Printing device, control method, and program

Abstract

To easily remove a print medium remaining in a printing apparatus after detaching from a conveying path.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 includes: a pair of discharge rollers 10 and 11 for sending out a print medium 20 toward a discharge port 301 at a position of a discharge roller in a transport path of the print medium 20; a charging processing unit that charges at least one of the print medium 20 and one of the discharge rollers 11, so that a coulomb force in a pulling direction is induced between the print medium 20 and one of the discharge roller 11 of the pair of discharge rollers 10 and 11, in which a print medium (medium piece T) separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers 11 by the coulomb force, and is discharged to outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers 10 and 11 rotate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a printing device, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Some printing devices that print on a print medium are equipped with discharge rollers for discharging the print medium that has been printed (printed) based on print data to the outside of the device. For example, some inkjet printers that print by ejecting ink toward the print medium are equipped with discharge rollers that are equipped with suction means for sucking the print medium on the opposite side of the conveyance path to the print surface side in order to discharge the print medium without soiling the print surface of the print medium (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, some printing devices equipped with discharge rollers are capable of cutting a long print medium and discharging the cut print medium to the outside of the device using the discharge rollers. In this type of printing device, for example, a transport roller for transporting the print medium is disposed at or near the position on the transport path of the print medium where printing is performed on the print medium, and a separate discharge roller is disposed between the position where the transport roller is disposed and the position of the discharge port. Also, a cutter for cutting the print medium is disposed between the position where the transport roller is disposed and the position where the discharge roller is disposed on the transport path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2004-196536 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a printing device that prints on a long print medium, the remaining amount of the print medium available for subsequent printing decreases each time printing is performed. For this reason, for example, the remaining amount of the print medium after cutting the print medium may be shorter than the length corresponding to the distance between the position where the print medium is fed by the transport roller on the transport path and the position where the print medium is fed by the discharge roller. If the next printing is performed on the print medium in this state, one end of the print medium may separate from the transport roller before the other end of the print medium reaches the discharge roller, causing the print medium to leave the transport path during printing. If the print medium that has left the transport path remains in the printing device, it may cause transport problems with the print medium in subsequent printing.

[0006] However, some printing devices have protective members arranged to cover the cutter or discharge roller at locations where the printed medium that has detached from the transport path remains (remains), making it difficult to notice that the printed medium is still there and also time-consuming to remove the remaining printed medium.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned circumstances, an object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique that makes it possible to easily remove a print medium that has left the transport path and remains in a printing device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A printing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a transport unit that transports a print medium, a pair of discharge rollers that send the print medium toward an outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit, and a charging processing unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force in an attractive direction between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers, and the print medium that has left the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged outside the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. A roller guard is provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge port position on the transport path to separate the print medium, which has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and has been released from the transport path, from the one of the discharge rollers. .

[0009] A control method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a conveying unit that conveys a print medium, a pair of discharge rollers that send the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a conveying path of the print medium conveyed by the conveying unit, and a charging processing unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force in a direction of attraction between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers. A roller guard is provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge port position on the transport path to separate the print medium, which has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and has been released from the transport path, from the one of the discharge rollers. The printing device charges at least one of the printed medium and one of the discharge rollers using the charging processing unit, and the printed medium that has left the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged outside the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate.

[0010] A program according to one aspect of the present invention includes a transport unit that transports a print medium, a pair of discharge rollers that send the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit, and a charging processing unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force in a direction of attraction between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers. A roller guard is provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge port position on the transport path to separate the print medium, which has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and has been released from the transport path, from the one of the discharge rollers. The printing device executes a process in which the charging processing unit charges at least one of the printed medium and one of the discharge rollers, and the printed medium that has left the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged outside the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the above aspect, the print medium that has left the transport path and remains within the printing device can be easily removed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates an example of an external configuration of a printing apparatus. [Diagram 2]2 is a diagram showing an example of a portion of the left side surface of a main body unit in the printing device of FIG. 1 that is related to the storage and transport of print media. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a left side cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a portion of a transport path for a print medium in the printing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a printing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the printing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining an example of a cause of a medium piece being retained in a retaining portion. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining an example of a cause of a medium piece being retained in a retaining portion. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining an example of processing performed by the printing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) illustrating an example of processing performed by the printing device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 11 is a left side cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a portion of a transport path for a print medium in a printing device according to a second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, a thermal printing device that prints on a long print medium including a thermal material layer based on print data created using an information processing device such as a smartphone or tablet PC will be given as an example of a printing device according to the present invention. Note that in this specification, detailed descriptions of known configurations, functions, operations, processes, etc. of this type of printing device will be omitted.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the external configuration of a printing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a part related to the storage and transport of the print medium on the left side of the main body of the printing device in FIG. 1. "Top", "bottom", "right", "left", "front", and "rear" in FIG. 1 respectively indicate the directions of the printing device 1 installed in the recommended orientation when printing on the print medium 20, as seen by a user facing the surface onto which the print medium 20 is discharged (hereinafter referred to as "front surface"). "Top", "bottom", "front", and "rear" in FIG. 2 respectively correspond to "top", "bottom", "front", and "rear" in FIG. 1. The recommended orientation of the printing device 1 is, for example, an orientation in which the width direction of the printing surface of the print medium 20 (the axial direction of the platen roller 7, etc., described later) is approximately horizontal on a horizontal surface 50 facing upward, such as on a table or desk top or on a floor as illustrated in FIG. 2.

