JP2006110811A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a printer of a high versatility which can print predetermined character strings or the like to both a medium to be printed such as a tape for printing held in a cassette together with an ink ribbon for printing, and a disk-like predetermined medium to be printed such as an optical disk by the single apparatus. <P>SOLUTION: An apparatus body 2 has a single storing part 6. A tape cassette 70 which holds the tape for printing and the ink ribbon is stored in the storing part 6. Printing is carried out to the tape for printing via a thermal head 8 by sending the tape for printing and the ink ribbon by a platen roller 7. Printing can be carried out to the optical disk via the thermal head 8 by storing the optical disk in the storing part 6 together with a ribbon cassette which holds only the ink ribbon, and sending the ink ribbon and the optical disk by the platen roller 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  According to the present invention, any one of a cassette holding a printing medium and an ink ribbon and a cassette holding only an ink ribbon is arbitrarily selected and accommodated in the apparatus body, and the printing medium or a predetermined different from the printing medium The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs thermal transfer printing with an ink ribbon on a printing medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a printing apparatus that performs printing on a label surface of a recording medium such as an optical disk has been developed. Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-72175 (Patent Document 1) discloses a printing apparatus for printing on an optical disk. The printing apparatus includes a tray that supports an optical disk and a printer mechanism that performs printing on the disk supported by the tray.

  The tray is provided so as to be movable between the inside and the outside of the apparatus main body. The printer mechanism includes a carriage that can reciprocate on a tray disposed at a predetermined position of the apparatus main body. The carriage is mounted with a thermal head and an ink ribbon cassette that holds an ink ribbon is detachably mounted. ing.

  The printing apparatus is configured to perform thermal transfer printing using an ink ribbon on an optical disk supported on a tray disposed in the apparatus main body by a thermal head mounted on a carriage and reciprocating. .

Conventionally, a printing apparatus for printing on a tape is also widely used. In this printing device, a tape cassette that holds a printing tape and an ink ribbon is mounted in the cassette housing portion of the device main body, the printing tape is transported, and a thermal head is driven to perform thermal transfer printing on the printing tape with the ink ribbon. Is to do. A printing apparatus for printing on such a tape is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-314747 (Patent Document 2).
JP 2003-72175 A JP-A-7-314747

  By the way, there is a case in which a character string such as a title is printed on the label surface of the optical disc, and a label printed with the same character string printed on the label surface of the optical disc is attached to the optical disc storage case for management.

  In such a case, a character string such as a title relating to the contents of electronic data recorded on the optical disk is printed on the label surface of the optical disk using the printing apparatus for optical disk printing described in Patent Document 1, and then the patent. A label is created by printing on the tape a character string that is the same as the character string printed on the optical disk using the printing device for tape printing described in Document 2, and this label is affixed to the storage case of the optical disk.

  However, as described above, when printing is performed directly on the label surface of the optical disk while printing is performed on a label tape to be attached to the storage case, the printer device for optical disk printing and the printer device for tape printing are used. It is necessary to perform printing separately using a single printer device.

  Also, not only in the case of the relationship between the optical disc and its storage case, it is often necessary to print a character string necessary on the label surface of the optical disc alone, or to print on a label tape, Even in such a case, it is necessary to prepare two printing apparatuses of different types.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such points, and a printing medium such as a printing tape held in a cassette together with an ink ribbon by a single device with a simplified structure, and the printing medium An object of the present invention is to provide a highly versatile printing apparatus capable of printing a predetermined character string or the like on a predetermined printing medium such as an optical disk different from the above.

  The invention of claim 1 selectively accommodates a first cassette holding a printing medium and an ink ribbon, a second cassette holding an ink ribbon, and a predetermined printing medium different from the printing medium. And a control unit that controls the printing unit. When the first cassette is stored in the storage unit, the control unit controls the printing unit. Thermal transfer printing is performed on a printing medium held in the first cassette via an ink ribbon held in the first cassette, and the predetermined printing medium is printed together with the second cassette in the housing portion. Is stored in the second cassette by the printing means, and thermal transfer printing is performed on the predetermined printing medium.

  The invention of claim 2 further includes cassette detection means for detecting the type of cassette accommodated in the accommodation portion, and print medium detection means for detecting that the predetermined print medium is accommodated in the accommodation portion. And the control means controls the printing means based on information from the cassette detection means and the print medium detection means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, the control means issues an error notification when the cassette detecting means detects the first cassette and the print medium detecting means detects the predetermined print medium. It is characterized by that.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, when the control means detects the first cassette and the print medium detection means detects the predetermined print medium, the control means detects the first cassette. It is characterized in that printing is not controlled.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the state where the first cassette is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the accommodation of the predetermined print medium in the accommodating portion is interfered by the first cassette. It is characterized by.

  The invention according to claim 6 selectively accommodates a first cassette holding a printing medium and an ink ribbon, a second cassette holding an ink ribbon, and a predetermined printing medium different from the printing medium. A first printing mode for printing with an ink ribbon held in the first cassette on a print medium held in the first cassette; A print mode setting means capable of selectively setting a second print mode for printing with the ink ribbon held in the second cassette on the predetermined print medium; Cassette detecting means for detecting the type of the cassette accommodated in the part, print medium detecting means for detecting that the predetermined print medium is accommodated in the accommodating part, and control for controlling the printing means. A first printing mode is set by the printing mode setting means, and the first cassette is detected by the cassette detection means, and the printing mode setting means sets the first printing mode. When the second print mode is set and the second cassette is detected by the cassette detection means and the predetermined print medium is detected by the print medium detection means, the printing means is controlled. Thus, the printing process corresponding to each printing mode is performed.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the control means is configured such that the first cassette is not detected by the cassette detecting means when the first print mode is set by the print mode setting means, and the print mode. When the second print mode is set by the setting means, the second cassette is not detected by the cassette detection means and / or the predetermined print medium is not detected by the print medium detection means. In some cases, error notification is performed.

