阅读说明：本技术 打印机 (Printer with a movable platen ) 是由 水谷浩光 于 2020-03-13 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种打印机包括：打印单元；输送单元；切割单元,用于切割介质以提供分段介质；排出辊；对辊；传感器,用于检测分段介质是否存在于排出辊和对辊之间；和控制器,构造成执行：根据介质种类将操作模式设置为第一模式和第二模式中的一个；控制打印单元和输送单元以在介质上执行第一打印控制；控制传感器以检测分段介质是否已被移开；并且允许执行第二打印控制。当操作模式是第一模式时,在传感器检测分段介质是否已被移开之后,允许第二打印控制。当操作模式是第一模式时,在不控制传感器的情况下允许第二打印控制。(A printer includes: a printing unit; a conveying unit; a cutting unit for cutting the media to provide segmented media; a discharge roller; a pair of rollers; a sensor for detecting whether the segment medium exists between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and a controller configured to perform: setting the operation mode to one of a first mode and a second mode according to the kind of the medium; controlling the printing unit and the conveying unit to perform a first printing control on the medium; controlling a sensor to detect whether the segmented media has been removed; and allows the second printing control to be executed. When the operation mode is the first mode, the second printing control is permitted after the sensor detects whether the segment medium has been removed. When the operation mode is the first mode, the second printing control is permitted without controlling the sensor.)

1. A printer, comprising:

a printing unit configured to perform printing on a medium;

a conveying unit configured to convey the medium in a conveying direction;

a cutting unit located downstream of the printing unit and the conveying unit in the conveying direction, the cutting unit configured to cut the media to provide a segmented media;

a discharge roller located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction;

a counter roller positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller;

a sensor located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction, the sensor configured to detect whether the segment medium is present at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and

a controller configured to perform:

(a) acquiring information indicating a kind of the medium classified into any one of a first kind and a second kind;

(b) setting an operation mode to a first mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) acquisition is the first kind;

(c) setting the operation mode to a second mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) acquisition is the second kind;

(d) when a first print instruction has been acquired, controlling the printing unit and the conveying unit to execute first print control on the medium, the first print control being executed first to execute printing on the medium based on the acquired first print instruction;

(e) after the (d) controlling is completed, controlling the cutting unit to cut the medium;

(f) controlling the sensor to detect whether the segmented media has been removed from a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and

(g) allowing execution of a second print control executed after the first print control based on a second print instruction acquired after the first print instruction to execute printing on the medium,

wherein when the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting, the controller performs (g) permission after performing (f) control, and

wherein when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting, the controller performs (g) permission without performing (f) control.

2. The printer according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit configured to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in a discharge direction, rotation of the discharge roller in the discharge direction causing the segmented media to be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction,

wherein, when the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting, the controller performs (g) permitting when the sensor detects in the (f) control that the segment medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller,

wherein, when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting, the controller is configured to further:

performing (h) driving the driving unit to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in the discharge direction; and is

Performing (g) the allowing after performing (h) the driving.

3. The printer according to claim 1, wherein when the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting, the controller performs (g) permitting when the sensor detects in the (f) control that the segment medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller, and

wherein, when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting, the controller performs (g) permission after an instruction input by a user has been acquired.

4. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a reading unit configured to read the information indicating the kind of the medium from an information storage unit provided at least one of the medium and a cartridge including the medium,

wherein (a) acquiring the information indicating the kind of the medium by the reading unit.

5. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: a receiving unit configured to receive an input of information indicating a kind of the medium by the user,

wherein (a) acquiring the information indicating the kind of the medium by the receiving unit.

6. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sensor is a transmissive photosensor, and

wherein the medium of the second kind has at least one of the following characteristics:

a through hole;

the width is less than the specified width;

the rigidity is less than the specified rigidity;

the light transmittance is greater than a specified level; and

the refractive index is less than a prescribed level.

7. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sensor is a reflective photosensor, and

wherein the medium of the second kind has at least one of the following characteristics:

a through hole;

the width is less than the specified width;

the rigidity is less than the specified rigidity;

the light mirror surface reflectivity is less than a specified level; and

the diffuse reflectance of light is greater than a prescribed level.

8. The printer according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the sensor is a mechanical switch, and wherein the sensor is a mechanical switch

Wherein the medium of the second kind has at least one of the following characteristics:

a through hole;

the width is less than the specified width; and

the stiffness is less than the prescribed stiffness.

9. A printer, comprising:

a printing unit configured to perform printing on a medium;

a conveying unit configured to convey the medium in a conveying direction;

a cutting unit located downstream of the printing unit and the conveying unit in the conveying direction, the cutting unit configured to cut the media to provide a segmented media;

a discharge roller located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction;

a counter roller positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller;

a sensor located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction, the sensor configured to detect whether the segment medium is present at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and

a controller configured to perform:

(a) when a first print instruction has been acquired, controlling the printing unit and the conveying unit to execute first print control on the medium, the first print control being executed first to execute printing on the medium based on the acquired first print instruction;

(b) after the (a) controlling is completed, controlling the cutting unit to cut the medium;

(c) controlling the sensor to detect whether the segment medium exists in a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller after performing the (b) control,

(d) controlling the sensor to detect whether the fragmented media has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller when the sensor detects that the fragmented media exists in the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) control; and

(e) allowing execution of a second print control executed after the first print control based on a second print instruction acquired after the first print instruction to execute printing on the medium,

wherein when the sensor detects that the segment medium exists in a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) control, the controller performs (e) permission after performing (d) control, and

wherein when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control, the controller performs (e) permitting without performing (d) control.

10. The printer according to claim 9, wherein when the sensor detects that the segment medium exists in a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) control, when the sensor detects that the segment medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (d) control, the controller performs (e) permission, and

wherein, when the sensor detects that the segment medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control, the controller executes (e) permission after an instruction input by a user has been acquired.

11. The printer according to claim 9, further comprising a drive unit configured to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in a discharge direction, rotation of the discharge roller in the discharge direction causing the segmented media to be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction,

wherein when the sensor detects that the fragmented media exists in the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) control, the controller performs (e) permitting when the sensor detects that the fragmented media has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (d) control,

wherein, when the sensor detects that the segmented media has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) controlling, the controller is configured to further:

performing (f) driving the driving unit to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in the discharge direction; and is

Performing (e) allowing after performing (f) driving.

12. A printer, comprising:

a printing unit configured to perform printing on a medium;

a platen roller configured to grip the medium in cooperation with the printing unit;

a cutting unit located downstream of the printing unit and the pressure roller in a conveyance direction in which the medium is conveyed, the cutting unit configured to cut the medium to provide a segmented medium;

a discharge roller located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction;

a counter roller positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller;

a sensor located downstream of the discharge roller and the counter roller in the conveying direction, the sensor configured to detect whether the segmented medium is present at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and

a controller configured to perform:

(a) acquiring information indicating a kind of the medium classified into any one of a first kind and a second kind;

(b) setting an operation mode to a first mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) acquisition is the first kind;

(c) setting the operation mode to a second mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) acquisition is the second kind;

(d) when a first print instruction has been acquired, controlling the printing unit and the platen roller to perform printing on the medium based on the acquired first print instruction;

(e) after the (d) controlling is completed, controlling the cutting unit to cut the medium;

(f) controlling the sensor to detect whether the segmented media has been removed from a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and

(g) when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control, allowing reception of a second print instruction, the second print instruction being acquired after the first print instruction to perform printing on the medium; and

(h) when the sensor detects that the segment medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control, preventing reception of the second print instruction, and

wherein, when the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting:

when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (f) control, the controller performs (g) permission; and is

The controller performs (h) blocking when the sensor detects that the segmented medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (f) control; and is

Wherein, when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting:

the controller performs (i) controlling the discharge roller to rotate in the discharge direction; and is

The controller performs (g) permission without performing (f) control, and performs (g) permission after performing (i) control.

