JP7303337B2 - Product data processor - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to, for example, a product data processing device equipped with a printer for issuing receipts.

Conventionally, a POS (point of sales) terminal is known which is integrally equipped with a scanner for reading product code information and a printer for issuing receipts. Since the code information of the product is held over the scanner, a relatively large working space for handling the product is required in front of the scanner. Therefore, in this POS terminal, the scanner is arranged above the printer, and the space in front of the printer is used as a working space.

On the other hand, when the printer runs out of receipt rolls or jams occur in the printer, the printer is pulled out from the housing of the POS terminal to the front work space, and the receipt roll is replaced or the jam is cleared.

JP 2014-38649 A

Receipt roll replacement and jam processing work are often performed while customers who purchase products are waiting, and it is desirable to finish the work in as short a time as possible and hand over the receipts to the customers as quickly as possible.

However, when the printer is pulled out to the work space like the above-mentioned conventional POS terminal, after the work is completed, the printer is returned to its original position in the housing before the receipt can be issued. time will be longer. Also, if the jam has not been resolved when the printer is returned to its original position, it is necessary to pull out the printer again and clear the jam, which is a complicated and time-consuming task.

Therefore, it is desired to develop a product data processing apparatus that can promptly issue receipts after receipt roll replacement and jam clearing work are completed.

A product data processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a printer unit, a housing that accommodates the printer unit so that it can be drawn out, an open/close sensor that detects the open/closed state of a cover of the printer unit, and a control unit. The control unit detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor while the printer unit is pulled out of the housing, and if the printer unit can issue a receipt, the printer unit is pulled out of the housing. issuance of a receipt is notified .

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a product data processing device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state in which the printer unit is pulled out from the housing of the product data processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state in which the cover of the printer unit of FIG. 2 is opened. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the control system of the printer unit of the product data processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining a first operation example of the printer unit of the product data processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the first operation example together with FIG. FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining a second operation example of the printer unit of the product data processing apparatus of FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the second operation example together with FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, a product data processing device 100 (hereinafter simply referred to as device 100) according to the embodiment has a housing 10 having a front surface 11 facing a store clerk who sells products. A rear cover 20 is detachably attached to the rear side of the housing 10 . The rear cover 20 has an inclined rear surface 21 facing the aisle through which customers purchase merchandise. The back surface 21 functions as a display surface for displaying various information for customers.

On the front face 11 side of the housing 10, it is necessary to secure a relatively large working space S for the store clerk to handle the products to be read. A front face 11 of the housing 10 is formed in a flat plane (without protrusions) along the vertical direction in order to make the working space S as wide as possible. When the front surface 11 of the housing 10 is formed into a flat vertical surface, when the bar code of the product is held over the reading window 32 of the scanner unit 30, the product does not collide with any projections and workability can be improved.

A protective guide 110 is attached between the work space S and the housing 10 to prevent the basket containing the product from colliding with the housing 10 of the device 100 . The protection guide 110 is provided so as to protrude upward from an upper surface 121 of a table 120 on which baskets are placed. The shape of the protective guide 110 is not limited to that shown in the drawings, and may be of any shape. Also, the protective guide 110 is not an essential component.

A scanner unit 30 and a printer unit 40 are arranged vertically in the housing 10 . In this embodiment, the printer unit 40 is arranged under the scanner unit 30 and housed in the housing 10 . Therefore, the housing 10 of the device 100 has a relatively elongated structure.

The scanner unit 30 has a front surface 31 that can be arranged flush with the front surface 11 of the housing 10 . A front surface 31 of the scanner unit 30 is provided with a reading window 32 for reading the bar code of the product. The scanner unit 30 can be arranged such that the reading window 32 is substantially parallel to the front surface 11 of the housing 10 , and can be arranged such that the reading window 32 is inclined downward with respect to the front surface 11 of the housing 10 . be. That is, the scanner unit 30 has a tilt mechanism (not shown) that tilts the reading window 32 at an arbitrary angle.

