the printing unit 104 and the product to which the printed label is to be affixed. The affixing unit 105 affixes the printed label received from the printing unit 104 to a predetermined position on the product packaged in film.

[0061] The display panel (designation unit) 106 is provided on the top of the main body 101a. The display panel 106 is a touch panel that accepts operations from the operator and displays various information. The display panel 106 accepts an operation to designate one of multiple foods to be weighed from the displayed product list. The display panel 106 may display a screen for registering details of the unit nutritional component amount similar to that shown in FIG. 3 above, and may also display operation buttons labeled "Yes" and "No" and an input value for the "weight threshold."

[0062] Control unit 110 is disposed on top of main body 101a. Control unit 110 controls various operations of weighing, packaging, and pricing device 101. In the modified weighing, packaging, and pricing device 101, when a product is placed on weighing pan 121, the product's weight is measured by a load sensor supporting weighing pan 121. When control unit 110 determines that the product's weight measured by weighing section 102 has stabilized, control unit 110 controls conveying mechanism 123 to convey the product to packaging section 103, controls packaging section 103 to package the product, controls printing section 104 to print a label, and controls affixing section 105 to affix the label to the product packaged by packaging section 103. Memory section 110a stores unit nutrient amounts per unit weight of food in the product master. The storage unit 110a stores a first format corresponding to a first display standard and a second format corresponding to a second display standard different from the first display standard as formats for printing the amounts of nutritional components on a label. The storage unit 110a stores a weight threshold for each of a plurality of foods.

[0063] The processing of the control unit 110 regarding the printing of labels can be similar to the processing of the control unit 10 in the above embodiment shown in FIG.

[0064] Another example of the product processing device may be a face-to-face electronic scale 201 equipped with a main body operation unit 205 and a customer side operation unit 205B as shown in FIG.

[0065] The electronic scale 201 includes a main body case 203, a main body operation unit 205, a weighing unit 207, a printing unit 209, and a control unit 210 (control unit).

[0066] The main body operation unit 205 has a store clerk operation unit 205A (designation unit) located on the front of the main body case 203, and a customer operation unit 205B located on the rear of the main body case 203. The store clerk operation unit 205A may be configured to include a touch panel that accepts operations from the operator and displays various information, and fixed keys. The store clerk operation unit 205A accepts an operation to designate one of multiple foods to be weighed from the displayed product list. The store clerk operation unit 205A may display a screen for registering details of unit nutrient amounts similar to that shown in FIG. 3 above, and may also display operation buttons labeled "Yes" and "No" and an input value for a "weight threshold."

[0067] The weighing unit 207 is disposed on the upper part of the main body case 203. The weighing unit 207 mainly includes a weighing pan 207A, a load cell, a signal processing circuit, and a transmission module, all of which are not shown.

[0068] The printing unit 209 prints information such as the product name, unit price, and price of the product, as well as the amount of nutritional components on the label. The printing unit 209 is configured to be able to use strip-shaped linerless labels. Instead of linerless labels, the printing unit 209 may use a label roll with a liner attached and wound around it.

[0069] The control unit 210 is a part that controls various operations in the electronic scale 201, and the CPU, ROM, and RAM are connected to each other via bus lines such as an address bus and a data bus. The control unit 210 executes various control processes in the electronic scale 201.

[0070] When the operator selects the product to be weighed from the product list displayed on the store clerk operation unit 205A, the control unit 210's processing for issuing a label can be similar to the processing of the control unit 10 in the above embodiment shown in Figure 6.

[0071] In the above embodiment, it was possible to choose whether to treat food as measured food, sold at a price according to weight, or as fixed quantity food, sold at a fixed price assuming a predetermined fixed weight, but this choice is not required and only one option may be used.

[0072] In the above embodiment, the first labeling standard RG1, which prints "per serving" as the food unit, and the second labeling standard RG2, which prints "per package" as the food unit, are exemplified, but the first format and the second format are not limited to these examples. For example, if food labeling standards change from these, the first format and the second format that conform to the changed food labeling standards may be used.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the memory unit 10a stores a weight threshold for each of a plurality of foods, but this is not a requirement. For example, the memory unit 10a may store a weight threshold for a single product, or a common weight threshold for a plurality of foods. Furthermore, the operation unit 5 receives a touch operation on the touch panel to designate one of a plurality of foods, but this is not limited to this example. For example, the operation may be a call operation using the fixed key 5A via a call number associated with the product. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1...weighing label printer (product processing device), 5...operation unit (designation unit), 7, 102, 207...weighing unit, 9, 104, 209...printing unit, 10, 110, 210...control unit (control unit), 10a, 110a...memory unit, 101...weighing packaging and pricing device (product processing device), 106...display panel (designation unit), 201...electronic scale (product processing device), 205A...store clerk operation unit (designation unit), RG1...first display standard, RG2...second display standard.

Claims

1. A product processing device that prints on a label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of food, a printing unit that prints the nutritional component amounts on the label; a weighing unit that acquires the weight of the food; a memory unit that stores unit amounts of nutrients per unit weight of the food; a control unit that controls the printing unit to print the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on the label based on the weight of the food and the unit amount of nutritional components, the storage unit stores, as formats for printing the nutritional component amounts on the label, a first format corresponding to a first display standard and a second format corresponding to a second display standard different from the first display standard; The control unit If the weight of the food is equal to or less than a preset weight threshold, controlling the printing unit to print on the label an amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food in accordance with the first format; If the weight of the food exceeds the weight threshold, the product processing device controls the printing unit to print the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the weight of the food on the label in accordance with the second format.

2. the storage unit stores the weight threshold for each of the plurality of foods; a designation unit that accepts an operation to designate one of the plurality of foods; The product processing device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the printing unit using the weight threshold value corresponding to the designated food item.

3. the first format is a format for printing on the label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food in units of one serving of the food, The product processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second format is a format for printing on the label the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food product per package of the food product.

4. The first labeling standard is a food labeling standard in which the first format is a format in which the food unit "per serving" and the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food are printed on the label, 3. The product processing device according to claim 1, wherein the second labeling standard is a food labeling standard in which the second format is a format in which the food unit "per package" and the amount of nutritional components according to the weight of the food are printed on the label.

5. a designation unit that accepts an operation to select whether the food is to be treated as a measured food product sold at a price according to its weight, or as a fixed quantity food product that is considered to have a predetermined fixed weight and sold at a fixed price; 3. The product processing device according to claim 1, wherein when the food is selected to be treated as the fixed-quantity food, the control unit controls the printing unit to print the amount of nutritional components corresponding to the fixed weight on the label according to the first format.

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