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to a printer.

Background

Japanese patent application publication No. 2017-43480 discloses a printer that performs printing on a medium. Once an image is printed on a medium, the medium is conveyed to a portion between a pair of discharge rollers, and cut using a cutter in a state where the medium is nipped at the portion between the pair of discharge rollers. The sensor is configured to detect the presence or absence of media cut by the cutter (hereinafter referred to as "segmented media"). When the detection result of the sensor indicates that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge rollers, a subsequent printing operation may be performed. The subsequent printing operation is executed upon receiving a new printing instruction.

There are various media different from each other in material, width, and the like. These various media can be detected using high performance sensors. In this case, the configuration of the sensor becomes complicated, which leads to an increase in the size and cost of the printer. If a sensor having a simple configuration is used in the printer, it is possible to erroneously detect whether a medium exists in the printer. Therefore, it is possible to allow a subsequent printing operation in a state where the medium is still nipped between the discharge rollers (i.e., the medium has not been moved away from the portion between the discharge rollers). In the latter case, the media printed in the subsequent printing operation may interfere with the media still sandwiched between the paper discharge roller and the counter roller, causing the media to jam in the printer.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the foregoing, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a printer in which jamming of a medium can be avoided while suppressing complexity of a mechanism of a sensor for detecting the medium.

To achieve the above and other objects, according to one aspect, the present disclosure provides a printer including: a printing unit, a conveying unit, a cutting unit, a discharge roller, a counter roller, a sensor, and a controller. The printing unit is configured to perform printing on a medium. The transport unit is configured to transport a medium in a transport direction. The cutting unit is located downstream of the printing unit and the conveying unit in the conveying direction. The cutting unit is configured to cut the media to provide segmented media. The discharge roller is located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction. The counter roller is positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller. The sensor is located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction. The sensor is configured to detect whether the segmented medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller. The controller is configured to perform: (a) acquiring information indicating a kind of a medium, the kind of the medium being classified into any one of a first kind and a second kind; (b) setting the operation mode to the first mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) the acquisition is the first kind; (c) setting the operation mode to the second mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) the acquisition is the second kind; (d) when the first print instruction has been acquired, controlling the printing unit and the conveying unit to execute first print control on the medium, first executing the first print control based on the acquired first print instruction to execute printing on the medium; (e) after the (d) controlling is completed, controlling a cutting unit to cut the medium; (f) controlling a sensor to detect whether the segmented medium has been removed from a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; and (g) allowing execution of a second print control executed after the first print control based on a second print instruction acquired after the first print instruction to execute printing on the medium. When the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting, the controller performs (g) the permission after performing (f) the control. When the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting, the controller performs (g) permission without performing (f) control.

Preferably, the printer includes a drive unit configured to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in a discharge direction, the rotation of the discharge roller in the discharge direction causing the segmented media to be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction. It is also preferred that: when the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting, the controller performs (g) permitting when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control; when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting, the controller is configured to further: performing (h) driving the driving unit to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in the discharge direction; and performing (g) permission after performing (h) driving.

Alternatively, in the printer, preferably: when the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting, the controller performs (g) permitting when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control; and when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting, the controller performs (g) the permission after the instruction input by the user has been acquired.

Preferably, the printer further includes a reading unit configured to read information indicating a kind of the medium from an information storage unit provided at least one of the medium and a cartridge including the medium. It is also preferable that (a) the information indicating the kind of the medium acquired by the reading unit is acquired.

Preferably, the printer further includes a receiving unit configured to receive an input of information indicating a kind of the medium by a user. It is also preferable that (a) the information indicating the kind of the medium is acquired by the receiving unit.

In the printer, preferably: the sensor is a transmissive photosensor; and the second type of media has at least one of the following characteristics: a through hole; the width is less than the specified width; the rigidity is less than the specified rigidity; the light transmittance is greater than a specified level; and a refractive index less than a prescribed level.

In the printer, preferably: the sensor is a reflective photosensor; and the second type of media has at least one of the following characteristics: a through hole; the width is less than the specified width; the rigidity is less than the specified rigidity; the light mirror surface reflectivity is less than a specified level; and diffuse reflectance of light greater than a prescribed level.

In the printer, preferably: the sensor is a mechanical switch; and the second type of media has at least one of the following characteristics: a through hole; the width is less than the specified width; and a stiffness less than the prescribed stiffness.

According to another aspect, the present disclosure provides a printer comprising: a printing unit; a conveying unit; a cutting unit; a discharge roller; a pair of rollers; a sensor; and a controller. The printing unit is configured to perform printing on a medium. The transport unit is configured to transport a medium in a transport direction. The cutting unit is located downstream of the printing unit and the conveying unit in the conveying direction. The cutting unit is configured to cut the media to provide segmented media. The discharge roller is located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction. The counter roller is positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller. The sensor is located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction. The sensor is configured to detect whether the segmented medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller. The controller is configured to perform: (a) when the first print instruction has been acquired, controlling the printing unit and the conveying unit to execute first print control on the medium, first executing the first print control based on the acquired first print instruction to execute printing on the medium; (b) controlling the cutting unit to cut the medium after the control of (a) is completed; (c) controlling a sensor to detect whether the segment medium exists in a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller after performing the (b) control; (d) controlling the sensor to detect whether the fragmented media has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller when the sensor detects that the fragmented media exists in the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control; and (e) allowing execution of a second print control executed after the first print control based on a second print instruction acquired after the first print instruction to execute printing on the medium. When the sensor detects that the segment medium exists in a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control, the controller performs (e) the permission after performing (d) the control. When the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control, the controller performs (e) permitting without performing (d) control.

In the printer, preferably: the controller performs (e) permitting when the sensor detects that the fragmented media exists in the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) control, and when the sensor detects that the fragmented media has moved away from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (d) control; and when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control, the controller performs (e) permission after an instruction input by a user has been acquired.

Alternatively, it is preferable that the printer further includes a drive unit configured to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in the discharge direction, the rotation of the discharge roller in the discharge direction causing the segmented media to be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction. It is also preferred that: the controller performs (e) permitting when the sensor detects that the fragmented media exists in the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (c) control, and when the sensor detects that the fragmented media has moved away from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (d) control; when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (c) control, the controller is configured to further: performing (f) driving the driving unit to drivingly rotate the discharge roller in the discharge direction; and performing (e) allowing after performing (f) driving.