The printer unit 40 is provided so as to be insertable/removable with respect to the accommodating portion 12 provided below the housing 10 . That is, below the scanner unit 30, there is provided a rectangular box-shaped housing portion 12 for housing the printer unit 40 in a detachable manner. The front side of the housing portion 12 is open to the front surface 11 of the housing 10 . As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, two rails 43, 43 (only one of which is shown) that support the bottom surface of the printer unit 40 are provided at the bottom of the housing portion 12. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the two rails 43, 43 are provided so as to be able to be pulled out from the storage section 12 toward the work space S in front of the housing 10. As shown in FIG. The two rails support the printer unit 40 at a position pulled out from the front surface 11 of the housing 10 to the near side (work space S side) in the illustrated state of being pulled out from the housing 10 . The two rails 43 , 43 support the bottom surface of the printer unit 40 when the printer unit 40 is pushed into the housing section 12 , and are contracted to be housed in the housing section 12 together with the printer unit 40 .

A receipt roll (not shown) is housed in the printer unit 40 . The receipt roll is, for example, a roll of long and narrow receipt paper with a width of several tens of millimeters and a length of several tens of meters. A front face 41 of the printer unit 40 is provided with a discharge port 42 for discharging receipts separated from the receipt roll.

In addition, an opening 44 is provided at the top of the printer unit 40 for accessing the interior of the printer unit 40 for receipt roll replacement and jam clearance. The opening 44 is provided with a cover 46 that opens and closes the opening 44 . FIG. 3 shows a state in which the printer unit 40 is pulled out from the housing portion 12 of the housing 10 and the cover 46 is opened.

The housing portion 12 that houses the printer unit 40 is provided at a position above the lower end of the housing 10 . As a result, the printer unit 40 can be largely pulled forward from the accommodating section 12 when feeding the receipt roll to the printer unit 40 . That is, since the protection guide 110 described above is provided on the front surface 11 side of the housing 10, the housing portion 12 is provided at a position higher than the height of the protection guide 110 protruding upward from the upper surface of the base 120, and the housing portion The printer unit 40 pulled out from 12 is kept from interfering with the protection guide 110.例文帳に追加

A receipt roll having a relatively large diameter is used in order to reduce the frequency of replacement. Therefore, the printer unit 40 having the receipt outlet 42 on the front surface 41 has a predetermined size in the radial direction of the receipt roll, that is, in the vertical direction and the front-rear direction of the printer unit 40 . For this reason, in this embodiment, the printer unit 40 is arranged below the housing 10 , and the rear side of the printer unit 40 is projected toward the inner surface of the rear cover 20 .

In other words, in this embodiment, the printer unit 40 having a larger dimension in the front-rear direction than the scanner unit 30 is arranged below the housing 10 . Then, the scanner unit 30 is arranged above the printer unit 40 . Further, the front surface 31 of the scanner unit 30 and the front surface 41 of the printer unit 40 are arranged substantially flush with the front surface 11 of the housing 10 . For this reason, the rear cover 20 covering the rear side of the housing 10 has a wedge shape that is directed downward and inclined toward the rear side as shown in the drawing.

By disposing the relatively large printer unit 40 at the bottom and the relatively small scanner unit 30 at the top in this manner, the housing 10 can be stably installed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the device 100 has an operation panel 50 containing a control board (not shown) on which a processor is mounted. A control board of the operation panel 50 functions as a control unit that controls the device 100 . In addition, the device 100 optionally includes a keyboard 60 attached to the side of the operation panel 50 and a subpanel 70 .

The operation panel 50 has an operation screen 51 (display unit) on the front side (clerk side), and is rotatably attached to the upper end of the housing 10 . That is, the operation panel 50 is attached to the upper end of the housing 10 so that the orientation of the operation screen 51 can be changed. The operation panel 50 is arranged above the scanner unit 30 . The operation panel 50 has a touch sensor on an operation screen 51 capable of displaying images, and various input operations can be performed by the clerk's finger touching various buttons displayed on the operation screen 51 .