[0015] 1 and 2, a medium roll 21 formed by winding up a long print medium 20 into a roll, and various components such as electronic circuits (not shown) are housed in the internal space of a device housing 2 including a main body 3 and a lid 4 that is detachable from the main body 3. The print medium 20 in the device housing 2 can be discharged to the outside of the device housing 2 from a discharge port 301 provided on the front surface of the main body 3. In addition, a plurality of button switches 5 that accept various inputs related to the operation of the printer 1 and a plurality of LED (Light Emitting Diode) indicators 6 that present various information related to the operating state of the printer 1 are arranged on the front surface of the main body 3.

[0016] 2, the main body 3 is provided with a concave adapter mounting section 302 for mounting the media adapter 22 capable of housing the media roll 21. The media adapter 22 is provided with a pull-out opening (not shown) for pulling out the print medium 20 unwound from the housed media roll 21 to the outside. The print medium 20 pulled out from the media adapter 22 can move along a predetermined transport path from the adapter mounting section 302 of the main body 3 to the discharge opening 301. The underlined number "18" on the media roll 21 and the media adapter 22 indicates the width of the print medium 20 supplied by the media adapter 22.

[0017] In the main body 3, a platen roller 7, a print processing unit 8, a cutting processing unit 9, and a pair of discharge rollers (upper discharge roller 10 and lower discharge roller 11) are arranged along the transport path of the print medium 20. The platen roller 7 is a transport roller that transports the print medium 20. The print processing unit 8 prints on the print medium 20 using a thermal head 801. The cutting processing unit 9 cuts the print medium 20. The discharge rollers (upper discharge roller 10 and lower discharge roller 11) are rollers that send the print medium 20 cut by the cutting processing unit 9, etc., towards the discharge outlet 301.

[0018] The printing device 1 illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 can receive printing data created by a user using an information processing device 30 such as a smartphone or tablet computer, and can print on and cut the printing medium 20 based on the received printing data.

[0019] 1 and 2 is merely one example of a recommended installation direction when printing on the print medium 20. The recommended installation direction of the printing device 1 when printing on the print medium 20 may be selectable between the orientation exemplified in FIGS. 1 and 2 and an orientation in which the axial direction of the platen roller 7 is in the up-down direction and the lid unit 4 is located above the main body unit 3, for example.

[0020] [First embodiment] FIG. 3 is a left-side cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a portion of the transport path of the print medium in the printing device according to the first embodiment. In FIG. 3, a portion of the transport path of the print medium 20 in the printing device 1 according to the present embodiment within the area AR shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 2 is illustrated as a straight line. "Top", "bottom", "front", and "rear" in FIG. 3 correspond to "top", "bottom", "front", and "rear" in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, respectively. The printing position, full cut position, half cut position, discharge roller position, and discharge position shown in FIG. 3 represent representative positions in the transport path of the print medium 20. In addition, the forward direction and reverse direction shown in FIG. 3 represent the transport direction of the print medium 20. Furthermore, the downstream and upstream shown in FIG. 3 represent the relative positional relationship along the transport path and the transport direction on the print medium 20.

[0021] The printing position is a position where printing is performed on the print medium 20 by the thermal head 801. At the printing position, the print medium 20 is clamped between the platen roller 7 and the heating elements 801a of the thermal head 801. The platen roller 7 is coupled to a motor (not shown), and is capable of rotating (forward rotation) in a rotation direction that sends out the print medium 20 in a first direction (forward direction) from the printing position toward the discharge position (the position of the discharge port 301 in the transport path), and rotating (reverse rotation) in a rotation direction that returns the print medium 20 in a direction opposite to the first direction (reverse direction).

[0022] The full cut position is a position where the print medium 20 is cut by the first cutter 901, and the half cut position is a position where the print medium 20 is cut by the second cutter 902. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the full cut position and the half cut position are located between the print position and the discharge position, and the half cut position is located between the full cut position and the discharge position. In this specification, as illustrated in FIG. 3, another position in the first direction as viewed from a certain position on the transport path and the print medium 20 is referred to as a downstream position, and another position in the second direction is referred to as an upstream position. That is, in the transport path illustrated in FIG. 3, the full cut position is located downstream of the print position, and the half cut position is located further downstream of the full cut position.

[0023] The first cutter 901 is, for example, a cutter that cuts the entire print medium 20 at a line at a full-cut position on the print medium 20 to separate it into two. The second cutter 902 is, for example, a cutter that cuts the print medium 20 at a line at a half-cut position on the print medium 20 so that a part located on the upstream side and a part located on the downstream side of the line are kept continuous by a part of the print medium 20. For example, the second cutter 902 cuts only the adhesive tape layer of the print medium 20 having a multi-layer structure including an adhesive tape layer including a heat-sensitive material layer and an adhesive material layer, and a protective layer that protects the adhesive material layer. The second cutter 902 may be, for example, a cutter that puts a perforation in the print medium 20. The first cutter 901 and the second cutter 902 are examples of cutters that are provided in the cutting processing unit 9 and cut the print medium 20. The cutting processing unit 9 may have only the first cutter 901.