  The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that when the first print mode is set by the print mode setting means, the control means does not detect the first cassette by the cassette detection means, and the print mode. When the second print mode is set by the setting means, the second cassette is not detected by the cassette detection means and / or the predetermined print medium is not detected by the print medium detection means. In this case, printing of the printing means is not controlled.

  The invention according to claim 9 further comprises a single conveying means, and when the first cassette is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the conveying means is to be printed held in the first cassette. The medium and the ink ribbon are transported to the printing unit, and when the predetermined print medium is stored together with the second cassette in the storage unit, the medium and the ink ribbon are held in the print medium and the second cassette. The ink ribbon is conveyed to the printing means.

  According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, the printing unit includes a single thermal head that is driven to generate heat according to predetermined printing data, and the conveying unit is held in the first cassette by being driven to rotate. A single platen roller that conveys the print medium and the ink ribbon sandwiched between the predetermined print medium and the ink ribbon held in the second cassette with the thermal head; It is characterized by providing.

  The invention of claim 11 is characterized in that the printing medium held by the first cassette is a printing tape, and the predetermined printing medium is a disc-shaped recording medium.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, a single device having a single printing unit and a simple structure can be used to print a medium such as a printing tape held in the first cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion. On the other hand, a predetermined character string or the like is printed with the ink ribbon held in the first cassette, and the predetermined print medium such as an optical disk accommodated in the accommodating portion is printed together with the predetermined print medium. A predetermined character string or the like can be printed with the ink ribbon held in the second cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion.

  According to the invention of claim 2, the type of cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion is detected by the cassette detecting means, and when a predetermined print medium is accommodated in the accommodating portion, it is detected by the print medium detecting means, By controlling a single printing means provided in the printing device based on the information, the printing medium held in the first cassette capable of printing by the printing device or a predetermined different from the printing medium Printing can be reliably performed on a desired print medium among the print media.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the predetermined cassette is erroneously placed in the storage portion in a state where the first cassette is stored in the storage portion stored in the storage portion based on information from the cassette detection means and the print medium detection means. When it is determined that the medium to be printed is accommodated, the error can be notified.

  According to the invention of claim 4, when it is determined from the information from the cassette detection means and the print medium detection means that the predetermined print medium has been mistakenly accommodated together with the first cassette in the accommodation section. Printing in the wrong state can be prevented.

  According to the invention of claim 5, in the state where the first cassette is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the first cassette can prevent erroneous accommodation of the predetermined print medium in the accommodating portion. .

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first printing mode, the printing device held in the first cassette housed in the housing portion is used by the single device having a simple structure including the single printing means. A predetermined character string or the like is printed on a printing medium such as a tape with an ink ribbon held in the first cassette. In the second printing mode, a predetermined character string such as an optical disk accommodated in the accommodating portion is printed. A predetermined character string or the like can be printed on the print medium with the ink ribbon held in the second cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion together with the predetermined print medium.

  According to the invention of claim 7, when the first printing mode is set, when it is detected that the first cassette is not accommodated in the accommodating portion, or when the second printing mode is When it is set, it can be notified when it is in an erroneous state that it is detected that the second cassette and / or the predetermined printing medium is not accommodated in the accommodating portion.

  According to the eighth aspect, when the first printing mode is set, when it is detected that the first cassette is not accommodated in the accommodating portion, and when the second printing mode is set. When it is detected that the second cassette and / or the predetermined printing medium is not stored in the storage unit, it is possible to prevent printing in the erroneous state.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, the printing medium and the ink ribbon of the first cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion are conveyed to the printing means, and the predetermined printing medium and the second cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion. The conveying means for conveying the ink ribbon to the printing means is constituted by a single conveying means. In addition to the printing means, the conveying means is also constituted by a single structure, so that different printing targets are obtained. The structure of the printing apparatus that performs the printing operation on the medium can be simplified.

  According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a printing medium having a single thermal head as a single printing unit and a single platen roller as a single conveying unit and held in the first cassette. By performing printing while stably transporting the ink ribbon and the ink ribbon held by the predetermined print medium and the second cassette between the thermal head and the platen roller, It is possible to print on a different print medium such as the print medium held in the cassette and a predetermined print medium outside the cassette.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention with the opening / closing lid closed, and FIG. 2 is an overall perspective view of the printing apparatus with the opening / closing lid opened. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a housing portion provided in the apparatus main body.

  The printing apparatus 1 can print on a printing tape and can also print directly on the surface (label surface) of a disk-shaped recording medium (optical disk) such as a CD-R or DVD-R.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes an apparatus main body 2, and a key input unit 3 and a display unit 4 are provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2. The key input unit 3 is a character key for inputting character string data to be printed, a print key for instructing start of printing, a cursor key for moving the cursor on the display screen of the display unit 4, and editing of the input character string Various control keys necessary for processing, various setting processing, printing processing, and the like are provided. The display unit 4 is a liquid crystal display device and displays input data and processing contents.

  The apparatus main body 2 has a single accommodating portion 6 for accommodating a cassette and an optical disk, and an opening for attaching and detaching the cassette on the upper surface of the accommodating portion 6 is opened and closed by an opening / closing lid 5.

  4A and 4B and the ribbon cassette 85 shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B are selectively accommodated in the accommodating portion 6. The tape cassette 70 holds a printing tape 71 and an ink ribbon 72 as printing media in a cassette case 73, and the ribbon cassette 85 holds an ink ribbon 87 in a cassette case 88.