The keyboard 60 has a card reader 61 . The keyboard 60 has a multiplication key, a subtotal key, and the like. A card reader 61 reads data recorded on a credit card or point card. Although FIG. 1 shows a card reader capable of reading a magnetic card, it may be capable of reading a contact type IC card or a non-contact type IC card.

The sub-panel 70 is attached to the housing 10 via an arm 72 so as to protrude laterally. The arm 72 rotatably supports the sub-panel 70 in the illustrated posture with the operation surface 71 of the sub-panel 70 facing the customer or in the posture with the operation surface 71 facing the store clerk. The sub-panel 70 can be used as a terminal operated by a customer, and can also be used as an auxiliary terminal operated by a store clerk.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the essential circuitry of the printer unit 40 described above. The printer unit 40 is connected to the operation panel 50 and issues receipts in response to print requests from the operation panel 50 .

The printer unit 40 includes a processor 81, a main memory 82, a print head 83, an LED lamp 84, a receipt roll sensor 85, a jam sensor 86, an accommodation sensor 87, an open/close sensor 88, an interface unit 89, a transmission line 90, and the like. Processor 81 , main memory 82 , print head 83 , LED lamp 84 , receipt roll sensor 85 , jam sensor 86 , storage sensor 87 , open/close sensor 88 and interface unit 89 are connected via transmission path 90 .

In the printer unit 40 , the processor 81 and the main memory 82 are connected via a transmission line 90 to constitute a computer that performs information processing for controlling the printer unit 40 . The printer unit 40 may further include an auxiliary storage unit connected to the transmission line 90, and the computer may be configured to include this auxiliary storage unit as an auxiliary storage portion. For example, an EEPROM (registered trademark) (electric erasable programmable read-only memory) is used as the auxiliary storage unit. An HDD (hard disc drive) or SSD (solid state drive) can also be applied as the auxiliary storage unit.

The processor 81 corresponds to the central portion of the computer. The processor 81 controls each section to realize various functions of the printer unit 40 according to the operating system, firmware and application programs.

The main memory 82 corresponds to the main memory portion of the computer. Main memory 82 includes a non-volatile memory area and a volatile memory area. The main memory 82 stores an operating system, firmware and application programs in non-volatile memory areas. The main memory 82 may also store data necessary for the processor 81 to execute processing for controlling each unit in a non-volatile or volatile memory area. The main memory 82 uses a volatile memory area as a work area in which data is appropriately rewritten by the processor 81 .

A print head 83 prints any image or text onto the receipt roll under the direction of the processor 81 . The print head 83 is, for example, a known thermal head. The print head 83 is attached inside the cover 46 provided on the top of the printer unit 40 . In other words, the print head 83 can be pulled out from the storage section 12 together with the printer unit 40 . Therefore, even when the printer unit 40 is pulled out from the housing portion 12, printing on receipt paper is possible as long as the cover 46 is closed.

The LED lamp 84 functions as notification means for informing the operator of the status of the printer unit 40 . The LED lamp 84 is provided on the front surface 41 of the printer unit 40 . The LED lamp 84 is controlled to illuminate in green when the printer unit 40 is in a printable state, and is controlled to illuminate in red when the printer unit 40 is in a print-prohibited state.

A receipt roll sensor 85 detects whether the receipt roll is normally installed in the printer unit 40 . A jam sensor 86 detects that a receipt paper jam has occurred in the printer unit 40 . The receipt roll sensor 85 and jam sensor 86 function as abnormality sensors that detect an abnormality in the printer unit 40 .

The accommodation sensor 87 detects the accommodation state of the printer unit 40 in the housing 10 . In other words, the accommodation sensor 87 detects that the printer unit 40 is normally installed in the accommodation section 12 of the apparatus 100 . Specifically, the storage sensor 87 detects that the printer unit 40 is attached to the storage section 12, and the printer unit 40 is in the state shown in FIGS. detect that

The open/close sensor 88 detects the open/close state of the cover 46 of the printer unit 40 . Specifically, the open/close sensor 88 detects that the cover 46 is placed in the closed position that closes the opening 44 of the printer unit 40, and also detects that the cover 46 fully opens the opening 44 as shown in FIG. Detect when placed in position.

