PRINT APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD FOR THE SAME

• US 20100238255A1
• Filed: 03/02/2010
• Published: 09/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Tec Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Inaba, Hiroyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,300,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 347/218
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/009 Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/46 by marks or formations on the paper being fed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/663 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 Class Codes: B65H 23/1882 and controlling longitudinal register of web
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/5151 transversally to feeding direction
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2511/512 Marks, e.g. invisible to the human eye; Patterns
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2801/12 Single-function printing machines, typically table-top machines
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/543 Sensing means responsive to work indicium or irregularity

Abstract

One of mark sensors is automatically selected in accordance with specifications of a thermal sheet. A cutting position on the thermal sheet is decided on the basis of an output of the selected one mark sensor.

Claims

1. A print apparatus comprising:

a printer which prints information on a sheet while carrying the sheet;

a cutting section which cuts the sheet on which printing is carried out by the printer;

plural mark sensors provided along a direction orthogonal to a carrying direction of the sheet, the plural mark sensors detecting one or plural marks on the sheet; and

a controller which carries the sheet and selects one of the mark sensors on the basis of an output of each of the mark sensors during the carrying, and which decides a cutting position on the sheet to be cut by the cutting section on the basis of the output of the selected mark sensor.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the mark is a mark made up of a black block serving as a reference for deciding the cutting position on the sheet and is printed at one of an edge position and a central position in the direction orthogonal to the carrying direction of the sheet and at positions at predetermined intervals along the carrying direction of the sheet.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the sheet is set, the controller carries the sheet to a predetermined standby position and selects one mark sensor, of the mark sensors, which outputs a mark detection signal first during the carrying.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sheet is a rolled thermal sheet.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a sheet setting section for removably setting the thermal sheet therein.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the printer is a statement printer having at least one thermal head, and while pulling out a forward edge of the thermal sheet set in the sheet setting section and carrying the thermal sheet, the printer prints information on one of a face side and a back side of the thermal sheet.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein when the thermal sheet is set in the sheet setting section, the controller carries a forward edge of the thermal sheet to a predetermined standby position and selects one mark sensor, of the mark sensors, which outputs a mark detection signal first during the carrying.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the controller holds a result of the selection until a next thermal sheet is set in the sheet setting section.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising a discharge port for discharging a cut piece of the thermal sheet that is cut by the cutting section.

10. A print apparatus comprising:

a first printer which prints information on a sheet while carrying the sheet;

a second printer which prints information on a passbook while carrying the passbook;

a cutting section which cuts the sheet on which printing is carried out by the first printer;

plural mark sensors provided along a direction orthogonal to a carrying direction of the sheet, the plural mark sensors detecting one or plural marks on the sheet; and

a controller which carries the sheet and selects one of the mark sensors on the basis of an output of each of the mark sensors during the carrying, and which decides a cutting position on the sheet to be cut by the cutting section on the basis of the output of the selected mark sensor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the mark is a mark made up of a black block serving as a reference for deciding the cutting position on the sheet and is printed at one of an edge position and a central position in the direction orthogonal to the carrying direction of the sheet and at positions at predetermined intervals along the carrying direction of the sheet.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein when the sheet is set, the controller carries the sheet to a predetermined standby position and selects one mark sensor, of the mark sensors, which outputs a mark detection signal first during the carrying.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sheet is a rolled thermal sheet.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a sheet setting section for removably setting the thermal sheet therein.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the first printer is a statement printer having at least one thermal head, and while pulling out a forward edge of the thermal sheet set in the sheet setting section and carrying the thermal sheet, the first printer prints information on one of a face side and a back side of the thermal sheet, and

the second printer is a passbook printer having a dot matrix head and prints information on the passbook while carrying the passbook.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein when the thermal sheet is set in the sheet setting section, the controller carries a forward edge of the thermal sheet to a predetermined standby position and selects one mark sensor, of the mark sensors, which outputs a mark detection signal first during the carrying.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the controller holds a result of the selection until a next thermal sheet is set in the sheet setting section.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a fascia section which functions both as a discharge port for discharging a cut piece of the thermal sheet that is cut by the cutting section and as an entrance and exit for taking in and out the passbook.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the second printer carries the cut piece of the thermal sheet cut by the cutting section to the fascia section.

20. A control method for a print apparatus including:

a printer which prints information on a sheet while carrying the sheet;

a cutting section which cuts the sheet on which printing is carried out by the printer; and

plural mark sensors provided along a direction orthogonal to a carrying direction of the sheet, the plural mark sensors detecting one or plural marks on the sheet,

the method comprising;

carrying the sheet and selecting one of the mark sensors on the basis of an output of each of the mark sensors during the carrying; and

deciding a cutting position on the sheet to be cut by the cutting section on the basis of the output of the selected sensor.