Conventionally, a double-sided label strip or continuum with no backing sheet is known. It is made by laminating a first sheet and a second sheet. On each back side or inward facing surface of the first sheet and the second sheet, an adhesive and a remover are formed alternately at positions where the adhesive of one sheet attaches temporarily to the remover of the other sheet.
When the double-sided label continuum without the backing sheet as described above is clamped with pressure between a platen roller and a thermal head and is printed, the adhesive is spread by the pressure. This generates problems because the adhesive may attach to the neighboring adhesives or to another sheet, or the adhesive may protrude from the outer edge of the label. In order to prevent such problems, a double-sided label continuum is used in which a gap is provided respectively between neighboring adhesives on the surface of a sheet.
However, when printing is made on the double-sided label continuum having the above described gap 58, this generates a problem that printing precision decreases, because appropriate pressure necessary for printing is not applied to a portion of the coloring layer which is pressed to the platen roller 59 through the gap 58 and performs printing, the heat generation of the thermal head 60 is not transmitted to the coloring layer, and so printing is not made in the part.
Patent literature 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication No. 2005-272623
The present invention has been made in view of the above described problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a printer and a printer platen roller which are configured and arranged to provide an appropriate pressure suitable for printing on a printing paper that was made by laminating a first sheet and a second sheet through a gap, and to do so by filling the gap.
The present invention relates to a platen roller provided with a projecting portion protruding outward in a radial direction of a roller body. A printer comprises a feed section for feeding a print paper comprised of a first sheet and a second sheet laminated to the first sheet across a gap and comprises a print section for printing the print paper. The print section comprises a thermal head and a platen roller opposed to the thermal head. The platen roller comprises a shaft rotatably supported to extend in a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the print paper, a cylindrical roller body disposed on the shaft, and at least one projecting portion protruding outward in a radial direction from the roller body for filling the gaps between projecting portions with the roller body and the projecting portion pressing on the print paper. Further, such a configuration may be used where the print section comprises a first thermal head located upstream in a feeding direction of the print paper for printing a first surface of the print paper, a first platen roller opposed to the first thermal head, a second thermal head located downstream in the feeding direction of the print paper for printing a second surface of the print paper, and a second platen roller opposed to the second thermal head. Further, another configuration may be used where the platen roller comprises a shaft rotatably supported in the direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the print paper, a plurality of cylindrical roller bodies disposed at spaced intervals along the shaft, and a projecting roller located between the roller bodies and protruding outwardly in a radial direction of the roller bodies for filling the gap by pressing on the print paper. The invention also relates to a printer platen roller for clamping and feeding a print paper wherein the paper has a first sheet and a second sheet laminated to the first sheet across a gap by pressing the print paper to a thermal head. The roller comprises a shaft rotatably supported in a direction perpendicular to a feeding direction of the print paper, a cylindrical roller body disposed on the shaft, and a projecting portion protruding outward in a radial direction of the roller body for filling the gap substantially by pressing the print paper.
By using the printer and the printer platen roller of the present invention, when printing is performed on a print paper having a first sheet and a second sheet laminated to the first sheet across a gap, it becomes possible to apply appropriate pressure necessary for printing uniformly on the print paper with a simple configuration of only a structure of the platen roller, without using any expensive and complicated equipment such as a controller, etc. The printer of the invention makes it possible to keep print quality at a predetermined level. The printer platen roller of the invention makes it possible to deal with a print paper having a different gap dimension, etc., by a simple operation.
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The example 1 shall be described with reference to
The label supply section 2 is configured so as to mount a rolled double-sided label continuum L to a label supply reel 8, and to supply the double-sided label continuum L to the label feed section 3.