[0024] The discharge roller position is a position where the discharge rollers (upper discharge roller 10 and lower discharge roller 11) discharge the print medium 20, and is downstream of the half-cut position. In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, for example, the upper discharge roller 10 is a driven roller that rotates in a rotation direction to send the print medium 20 to the discharge port 301 by the power of a motor, and the lower discharge roller 11 is a driven roller.

[0025] In the transport path illustrated in FIG. 3, when the print medium 20 is clamped at least at one of the two positions, the print position and the discharge roller position, the print medium 20 can be transported in the forward or reverse direction. That is, if the length of the print medium 20 in the transport direction is less than the length corresponding to the distance L0 between the print position and the discharge roller position in the transport path, the print medium 20 may fall off the transport path downward between the print position and the discharge roller position. For this reason, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a retention section 40 between the print position and the discharge roller position, which retains the medium piece T (print medium 20) that has fallen off the discharge path of the print medium 20 in a state in which it can move to the lower discharge roller 11 side (downstream side). In addition, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with a charging device 41 that induces a Coulomb force in the direction of attraction between the medium piece T (print medium 20) retained in the retention section 40 and the lower discharge roller 11. The material of the print medium 20 is, for example, paper (release paper) on one main surface and polyethylene terephthalate resin (protective film) on the other main surface. In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, a device that radiates corona discharge that negatively charges the print medium 20 toward the retention section 40 is used as the charging device 41, and a grounded metal roller is used as the lower discharge roller 11. The lower discharge roller 11 may be, for example, one whose circumferential surface (surface) is a metal layer that is grounded. The charging device 41 that emits corona discharge includes a DC high-voltage power supply 4101 and an electrode needle 4102.

[0026] That is, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the piece of medium T that has left the transport path and is retained in the retention section 40 is attracted to the lower discharge roller 11 by Coulomb force (electrostatic force), one end of which is guided between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11, and sent toward the discharge outlet 301. At this time, a roller guard 305 is provided on a portion of the inner surface 303 of the main body 3 facing the lower discharge roller 11 so that the piece of medium T attracted to the lower discharge roller 11 is separated from the lower discharge roller 11 and discharged from the discharge outlet 301 to the outside of the printing device 1. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, the roller guard 305 is provided by forming a concave surface 304 along the circumferential surface of the lower discharge roller 11 on the portion of the inner surface 303 of the main body 3 facing the lower discharge roller 11 so that the distance G from the lower discharge roller 11 is shorter than the distance corresponding to the thickness of the print medium 20. The piece of media T that is attracted to the lower discharge roller 11 and sent downstream of the discharge roller position separates from the lower discharge roller 11 when its starting end abuts the roller guard 305, and is discharged outside the main body 3 (printing device 1) through the discharge outlet 301.

[0027] 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of the printing device according to the first embodiment. The printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a control unit 100, a storage unit 120, an input unit 130, a display unit 135, a conveyance processing unit 140, a print processing unit 8, a cutting processing unit 9, a discharge processing unit 145, a charging processing unit 150, a sensor 180, and a communication unit 190.

[0028] The input unit 130 is an input device for inputting various information to the printing device 1, and includes, for example, the above-mentioned button switch 5. The display unit 135 is a display device for displaying various information to a user of the printing device 1, and includes, for example, the above-mentioned LED indicator 6.

[0029] The conveying processing unit 140 performs a conveying process (conveying operation) of the print medium 20 under the control of the control unit 100. The conveying processing unit 140 includes, for example, a platen roller 7, a motor connected to the platen roller 7, a drive circuit for driving the motor, and an encoder for detecting the number of rotations (rotation angle) of the platen roller 7. The print processing unit 8 performs a print process (printing operation) on the print medium 20 under the control of the control unit 100. The print processing unit 8 includes, for example, a thermal head 801, a drive circuit for driving the heating element 801a of the thermal head 801, and a thermistor for detecting the temperature of the thermal head 801. The cut processing unit 9 performs a cut process (cutting operation) to cut the print medium 20 under the control of the control unit 100. The cut processing unit 9 includes, for example, a first cutter 801, a second cutter 802, motors connected to each cutter, and a drive circuit for driving the motor. The discharge processing unit 145 performs a discharge process (discharge operation) of the print medium 20 under the control of the control unit 100. The discharge processing unit 145 includes, for example, upper discharge rollers 10, lower discharge rollers 11, a motor connected to the upper discharge rollers 10, and a drive circuit that drives the motor. The discharge processing unit 145 may be configured to perform a conveyance process (discharge operation) in conjunction with the conveyance processing unit 140, for example.

[0030] The charging unit 150 is configured to charge the piece of media T (the print medium 20) retained in the retention unit 40. under The discharge roller 11 and the roller 12 are pulled in opposite directions. hmm The charging unit 150 in the printing apparatus of this embodiment is, for example, the charging device 41 that emits a corona discharge that charges the piece of media T negatively.

[0031] The control unit 100 controls various operations of the printing device 1, including control of the operations of each processing unit, namely, the transport processing unit 140, the print processing unit 8, the cutting processing unit 9, the discharge processing unit 145, and the charging processing unit 150. The control unit 100 in the printing device 1 of this embodiment includes a charging discharge control unit 101. The charging discharge control unit 101 causes the charging processing unit 150 (charging device 41) to perform charging processing when printing is performed on the printing medium 13 after the printing medium 20 is cut by the first cutter 901.

