Ticket printer
In a ticket printer, an end of a paper sensor has an optic emitter and receiver arranged one after the other in the paper advancement direction and operationally connected together via a signal guide. The emitter and the receiver are arranged on one side of the path of the paper whereas the signal guide is arranged on the opposite side.
1. A ticket printer, comprising
(a) an advancing path in which a continuous strip of a printing support containing one of holes, notches and areas with lower reflective capacity relative to other areas of the strip is supplied in an advancing direction;
(b) a cutting device for cutting the strip with transverse cuts in order to form printed tickets; and
(c) a strip-end sensor comprising:
(1) an emitter arranged for emitting a signal directed to a first zone of said advancing path in order to strike a first side of a strip that advances in said path;
(2) a signal guide operationally facing a second side, opposite the first side, of a strip that advances in said path, said signal guide being configured for guiding the signal emitted by said emitter; and
(3) a receiver arranged for receiving a signal that originates from said signal guide, wherein said signal guide is configured for guiding the signal along a signal path from said first zone to a second zone of said advancing path that is at a distance from said first zone, the distance between said first zone and said second zone having at least a component in said advancing direction, said receiver being arranged on an opposite part to said advancing path with respect to a part where said signal guide is arranged for receiving a signal that passes through said second zone in order to prevent a false end of paper signal due to the transit of one of a hole, a notch, and an area with lower reflective capacity relative to other areas of the strip in a detecting zone in which the strip-end sensor operates.
2. A ticket printer according to claim 1 , wherein said signal emitter and said signal receiver are optical.
3. A ticket printer according to claim 1 , wherein said signal guide comprises a light guide.
4. A ticket printer according to claim 3 , wherein said light guide comprises a body that is traversable by an optical signal to define said signal path.
5. A ticket printer according to claim 4 , wherein said body has an inlet facing said first zone and an outlet facing said second zone.
6. A ticket printer according to claim 4 , wherein said body comprises a monobloc that is made of transparent plastics material and has two external surfaces that are internally reflecting.
7. A ticket printer according to claim 6 , wherein said external surfaces are tilted and face one another to define a U-shaped signal path.
8. A ticket printer according to claim 7 , wherein said inlet and said outlet are situated at opposite ends of the U-shaped path.
9. A ticket printer according to claim 1 , and further comprising a control unit configured for recognising a strip-end situation when a signal emitted by said emitter is received by said receiver.
10. A ticket printer according to claim 1 , wherein the distance between said first zone and said second zone is parallel to said advancing direction of the strip.
11. A ticket printer according to claim 1 , and further comprising a dragging device for supplying the strip in said advancing path.
12. A ticket printer according to claim 1 , and further comprising a printing device for printing on the strip that advances along said path.