The cover 46 can be opened as shown in FIG. 3 with the printer unit 40 pulled out to the position shown in FIG. In other words, the cover 46 cannot be opened when the printer unit 40 is housed in the housing 12 of the housing 10 of the apparatus 100 .

The operation panel 50 is connected to the interface unit 89 via, for example, a communication cable. The interface unit 89 transmits and receives various data to and from the operation panel 50 . As the interface unit 89, a ready-made device conforming to a well-known standard such as USB (universal serial bus) can be used.

The transmission line 90 includes an address bus, a data bus, control signal lines, etc., and transmits data and control signals exchanged between the connected units.

A first operation example of the printer unit 40 described above will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG .

When the printer unit 40 is set to an operating state capable of issuing receipts in response to a request from the operation panel 50, the processor 81 operates according to firmware or application programs stored in the main memory 82, as described below. perform information processing;

As Act1, the processor 81 determines whether or not the receipt paper has run out. Whether or not the receipt paper has run out is determined from the output of a sensor for detecting the receipt paper provided in the path for conveying the receipt paper. Alternatively, the amount of receipt paper remaining on the receipt roll accommodated and arranged in the printer unit 40 may be checked and compared with a preset threshold to determine whether the receipt paper has run out. In this case, the remaining amount of receipt paper can be calculated by, for example, counting the number of receipts issued by the apparatus 100 after replacing with a new receipt roll, and multiplying the preset average receipt length by the number of receipts issued. can be done. If the processor 81 determines in Act 1 that the receipt paper has run out (Act 1; YES), it proceeds to Act 3.

If it is determined in Act 1 that the receipt paper has not run out (Act 1; NO), the processor 81 detects the presence or absence of a jam via the jam sensor 86 in Act 2, and a receipt paper jam occurs in the printer unit 40. determine whether or not If the processor 81 determines in Act2 that a jam has occurred (Act2; YES), it proceeds to Act3. On the other hand, if it is determined in Act2 that no jam has occurred (Act2; NO), the processor 81 returns to Act1.

As Act 3, the processor 81 first prohibits the printer unit 40 from printing on the receipt paper. Next, in Act 4 , the processor 81 lights the LED lamp 84 in red and transmits a signal for displaying an error via the operation screen 51 to the operation panel 50 . At this time, the error display is to inform the operator that the receipt roll has run out or that a jam has occurred.

Then, in Act 5, the processor 81 determines whether or not the printer unit 40 has been pulled out of the storage section 12 of the housing 10 for receipt roll replacement or jam processing. At this time, the processor 81 detects whether the printer unit 40 is pulled out to the pulled-out position shown in FIG. If it is determined in Act5 that the printer unit 40 is pulled out (Act5; YES), the processor 81 proceeds to Act6.

As Act 6, the processor 81 determines via the open/close sensor 88 whether or not the cover 46 of the printer unit 40 is opened as shown in FIG. After determining in Act 6 that the cover 46 is open (Act 6; YES), in Act 7, the processor 81 determines via the open/close sensor 88 whether the cover 46 of the printer unit 40 is closed. do. Until the processor 81 determines in Act 7 that the cover 46 has been closed (Act 7; NO), that is, while the cover 46 is open, the operator performs receipt roll replacement work and jam clearing work.

When it is determined in Act 7 that the cover 46 has been closed (Act 7; YES), the processor 81 checks in Act 8 via the receipt roll sensor 85 whether the receipt roll is normally attached at a predetermined position in the printer unit 40. determine whether or not When it is determined in Act 7 that the cover 46 is closed (Act 7; YES), the processor 81 confirms through the jam sensor 86 that there is no receipt paper jam in the printer unit 40 in Act 9.

When it is determined in Act 8 that the receipt roll is normally attached and in Act 9 it is determined that there is no jam (Act 8; YES, Act 9; YES), the processor 81 performs Act 10 and Act 3. The prohibition of printing is released to permit printing on the receipt roll, and the process proceeds to Act11.