  When printing is performed on the printing tape 71, as shown in FIG. 6, the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, and when printing is performed on the label surface of the optical disc as the print medium, it is shown in FIG. As described above, the ribbon cassette 85 and the optical disk D are accommodated in the accommodating portion 6. The tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassette 85 have substantially the same outer diameter. When the optical disc D is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, the optical disc D is raised as shown in FIG. 8 and inserted into the apparatus main body 2 in the raised state.

  The housing 6 is provided with a platen roller 7, a thermal head 8, and a ribbon take-up shaft 9. The platen roller 7 is rotatably attached to the attachment frame 7b with its rotating shaft 7a oriented vertically.

  When the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, the platen roller 7 conveys the print tape 71 and the ink ribbon 72 of the tape cassette 70 sandwiched between the thermal head 8 and the accommodating portion 6. When the ribbon cassette 85 and the optical disk D are accommodated in 6, the ink ribbon 87 and the optical disk D are sandwiched between the thermal head 8 and transported. Auxiliary rollers 7c and 7d for preventing the inclination of the optical disk D to be conveyed are rotatably disposed on the mounting frame 7b, in the vicinity of the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the printing medium on both sides of the platen roller 7. Is provided.

  Here, the thermal head 8 provided facing the platen roller 7 is a pseudo end face head type. The thermal head 8 needs to be in contact with the medium to be printed at a predetermined angle, otherwise the print quality is deteriorated. If the pressure of the thermal head 8 is received only at one place of the platen roller 7 without providing the auxiliary rollers 7c, 7d, the platen roller is used when printing on an optical disk made of a rigid body such as a plastic material. The optical disk is tilted by the rotational drive of 7, and the predetermined contact angle of the thermal head 8 necessary for preferable printing cannot be maintained.

  Therefore, the auxiliary rollers 7c and 7d are provided and the pressure from the thermal head 8 is received at the three places of the platen roller 7 and the auxiliary rollers 7c and 7d, so that the optical disk is not inclined with respect to the thermal head 8, and the thermal head The predetermined contact angle with respect to the optical disk 8 is maintained. Alternatively, the upstream side auxiliary roller 7c may be omitted, and only the downstream side auxiliary roller 7d may be supported by the platen roller 7 and the downstream side auxiliary roller 7d.

  The thermal head 8 is rotatably provided in the head cover 8 a and is disposed so as to face the platen roller 7. The thermal head 8 performs printing on the printing tape 71 via the ink ribbon 72 when the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, and when the ribbon cassette 85 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, It functions as a printer mechanism that prints on the optical disk D via the ink ribbon 87.

  The thermal head 8 is provided with a plurality of heating elements arranged in a row corresponding to the width direction of the printing tape 71 and the ink ribbons 72 and 87, and the plurality of heating elements are selectively selected based on the print data. It is driven to generate heat. The ribbon take-up shaft 9 takes up and collects the ink ribbon 72 of the tape cassette 70 and the ink ribbon 87 of the ribbon cassette 85 used for printing in the respective cassette cases 73 and 88.

  The accommodating portion 6 is provided with a plurality of support bases 10a, 10b, 10c and an engaging portion 10e for engaging with the tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassette 85 and supporting them at predetermined positions.

  As the tape cassette 70, there are a plurality of types of tape tapes 71 with different width sizes. The storage unit 6 includes a plurality of tape cassette detection switches 11 a and 11 b and a ribbon cassette 85 for determining whether or not the tape cassette 70 is stored, and the type of the tape size of the stored tape cassette 70. A ribbon cassette detection switch 12 for detecting the optical disc D, and a disc detection sensor 13 for detecting that the optical disc D is stored in a predetermined position and instructing a print start position on the optical disc D.

  The accommodating portion 6 is mainly for accommodating the tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassette 85. The inner bottom portion of the inner end portion of the accommodating portion 6 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 in an upright state, and the platen A guide portion 15 is provided which is guided by contacting the lower end portion of the optical disc D sandwiched between the roller 7 and the thermal head 8 and conveyed. As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the guide portion 15 constituting the housing portion 6 has a groove shape having a flat guide surface 15 a on the bottom surface, and is linear so as to communicate from the inside of the apparatus main body 2 to the outside. It is formed in a shape. The optical disk D conveyed while being sandwiched between the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8 is guided along the guide portion 15 with its lower end being in contact with the guide surface 15a.

  The guide unit 15 is a transport path for the optical disc D, and the inner side of the apparatus main body 2 is an upstream side of the transport, and the outer side of the apparatus main body 2 is a downstream side. The platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8 are arranged at a predetermined position in the length direction of the guide portion 15 so as to face each other with the guide portion 15 interposed therebetween, and this position is a printing position. A part of the guide portion 15, that is, a portion on the downstream side of the vicinity of the print position in the transport path of the optical disc D also serves as a transport path for the printing tape 71.

  An end portion of the guide portion 15 facing the outside of the apparatus main body 2 is an opening 16 that opens to a side portion of the apparatus main body 2. The opening 16 functions as a discharge port for discharging the printing tape 71 printed inside the apparatus main body 2 to the outside of the apparatus main body 2, and the optical disc D is placed inside the apparatus main body 2 as will be described later. Functions as an insertion slot for insertion.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the apparatus main body 2 is provided with a cutting mechanism 17 for cutting the printed portion on the leading end side of the printed printing tape 71 in the vicinity of the opening 16. The cutting mechanism 17 includes a fixed blade 17a and a movable blade 17b. The fixed blade 17a and the movable blade 17b are provided so as to face each other with a conveyance path of the printing tape 71 therebetween. The fixed blade 17a is fixed to the apparatus main body 2, and the movable blade 17b is provided so as to be movable in a direction in which the fixed blade 17a is in contact with or separated from the fixed blade 17a.