[0032] The control by the control unit 100 is performed, for example, by a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program stored in the storage unit 120. The control unit 100 may be a field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like.

[0033] The storage unit 120 stores various programs executed by the processor serving as the control unit 100, various data used when executing the programs, and the like. The storage unit 120 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121 and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 122. The storage unit 120 includes an internal memory such as a cache built into hardware such as the processor serving as the control unit 100.

[0034] The sensor 180 detects, for example, whether or not the medium adapter 22 is attached, and the width of the print medium 20 supplied from the attached medium adapter 22. The communication unit 190 is a communication interface that communicates with an external device (information processing device 30) such as a smartphone or tablet computer. The communication unit 190 can perform at least one of wireless communication according to a known short-range wireless communication standard and wired communication using a transmission cable such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable.

[0035] When using the printing device 1 of this embodiment, the user creates a print layout using, for example, an information processing device 30 with a specific application installed, and sets the margins, number of copies to be printed, cutting, etc. Thereafter, when the user inputs an instruction to start printing to the information processing device 30, print data is transferred from the information processing device 30 to the printing device 1, and the printing device 1 performs printing on the print medium 20 based on the print data to create a label. When the printing device 1 of this embodiment receives the print data, it performs processing such as that shown in FIG. 5, for example.

[0036] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the printing device according to the first embodiment.

[0037] The printer 1 of this embodiment, which has received print data, first determines whether or not the print data includes an instruction for half-cutting (step S1). The determination in step S1 is performed by the control unit 100. The control unit 100 determines whether or not the print data includes an instruction for cutting (half-cutting) the downstream portion of the area to be printed by the second cutter 902 before printing on the print medium 20. If there is a half-cut instruction (step S1; YES), the printer 1 half-cuts the print medium 20 (step S2), and then prints on the print medium 20 based on the print data (step S3). If there is no half-cut instruction (step S1; NO), the printer 1 omits the half-cutting in step S2 and prints on the print medium 20 (step S3). In step S3, the printing device 1 transports the print medium 20 in the reverse direction so that the print start line, which is a predetermined distance from the starting end (downstream end) of the print medium 20, moves to the printing position on the transport path, and then prints on the print medium 20 using the thermal head 801 while transporting the print medium 20 in the forward direction.

[0038] When printing on the print medium 20 is completed, the printer 1 judges whether the previous full cut end flag is on or not (step S4). The judgment in step S4 is performed by the control unit 100 (more specifically, the charge discharge control unit 101). The previous full cut end flag is a flag indicating whether a cut (full cut) was performed by the first cutter 901 in the process performed before starting the process after step S1 currently being performed, and in this embodiment, it is set to on when a full cut was performed. If the previous full cut end flag is on (step S4; YES), the printer 1 performs a process to induce a Coulomb force in the direction in which the print medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11 attract each other (step S5), and turns off the previous full cut end flag (step S6).

[0039] In the printing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, in step S5, the charging device 41 is operated to perform a process of negatively charging the print medium 20 by corona discharge. For example, the charging device 41 applies a voltage from the DC high-voltage power supply 4101 to the electrode needle 4102 for a short period of about 500 msec under the control of the charge discharge control unit 101. At this time, a weak discharge called corona discharge occurs from the tip of the electrode needle 4102, and the air around the electrode needle 4102 (retention section 40) is negatively ionized, so that the piece of medium T (print medium 20) retained in the retention section 40 is negatively charged. Therefore, if the lower discharge roller 11 is a grounded metal roller, the surface of the lower discharge roller 11 becomes charged with static electricity of the opposite polarity to the piece of medium T, and the piece of medium T is attracted to the lower discharge roller 11 by electrostatic induction.

[0040] If the previous full cut end flag is off (step S4; NO), or if steps S5 and S6 have been performed, the printer 1 then determines whether or not there is an instruction for a full cut (step S7). The determination in step S7 is made by the control unit 100. The control unit 100 determines whether or not the print data includes an instruction to perform a cut (full cut) by the first cutter 901 on a line upstream of the area on the print medium 20 where printing has been performed. If there is a full cut instruction (step S7; YES), the printer 1 fully cuts the print medium 20 (step S8) and turns on the previous full cut end flag (step S9).

[0041] If there is no full cut instruction (step S7; NO), or if steps S8 and S9 have been performed, the printer 1 operates the discharge rollers (upper discharge roller 10 and lower discharge roller 11) (step S10) to transport the print medium 20 in the forward direction. At this time, the piece of medium T that has accumulated in the retention section 40 and has been negatively charged in the above-mentioned step S5 is attracted to the lower discharge roller 11, and is guided between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 by the rotation of the lower discharge roller 11, and is discharged from the discharge port 301 to the outside of the printer 1 together with the print medium 20 that is transported in the forward direction along the transport path.