As Act 11 , the processor 81 lights the LED lamp 84 in green and transmits a signal to the operation panel 50 to terminate the error display that has been displayed via the operation screen 51 . As a result, the LED lamp 84 lights up in green.

In this state, the printer unit 40 remains pulled out to the position shown in FIG. 2, but is ready to print on the receipt roll and issue receipts. That is, according to the first operation example, if the printer unit 40 is in a receipt-issuable state and the cover 46 is closed, the receipt can be issued while the printer unit 40 is pulled out. Receipts can be issued promptly.

Further, according to the first operation example, even when the printer unit 40 is pulled out, if the cover 46 is closed while the printer unit 40 is in normal condition, the LED lamp 84 notifies that the receipt can be issued. Light green. Therefore, the operator can determine whether the printer unit 40 can operate normally before housing the printer unit 40 in the housing portion 12, and can quickly complete the receipt roll replacement work and the jam clearance work. can be found in As a result, it is not necessary to check the operation after pushing the printer unit 40 into the housing portion 12, and the receipt can be quickly issued to the customer.

Next, a second operation example of the printer unit 40 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. FIG . Since Act1 to Act11 are substantially the same as the first operation example described above, most of the description thereof will be omitted here.

In the second operation example, the processor 81 determines in Act 8 that there is a receipt roll and in Act 9 that there is no jam, and then, in Act 10, cancels the print prohibition set in Act 3 and permits the issuance of only one receipt. do. At this time, the processor 81 permits the issuance of only one receipt based on the code information of the product scanned immediately before prohibiting printing in Act3, and proceeds to Act11.

Then, in Act11, the processor 81 turns on the LED lamp 84 in green, transmits a signal to the operation panel 50 to end the error display displayed via the operation screen 51, and proceeds to Act12. As Act12, the processor 81 issues only one receipt and proceeds to Act13.

Thereafter, in Act13, the processor 81 prohibits the printer unit 40 from printing on the receipt paper, and proceeds to Act14. Then, in Act 14, the processor 81 determines whether or not the printer unit 40 is accommodated in the accommodation section 12 via the accommodation sensor 87, and if the printer unit 40 is accommodated in the accommodation section 12 (Act 14; YES). Then proceed to Act15.

Finally, as Act15, the processor 81 cancels the print prohibition state set in Act13, and returns to Act1.

As described above, according to the second operation example, only one receipt is permitted to be issued while the printer unit 40 is pulled out. Receipts can be promptly issued to customers who are

Further, according to the second operation example, after issuing a receipt only once, printing by the printer unit 40 is prohibited until the printer unit 40 is housed in the housing section 12. continuation of the process can be prevented.

According to the product data processing apparatus of the embodiment described above, it is possible to issue a receipt while the printer unit 40 is pulled out from the housing 10 after the receipt roll replacement work and the jam processing work in the printer unit 40. Become. Therefore, receipts can be quickly issued after replacement of receipt rolls and completion of jam clearing work, and convenience can be improved.