According to yet another aspect, the present disclosure provides a printer comprising: a printing unit; a compression roller; a cutting unit; a discharge roller; a pair of rollers; a sensor; and a controller. The printing unit is configured to perform printing on a medium. The platen roller is configured to grip the media in cooperation with the printing unit. The cutting unit is located downstream of the printing unit and the press roller in a conveying direction in which the medium is conveyed. The cutting unit is configured to cut the media to provide segmented media. The discharge roller is located downstream of the cutting unit in the conveying direction. The counter roller is positioned to face the discharge roller and configured to nip the medium in cooperation with the discharge roller. The sensor is located downstream of the discharge roller and the counter roller in the conveying direction. The sensor is configured to detect whether the segmented medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller. The controller is configured to perform: (a) acquiring information indicating a kind of a medium, the kind of the medium being classified into any one of a first kind and a second kind; (b) setting the operation mode to the first mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) the acquisition is the first kind; (c) setting the operation mode to the second mode when the kind of the medium acquired in (a) the acquisition is the second kind; (d) when the first print instruction has been acquired, controlling the printing unit and the platen roller to perform printing on the medium based on the acquired first print instruction; (e) after the (d) controlling is completed, controlling a cutting unit to cut the medium; (f) controlling a sensor to detect whether the segmented medium has been removed from a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller; (g) when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control, allowing reception of a second print instruction, the second print instruction being acquired after the first print instruction to perform printing on the medium; and (h) preventing reception of the second print instruction when the sensor detects that the segmented medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control. When the operation mode is set to the first mode in the (b) setting: when the sensor detects that the segmented medium has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in the (f) control, the controller performs (g) permission; and the controller performs (h) the blocking when the sensor detects that the segmented medium exists at a portion between the discharge roller and the counter roller in (f) the control. When the operation mode is set to the second mode in the (c) setting: the controller performs (i) controlling the discharge roller to rotate in the discharge direction; and the controller performs (g) permission without performing (f) control, and performs (g) permission after performing (i) control.

Drawings

Particular features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a printer according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1 with the housing of the printer according to the first embodiment partially removed;

fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the area shown in fig. 2, and particularly shows a state in which the discharge roller in the printer according to the first embodiment is in its nipping position;

fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the area shown in fig. 2, and particularly shows a state in which the discharge roller in the printer according to the first embodiment is in its release position;

fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration in the printer according to the first embodiment;

fig. 6 is a flowchart showing a first main routine executed by the CPU in the printer according to the first embodiment;

fig. 7 is a flowchart showing a second main routine executed by the CPU in the printer according to the second embodiment;

fig. 8 is a flowchart showing a third main routine executed by the CPU in the printer according to the third embodiment; and

fig. 9 is a flowchart showing a fourth main routine executed by the CPU in the printer according to the fourth embodiment.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a printer 1 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 4. Note that the configuration of the printer 1 shown in the drawings is merely an example, and is not intended to limit the present disclosure.

In the following description, the direction with respect to the printer 1 will be described based on the posture of the printer 1 shown in fig. 1. Specifically, the obliquely left-lower direction, the obliquely right-upper direction, the obliquely right-lower direction, the obliquely left-upper direction, the upward direction, and the downward direction in fig. 1 are defined as a leftward direction, a rightward direction, a forward direction, a rearward direction, an upward direction, and a downward direction of the printer 1, respectively.

The printer 1 may be connected to an external terminal device (not shown) such as a personal computer and a smartphone via a network and a cable (not shown). The printer 1 is configured to acquire print data from an external terminal apparatus, for example, and print an image on an image recording medium (hereinafter simply referred to as "medium") 5 based on the acquired print data.

As shown in fig. 1, the printer 1 includes a housing 2 and a cover 3. The cover 3 is pivotally movably supported by the housing 2 to open and close the upper open end of the housing 2. The input portion 4 is provided at an upper left corner portion of the front surface of the housing 2. The user of the printer 1 can input various information into the printer 1 by operating the input section 4. The display section 9 is disposed at a position below the input section 4. The display section 9 is configured to display various information thereon.

A discharge port 11 is formed in the front surface of the housing 2 at a right position of the input portion 4. The discharge port 11 is open and extends in the upward/downward direction. The discharge port 11 is configured to discharge a segment medium 51 (described later) to the outside of the casing 2. The cartridge accommodating section 6 is provided at an upper portion of the housing 2. The cartridge accommodating section 6 is recessed downward from the upper opening end of the housing 2. The cartridge 7 is attachable to and detachable from the cartridge accommodating section 6.

As shown in fig. 2, the cartridge accommodating section 6 includes a thermal head 60, a drive shaft 61, a ribbon take-up shaft 62, and a head holder 69. The head holder 69 is located at the left portion of the cartridge accommodating section 6. The thermal head 60 is disposed at the left surface of the head holder 69. The drive shaft 61 is located in front of the head holder 69 and extends in the upward/downward direction. The ribbon take-up shaft 62 is located right behind the head holder 69 and extends in the upward/downward direction.

The shaft 64 is provided at a position on the left side of the rear portion of the cartridge accommodating section 6. The shaft 64 extends in the upward/downward direction, and pivotally movably supports a rear end portion of the platen holder 63. The platen holder 63 rotatably supports the platen roller 65 and the conveying roller 66. The platen roller 65 faces the thermal head 60 from the left side of the thermal head 60. The conveying roller 66 is located at a position in front of the platen roller 65 and faces the drive shaft 61 from the left side of the drive shaft 61. When the platen holder 63 is pivotally moved about the axis of the shaft 64, the front end portion of the platen holder 63 is moved in a direction substantially parallel to the leftward/rightward direction, so that the platen roller 65 and the conveying roller 66 are moved between a position (see fig. 2) close to the thermal head 60 and the drive shaft 61 and a position (not shown) away from the thermal head 60 and the drive shaft 61.

The drive shaft 61, the ribbon take-up shaft 62, the pressure roller 65, and the conveying roller 66 are connected to a conveyor motor 91 (see fig. 5) through gears (not shown). As the conveyor motor 91 starts to be driven, the drive shaft 61, the platen roller 65, and the conveyance roller 66 rotate to convey the medium 5 in the conveyance direction (i.e., forward direction), and the ribbon take-up shaft 62 rotates to take up the ink ribbon 8.

As shown in fig. 3, the printer 1 includes a cutter unit 10 and a discharge unit 20, which are provided in the housing 2 at a position adjacent to and rearward of the discharge port 11. The cutter unit 10 includes a cutting blade 12. The cutting blade 12 is located downstream of both the thermal head 60 and the conveying roller 66 in the conveying direction, and is capable of cutting the medium 5. That is, the cutting blade 12 can completely cut the medium 5 into two separate portions. The cutting blade 12 is connected to a cutter motor 92 (see fig. 5) through a gear (not shown). When the cutter motor 92 starts to be driven, the cutting blade 12 cuts the medium 5.

In the following description, a portion of the media 5 to be cut by the cutting blade 12 is referred to as "segmented media 51" (see fig. 1). That is, of the two separate portions of the medium 5, the segmented medium 51 is a leading portion cut out from the remaining portion of the medium 5 and discharged to the outside of the housing 2.

The discharge unit 20 includes a discharge roller 22, a counter roller 23, a roller holder 25, and a movable mechanism 27. The discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 are located downstream of the cutting blade 12 in the conveying direction. The discharge roller 22 extends in an upward/downward direction at a position to the left of the conveyed medium 5. The counter roller 23 extends in an upward/downward direction at a position to the right of the conveyed medium 5. The discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 face each other in the leftward/rightward direction across the conveyed medium 5. The discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 are made of an elastic material.

