Label printer and label printer control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11396193-B2
Application number	US-202017098250-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 13, 2020
Priority date	Jan 15, 2020
Publication date	Jul 26, 2022
Grant date	Jul 26, 2022

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a label printer for printing labels attached to a mount is provided. The label printer includes detection unit configured to detect a peel-off state of a label to be printed and a printing unit configured to control printing of labels on the mount according to the detected peel-off state of the label to be printed. When the detected peel-off state is total peel-off, the printing unit is configured to advance the mount to a next label on the mount, and when the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to not print on the label.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A label printer for printing labels attached to a mount, comprising:
a detection unit configured to detect a peel-off state of a label to be printed; and
a printing unit configured to control printing of labels on the mount according to the detected peel-off state of the label to be printed, wherein
if the detected peel-off state is total peel-off, the printing unit is configured to advance the mount to a next label on the mount, and
if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to not print on the label.

2. The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to issue an error notification.

3. The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to halt the printing of labels.

4. The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to advance the mount to the next label on the mount.

5. The label printer according to claim 4 , wherein the printing unit is configured to automatically print on the next label after the mount advances to the next label.

6. The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is total peel-off, the printing unit is configured to automatically print on the next label after the mount advances to the next label.

7. The label printer according to claim 1 , wherein the label printer operates in one of a label peel-off issue mode in which label printing and label peel-off from the label mount are alternately repeated and a label continuous issue mode in which printing is continuously executed on each of a plurality of labels.

8. The label printer according to claim 7 , wherein
in the label peel-off issue mode, each printed label is peeled off the label mount one by one at time of issue, and
in the label continuous issue mode, printed labels are continuously issued without peeling off from the label mount until a target number of printed labels is reached.

9. The label printer according to claim 8 , wherein, if in the label continuous issue mode when the detection unit detects a total peel-off of the label to be printed, the printing unit advances the label mount and executes printing on a label located on the label mount after the totally peeled-off label to be printed.

10. The label printer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor each configured to detect light transmitted through the label mount while the label mount is conveyed along a conveyance path, wherein
the detection unit is further configured to determine the peel-off state based on output of the sensor.

11. A label printer configured to print labels disposed in series on a continuous label mount, the label printer comprising:
a detector configured to detect a peel-off state of a label to be printed;
a print head for printing of labels on the mount;
a printing control unit configured to control the printing of labels on the mount according to the detected peel-off state of the label to be printed, wherein
if the detected peel-off state is total peel-off, the printing unit is configured to advance the mount to a next label on the mount, and
if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to not print on the label.

12. The label printer according to claim 11 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to issue an error notification.

13. The label printer according to claim 11 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to halt the printing of labels.

14. The label printer according to claim 11 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off, the printing unit is configured to advance the mount to the next label on the mount.

15. The label printer according to claim 14 , wherein the printing unit is configured to automatically print on the next label after the mount advances to the next label.

16. The label printer according to claim 11 , wherein if the detected peel-off state is total peel-off, the printing unit is configured to automatically print on the next label after the mount advances to the next label.

17. The label printer according to claim 11 , wherein the detector includes a sensor configured to detect an intensity of light transmitted through the label mount.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing therein a program, which when executed, causes a label printer to perform a method comprising:
conveying a label mount having a plurality of labels thereon along a conveyance path adjacent in part to a print head;
detecting a peel-off state of a label to be printed;
advancing the label mount to a next label on the label mount when the detected peel-off state is total peel-off; and
not printing on the label when the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , the method further comprising:
issuing an error notification and halting printing of labels when the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 18 , the method further comprising:
advancing the mount to the next label on the label mount if the detected peel-off state is partial peel-off.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Takahashi Kota

Classifications

• B41J11/42

  Controlling {printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering} · CPC title

• B41J3/4075 Primary

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J29/393

  Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine {; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns} · CPC title

• B41J11/0095

  Detecting means for copy material, e.g. for detecting or sensing presence of copy material or its leading or trailing end · CPC title

• B65C2210/0043

  electrically actuated · CPC title