The label feed section 3 is comprised of a guide roller 9, a label width regulating guide 10, a driven roller 11, and a drive roller 12. The guide roller 9 is disposed rotatably at an upstream position from the label print section 5 and guides the label continuum, without a backing paper, so that the continuum is fed to the label print section 5. The label width regulating guide 10 is located between the guide roller 9, and the driven roller 11 and the drive roller 12. By regulating the width of the double-sided label continuum L, each of a plurality of projecting portions 32 of a first platen roller 17 to be described later, feed the double-sided label L to the label print section 5 so that the projecting portions of and the paper mate with a corresponding gap 58 without causing serpentine of the label across the feeding direction. The drive roller 12 and the driven roller 11 are opposed to each other on an upstream side of the label print section 5, and on a downstream side of the label width regulating guide 10, so as to clamp and feed the label continuum L without a backing paper to the label print section 5 while preventing generation of serpentine and slack. One end of the shaft of the drive roller 12 is connected to a motor (not shown) through a belt, and is configured to rotate in either the feeding direction or the opposite direction by a force transmitted from a drive source. In addition, the label width regulating guide 10, the driven roller 11 and the drive roller 12 may be located between a label detection section 4 and a first print section 15, or between a first print section 15 and a second print section 16, so that each of the plurality of projecting portions 32 of a first platen roller 17 and a second platen roller 19 may mate within a corresponding gap 58 without a lateral shift.
A label detection section 4 is comprised of a light emitter 13 and a light receiver 14. The light emitter 13 and the light receiver 14 are located on the upstream side of the label print section 5, and on the downstream side of the label feed section 3, and at a back surface side of the double-sided label continuum L. On the back, outwardly facing surface of the double-sided label continuum L, marks (not shown) that reflects light emitted from the light emitter 13 are printed at equal length intervals. The label detection section 4 detects a position and a feeding amount of the double-sided label continuum L, by emitting light from the light emitter 13 to the back surface of the and double-sided label continuum L and receiving the light reflected from the marks at the light receiver 14.
A label print section 5 is comprised of a first print section 15 and a second print section 16. The first print section 15 is comprised of a first platen roller 17 and a first thermal head 18. The first platen roller 17 is opposed to the back surface side of the double-sided label continuum L and the first thermal head 18 is opposed to the front surface side of the double-sided label continuum L. The platen roller and the thermal head clamp the double-sided label continuum L by applying a predetermined pressing force and print on the surface of the double-sided label continuum L and then feed the printed one. The second print section 16 is comprised of a second platen roller 19 and a second thermal head 20. The second platen roller 19 is opposed to the front surface side of the double-sided label continuum L and the second thermal head 20 is opposed to the back surface side of the double-sided label continuum L. The platen roller 19 and the thermal head 20 clamp the double-sided label continuum L by applying a predetermined pressing force and print on the surface of the double-sided label continuum L and then feed the printed one to a label cut section 6.
The label cut section 6 comprises an upper cutter 21 and a lower cutter 22. The upper cutter 21 and the lower cutter 22 are opposed on a downstream side of the label print section 5, so that a blade of the upper cutter 21 mates with a blade of the lower cutter 22. The double-sided label continuum L is clamped between the upper cutter 21 and the lower cutter 22, and is cut by driving the lower cutter 22.
A control section 7 comprises CPU, ROM, RAM, etc.(not shown), and is connected to the above mentioned sections 2, 3, 4 through a data bus (not shown), and controls the operation of each section.
Next, the first platen roller 17 and the second platen roller 19 are described in detail.
A shaft 30 has a cylindrical rod shape and is made of a metal such as a stainless steel. The shape is not limited to the cylindrical rod shape. A cylindrical tube shape or the like is possible. With regard to the material, a resin can be used for the shaft, so that the shaft is not limited to a metal. Both ends of the shaft are pivotally supported by the bearing (not shown) of the double-sided label printer 1 so as to be opposed to the thermal head 18. One end of the shaft is connected to a motor (not shown) through a belt, and is configured to rotate in either the feeding direction or the opposite direction by a force transmitted from a drive source.
A single piece roller body 31 has an empty central axis region and is comprised of an elastic body, such as an urethane rubber, a silicone rubber, etc. The shaft 30 is inserted into the empty central axis and is fixed there. When the shaft 30 is rotationally driven, the roller body 31 is also rotationally driven together with the shaft.