The roller holder 25 supports the discharge roller 22 and is formed with an elongated groove 26. Movable mechanism 27 includes rotor 28 and eccentric shaft 29. An eccentric shaft 29 extends upwardly from the rotor 28 and is inserted through the elongated slot 26. Eccentric shaft 29 is eccentric with respect to rotor 28. The rotor 28 is connected to a discharge motor 93 (see fig. 5) via a gear (not shown). A one-way clutch (not shown) is provided at the gear. The discharge motor 93 is driven and can rotate in the forward direction and the reverse direction.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, according to the reverse rotation of the discharge motor 93, the rotor 28 is rotated by the gear, whereby the eccentric shaft 29 moves the roller holder 25 in the left/right direction. In this way, the movable mechanism 27 moves the discharge roller 22 toward and away from the counter roller 23. In the following description, a position where the discharge roller 22 approaches the counter roller 23 is referred to as a "nip position" (see fig. 3), and a position where the discharge roller 22 is positioned on the left side and away from the counter roller 23 is referred to as a "release position" (see fig. 4).

As shown in fig. 3, the discharge roller 22 in the nip position is in contact with the counter roller 23. With this configuration, when the discharge roller 22 is in the nip position, the medium 5 conveyed by the conveying roller 66 is nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. As shown in fig. 4, when the discharge roller 22 is in the release position, the discharge roller 22 is spaced apart from the counter roller 23 by a larger gap compared to the thickness of the medium 5. Thus, the discharge roller 22 in the release position is positioned away from the conveyed medium 5.

When the discharge motor 93 rotates in the forward direction, the discharge roller 22 rotates in the discharge direction, thereby conveying the segment medium 51 downstream in the conveying direction. In the present embodiment, the discharge direction is the clockwise direction in the plan view in fig. 3. Even when the discharge motor 93 is rotating in the forward direction, the rotation of the rotor 28 is prevented by the function of the one-way clutch. Therefore, the discharge roller 22 rotates in the discharge direction while the position of the discharge roller 22 is held at the nip position.

Next, the cartridge 7 will be described next with reference to fig. 2. The configuration of the cartridge 7 will be described based on the posture of the cartridge 7 attached to the cartridge accommodating portion 6. As the cartridge 7, a receptor type, a thermal type, a laminate type cartridge, or the like can be used. Figure 2 shows an exemplary acceptor-type cassette 7.

The cartridge 7 includes a housing 70 and a drive roller 72. The housing 70 is formed at a left front portion thereof with a head opening 71 and a medium discharge opening 73. The head opening 71 penetrates the housing 70 in the upward/downward direction, and opens leftward at a position between the medium discharge opening 73 and the drive roller 72. The head holder 69 and the thermal head 60 are located within the head opening 71. The medium discharge opening 73 is formed at a position on the left side of the head opening 71 and opens forward.

The drive roller 72 is located at a left front corner portion of the housing 70, and extends in an upward/downward direction. The drive roller 72 has a hollow cylindrical shape, and is rotatably supported by the housing 70. The drive shaft 61 is inserted into the drive roller 72. A left end portion of the drive roller 72 is exposed to the outside of the housing 70 to pinch the medium 5 in cooperation with the conveyance roller 66.

Further, the housing 70 is formed with support holes 75, 76, 77, and 78 penetrating the housing 70 in upward/downward directions. The support hole 75 rotatably supports the first medium spool 41, and the first medium is wound on the first medium spool 41. The support hole 76 is configured to rotatably support a second medium spool (not shown) on which the second medium is wound. The support hole 77 rotatably supports the ink ribbon supply spool 43, and the ink ribbon 8 before printing is wound on the ink ribbon supply spool 43. The support hole 78 rotatably supports the ribbon take-up spool 45, and the ink ribbon 8 that has been used for printing is wound on the ribbon take-up spool 45. The ribbon take-up spool 62 is inserted into the ribbon take-up spool 45.

In the receptor type cassette 7, a second medium spool for winding the second medium is not provided, and thus is not shown in the cassette 7 of fig. 2, but the first medium spool 4, the ink ribbon supply spool 43, and the ink ribbon take-up spool 45 for winding the medium 5 as the first medium are provided. As the medium 5, a non-laminated tape, a woven tape, a ribbon tape, and a heat shrinkable tube can be used. With regard to the thermal type cartridge, the second media spool, the ink ribbon supply spool 43 and the ink ribbon take-up spool 45 are not provided, but the first media spool 41 is provided. A thermosensitive tape is used as the first medium.

With regard to the laminate type cartridge, a first media spool 41, a second media spool, an ink ribbon supply spool 43, and an ink ribbon take-up spool 45 are provided. A double-sided adhesive tape is used as the first medium. The membrane tape serves as a second medium. The double-sided adhesive tape is superposed on the film tape at a position between the conveying roller 66 and the driving roller 72, and is discharged together as a laminated tape.

With the above configuration, when the cover 3 (see fig. 1) is closed, the platen roller 65 and the conveying roller 66 move rightward toward the thermal head 60 and the drive shaft 61 and approach the thermal head 60 and the drive shaft 61 from the left side of the thermal head 60 and the drive shaft 61, respectively. Therefore, the platen roller 65 pushes both the medium 5 and the ink ribbon 8 against the thermal head 60 with the medium 5 and the ink ribbon 8 superposed on each other. The transport roller 66 pushes the medium 5 against the drive roller 72.

When the ribbon take-up shaft 62 is rotated in accordance with the driving of the conveyor motor 91 (see fig. 5), the ink ribbon 8 is paid out from the ribbon supply spool 43 as the ink ribbon 8 is taken up by the ribbon take-up spool 45. The paid-out ink ribbon 8 is pulled to the front left portion of the head opening 71 through the medium discharge opening 73, and then moves through a portion between the platen roller 65 and the thermal head 60 to be fed toward the ribbon take-up spool 45.

As the drive shaft 61, the platen roller 65, and the conveyance roller 66 are rotated by the drive of the conveyor motor 91, the medium 5 is paid out from the first medium reel 41. The discharged medium 5 is pulled to the front left portion of the head opening 71 through the medium discharge opening 73. Then, the medium 5 moves through a portion between the platen roller 65 and the thermal head 60 and a portion between the transport roller 66 and the drive roller 72, and is transported toward the cutter unit 10.

Next, an electrical configuration in the printer 1 will be described with reference to fig. 5. As shown in fig. 5, the printer 1 further includes a CPU 81. The CPU81 functions as a processor for executing a first main routine (described later) shown in fig. 6 to perform overall control of the printer 1. The flash memory 82, ROM 83, RAM84, thermal head 60, conveyor motor 91, cutter motor 92, discharge motor 93, input section 4, display section 9, and medium detection sensor 99 are connected to the CPU 81.

The flash memory 82 is a non-transitory storage medium that stores therein a program for the CPU81 to execute the first main routine and print information for the thermal head 60 to perform printing on the medium 5. The ROM 83 is a non-transitory storage medium configured to store therein various parameters required for executing various programs in the CPU 81. The RAM84 is a temporary storage medium configured to store therein temporary data of timers, counters and flags.