  When the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 and the printing tape 71 is discharged from the tape cassette 70 to the outside through the opening portion 16, the movable blade 17b is driven by the cutter motor to move to the fixed blade 17a. The print tape 71 is sandwiched and cut between the fixed blade 17a and the movable blade 17b. After cutting, the movable blade 17b moves away from the fixed blade 17a and stops at the standby position.

  At the upstream end of the guide portion 15 provided in the apparatus main body 2, as shown in FIG. 10, the outer peripheral end on the insertion side of the optical disc D inserted from the opening 16 and accommodated in the apparatus main body 2. Is provided with a positioning portion 18 for positioning the optical disk D at the initial position.

  The disk detection sensor 13 that detects that the optical disk D is accommodated at a predetermined position and instructs the printing start position on the optical disk D is provided at a predetermined position along the guide portion 15. This disk detection sensor 13 is a transmission type optical sensor having a light emitting part and a light receiving part, and is located in the middle of the guide part 15 in the longitudinal direction in the groove of the guide part 15 at the inner bottom part of the accommodating part 6. A light emitting portion and a light receiving portion are provided to face each other across the groove.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the disc detection sensor 13 is placed on the guide surface 15a of the guide portion 15 of the optical disc D when the optical disc D is placed at a predetermined initial position in the accommodating portion 6 in the standing state. It arrange | positions in the position corresponding to the position of the vicinity of the lowest end part which contact | abuts.

  As shown in FIG. 10 (A), in a state where the optical disk D is placed at a predetermined initial position in the accommodating portion 6 in the upright state, it passes through the center of the optical disk D and is directly below the outer peripheral edge of the optical disk D. The position at which the disk detection sensor 13 is disposed when the position is A, the position directly above the vertical direction is B, and the horizontal downstream end position of the outer peripheral edge of the optical disk D passes through the center of the optical disk D. Is the position in the apparatus corresponding to the outer peripheral edge of the downstream half of the optical disk from the A position (including the vicinity) to the B position (including the vicinity) (the range indicated by the symbol X in FIG. 10A). Good.

  However, since the printing apparatus 1 is configured so that the lower half of the optical disk D in the standing state is accommodated in the accommodating part 6 and the upper half is exposed to the outside of the apparatus main body 2, the disk detection sensor 13 is provided. The position to be arranged is substantially a position corresponding to the outer peripheral edge of the optical disc D (range indicated by the symbol Y in FIG. 10A) between the A position and the C position shown in FIG. It is preferable.

  In this way, by disposing the disc detection sensor 13 in the vicinity of the outer peripheral edge of the optical disc D on the downstream side in the transport direction, including immediately below the center of the optical disc D at the initial accommodation position, first, the optical disc D placed at the initial accommodation position is first placed. Existence can be reliably detected, and the predetermined arrangement position of the disk detection sensor 13 indicates that the optical disk D changes from the existing state to the non-existing state when the optical disk is conveyed downstream during printing. Since the position can be detected with high sensitivity, when the optical disk D starts to be transported together with the start of printing, the movement of the optical disk D can be detected and printing by the thermal head 8 can be started based on the information.

  As described above, the single disc detection sensor 13 can obtain information on whether or not the optical disc D is accommodated in the initial accommodation position and the positioning of the print start position on the optical disc D.

  The opening / closing lid 5 provided on the housing portion 6 is supported by a hinge so as to be rotatable with respect to the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2, and a transparent window 20 corresponding to the positions of the display portion 4 and the housing portion 6; 21 is provided.

  A spring member is provided on the lower surface of the opening / closing lid 5 and elastically abuts against the upper surfaces of the tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassettes 85 and 70 accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, so that the inside of the accommodating portion 6 of those cassettes is accommodated. Cassette holders 22a, 22b, and 22c are provided for restricting the vertical position.

  Further, the opening / closing lid 5 is formed with a slit-shaped outlet 23 extending linearly from the substantially central portion to one side (right side) of the apparatus main body 2. The outlet 23 is provided so as to face each other in the vertical direction with the guide portion 15 in the closed state of the opening / closing lid 5, and one side of the device body 2 of the outlet 23 is connected to the opening 16. Along with the opening 16, the side of the apparatus main body 2 is opened outward.

  When the optical disk D is inserted upright from the opening 16, the optical disk D moves along the guide part 15 and the take-out port 23 and reaches the initial position of the storage part 6. At this time, almost the upper half of the optical disk D protrudes from the outlet 23 to the outside of the apparatus.

  At the time of printing, the optical disc D is conveyed downstream along the guide portion 15 and the take-out port 23, and printing is performed on the optical disc D during the conveyance. After printing, as shown in FIG. 10 (B), the optical disc D is placed in the take-out portion 14 at the end of the guide body 15 on the outside of the apparatus body 2, and the optical disc D placed in the take-out portion 14 is taken out. It can be pulled up from the opening 23 and taken out of the apparatus main body 2.

  An area indicated by reference sign P in FIG. 10B indicates a print area that is applied to a part of the lower half of the optical disc D by a printing operation. This print area P has a width (height) of W and a length of L. The width W corresponds to the dimensions of the heating element array of the thermal head 8, and the length L is the thermal head 8 during printing. Corresponds to the relative movement distance of the optical disc D.

  The optical disk D is transported from the upstream side to the downstream side along the guide portion 15 to perform printing. When printing is completed, the optical disk D is transported to the position of the take-out portion 14, and the optical disk D is transported in the transport direction. The operation stops in a state where a part of the downstream side protrudes outside the apparatus main body 2.

  The optical disk D has a uniform weight balance on the left and right of the center line in the vertical direction, but the optical disk D that has been transported to the take-out portion 14 and stopped when printing is finished is more than 1/2 of the upstream side in the transport direction of the shape. The region portion is supported on the extraction portion 14.