A plurality of projecting portions 32 are provided at predetermined axially spaced intervals along the periphery of the roller body. Each portion 32 has a rectangular shape cross section in the axial direction and protrudes outwardly in a radial direction. The axis direction cross-sectional shape of the projecting portions 32 is not limited to the rectangular shape. For an appropriate pressure to be applied to printing on a first coloring layer 54, a circular shape, an elliptical shape, or the like can be used, for example. A predetermined interval length ‘A’ axially in the shaft 30 direction between each two of the plurality of the projecting portions 32 corresponds to a width ‘G’ of an adhesive 52. When the projecting portion 32 presses the second sheet 51, a remover 53 is rolled up in the direction of an adhesive 52. Therefore, it is desirable for the adhesive 52 to have a length enough for rolling up the remover 53, in addition to ‘G’. A length ‘B’ of the projecting portion 32 in the shaft 30 direction axially corresponds to a width ‘H’ of a gap of the double-sided label continuum L. In order to prevent the adhesive 52 coated on the second sheet 53 from attaching to a protruding second base material 57, it is desirable for the length ‘B’ of the projecting portion to have a length shorter than ‘H’, and to have a length long enough for applying an appropriate pressure to a first coloring layer 54. A height ‘C’ protruding outward in a radial direction as shown in
The double-sided label printer 1 according to the example 1 has the above described configuration. The double-sided label continuum L is supplied by the label supply section 2, the width of the supplied double-sided label continuum L is regulated by the width regulating guide 12 of the label feed section 3, and further the double-sided label continuum L is fed to the label print section 5 while being prevented from serpentine and skewing by being pressure clamped between the driven roller 11 and the drive roller 12. The double-sided label continuum L fed to the label print section 5 is pressure clamped between the first platen roller 17 and the first thermal head 18 being pressed by the press spring 33, at the first print section 15, as shown in
According to the example 1 described as above, even when an appropriate pressure necessary for printing is not applied to the first coloring layer 54 to be printed thereon, due to the existence of the gap 58 between the first sheet 50 and the second sheet 51 of the double-sided label continuum L, the gap 58 is filled, and an appropriate pressure for printing can be applied, by pressing the projecting portion 32 provided along the periphery of the platen roller 17 to another sheet (the second sheet 51). Further, the shaft 30 direction length ‘A’ of the interval between each of the plurality of the projecting portions 32 is set to be longer than the shaft 30 direction length ‘G’ of the adhesive 52, and the shaft 30 direction width ‘B’ of the projecting portions 32 is set to a length to the extent so that an appropriate printing pressure is applied, and to be shorter than the shaft 30 direction width ‘H’ of the gap 58. As a result, it becomes possible to prevent attaching of a protruding other sheet to the adhesive 52, and to prevent that the smoothness of another sheet surface is inhibited thereby, and to operate printing smoothly. Further, by setting the length ‘C’ protruding in a radial direction of the projecting portion 32 to be substantially the same as the thickness ‘I’ of the adhesive 52, the protruding length ‘C’ of another sheet substantially coincides with the thickness ‘I’ of the adhesive 52, and a uniform pressure can be applied to the coloring layer to be printed. Further, only by providing the platen roller 17 with the projecting portion 32, an appropriate pressure for printing can be applied and a printing accuracy can be maintained at a predetermined level, without using an expensive controller or the like which needs space. Further, even when a double-sided label continuum L having a different dimension in any of the adhesive 52, the gap 58, and the remover 53 is used, it is possible to accommodate to the difference, by only replacing the platen roller 17 with one having dimensions of the projecting portion 32 and by being made to correspond to each dimension of the double-sided label continuum L.
In addition, although the length ‘C’ protruding in a radial direction of the projecting portion 32 is set to be substantially the same as the thickness ‘I’ of the adhesive 52, the length ‘C’ can be changed appropriately, depending on an elastic modulus, etc., of the adhesive, since it is enough to apply substantially the same pressure as that at the pressed portion by the body roller 42, when the double-sided label continuum L is pressure clamped between the platen roller 40 and the thermal head 18 and is printed.
In this embodiment, the adhesive is sufficient to hold the sheets together during printing and use, until separation of sheets is performed, and the remover is a material, on the surface of the base material 55 and 57 that prevents contact between the adhesive on one sheet and the surface of the opposing sheet and that also permits subsequent separation of the two sheets, with each sheet keeping its respective stripes of adhesive and of remover after separation.
Next, the first platen roller 40 according to the example 2 shall be described with reference to
The roller body 42 has an empty central axis and is made of an elastic body such as an urethane rubber, a silicone rubber, etc. The shaft 41 is inserted into the empty central axis at a predetermined interval and is fixed. When the shaft 41 is rotationally driven, the roller body 42 is also rotationally driven together. A length ‘D’ of parts of the roller body 42 in the shaft direction corresponds to a width ‘G’ of the adhesive 52. Because a remover 53 is rolled up along an adhesive 52 direction, in a process when a projecting roller 32 presses a second sheet 51 and a gap 58 is filled, it is desirable for the length ‘D’ to have a length enough for winding up the remover 53 in addition to the width ‘G’.