[0042] After operating the discharge rollers, the printer 1 determines whether or not there is an instruction for continuous printing (step S11). The determination in step S11 is made by the control unit 100. The control unit 100 determines that there is an instruction for continuous printing if the print data includes an instruction to perform the printing in step S3 multiple times and there is printing that has not yet been performed. If there is an instruction for continuous printing (step S11; YES), the printer 1 repeats the processes from step S1 onwards. If there is no instruction for continuous printing (step S11; NO), the printer 1 ends the series of processes based on the print data.

[0043] In this way, when the printing device 1 of this embodiment prints on the print medium 20 after the print medium 20 has been fully cut, it performs a process of inducing a Coulomb force between the print medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11 in an attractive direction, and then operates the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 to perform a transport process of transporting the print medium 20 in the forward direction on the transport path. By performing such a process, when a piece of medium T is retained in the retention section 40, the piece of medium can be automatically discharged together with the print medium 20 on the transport path.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining an example of a reason why a piece of medium gets stuck in the retention section. FIG. 7 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining an example of a reason why a piece of medium gets stuck in the retention section. FIG. 8 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining an example of a process performed by the printing device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining an example of a process performed by the printing device according to the first embodiment. Note that the retention section 40 is omitted from each of FIGS. 6 to 9. Also, the "up" and "down" directions in each of FIGS. 6 to 9 correspond to the directions illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3, respectively.

[0045] Figs. 6(a1) and 6(a2) show an example of the state of the conveyance path when printing is being performed on the printing medium 20 in the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment. As illustrated in (a1), when the remaining length LT of the printing medium 20 is shorter than the length corresponding to the distance L0 from the printing position to the discharge roller position (LT < L0) and longer than the length corresponding to the distance (not shown) from the printing position to the full cut position, the printing apparatus 1 rotates the platen roller 7 forward and performs printing on the printing medium 20 while conveying the printing medium 20 in the forward direction. However, in this case, before the start end 20s of the printing medium 20 conveyed in the forward direction reaches the discharge roller position, the end 20e of the printing medium 20 moves from the upstream side to the downstream side of the printing position. Therefore, as illustrated in (a2), the printing medium 20 detaches from the conveyance path and drops below the conveyance path, and stays in a stay portion 40 not shown as a medium piece T.

[0046] At this time, if there is an instruction to fully cut the printing medium 20 after printing on the printing medium 20, the printing apparatus 1 operates the first cutter 901 in a state where the printing medium 20 has detached from the conveyance path, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 7(a3). Therefore, the printing medium 20 cannot be cut. Moreover, even if the discharge rollers (the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11) are operated, the printing medium 20 is not discharged from the discharge port 301.

[0047] When the printing medium 20 is not discharged from the discharge port 301 in this way, the user of the printing apparatus 1 determines that the printing medium 20 in the media adapter 22 has run out (out of paper), and replenishes the printing medium 20 (media roll 21), for example, as illustrated in Fig. 7(a4). However, as illustrated in Fig. 3, since there is a section covered by a part of the main body 3 between the printing position and the discharge position, when replenishing the printing medium 20, the user may not notice the medium piece T in the stay portion 40. If the user does not notice the presence of the medium piece T, in a conventional printing apparatus, since the medium piece T continues to stay, there is a high possibility of adversely affecting the conveyance and cutting of the printing medium 20.

[0048] In contrast, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, when printing is performed on the print medium 20 after the operation of full-cutting the print medium 20 by the first cutter 801, a process of inducing a Coulomb force in an attractive direction between the print medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11 is performed as described above with reference to FIG. 5 (step S5). Specifically, as illustrated in (a5) and (a6) of FIG. 8, a corona discharge is emitted from the electrode needle 4102 of the charging device 41 toward the retention section 40 (not shown), and the medium piece T retained in the retention section 40 is negatively charged. At this time, if the lower discharge roller 11, which is located downstream of the retention section 40 and below the conveyance path, is a grounded metal roller, a Coulomb force in an attractive direction is induced between the negatively charged medium piece T (print medium 20) and the lower discharge roller 11. Due to this Coulomb force, the medium piece T is attracted to the lower discharge roller 11 rotatably attached to the main body 3.

[0049] Therefore, after the charging device 41 (the charging processing unit 150) is operated, a conveying operation is performed to convey the print medium 20 in the conveying path in the forward direction, and when the lower discharge roller 11 rotates in a rotation direction to send the print medium 20 in the forward direction, the medium piece T is attracted to the lower discharge roller 11, and one end of the medium piece T is guided between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 (i.e., the conveying path), as illustrated in (a7) of FIG. 9. In the printing device 1 of the type illustrated in this embodiment, for example, the distance between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 at the discharge roller position can be changed within a predetermined range so as to be able to handle the discharge of multiple types of print media 20 with different thicknesses. In addition, since the thickness of the print medium 20 is very thin, for example, even if the print media 20 are overlapped, the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 can be operated (rotated) to discharge the overlapped print media 20. Therefore, after the print medium 20 on the transport path is fully cut by the first cutter 901, the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 are operated to discharge the print medium 20 downstream of the full cut position, and the piece of medium T adsorbed to the lower discharge roller 11 is caught between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11 and is sent downstream of the discharge roller position together with the fully cut print medium 20. After passing the discharge roller position, the piece of medium T adsorbed to the lower discharge roller 11 comes into contact with the roller guard 305 provided on the main body 3 and is separated from the lower discharge roller 11, and is discharged to the outside of the printing device 1 from the discharge port 301 together with the print medium 20 (piece of medium T2). In other words, by providing the roller guard 305 on the main body 3, it is possible to prevent the piece of medium T that has been adsorbed to the lower discharge roller 11 and passed the discharge roller position from returning to the retention section 40 while still adsorbed to the lower discharge roller 11. In addition, since the thickness of the print medium 20 is very thin, for example, the print medium 20 (medium pieces) in a stacked state T When the print medium 20 (T1 and T2) passes between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11, clogging (discharge error) and plastic deformation of the print medium 20 due to pressure from the rollers hardly occur. T Since a sufficient amount of time has passed since printing ended, the print medium 20 (medium piece T1 and T2) TThe deterioration of the print quality of the print medium 20 caused by the overlapping of the first and second sheets T1 and T2 is hardly caused.