The above-described embodiments are provided as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. The above-described embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the LED lamp 84 is used as notification means for informing the operator that the issuing of receipts is permitted has been described. can be
The invention described in the scope of claims at the time of filing of the present application will be additionally described below.
[1]
a printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit so that it can be pulled out;
an open/close sensor for detecting an open/closed state of the cover of the printer unit;
When it is detected through the open/close sensor that the cover is closed while the printer unit is pulled out from the housing, the printer unit issues a receipt if the printer unit can issue a receipt. a control unit that allows
A product data processing device having
[2]
further comprising notification means for informing the operator that the control unit has permitted the issuance of receipts;
The product data processing device of [1].
[3]
The notification means is provided in the printer unit,
The product data processing device of [2].
[4]
The cover is provided on top of the printer unit and has a print head for printing on a receipt roll.
The product data processing device of [1].
[5]
the controller permits the printer unit to issue a receipt only once when it is possible for the printer unit to issue a receipt when it detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor; After that, prohibit the issuance of receipts,
The product data processing device of [1].
[6]
a printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit so that it can be pulled out;
an accommodation sensor that detects an accommodation state of the printer unit in the housing;
an open/close sensor for detecting an open/closed state of the cover of the printer unit;
an abnormality sensor that detects an abnormality in the printer unit;
Printing by the printer unit is prohibited in response to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality sensor, the housing sensor detects that the printer unit is not housed in the housing, and the open/close sensor detects the After detecting that the cover is open, if the open/close sensor detects that the cover is closed and the abnormality sensor does not detect the abnormality, printing by the printer unit is permitted. a control unit;
A product data processing device having
[7]
After the control unit permits printing, the printer unit performs printing for issuing one printed matter, and then the accommodation sensor detects that the printer unit is accommodated in the housing. prohibiting printing by the printer unit until
The product data processing device of [6].

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10...Case, 11...Front surface, 12...Accommodating part, 30...Scanner unit, 40...Printer unit, 42...Ejection port, 43...Rail, 44...Opening part, 46...Cover, 50...Operation panel, 51...Operation Screen 81 Processor 82 Main memory 83 Print head 84 LED lamp 85 Receipt roll sensor 86 Jam sensor 87 Storage sensor 88 Open/close sensor 89 Interface unit 90 Transmission Road, 100 -- Product data processing device, S -- Work space.

Claims (9)

a printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit so that it can be pulled out;
an open/close sensor for detecting an open/closed state of the cover of the printer unit;
With the printer unit pulled out from the housing, it is detected through the open/close sensor that the cover is closed, and when the printer unit can issue a receipt, the printer unit is pulled out from the housing. a control unit that notifies that it is possible to issue a receipt in the
A product data processing device having The controller detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor while the printer unit is pulled out from the housing, and the receipt roll is normally mounted at a predetermined position in the printer unit. If it is determined that there is no receipt paper jam in the printer unit, it is notified that a receipt can be issued with the printer unit pulled out from the housing.
The product data processing device according to claim 1. The control unit detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor while the printer unit is pulled out from the housing, and when the printer unit is capable of issuing a receipt, the printer unit is operated. allowing the printer unit to issue a receipt while pulled out from the housing;
3. The product data processing device according to claim 1 or 2. further comprising notification means provided in the printer unit for informing an operator that receipts can be issued by the printer unit;
The product data processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The cover is provided on top of the printer unit and has a print head for printing on a receipt roll.
The product data processing device according to claim 1. The control unit detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor while the printer unit is pulled out from the housing , and if the printer unit can issue a receipt, the printer unit Allow receipt issuance only once, then prohibit receipt issuance,
The product data processing device according to claim 1. further comprising a display for displaying an error;
The controller detects that the cover is closed via the open/close sensor while the printer unit is pulled out from the housing, and displays the display when the printer unit can issue a receipt. send a signal to terminate the displayed error indication,
The product data processing device according to claim 1. a printer unit;
a housing that accommodates the printer unit so that it can be pulled out;
an accommodation sensor that detects an accommodation state of the printer unit in the housing;
an open/close sensor for detecting an open/closed state of the cover of the printer unit;
an abnormality sensor that detects an abnormality in the printer unit;
Printing by the printer unit is prohibited in response to the detection of the abnormality by the abnormality sensor, the housing sensor detects that the printer unit is not housed in the housing, and the open/close sensor detects the After detecting that the cover is open, if the opening/closing sensor detects that the cover is closed and the abnormality sensor does not detect the abnormality, the printer unit is removed from the housing. a control unit that notifies that a receipt can be issued in the pulled out state;
A product data processing device having The control unit notifies that a receipt can be issued with the printer unit pulled out from the housing, permits the printer unit to print a receipt, and issues a single printed matter. After printing by the printer unit, printing by the printer unit is prohibited until the accommodation sensor detects that the printer unit is accommodated in the housing.
The product data processing device according to claim 8.

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