Printing device and control method of a printing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10137708-B2
Application number	US-201715643835-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2017
Priority date	Aug 13, 2015
Publication date	Nov 27, 2018
Grant date	Nov 27, 2018

Abstract

A printer that partially cuts roll paper to leave an uncut portion prevents paper jams from reversing the roll paper. A printer 1 has a print unit 41 for printing images on roll paper R; a cutter unit 46 disposed downstream in the conveyance direction from the print unit for cutting the roll paper and leaving an uncut portion; a conveyance unit 42 for conveying the roll paper in the conveyance direction or a reverse direction that is the opposite of the conveyance direction; and a controller 40 that executes a reversing process conveying the roll paper in reverse by the conveyance unit 42 when the roll paper is separated from the paper roll at the uncut portion after the cutter unit 46 cuts the roll paper, and not executing the reversing process in specific circumstances in which the roll paper remains connected through the uncut portion.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printing device comprising:
a print mechanism that prints images on roll paper stored in the printing device;
a cutter disposed downstream in a conveyance direction from the print mechanism and configured to cut the roll paper while leaving an uncut portion;
a communicator that receives receipt production control commands, said receipt production control commands instructing issuing a receipt printed with information including transaction information by the print mechanism; and cutting of the roll paper by the cutter;
a conveyance mechanism that conveys the roll paper in the conveyance direction or a reverse direction that is opposite to the conveyance direction; and
a controller that executes a reversing process that conveys the roll paper in the reverse direction by the conveyance mechanism if the receipt is separated from the roll paper at the uncut portion after the roll paper is cut by the cutter, and does not execute the reversing process in a specific situation when the receipt remains partially connected to the roll paper through the uncut portion.

2. The printing device described in claim 1 , further comprising:
the specific situation being a situation other than when the controller causes the print mechanism to print images and the cutter to cut the roll paper based on the receipt production control commands received by the communicator.

3. The printing device described in claim 1 , further comprising:
a cover that opens and closes an opening to a storage compartment holding the roll paper, and
a cover detection sensor that detects the cover;
the controller executing an automatic cutting process to cut the roll paper by the cutter after conveying the roll paper in the conveyance direction by the conveyance mechanism when the cover detection sensor detects that the cover is closed; and
the specific situation being a situation in which the cover detection sensor detects that the cover is closed and an automatic cutting process was executed by the controller after a specific event occurred.

4. The printing device described in claim 3 , further comprising:
a paper detector that detects the roll paper;
the specific event being a situation in which the paper detector detects that there is no roll paper during conveyance by the conveyance mechanism.

5. The printing device described in claim 3 , wherein
the conveyance mechanism is configured to convey the roll paper by holding the roll paper between a thermal head and a platen roller; and
the specific event is a situation in which the cover detection sensor detects that the cover is open during conveyance by the conveyance mechanism.

6. The printing device described in claim 1 , wherein:
the specific situation is a situation in which unprocessed receipt production control commands are stored in volatile memory when the controller causes images to be printed by the print mechanism and then causes the roll paper to be cut by the cutter based on one receipt production control command.

7. A control method of a printing device comprising a print mechanism that prints images on roll paper stored in the printer, a cutter disposed downstream in a conveyance direction from the print mechanism and configured to cut the roll paper while leaving an uncut portion, a communicator that receives receipt production control commands instructing issuing a receipt printed with information including transaction information by the print mechanism and cutting the roll paper by the cutter, and a conveyance mechanism that conveys the roll paper in the conveyance direction or a reverse direction that is the opposite conveyance direction;
the control method comprising:
executing a reversing process of conveying the roll paper in the reverse direction by the conveyance mechanism if the receipt is separated from the roll paper at the uncut portion after the roll paper is cut by the cutter, and
not executing the reversing process in a specific situation in which the receipt remains partially connected to the roll paper through the uncut portion.

8. The control method of a printing device described in claim 7 ,
the specific situation being a situation other than when the print mechanism prints an image and the cutter cuts the roll paper based on one of the received receipt production control commands.

9. The control method of a printing device described in claim 7 ,
wherein the specific situation being detecting that a cover configured to open and close an opening to a storage compartment holding the roll paper is closed, the conveyance mechanism conveying the roll paper in the conveyance direction, and further indicating an automatic cutting process in which the cutter cuts the roll paper executing after a specific event occurred.

10. The control method of a printing device described in claim 9 , wherein
the specific event is detecting there is no roll paper during conveyance by the conveyance mechanism.

11. The control method of a printing device described in claim 9 , wherein
the specific event is detecting the cover is open during conveyance by the conveyance mechanism.

12. A printing device comprising:
a print mechanism configured to print on a paper drawn out from a roll paper stored in the printing device;
a cutter disposed downstream in a conveyance direction from the print mechanism and configured to cut the paper while leaving an uncut portion;
a communicator configured to receive a control command, the control command instructing printing by the print mechanism; or cutting of the paper by the cutter;
a conveyance mechanism configured to convey the paper in the conveyance direction or a reverse direction that is opposite to the conveyance direction; and
a controller configured to execute a reversing process that conveys the paper in the reverse direction by the conveyance mechanism if the paper is separated from the roll paper at the uncut portion after the paper is cut by the cutter, and do not execute the reversing process in a specific situation when the paper remains partially connected to the roll paper through the uncut portion.

13. The printing device described in claim 12 , further comprising:
the specific situation being a situation other than when the controller causes the print mechanism to print and the cutter to cut the paper based on the control command received by the communicator.

14. The printing device described in claim 12 , further comprising:
a cover configured to open and close an opening to a storage compartment holding the roll paper, and
a cover detection sensor configured to detect the cover;
the controller executing an automatic cutting process to cut the paper by the cutter after conveying the paper in the conveyance direction by the conveyance mechanism when the cover detection sensor detects that the cover is closed; and
the specific situation being a situation in which the cover detection sensor detects that the cover is closed and an automatic cutting process was executed by the controller after a specific event occurred.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Motoyama Hiroyuki
• Tsuchiya Norio

Classifications

• B26D2001/0066

  having shearing means, e.g. shearing blades, abutting blades · CPC title

• B41J11/663 Primary

  Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image · CPC title

• B26D1/085

  for thin material, e.g. for sheets, strips or the like · CPC title

• B41J11/666

  Cutting partly, e.g. cutting only the uppermost layer of a multiple-layer printing material · CPC title

• B41J29/38

  Drives, motors, controls or automatic cut-off devices for the entire printing mechanism · CPC title