[0050] In addition, FIG. 6 shows an example in which the remaining length LT of the print medium 20 (medium piece T) is shorter than the length corresponding to the distance L0 from the printing position to the discharge roller position as an example in which the print medium 20 (medium piece T) is retained. However, even if the medium piece T is retained due to other factors, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can quickly discharge the retained medium piece T. For example, as the print medium 20 is consumed, the print medium 20 used for printing becomes closer to the central axis of the medium roll 21 and the curvature becomes larger. Therefore, when the remaining print medium 20 becomes small, the print medium 20 conveyed along the conveying path has a tendency to bend more, and the starting end portion of the print medium 20 conveyed in the forward direction may deviate from the path passing between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11. In such a case, if the print medium 20 is fully cut by the first cutter 901, the print medium 20 downstream of the full cut position may be retained in the retaining portion 40 even if the upper discharge roller 10 is operated (rotated) after cutting. Furthermore, for example, if printing and cutting are performed with the printer 1 installed in a direction other than the recommended direction, the print medium 20 may become detached from the transport path and become stuck. Even if ejection of the cut print medium 20 fails in this way, the printer 1 of this embodiment can eject the print medium 20 (medium piece T) that failed to be ejected to the outside when the next printing is performed.

[0051] As described above, in the printing device 1 of this embodiment, when printing is performed on the print medium 20 after the operation of fully cutting the print medium 20, the charging unit 150 (charging device 41) performs a process of inducing a Coulomb force between the print medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11 in an attractive direction (step S5), and then the discharge roller is operated so that the lower discharge roller 11 rotates in a direction to discharge the print medium 20. By controlling the operation of the printing device 1 to perform such a process, when the print medium 20 (piece of medium T) that has left the transport path becomes stuck, the stuck piece of medium T can be automatically discharged outside the printing device 1 at an early stage without the user being aware of it.

[0052] In addition, the charging processing unit 150 in the printing device 1 of this embodiment is not limited to the charging device 41 that negatively charges the print medium 20 (media piece T) by the above-mentioned corona discharge, but may be any charging device that is capable of electrically performing a charging process that induces a Coulomb force in the attracting direction between the print medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11.

[0053] [Second embodiment] In this embodiment, referring to Figure 10, an example configuration of a charging processing unit 150 that performs a charging process to induce Coulomb's force in the attractive direction between the printed medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11 by charging the lower discharge roller 11 will be described.

[0054] Fig. 10 is a left-side cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a portion of a transport path for a print medium in a printing device according to a second embodiment. Fig. 10 illustrates a linear transport path for a print medium 20 in a printing device 1 of this embodiment, similar to Fig. 3. "Top", "bottom", "front", and "back" in Fig. 10 correspond to "top", "bottom", "front", and "back" in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, respectively.

[0055] In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, instead of the charging device 41 exemplified in the first embodiment, as exemplified in FIG. 10, a static electricity generating member 12 is attached to a concave surface 304 provided in a portion of the inner surface 303 of the main body 3 facing the peripheral surface of the lower discharge roller 11 and contacts the lower discharge roller 11. The combination of the material used for the static electricity generating member 12 and the material of the portion including the peripheral surface of the lower discharge roller 11 is such that static electricity of a polarity that attracts the print medium 20 to the peripheral surface of the lower discharge roller 11 is generated by friction between the lower discharge roller 11 and the static electricity generating member 12 when the lower discharge roller 11 is rotated. As an example of such a combination, for example, the static electricity generating member 12 is made of fur or wool fabric that is relatively easily charged positively, and the portion including the peripheral surface of the lower discharge roller 11 is made of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene that is relatively easily charged negatively. Note that the combination of the materials of the static electricity generating member 12 and the lower discharge roller 11 is not limited to the above and can be changed as appropriate, and can be selected based on a known triboelectric series, for example.

[0056] 10, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided with an inclined surface 4001 in the retention section 40, the distance from which increases toward the downstream side of the transport path. When the printing device 1 is installed and used with such an inclined surface 4001 and the retention section 40 positioned below the transport path, the print medium 20 (piece of medium T) that has left the transport path slides along the inclined surface 4001 in a direction approaching the lower discharge roller 11. At this time, the retention section 40 is configured so that the distance between the downstream end of the inclined surface 4001 and the circumferential surface of the lower discharge roller 11 is shorter than the distance corresponding to the thickness of the print medium 20, preventing the print medium 20 (piece of medium T) from moving further downward through the gap between the retention section 40 and the lower discharge roller 11.