The medium detection sensor 99 is located downstream of the cutting blade 12 in the conveying direction, specifically, downstream of the discharge roller 22 (see fig. 3). The medium detecting sensor 99 is a transmission type photosensor, and includes a light emitting portion 991 and a light receiving portion 992. The light emitting portion 991 and the light receiving portion 992 are positioned opposite to each other with respect to the conveyance path of the medium 5 (see fig. 3).

The medium detection sensor 99 is configured to output an ON signal to the CPU81 in the presence of the segment medium 51 nipped at a position between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. On the other hand, the medium detection sensor 99 is configured to output an OFF signal to the CPU81 without nipping the segment medium 51 at a position between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. In this way, the medium detection sensor 99 detects whether the segment medium 51 is nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

Next, a first main routine will be described with reference to fig. 6. In a state where the cartridge 7 is attached to the cartridge accommodating section 6 and the cover 3 is closed, the printer 1 is powered by a user. When power is supplied to the printer 1, the CPU81 expands in the RAM84 program stored in the flash memory 82 to start the first main routine.

As shown in fig. 6, at the start of the first main routine, in S11 the CPU81 executes the media type acquisition process. As described above, the cartridge 7 contains therein various types of media 5 (hereinafter simply referred to as "media types"). Here, the medium 5 has differences in the presence or absence of through holes, width, rigidity, light transmittance, specular reflectance, diffuse reflectance, and refractive index for each medium kind. The user operates the input section 4 to input the media type of the media 5 accommodated in the cassette 7 into the printer 1. In the media type acquisition process, the CPU81 acquires the media type input by the user. The CPU81 stores the acquired media types in the RAM 84.

In S12, the CPU81 determines whether the kind of the medium stored in the RAM84 is the first kind. According to the first embodiment, the kind of medium is classified into any one of the first kind and the second kind according to the presence or absence, width, rigidity, light transmittance, and refractive index of the through hole of the medium 5. Specifically, the media type is classified into a first type when the detection accuracy of the media detection sensor 99 with respect to the media 5 is higher than or equal to a predetermined value, and the media type is classified into a second type when the detection accuracy of the media detection sensor 99 with respect to the media 5 is lower than the predetermined value. That is, the manner of classifying the medium type into one of the first type and the second type depends on the type of the medium detection sensor 99 (see fig. 5).

According to the first embodiment, the medium detecting sensor 99 is a transmission type photosensor. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the medium detection sensor 99 with respect to the medium 5 is higher than or equal to the prescribed value when all of the following conditions are satisfied: the medium 5 is not formed with a through hole; the width of the medium 5 is greater than or equal to a prescribed width; the rigidity of the medium 5 is greater than or equal to a prescribed rigidity; the light transmittance of the medium 5 is less than or equal to a prescribed level; and the refractive index of the medium 5 is greater than or equal to a prescribed level.

On the other hand, the detection accuracy of the medium detection sensor 99 with respect to the medium 5 is lower than the prescribed value when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the medium 5 is formed with a through hole; the width of the medium 5 is smaller than the prescribed width; the rigidity of the medium 5 is less than the prescribed rigidity; the light transmittance of the medium 5 is greater than or equal to a prescribed level; and the refractive index of the medium 5 is less than a prescribed level.

Therefore, the category of the medium 5 satisfying all the following conditions is classified as the first category: the through-hole is absent, the width is greater than or equal to a prescribed width, the rigidity is equal to or greater than a prescribed rigidity, the light transmittance is less than or equal to a prescribed level, and the refractive index is greater than or equal to a prescribed level. On the other hand, the kind of the medium 5 satisfying at least one of the following conditions is classified into a second kind: there are through holes, the width is less than a prescribed width, the stiffness is less than a prescribed stiffness, the light transmittance is greater than a prescribed level, and the refractive index is less than a prescribed level.

The ROM 83 stores therein a table (not shown) associating one of the first category and the second category with the media category in advance. In S12, the CPU81 determines whether the acquired media type is the first type or the second type by referring to the table stored in the ROM 83. When the CPU81 determines that the acquired kind of medium is the first kind (S12: yes), in S13 the CPU81 sets the operation mode to the first mode in the RAM84, and then proceeds to the process in S15. On the other hand, when the CPU81 determines that the acquired kind of medium is the second kind (S12: NO), in S14 the CPU81 sets the operation mode to the second mode in the RAM84, and proceeds to the process in S15. That is, the operation mode of the printer 1 in the first main routine has the first mode and the second mode. As will be described later, after the medium 5 is cut in the process in S25, the CPU81 executes a separate process according to the set operation mode.

In S15, the CPU81 executes the mode notification to notify the user which of the first mode and the second mode the operation mode in the RAM84 is set to. In the first embodiment, the CPU81 performs notification of the mode by displaying the set operation mode on the display section 9. Accordingly, the user can recognize that the operation mode is set to any one of the first mode and the second mode.

Then, in S21, the CPU81 determines whether the CPU81 has acquired a print instruction for executing printing on the medium 5. The print instruction includes print information. The user operates the external terminal device to input a print instruction into the printer 1. When the CPU81 determines that a print instruction has not been acquired (S21: no), the CPU81 waits for and repeatedly executes the processing in S21 until a print instruction is input.

When the CPU81 determines that the CPU81 has acquired a print instruction through a network, a cable, or the like (S21: yes), in S22 the CPU81 controls the discharge motor 93 to reverse to move the discharge roller 22 to the release position (see fig. 4). Therefore, the discharge roller 22 does not prevent the conveyance of the medium 5 when the printing control is executed.

Subsequently, in S23, the CPU81 executes print control. During the printing control, the CPU81 controls the conveyor motor 91 and the thermal head 60 based on the printing information included in the acquired printing instruction. Accordingly, printing is performed on the medium 5 by the thermal head 60 while the medium 5 is conveyed by the conveyance roller 66.

In S24, the CPU81 controls the discharge motor 93 to perform reverse rotation to move the discharge roller 22 to the nip position (see fig. 3). As a result, the medium 5 is nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. In this state, the CPU81 prevents the discharge motor 93 from rotating in the forward direction, which causes the discharge roller 22 to rotate. That is, the medium 5 is held in a state of being nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

In S25, while preventing the forward rotation of the discharge motor 93 (i.e., in a state where the rotation of the discharge roller 22 is stopped), the CPU81 drives the cutter motor 92 to cause the cutting blade 12 to cut the medium 5, thereby providing the segment medium 51.

Next, in S31, the CPU81 determines whether the operation mode stored in the RAM84 is the first mode. When the CPU81 determines that the operation mode stored in the RAM84 is the first mode (S31: yes), the CPU81 proceeds to the process in S32. However, when determining that the operation mode stored in the RAM84 is the second mode (S31: NO), the CPU81 proceeds to the process in S33. As described below, the CPU81 determines whether or not to permit execution of the subsequent printing control under different conditions depending on whether the operation mode is set to the first mode or the second mode in the RAM 84.

In S32, the CPU81 determines whether the segment medium 51 has been removed by the user, that is, whether the segment medium 51 is not present at a position between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23, based on the detection signal output from the medium detection sensor 99. The CPU81 determines that the segment medium 51 is nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 in response to receiving the ON signal sent from the medium detection sensor 99 (S32: no).