  That is, the optical disc D is supported on the take-out portion 14 in a state where the center of gravity of the optical disc D located at the center of the transport direction and located at the center of the disc is located immediately above the take-out portion 14 or on the inner side of the apparatus main body 2. . Thereby, it is easy to take out the optical disc D after printing out of the apparatus, and when the optical disc D is transported to the take-out portion 14, the optical disc D is prevented from falling out of its weight balance and rolling off from the take-out portion 14. Is done.

  In particular, since the optical disk D has a circular outer shape and performs printing in an upright state, if attention is not paid to handling at the end of printing, the optical disk D rolls out of the apparatus and rolls as far as it stands in the upright state. Although there is an inconvenience, by carrying the optical disk at the end of printing as described above, it is possible to reliably hold the occurrence of such inconvenience on the apparatus main body 2.

  Further, a printing medium is different from an optical disk, and a floppy (registered trademark) disk with a non-uniform weight balance on the left and right of the longitudinal center line is conveyed in an upright state like an optical disk and printed on the surface thereof. In this case, the printing medium is conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side along the guide portion 15 to perform printing, and when the printing is completed, the floppy disk is conveyed to the position of the take-out portion 14, and the floppy disk is It stops in a state where a part of the downstream side in the transport direction protrudes outside the apparatus main body 2.

  In this case, it supports so that the area | region part more than 1/2 of the weight balance of the upstream of the conveyance direction may be arrange | positioned on the said extraction part 14. FIG. In other words, the conveyance of the floppy disk is stopped at the position where the area of more than 1/2 of the weight balance on the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the floppy disk remains on the apparatus main body 2 and the other area protrudes outside the apparatus main body 2. To do. As a result, the floppy disk after printing can be easily taken out of the apparatus, and the inconvenience of the floppy disk after printing falling off the apparatus can be prevented.

  On the open / close lid 5, an elongated plate-shaped dust-removing cover 25 is provided along the length direction of the take-out port 23 in order to prevent dust from entering from the take-out port 23. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the dust cover 25 has a side edge on the key input portion 3 side (front side of the apparatus main body 2) along the length direction of the outlet 23 via a shaft 24. It is attached to the opening / closing lid 5 so as to be pivotable in the vertical direction, and normally falls down by its own weight and covers the take-out port 23. Although not shown, a magnet is provided on a part of the free end side on the back side of the dust cover 25, and a metal piece is provided at the edge of the opening of the opening / closing lid 5 corresponding thereto. Thus, the dust cover 25 is prevented from being opened unnecessarily by the magnet's attracting force.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the end portion of the dust cover 25 facing the opening 16 is directed from the shaft 24 toward the free end of the dust cover 25 in a direction orthogonal to the shaft 24 in plan view. The inclined portion 26 is inclined. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, when the optical disk D is inserted along the guide part 15 in the standing state, the optical disk D is in a state where the lower end part of the optical disk D is in contact with the guide surface 15 a on the bottom surface of the guide part 15. The outer edge of the upper half side of the insertion end side of D abuts against the inclined portion 26.

  Thus, when the optical disc D is inserted from the opening 16 along the guide portion 15 in an upright state, the insertion-side end portion of the upper half of the optical disc D is connected to the inclined portion 26 as shown in FIG. At the end, the dust cover 25 is pushed by the optical disk D in response to the end and rotates upward about the shaft 24, and stands up toward the key input unit 3 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9B. To do. This standing up enables further movement of the optical disc D.

  The dust cover 25 is made of a transparent material, and the optical disk D with the label surface (printing surface) facing up toward the front side of the apparatus is accommodated in the apparatus body 2 so that the dust cover 25 is the optical disk. The label surface of the optical disc D can be seen through when standing on the front side of the D label surface. The dust cover 25 made of transparent material is provided with an alignment index 27 colored with a predetermined color along its longitudinal direction as shown in FIG.

  Then, when the optical disc D is accommodated in the initial position of the accommodating portion 6, the optical disc D is rotated, and a pre-printed part such as a manufacturer name printed in advance on the label surface of the optical disc D is located at the position. By performing adjustment such as being parallel to the alignment index 27, the direction of the character string to be printed by the printing apparatus 1 can be aligned in parallel with the pre-printed portion.

  A cushioning material 28 is provided on the rear surface side of the dust cover 25 along the length direction thereof. When the optical disc D is inserted from the opening 16 with the label surface facing the front side of the apparatus, the label surface of the optical disc D comes into sliding contact with the back side of the dust cover 25, but on the back side of the dust cover 25 By providing the buffer material 28, the label surface of the optical disk D can be protected.

  Further, the opening / closing lid 5 is provided with an insertion blocking cover 29 as an insertion blocking member for preventing the optical disk D from being erroneously inserted into the housing portion 6 from above through the outlet 23. The insertion prevention cover 29 is positioned below the take-out opening 23 by a shaft 30 provided in parallel with the shaft 24 and is rotatably provided to the opening / closing lid 5. The upper take-out opening is always provided by a spring member (not shown). The insertion prevention cover 29 is normally held so as to oppose the take-out port 23.

  The insertion blocking cover 29 is provided along the length direction of the outlet 23, and the end facing the opening 16 has a free end opposite from the shaft 30 in plan view as shown in FIG. It becomes the inclination part 32 which inclines toward the side. In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, when the optical disk D is inserted along the guide part 15 in the standing state, the optical disk D is in a state where the lower end part of the optical disk D is in contact with the guide surface 15 a on the bottom surface of the guide part 15. The outer edge of the lower half portion side of the insertion end side of D abuts against the inclined portion 32.