[0057] In the printing device 1 of this embodiment, when the print medium 20 passes between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11, the discharge rollers are operated to rotate the lower discharge roller 11, and the lower discharge roller 11 is charged by friction between the lower discharge roller 11 and the static electricity generating member 12. As described above, if the static electricity generating member 12 is made of fur or wool fabric and the portion including the circumferential surface of the lower discharge roller 11 is made of a resin material such as polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene, the lower discharge roller 11 is negatively charged. In this case, if the print medium 20 has paper (release paper) on one main surface and polyethylene terephthalate resin (protective film) on the other main surface as exemplified in the first embodiment, the electrical state of the print medium 20 can be considered to be positively charged relative to the lower discharge roller 11. For this reason, for example, when the lower discharge roller 11 is negatively charged, a Coulomb force is generated in a direction in which the print medium 20 and the lower discharge roller 11 attract each other. Therefore, like the printing device 1 of the first embodiment, when a piece of printed medium 20 (piece of medium T) that has detached from the transport path becomes stuck, the printing device 1 of this embodiment can automatically eject the stuck piece of medium T outside the printing device 1 at an early stage without the user being aware of it.

[0058] Furthermore, in the printer 1 of this embodiment, the accumulated print medium 20 (medium piece T) can be discharged early without electrical control, which can suppress an increase in power consumption. Also, the printer can be configured at a relatively low cost.

[0059] The static electricity generating member 12 in the printing device 1 of this embodiment only needs to come into contact with the lower discharge roller 11 at a position different from the path that leads the print medium 20 (piece of medium T) retained in the retention section 40 to between the upper discharge roller 10 and the lower discharge roller 11, and be able to charge the lower discharge roller 11 by friction with the rotating lower discharge roller 11. For this reason, the shape of the static electricity generating member 12 and the method of attaching it to the inner surface 303 of the main body 3 are not limited to the form exemplified in Fig. 10, and other forms may also be used.

[0060] 10, the lower discharge roller 11 and the static electricity generating member 12 in the printing device 1 of this embodiment are not limited to being in constant contact with each other, and may be configured, for example, so that the position of the static electricity generating member 12 can be changed between a position in contact with the lower discharge roller 11 and a position spaced apart from the lower discharge roller 11. In such a configuration, the static electricity generating member 12 can be brought into contact with the lower discharge roller 11 to charge the lower discharge roller 11 only when a transport operation is performed to transport the print medium 20 in the forward direction after printing, and the occurrence of poor charging due to wear of the static electricity generating member 12 can be delayed.

[0061] The above-described embodiment is a specific example shown to facilitate understanding of the invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The printing device, the control method, and the program can be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the scope of the claims.

[0062] The retention section 40 is not limited to the box shape as illustrated in FIG. 3 or the shape having an inclined surface 4001 as illustrated in FIG. 10, and may have other shapes. For example, the inclined surface 4001 may be provided in the retention section 40 in the first embodiment described above with reference to FIG. 3. Furthermore, for example, when a box-shaped retention section 40 as illustrated in FIG. 3 is provided, the bottom surface that receives the print medium 20 (medium piece T) that has been separated from the transport path may be provided so as to be inclined with respect to the transport path. Furthermore, the retention section 40 may be, for example, a part of the main body section 3, or may be a member that covers the periphery of the cutting processing section 9 as illustrated in FIG. 2 and is detachable from the main body section 3.

[0063] In addition to or instead of performing the operation for discharging the print medium 20 (medium piece T) that has been removed from the transport path after printing as described above with reference to FIG. 5, the operation may be performed, for example, when the power supply of the printing device 1 is turned on or when the lid unit 4 is attached to the main body unit 3. For example, when the power supply of the printing device 1 is turned on, the print medium 20 (medium piece T) or the lower discharge roller 11 may be charged to transport the print medium 20 on the transport path in the forward direction by a predetermined transport amount, and then the print medium 20 may be transported in the reverse direction by the same transport amount. The printing device 1 that performs the operation for discharging the print medium 20 (medium piece T) that has been removed from the transport path when the power supply of the printing device 1 is turned on or when the lid unit 4 is attached to the main body unit 3 may be, for example, one that does not include the cut processing unit 9. Even in a printing device 1 that does not include the cut processing unit 9, if the remaining amount of the print medium 20 is small, the print medium 20 transported in the forward direction may be removed from the transport path and remain in the printing device 1. Therefore, even when the present invention is applied to a printing device 1 in which the cutting processing unit 9 is omitted, the accumulated pieces of media T can be automatically ejected outside the printing device 1 at an early stage without the user being aware of it.

[0064] 1 and 4, the printing device 1 is not limited to a device that prints based on print data transferred from the information processing device 30, but may be provided with a keyboard that can be used for creating a print layout, and a display that displays information such as the print layout. Furthermore, the printing device 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned thermal type device, but may be a device using other printing methods such as a thermal transfer type or an inkjet type.