Like the roller body 42, each projecting roller 43 has an empty central axis and is made of an elastic body. The shaft 41 is inserted into the empty central axis through the roller body 42 and is fixed. When the shaft 41 is rotationally driven, each projecting roller 43 is also rotationally driven together. A length ‘E’ of each projecting roller 43 in the shaft 41 direction corresponds to a width ‘H’ of a gap of the double-sided label continuum L. In order to prevent the adhesive 52 coated on the second sheet 53 from attaching to a protruding second base material 57, it is desirable for the length ‘E’ to have a length shorter than width ‘H’, and have a length enough for applying an appropriate pressure to a first coloring layer 54. A radial height ‘F’ of the projecting roller 43 protruding outward in the radial direction corresponds to a thickness ‘I’ of the adhesive 52 when the double-sided label continuum L is pressure clamped between the first platen roller 40 and the first thermal head 18 at printing. It is desirable for the height ‘F’ to have substantially the same length as thickness ‘I’, in order to apply a uniform pressure to a coloring layer 54.
The first platen roller 40 according to the example 2 has the above described configuration. As shown in
According to the example 2 as described above, even when an appropriate pressure necessary for printing is not applied to the first coloring layer 54 to be printed thereon, due to the existence of the gap 58 between the first sheet 50 and the second sheet 51 of the double-sided label continuum L, the gap 58 is filled, and an appropriate pressure for printing can be applied, by pressing the first platen roller 40 to the non-printing sheet (the second sheet 51) so that the second sheet 51 protrudes toward the gap 58. Further, by providing a length of an extent to which the remover 53 can be rolled up, in addition to the width ‘G’ of the corresponding adhesive 52, to the length ‘D’ of the body roller 42 in the shaft 41, rolling up of the remover 53 of the second sheet 51 caused by the pressing can be carried out smoothly without load. By setting the length ‘E’ of the projecting roller 43 to be shorter than the width ‘H’ of the gap 58, and to a length to the extent so that an appropriate printing pressure is applied, the adhesive 52 extending to the shaft 41 by the pressing and attaching to the second base material 57 can be prevented. By setting the length ‘F’ protruding outward in a radial direction of the projecting roller 43 to be substantially the same as the thickness ‘I’ of the adhesive 52 being pressure clamped at printing, about the same pressure as the pressure applied to the portion which is pressed through the adhesive 52 can be applied to the portion of the first coloring layer 54 which is pressed through the gap 58. Further, even if one projecting roller 43 is damaged by abrasion or the like, only the damaged projecting roller 43 should be replaced, and so the cost can be reduced and the work efficiency can be increased. Further, with regard to double-sided label continuums L having different dimension or the like of the gap, the adhesive, and the remover of the double-sided label continuum L, it is possible to accommodate to various double-sided label continuums L, by combining a roller body 42 and projecting rollers 43 corresponding to each dimension or the like.
In addition, although the length ‘F’ protruding outward in a radial direction of the projecting roller 43 is set to be substantially the same as the thickness of the adhesive 52, it is not particularly applicable in a case where the roller body 42 and the projecting roller 43 have different elastic modulus, since it is enough to apply substantially the same pressure as that at the pressed portion by the body roller 42, when the double-sided label continuum L is pressure clamped between the platen roller 40 and the thermal head 18 and is printed.
In this embodiment, a number, a position, a shape or the like of each member is not limited to the embodiment described above. The number, the position, the shape or the like can be set suitably for carrying out the present invention. It is apparent the present invention is not limited to each of the above described embodiments, and the embodiment can be modified appropriately within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2010-284051 | Dec 2010 | JP | national |
2011-021316 | Feb 2011 | JP | national |
The present application is a 35 U.S.C. §§371 national phase conversion of PCT/JP2011/007126, filed Dec. 20, 2011, which claims priority of Japanese Patent Application No. 2010-284051, filed Dec. 21, 2010 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2011-021316, filed Feb. 3, 2011, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein. The PCT International Application was published in the Japanese language. The present invention relates to a printer a printer and a platen roller, and more particularly to a printer and a platen roller for applying appropriate printing pressure to a print paper.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/JP11/07126 | 12/20/2011 | WO | 00 | 6/21/2013 |