In this case, the CPU81 repeatedly executes the process in S32 until the CPU81 determines that the segment medium 51 has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Therefore, unless the CPU81 determines in S32 that the segment medium 51 is not present at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23, the CPU81 cannot receive a new print instruction in S21, thereby preventing the subsequent print control from being executed.

The medium detecting sensor 99 outputs an OFF signal in response to detecting that the user removes the fragmented medium 51 from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. The CPU81 determines that the segment medium 51 has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 in response to the reception of the OFF signal output from the medium detection sensor 99 (S32: yes). In this case, the CPU81 returns to the process in S21.

By this operation, the CPU81 is ready to receive a new print instruction in S21, and therefore, execution of the subsequent print control is permitted. In this way, when the operation mode set in the RAM84 is the first mode, the CPU81 determines whether or not the subsequent printing control is permitted based on the detection signal output from the medium detection sensor 99.

In S33, the CPU81 drives the discharge motor 93 to rotate in the forward direction, thereby rotating the discharge roller 22 in the discharge direction at the nip position (see fig. 3). Accordingly, the segmented medium 51 is discharged downstream from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Then, the CPU81 returns to the process in S21. Therefore, unless the discharge roller 22 rotates in the discharge direction, the CPU81 cannot receive a new print instruction in S21. Therefore, execution of the subsequent printing control is prevented.

On the other hand, after the discharge roller 22 is rotated in the discharge direction in S33, the CPU81 prepares to receive a new print instruction in S21. That is, the subsequent printing control is allowed to be executed. In this way, when the operation mode is set to the second mode in the RAM84, the CPU81 determines whether or not the subsequent printing control can be performed based on whether or not the discharge roller 22 has been rotated in the discharge direction by the forward rotation of the discharge motor 93.

As described above, in the case where the kind of medium is the first kind, even after the printing control is terminated, the subsequent printing control is not allowed to be executed unless the medium detection sensor 99 detects that the segment medium 51 has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Therefore, the printer 1 can reliably prevent the subsequent printing control from being executed in a state where the segmented medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

Further, in the case where the kind of medium is the second kind, even after the printing control is terminated, the subsequent printing control is not allowed to be executed unless the discharge roller 22 is rotated in the discharging direction due to the forward rotation of the discharge motor 93. By this operation, the printer 1 can reliably prevent the subsequent printing control from being executed in a state where the segmented medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

Therefore, regardless of the media type of the medium 5, the printer 1 can prevent the execution of the subsequent printing control in a state where the fragmented medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23, whereby the jamming of the medium in the printer 1 can be suppressed. In the present embodiment, since the medium 5, which is more likely to have been erroneously detected by the medium detecting sensor 99, is classified into the second kind, a sensor having a complicated mechanism for detecting the second kind of the segment medium 51 is not necessary. Therefore, the printer 1 can suppress jamming of the medium without employing the medium detection sensor 99 using a complicated mechanism.

Further, since the printer 1 is provided with the input section 4, the CPU81 can easily acquire the media type of the medium 5 only by the user inputting the media type through the input section 4.

Further, the medium detection sensor 99 is a transmission type photosensor, and the medium kind of the medium 5 is classified into a second kind when at least one of the following conditions is satisfied: the medium 5 is formed with a through hole; the width of the medium 5 is smaller than the prescribed width; the rigidity of the medium 5 is less than the prescribed rigidity; the light transmittance of the medium 5 is greater than or equal to a prescribed level; and the refractive index of the medium 5 is less than a prescribed level. In other words, when the detection accuracy of the sectioned medium 51 using the transmission type photosensor is low, the medium species is classified into the second species. Therefore, the printer 1 can avoid erroneous detection of the presence or absence of the segment medium 51 by the medium detection sensor 99.

Next, a printer 1 according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 7. The mechanical configuration of the printer 1 according to the second embodiment is the same as that in the first embodiment. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the CPU81 executes the second main routine shown in fig. 7 instead of executing the first main routine. In the second main routine, the CPU81 executes the process in S41 instead of the process in S33 of the first main routine. The remaining processes in S11 to S15, S21 to S25, S31, and S32 are the same as those in the first main routine, and thus description about these processes will be omitted to avoid repeated description. When the printer 1 is powered by the user, the CPU81 expands in the RAM84 program stored in the flash memory 82 to start the second main routine.

As shown in fig. 7, when the CPU81 determines in S31 that the operation mode has been set to the second mode in the RAM84 (S31: no), in S41 the CPU81 determines whether a move-away completion instruction has been acquired. The removal completion instruction is a user instruction indicating that the user has removed the segmented medium 51 from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. That is, after the user removes the segment medium 51 from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23, the user inputs a removal completion instruction into the printer 1 by operating the input portion 4.

When the CPU81 determines in S41 that the removal completion instruction has not been acquired (S41: NO), the process in S41 is repeatedly executed until the removal completion instruction is input. When the CPU81 determines that the removal completion instruction has been input through the input section 4 (S41: YES), the CPU81 returns to the process in S21. Therefore, unless the CPU81 determines in S41 that a removal completion instruction has been acquired, the CPU81 cannot receive a new print instruction in S21, thereby preventing execution of subsequent print control. After the CPU81 has acquired the removal completion instruction in S41, the CPU81 may receive a new print instruction in S21, thereby allowing subsequent print control to be executed.

In this way, in the case where the operation mode is set to the second mode in the RAM84, the CPU81 determines whether or not the subsequent printing control can be permitted based on whether or not a removal completion instruction has been input from the user.

According to the second embodiment, in the case where the media type of the medium 5 belongs to the second type, the subsequent printing control is not permitted to be executed unless the removal completion instruction has been acquired after the current printing control is terminated. The user can remove the segment medium 51 from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 and then input a removal completion instruction to the printer 1. By this operation, the printer 1 can restrict execution of the subsequent printing control while the segment medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, the printer 1 according to the second embodiment can avoid jamming of the segmented medium 51 without complexity of the mechanism of the medium detection sensor 99.

Next, a printer 1 according to a third embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 8. The mechanical configuration of the printer 1 according to the third embodiment is the same as that of the first and second embodiments. The third embodiment is different from the first and second embodiments in that a third main routine is executed instead of the first main routine in the first embodiment and the second main routine in the second embodiment. In the third main routine, the CPU81 does not execute the processing in S11 to S15 executed in the first and second main routines (see fig. 6 and 7), and executes the processing after S25 different from the first and second main routines. In fig. 8, the same processing as in the first and second embodiments will be designated by the same step numbers as those shown in fig. 6 and 7 to avoid repetitive description. When the printer 1 is powered by the user, the CPU81 expands in the RAM84 program stored in the flash memory 82 to start the third main routine.

As shown in fig. 8, at the start of the third main routine, in S21, the CPU81 determines whether a print instruction has been acquired without performing the processing of S11 to S15 (see fig. 6 and 7). After cutting the medium 5 by the cutting blade 12 to provide the segmented medium 51 in S25, the CPU81 determines whether the segmented medium 51 is still nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 based on the detection signal output from the medium detection sensor 99 in S51. When the CPU81 determines that the segment medium 51 is nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 (S51: YES), the CPU81 proceeds to the process in S52.