[0065] The invention as described in the claims of the original application is set forth below. [Appendix 1] A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a pair of discharge rollers that feed the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit; a charging unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers in a direction of attraction; Equipped with The print medium that has been separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged to the outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. A printing device comprising: [Appendix 2] A cutting unit that cuts the print medium, The discharge roller position is set between a cut position where the cutter cuts the print medium and the discharge port position where the print medium is discharged to the outside of the device, on the transport path. 2. A printing device as described in claim 1. [Appendix 3] A roller guard is provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge port position on the transport path to separate the print medium, which has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and has been released from the transport path, from the one of the discharge rollers. 3. The printing device according to claim 1 or 2. [Appendix 4] the one discharge roller has a metal layer on at least a surface that contacts the print medium, and the metal layer is grounded; The charging unit is a charging device that charges the print medium by emitting a corona discharge to a retention portion where the print medium is retained after being separated from the transport path. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a printer. [Appendix 5] A printing unit that prints on the print medium is further provided. a control unit that charges at least one of the print medium and the one discharge roller by the charging processing unit when the print medium is printed on by the printing unit after the cut unit cuts the print medium; 5. The printing device according to claim 2, further comprising: [Appendix 6] The charging unit is a static electricity generating member that contacts one of the discharge rollers at a position different from the path that guides the print medium separated from the transport path between the pair of discharge rollers and charges the one of the discharge rollers by friction with the rotating one of the discharge rollers. 4. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a printer. [Appendix 7] The one discharge roller is a discharge roller that is disposed below the transport path in the installation direction when the printing device is operated. 7. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is a printer. [Appendix 8] A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a pair of discharge rollers that feed the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit; a charging unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers in a direction of attraction; A printing device comprising: the charging unit charges at least one of the print medium and the one discharge roller, The print medium that has been separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged to the outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. A control method comprising: [Appendix 9] A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a pair of discharge rollers that feed the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit; a charging unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers in a direction of attraction; A printing device comprising: the charging unit charges at least one of the print medium and the one discharge roller, The print medium that has been separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged to the outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. A program characterized by executing a process. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1 Printing device 100 Control section 101 Charge discharge control section 120 Storage section 121 RAM 122 ROM 130 Input section 135 Display section 140 Transport processing section 145 Discharge Processing Unit 150 Electrostatic treatment section 180 Sensors 190 Communications Department 2. Equipment casing 3 Main body 301 Outlet 302 Adapter attachment part 303 Inner surface 304 Concave 305 Roller Guard 4 Lid 5 Button Switch 6. Indicators 7 Platen roller 8 Print processing section 801 Thermal head 9 Cutting section 901 First Cutter 902 Second Cutter 10 Upper discharge roller 11 Lower discharge roller 12 Static electricity generating materials 20 Printing media 20s Beginning 20e termination 21 Media Roll 22 Media Adapter 30 Information processing device 40 Retention part 4001 Slope 41 Charging device 4101 DC high voltage power supply 4102 Electrode needle T, T2 media piece

Claims

1. A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a pair of discharge rollers that feed the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit; a charging unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers in a direction of attraction; Equipped with the print medium separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged to the outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate; a roller guard is provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge port position on the transport path to separate the print medium, which has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and has been released from the transport path, from the one of the discharge rollers; A printing device comprising:

2. A cutting unit that cuts the print medium is further provided, The discharge roller position is set between a cut position where the cutter cuts the print medium and the discharge port position where the print medium is discharged to the outside of the device, on the transport path.

2. The printing device according to claim 1.

3. Further comprising a printing unit that prints on the printing medium, a control unit that charges at least one of the print medium and the one discharge roller by the charging processing unit when the print medium is printed on by the printing unit after the cut unit cuts the print medium; The printing device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

4. the one discharge roller has a metal layer on at least a surface that contacts the print medium, and the metal layer is grounded; The charging unit is a charging device that charges the print medium by emitting a corona discharge to a retention portion where the print medium is retained after being separated from the transport path.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is a printer.

5. The charging unit is a static electricity generating member that contacts one of the discharge rollers at a position different from the path that guides the print medium separated from the transport path between the pair of discharge rollers and charges the one of the discharge rollers by friction with the rotating one of the discharge rollers.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is a printer.

6. The one discharge roller is a discharge roller that is disposed below the transport path in the installation direction when the printing device is operated.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is a printer.

7. A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a pair of discharge rollers that feed the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit; a charging unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers in a direction of attraction; Equipped with A printing device in which a roller guard is provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge outlet position in the transport path to separate the print medium, which has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and has been released from the transport path, from the one of the discharge rollers, the charging unit charges at least one of the print medium and the one discharge roller, The print medium that has been separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged to the outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. A control method comprising:

8. A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a pair of discharge rollers that feed the print medium toward a discharge outlet at a discharge roller position in a transport path of the print medium transported by the transport unit; a charging unit that charges at least one of the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers so as to induce a Coulomb force between the print medium and one of the pair of discharge rollers in a direction of attraction; Equipped with A printing device having a roller guard provided between the discharge roller position and the discharge port position in the transport path, the roller guard separating the print medium that has been attracted to the one of the discharge rollers and that has been released from the transport path from the one of the discharge rollers, the charging unit charges at least one of the print medium and the one discharge roller, The print medium that has been separated from the transport path is attracted to one of the discharge rollers by the Coulomb force, and is discharged to the outside of the device as the pair of discharge rollers rotate. A program characterized by executing a process.

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