When the optical disc D is inserted from the opening 16, the insertion side end of the lower half of the optical disc D hits the inclined portion 32 of the insertion prevention cover 29 as shown in FIG. The cover 29 operates so as to rotate downward about the shaft 30 to open the lower part of the take-out port 23. As a result, the optical disk D can be inserted.
The insertion prevention cover 29 has a substantially J-shaped cross section, and an upper end portion of the insertion prevention cover 29 is rotatably supported by the opening / closing lid 5 via the shaft 30. A portion extending downward from the upper end is curved in an arc shape. It is a receiving part 33, and this receiving part 33 is in a state of facing the take-out port 23 at the normal time.

  When the optical disc D is erroneously inserted from above through the take-out port 23, the optical disc D is pushed by the optical disc D and the insertion prevention cover 29 is rotated to some extent, but the optical disc D is received by the receiving portion 33 and beyond. Insertion is prevented.

  In this printing apparatus 1, the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8 are erected in the accommodating portion 6 so as to face the guide portion 15, and the ribbon cassette 85 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 to perform printing on the optical disc D. The ink ribbon 87 of the ribbon cassette 85 is conveyed in the horizontal direction from the upstream side to the downstream side of the guide portion 15 with the width direction set to the vertical direction.

  On the other hand, the side surface portion and the upper surface portion of the apparatus main body 2 have an opening portion that opens to the outside through the opening portion 16 and the extraction port 23. When the optical disk D is inserted into the apparatus main body 2 in a standing state from the opening 16 along the guide part 15, the ink surface of the ink ribbon 87 corresponds to the label surface of the optical disk D, and the ink ribbon 87 Since the transport direction and the insertion direction of the optical disc D are parallel, there is no possibility that the optical ribbon D will catch the ink ribbon 87 when the optical disc D is inserted into the apparatus main body 2.

  However, when the optical disk D is inserted into the apparatus main body 2 in a standing state from the take-out port 23, the conveyance direction of the ink ribbon 87 and the insertion direction of the optical disk D are orthogonal to each other. Thus, if the transport direction of the ink ribbon 87 and the insertion direction of the optical disk D are orthogonal, the ink ribbon 87 may be caught and damaged when the optical disk D is inserted. In this printing apparatus 1, the insertion prevention cover 29 is provided corresponding to the take-out port 23, thereby preventing the optical disc D from being inserted from the direction orthogonal to the ink ribbon transport direction.

  Next, the tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassette 85 accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 will be further described with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the tape cassette 70 includes a cassette case 73. Inside the cassette case 73, a tape core 74 around which a printing tape 71 is wound and an unused ink ribbon 72 are provided. A wound ribbon supply core 75 and a ribbon take-up core 76 for taking up the used portion of the ink ribbon 72 used for printing are housed.

  Further, the cassette case 73 is provided with a head insertion portion 77 into which a thermal head 8 formed by forming a part of the outer wall into a concave shape is inserted, and for printing from the inside of the cassette case 73 into the head insertion portion 77. The tape 71 and the ink ribbon 72 are fed out, and the ink ribbon 72 used for printing is wound around the winding core 76 and is returned to the cassette case 73.

  At the corner portion of the cassette case 73, supported portions 78, 79, 80 corresponding to the support bases 10a, 10b, 10c of the accommodating portion 6 are provided. Corresponding to the tape cassette detection switches 11a and 11b, the supported portion 78 has notches 81 and 82 indicated by broken lines shown in FIG. Provided. Here, there are three types: one provided with any one of the notches 81 and 82 and one not provided at all. The supported portion 80 is provided with a notch 83 corresponding to the ribbon cassette detection switch 12.

  The ribbon cassette 85 includes a cassette case 88 as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, and a ribbon supply core 90 in which an unused ink ribbon 87 is wound inside the cassette case 88, which is used for printing. Ribbon take-up cores 91 for taking up the used ink ribbons 87 are accommodated.

  The cassette case 88 is provided with a head insertion portion 92 into which a thermal head 8 formed by forming a part of the outer wall into a concave shape is inserted, and an ink ribbon is inserted into the head insertion portion 92 from the inside of the cassette case 88. 87 is fed out, and the ink ribbon 87 used for printing is wound around the winding core 91 and returned to the cassette case 88.

  The cassette case 88 is provided with supported portions 93, 94, 95 corresponding to the support bases 10a, 10b, 10c. Corresponding to the tape cassette detection switches 11a and 11b, the supported portion 93 is provided with a notch 96 to turn off these switches. Further, the supported portion 95 corresponding to the ribbon cassette detection switch 12 is not provided with a notch, and the switch is turned on.

  In such a configuration, when the tape cassette 70 is mounted in the accommodating portion 6 of the printing apparatus 1, the thermal head 8 is disposed in the head insertion portion 77 of the cassette case 73 and the ribbon take-up shaft 9 is ribbon-wound. Fit into the take-up core 76. When the ribbon cassette 85 is mounted in the accommodating portion 6 of the printing apparatus 1, the thermal head 8 is disposed in the head insertion portion 92 of the cassette case 88 and the ribbon take-up shaft 9 is attached to the ribbon take-up core 91. Insert.

  Next, a printing / conveying mechanism constituting the printing unit and the conveying unit will be described with reference to FIGS. This mechanism is provided in the apparatus main body 2, and moves to the printing position and the printing target position by up / down of the thermal head 8, the conveyance of the printing tape 71, the ink ribbons 72, 87 and the optical disk D, and the ink ribbon 72. , 87 and the slack removal of the ink ribbons 72, 87 are performed.

  Reference numeral 35 denotes a single printing operation motor serving as a drive source. 36 is an output gear of the motor 35 for printing operation, 37 to 40 are first to fourth reduction gears, 41 is a first sun gear, 42 is a first planetary gear, 43 is a second planetary gear, and 45 is A cam gear having a cam groove 46 and first and second tooth missing portions 47 and 48 in which teeth are not formed at different positions in the thickness direction of the outer peripheral portion.