On the other hand, when the CPU81 determines in S51 that the segment medium 51 is not present at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 (S51: no), the CPU81 proceeds to the process in S53. As described below, the CPU81 determines whether or not to permit execution of the subsequent printing control based on the determination in S51 as to whether or not the divided medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

In S52, the CPU81 determines whether the fragmented media 51 that has been nipped between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 has been removed therefrom, based on the detection signal output from the media detection sensor 99. In this way, the CPU81 can determine whether the user has removed the segmented medium 51 from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

When the CPU81 determines that the segment medium 51 has been removed from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 by the user (S52: YES), the CPU81 returns to the process in S21. In this case, the CPU81 may receive a new print instruction in S21, and thus, allow the subsequent print control to be executed.

On the other hand, when the CPU81 determines that the segment medium 51 still exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 (S52: no), the CPU81 waits and repeatedly executes the processing in S52 until the segment medium 51 is removed from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 (i.e., until the OFF signal is output from the medium detection sensor 99). At this time, the CPU81 cannot receive a new print instruction in S21, thereby preventing execution of the subsequent print control. In this way, in a case where the presence of the segment medium 51 has been detected by the medium detection sensor 99 in S51, the CPU81 determines whether or not to permit execution of the subsequent printing control based on the detection signal output from the medium detection sensor 99.

In S53, the CPU81 executes an alarm notification to prompt the user to input a removal completion instruction to execute the subsequent print control. In the third embodiment, the CPU81 performs the alarm notification by controlling the display section 9 to display the alarm information thereon. As a result, the user can recognize that a removal completion instruction for performing the subsequent printing control needs to be input.

Subsequently, in S54, the CPU81 determines whether a removal completion instruction has been acquired. When it is determined in S54 that the removal completion instruction has been acquired through the input section 4 (S54: YES), the CPU81 returns to the process in S21. In this case, the CPU81 may receive a new print instruction in S21, thereby causing the subsequent print control to be permitted to be executed.

On the other hand, when the CPU81 determines that the removal completion instruction has not been acquired (S54: NO), the CPU81 waits and repeatedly executes the processing in S54 until the removal completion instruction is input. In this case, since the CPU81 cannot receive a new print instruction in S21, execution of the subsequent print control is prohibited. In this way, in a case where the presence of the segment medium 51 has not been detected by the medium detection sensor 99 in S51, the CPU81 determines whether or not to permit execution of the subsequent printing control based on whether or not the removal completion instruction has been input.

According to the third embodiment, when the presence of the supplied segment medium 51 has been detected by the medium detection sensor 99 after the medium 5 has been cut by the cutting blade 12, the subsequent printing control cannot be performed unless the supplied segment medium 51 has been removed by the user. By this operation, the printer 1 according to the third embodiment can reliably prevent the subsequent printing control from being executed in a state where the segmented medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

For example, in the case of using the medium 5 whose presence or absence is likely to be erroneously detected by the medium detection sensor 99, there is a possibility that the supplied segment medium 51 is not detected by the medium detection sensor 99 after the medium 5 has been cut. In this case, unless the removal completion instruction has been acquired, the subsequent printing control is not allowed to be executed. Before the removal completion instruction is input, the user is urged to remove the segment medium 51 from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Therefore, the printer 1 can prevent the subsequent printing control from being executed in a state where the segmented medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

By the above operation, regardless of whether the first kind of media 5 or the second kind of media 5 is used, the printer 1 can reliably prevent the subsequent printing control from being performed while the segment medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Therefore, jamming of the medium in the printer 1 can be suppressed. Therefore, there is no need for a sensor having a complicated mechanism for detecting the segmented medium 51 whose presence or absence may be erroneously detected. Therefore, the printer 1 can suppress jamming of the medium without employing the medium detection sensor 99 having a complicated mechanism.

A printer 1 according to a fourth embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 9. Note that the mechanical configuration of the printer 1 according to the fourth embodiment is the same as that in the first to third embodiments. The fourth embodiment is different from the first to third embodiments in that a fourth main routine is executed instead of the first to third main routines in the first to third embodiments. In the fourth main routine, the CPU81 executes the process in S61 instead of the process in S54 in the third main routine in the third embodiment. In fig. 9, the same processing as in the first to third embodiments will be denoted by the same step numbers as those shown in fig. 6 to 8 to avoid repetitive description. When the printer 1 is powered on, the CPU81 expands in the RAM84 program stored in the flash memory 82 to start the fourth main routine.

As shown in fig. 9, when the CPU81 determines that the fragmented media 51 is not present at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 (S51: no), in S53 the CPU81 performs an alarm notification to notify the user that the fragmented media 51 will be automatically discharged from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Through this operation, the user can recognize that the user needs to pick up the segmented medium 51 to be automatically discharged from the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23.

Then, in S61, the CPU81 drives the discharge motor 93 to rotate in the normal direction to rotate the discharge roller 22 at the nip position in the discharge direction, and returns to the process in S21. As a result, the CPU81 can receive a new print instruction in S21 and allow the subsequent print control to be executed. In other words, unless the discharge roller 22 is rotated in the discharge direction in S61, the CPU81 cannot receive a new print instruction in S21, thereby preventing the subsequent print control from being executed. In this way, when it is determined in S51 that the segment medium 51 is not present at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23, the CPU81 determines whether or not to permit the execution of the subsequent printing control in response to whether or not the discharge roller 22 is rotating in the discharge direction caused by the forward rotation of the discharge motor 93.

According to the fourth embodiment, when the segmented medium 51 provided by the cutting operation of the cutting blade 12 is not detected, unless the discharge roller 22 is rotated in the discharge direction by the forward rotation of the discharge motor 93, the subsequent printing control is prevented from being executed. Therefore, the printer 1 can reliably prevent the subsequent printing control from being executed in a state where the segmented medium 51 exists at the portion between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23. Therefore, similar to the third embodiment, the printer 1 according to the fourth embodiment can suppress jamming of the medium while avoiding the complication of the mechanism of the medium detection sensor 99.

Although the detailed description has been made with reference to the first to fourth embodiments, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made thereto.

For example, according to the first and second embodiments, the CPU81 performs notification of the mode by displaying the set operation mode on the display section 9. However, the printer 1 may be equipped with an LED and/or a speaker so that the CPU81 can perform notification of the mode by turning the LED on and off and/or outputting a sound from the speaker. Further, the CPU81 may transmit an instruction to the external terminal apparatus through a network or a cable to prompt notification of the execution mode. In this case, when an instruction is received from the printer, the external terminal apparatus executes notification of the mode through the display section of the external terminal apparatus.

Alternatively, the CPU81 may not perform notification of the mode. Further, the alarm notification performed in the third and fourth embodiments may be modified in the same manner as the notification of the above-described mode.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the user inputs a print instruction by operating an external terminal apparatus. In contrast, a print instruction can be input into the printer 1 by the user's operation of the input section 4. Further, in the second and third embodiments, the removal completion instruction is input into the printer 1 by the user operating the input portion 4. However, the removal completion instruction may be input to the printer by operating the external terminal device.

The discharge roller 22 in the nip position may be positioned to face the counter roller 23 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the medium 5. Further, the discharge roller 22 at the releasing position may be separated from the counter roller 23 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the medium 5, provided that the load applied to the medium 5 by the discharge roller 22 to push the medium 5 toward the counter roller 23 is smaller than the load applied by the discharge roller 22 at the nip position.

Further, the discharge roller 22 may not be movable between the nip position and the release position. For example, the discharge roller 22 may be fixedly positioned in contact with the counter roller 23, or may be fixedly positioned spaced apart from the counter roller 23 with a gap smaller than the thickness of the medium 5. Alternatively, the counter roller 23 may be movable relative to the discharge roller 22. Still alternatively, both the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 may be movable. Further, in addition to the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23, a member for nipping the medium 5 during the cutting operation by the cutting blade 12 may be provided.

In the first to fourth embodiments, the counter roller 23 may be a non-rotatable member, that is, may not be a roller. In this case, a plate-like member may be used instead of the counter roller 23. Further, at least one of the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 may be formed of a material other than an elastic material. Further, in the second and third embodiments, the discharge roller 22 may be a non-rotatable member. That is, a plate-like member may be used instead of the roller.

According to the first and second embodiments, the kind of the medium 5 is classified into the second kind when the medium 5 satisfies at least one of the following conditions: the medium 5 has a through hole; the width of the medium 5 is smaller than the prescribed width; the rigidity of the medium 5 is less than the prescribed rigidity; the light transmittance of the medium 5 is greater than a prescribed level; and the refractive index of the medium 5 is less than a prescribed level. In contrast, when the medium 5 satisfies at least two of the above conditions, the kind of the medium 5 may be classified into the second kind. Incidentally, the kind of the medium may be classified into any one of the first kind and the second kind according to other conditions.

According to the first and second embodiments, a transmission type photosensor is used as the medium detecting sensor 99. However, a reflection type photoelectric sensor and a mechanical switch may also be used as the medium detection sensor 99.

When a reflection type photoelectric sensor is employed as the medium detection sensor 99, the kind of the medium 5 may be classified into any one of the first kind and the second kind according to at least one of the following conditions: i.e. presence or absence of through holes, width, stiffness, optical specular reflectivity and diffuse reflectivity.

For example, the category of the medium 5 that satisfies all of the following conditions may be classified as the first category: that is, there is no through-hole, the width is equal to or greater than the prescribed width, the rigidity is equal to or greater than the prescribed rigidity, the specular reflectance is equal to or greater than the prescribed level, and the diffuse reflectance is equal to or less than the prescribed level; and the category of the medium 5 satisfying at least one of the following conditions may be classified as a second category: that is, there are through holes, the width is less than a prescribed width, the rigidity is less than a prescribed rigidity, the specular reflectance is less than a prescribed level, and the diffuse reflectance is greater than a prescribed level.

In the latter case, when the detection accuracy of the medium 5 detected by the reflection type photosensor is low, the kind of the medium 5 is classified into the second kind. Accordingly, the printer 1 can avoid erroneous detection of the presence or absence of the segment medium 51 by the medium detection sensor 99. Incidentally, the kind of the medium may be classified into any one of the first kind and the second kind according to other conditions.

In the case where a mechanical switch is used as the medium detection sensor 99, when the segment medium 51 comes into contact with the mechanical switch, the mechanical switch outputs an ON signal to the CPU 81. When the segment medium 51 is not in contact with the mechanical switch, the mechanical switch outputs an OFF signal to the CPU 81. Accordingly, the mechanical switch can detect whether or not the segmented medium 51 sandwiched between the discharge roller 22 and the counter roller 23 exists.

In this case, the kind of the medium 5 is classified into one of the first kind and the second kind according to at least one of the following conditions: presence or absence of a via; width and stiffness. For example, the media category may be classified as a first category when the media 5 satisfies all of the following conditions: the medium 5 is not formed with a through hole; the width of the medium 5 is equal to or greater than the prescribed width; and the rigidity of the medium 5 is equal to or greater than the prescribed rigidity. On the other hand, when the medium 5 satisfies at least one of the following conditions, the medium kind may be classified into a second kind: the medium 5 is formed with a through hole; the width of the medium 5 is smaller than the prescribed width; and the rigidity of the medium 5 is less than the prescribed rigidity.

In the latter case, the kind of the medium 5, the presence or absence of which may be erroneously detected by the mechanical switch, belongs to the second kind, so the printer 1 can suppress jamming of the medium due to the medium detection sensor 99 erroneously detecting the fragmented medium 5. Incidentally, the kind of the medium may be classified into one of the first kind and the second kind according to other conditions.

A recording portion (not shown) such as a QR code (registered trademark), a barcode, and an RF (radio frequency) tag may be provided on at least one of the housing 70 and the medium 5. For example, in the case where the recording portion is provided at the medium 5, it is preferable to attach the recording portion to a core (e.g., the first medium reel 41) of the medium 5. The recording portion stores therein information indicating a kind of medium corresponding to the medium 5 accommodated in the housing 70. Further, the housing 70 may be provided with an identification portion (not shown). In this case, the identification portion has the form of a pattern of projections or depressions indicating the kind of the medium 5 accommodated in the housing 70.

The cartridge 7 may be provided with at least one of a recording portion and an identification portion. The printer 1 may be provided with a reading portion (not shown) usable for the recording portion and the identification portion. The reading section reads information indicating the media type from the recording section and the identifying section, thereby enabling the CPU81 to acquire the media type in S12. In the latter case, the work of the user for inputting the kind of media into the printer 1 can be saved.

Further, instead of the CPU81 as a processor, a microcomputer, an ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) and an FPGA (field programmable gate array) may also be used. Further, each of the first to fourth main routines may be executed by executing distributed processing using a plurality of processors. Any type of storage medium may be used as the non-transitory storage medium regardless of a period of time in which the medium can store information as long as the medium can store data. The non-transitory storage medium may not include a transitory storage medium such as a transmitted signal. The program may be downloaded by a server connected to a network, i.e., may be transmitted in the form of a transmitted signal, and may be stored in the flash memory 82. In the latter case, the program may be stored in a non-transitory storage medium such as a hard disk provided in a server. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments may be combined together, avoiding any technical conflicts.

The thermal head 60 is an example of a printing unit. The conveying roller 66 is an example of a conveying unit. The cutting blade 12 is an example of a cutting unit. The discharge roller 22 is an example of a discharge roller. The counter roller 23 is an example of a counter roller. The discharge motor 93 is an example of a driving unit. The medium detection sensor 99 is an example of a sensor. The CPU81 is an example of a controller. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S11 is an example of (a) acquisition. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S13 is an example of the (b) setting. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S14 is an example of the (c) setting. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S23 is an example of the (d) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S25 is an example of the (e) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S32 is an example of the (f) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S32 to S21 is (g) a permissible example. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S33 is an example of (h) driving. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S33 to S21 is also (g) a permissible example. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S41 to S21 is also (g) a permissible example. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S23 is an example of the (a) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S25 is an example of the (b) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S51 is an example of the (c) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S52 is an example of the (d) control. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S52 to S21 is (e) a permissible example. The CPU81 that executes the processes in S54 to S21 is also (e) a permissible example. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S61 is an example of (f) driving. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S61 to S21 is also (e) a permissible example. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S32 is an example of (h) blocking. The CPU81 that executes the processing in S33 is an example of the (i) control.