  Further, 49 is a lag gear mechanism, and this lag gear mechanism 49 includes three lag gears 49a, 49b, 49c, as shown in FIG. 18, between the gear 49a and the gear 49b, and between the gear 49a and the gear 49c. Each has a lug function.

  50 is a one-way gear that transmits driving force only in one rotation direction, 51 and 52 are platen gears provided coaxially with the platen roller 7, 53 is a second sun gear, 54 is a third planetary gear, and 55 is an intermediate A gear 56 is a third sun gear, 57 is a fourth planetary gear, and 58 is a ribbon winding gear provided coaxially with the ribbon winding shaft 9.

  The output gear 36 of the printing motor 35 meshes with the first sun gear 41 via the first to fourth reduction gears 37 to 40, and the first planetary gear 42 and the second planetary gear 42 are arranged on the outer periphery of the sun gear 41. Planetary gears 43 are arranged, and these planetary gears 42 and 43 mesh with the sun gear 41, respectively. The first planetary gear 42 is arranged at the same level as the first tooth missing portion 47 of the cam gear 45, and the second planetary gear 43 is arranged at the same level as the second tooth missing portion 48, and each cam gear 45 is arranged. The sun gear 41 is supported so as to be able to mesh with the sun gear 41.

  The first sun gear 41 meshes with the lag gear 49a of the lag gear mechanism 49, one of the lag gears 49b and 49c rotating with a predetermined delay with respect to the rotation of the lag gear 49a meshes with the one-way gear 50, and the other meshes with the intermediate gear 55. Is engaged.

  One platen gear 51 coaxial with the platen roller 7 meshes with the one-way gear 50, the other platen gear 52 meshes with the second sun gear 53, and the intermediate gear 55 meshes with the third sun gear 56. Yes.

  A third planetary gear 54 that meshes with the sun gear 53 is disposed on the outer periphery of the second sun gear 53 so as to be capable of revolving, and a fourth planetary gear that meshes with the sun gear 56 on the outer periphery of the third sun gear 56. A planetary gear 57 is arranged so as to be able to revolve, and the third planetary gear 54 and the fourth planetary gear 57 mesh with the ribbon take-up gear 58 according to the revolution.

  Reference numeral 59 denotes a head arm that holds the thermal head 8. The head arm 59 includes a pin 60 that engages with the cam groove 46 of the cam gear 45 on the side opposite to the mounting side of the thermal head 8. The shaft 62 is urged to rotate around an axis about the shaft 62. In response to the rotation of the cam gear 45, the pin 60 slides on the edge of the cam groove 46 so that the head arm 59 rotates about the shaft 62.

  FIG. 13 shows an initial state before the start of printing. In this state, the thermal head 8 is separated from the platen roller 7 as shown in the figure.

  FIG. 14 shows a state immediately after the printing operation motor 35 starts its operation in response to an instruction to start printing. When the printing operation motor 35 rotates in the forward rotation direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, the driving force is transmitted to the cam gear 45 via the gears 36 to 40, the first sun gear 41, and the first planetary gear 42, and this cam gear. 45 rotates clockwise, the pin 60 moves along the edge of the cam groove 46, the head arm 59 rotates counterclockwise around the shaft 62 by the elastic force of the tension spring 61, and the thermal head 8 Moves toward the platen roller 7.

  The driving force of the printing operation motor 35 is transmitted to the lag gear 49a of the lag gear mechanism 49 via the gears 36 to 40 and the first sun gear 41, and between this lag gear 49a and one other lag gear 49b. Then, the lug function works, and the lug gear 49b does not rotate. The lug gear 49b meshes with the platen gear 51 via the one-way gear 50. However, the driving force is not transmitted to the platen roller 7 because the lug gear 49b does not rotate.

  At this time, the lag function does not work between the lag gear 49a and the lag gear 49c. Therefore, the driving force of the first sun gear 41 is transmitted to the third sun gear 56 via the intermediate gear 55, but the fourth planetary gear. Since the gear 57 is separated from the ribbon take-up gear 58, the ribbon take-up shaft 9 is not driven. Thus, the platen roller 7 and the ribbon take-up shaft 9 are not driven while the thermal head 8 is heading down.

  FIG. 15 shows a state in which the pressing of the thermal head 8 to the platen roller 7 is completed. Printing is started in this state. At this time, as shown in the drawing, the first planetary gear 42 falls into the first tooth missing portion 47 of the cam gear 45 by the rotation of the cam gear 45. For this reason, the transmission of the driving force of the operation motor 35 is cut off, the rotation of the cam gear 45 is stopped, and the thermal head 8 is held in pressure contact with the platen roller 7.

  On the other hand, at this time, the lag period between the lag gear 49a and the lag gear 49b ends, and the driving force of the motor 35 is transmitted to the platen gear 51 via the one-way gear 50, thereby driving the platen roller 7. Further, the second sun gear 53 and the third planetary gear 54 are driven via the platen gear 52, the third planetary gear 54 meshes with the ribbon take-up gear 58, and the driving force is transmitted to the ribbon take-up shaft. 9 is driven to rotate.

  FIG. 16 shows a state in which the printing is finished and the thermal head 8 is separated from the platen roller 7 and the pressing is released. When printing is completed, the operation motor 35 is driven in reverse. As a result, the first sun gear 41 rotates counterclockwise, the first planetary gear 42 is disengaged from the first tooth missing portion 47 of the cam gear 45, and the second planetary gear 43 is engaged with the cam gear 45. By this engagement, the driving force of the motor 35 is transmitted to the cam gear 45, the cam gear 45 rotates counterclockwise from the state of FIG. 15, and the rotation of the cam gear 45 causes the head arm 59 to rotate clockwise to cause thermal The head 8 is separated from the platen roller 7.

  On the other hand, the one-way gear 50 rotates clockwise when the printing operation motor 35 rotates in the forward direction and transmits the driving force of the motor 35 to the platen gear 51. However, when the printing operation motor 35 rotates in the reverse direction, the transmission of the driving force is cut off. Therefore, the platen roller 7 does not rotate.

  At this time, the lag gear 49a of the lag gear mechanism 49 is rotated by the rotation of the first sun gear 41. However, the lag function works between the lag gear 49a and the lag gear 49c, so that the intermediate gear 55 and the third sun gear are operated. 56 does not rotate, and the fourth planetary gear 57 is in a state of being released from the ribbon take-up gear 58, and no driving force is transmitted to the ribbon take-up shaft 9.

  FIG. 17 shows an ink ribbon slack removal processing operation that is performed after the thermal head 8 completes the head-up to separate from the platen roller 7.

  After the thermal head 8 is separated from the platen roller 7, the cam gear 45 rotates counterclockwise, the second planetary gear 43 falls into the second tooth missing portion 48 of the cam gear 45, and the cam gear 45 rotates. The thermal head 8 is stopped and the head-up state of the thermal head 8 is maintained.

  On the other hand, at this time, the lug function between the lug gear 49a and the lug gear 49c is released, the driving force is transmitted from the lug gear 49a to the intermediate gear 55 and the sun gear 56, and the fourth planetary gear 57 meshes with the ribbon take-up gear 58. Then, the ribbon take-up shaft 9 is rotationally driven in the take-up direction. As a result, the ink ribbon slackened by the separation of the thermal head 8 from the platen roller 7 is taken up, and the slack is eliminated. The slack removal of the ink ribbon is performed by driving the printing operation motor 35 in reverse for a predetermined time set corresponding to the head-up operation at the end of printing.

  Thus, printing is performed by driving the single printing operation motor 35 and repeating the operations of FIGS.

  FIG. 19 is a block diagram of an electric circuit of the printing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The printing apparatus 1 includes a control unit (CPU) 100 that controls the entire apparatus, and the control unit 100 includes a ROM 101 and a RAM 102.

  The ROM 101 stores program data such as a system program for controlling the operation of each unit of the printing apparatus 1. The ROM 101 also stores energization time table data for setting the energization time for the heating elements of the thermal head 8 in accordance with the tape printing mode for printing on the tape and the disk printing mode for printing on the optical disk D.

  The RAM 102 includes an input data memory for storing input data, a print data memory for storing print pattern data, and the like, and temporarily stores data necessary for a print operation.

  The control unit 100 is connected to the key input unit 3 and the display unit 4, and a drive circuit 103 that drives the thermal head 8, a drive circuit 104 that drives the motor 35 for printing operation, and a drive that drives the motor 105 for cutter. A circuit 106 is connected. Further, tape cassette detection switches 11a and 11b, a ribbon cassette detection switch 12 and a disk detection sensor 13 are connected.

  Next, the printing operation by the printing apparatus 1 will be described. 20 and 21 are flowcharts showing the control flow of the printing apparatus 1.

  First, a menu screen for setting a tape printing mode in which the printing object is a printing tape or a disk printing mode in which the printing object is an optical disk is displayed on the display unit 4, and the user selects this menu screen. The print mode is set through the control (S1).

  Next, an input editing screen and a format setting screen are displayed on the display unit 4, and data to be printed is input by the user via the key input unit 3, and the format of the character size, the number of lines, the font, etc. Input settings are made (S2).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the execution of printing based on the operation of the printing key of the key input unit 3 is instructed (S3). If execution of printing is instructed (YES in S3), it is determined whether the set printing mode is for printing tape or optical disk (S4). If execution of printing is not instructed, the process is terminated (NO in S3).

  When the tape printing mode is set, the information of the tape cassette detection switches 11a and 11b, the ribbon cassette detection switch 12 and the disk detection sensor 13 provided in the accommodating portion 6 is taken in (S5), and the tape cassette detection switch 11a. Based on the information from 11b, it is determined whether or not the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 (S6).

  When it is determined that the tape cassette 70 is not stored in the storage unit 6 (NO in S6), it is next determined whether or not the ribbon cassette 85 is stored in the storage unit 6 (S7). When it is determined that the ribbon cassette 85 is not accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 (NO in S7), an error message indicating that the tape cassette 70 is not accommodated is displayed on the display portion 4 (S8), and the printing of S3 is executed. Transition to waiting for instructions. During this time, the user can store the tape cassette 70 in the storage unit 6 and instruct the execution of printing again.

  When it is determined that the ribbon cassette 85 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 (YES in S7), an error message is displayed indicating that the tape cassette 70 should be accommodated instead of the ribbon cassette 85 (S9), and the printing execution of S3 is performed. Transition to waiting for instructions. As a result, the user can replace the ribbon cassette 85 accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 with the tape cassette 70 and instruct execution of printing again.

  When it is determined that the tape cassette 70 is stored in the storage unit 6 (YES in S6), it is subsequently determined whether or not the optical disc D is stored in the storage unit 6 (S10). When it is determined that the optical disk D is stored in the storage unit 6 (YES in S10), an error message is displayed indicating that the optical disk D is stored in the display unit 4 and should be removed (S11), and S3 is printed. Transition to waiting for execution instruction. As a result, the user can remove the optical disc D accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 and instruct the execution of printing again.

  When it is determined that the optical disk D is not stored in the storage unit 6 (NO in S10), print data of the input data is created based on the set format and the tape cassette information such as the captured tape width (S12). ). Then, the printing operation motor 35 is driven to press the thermal head 8 against the platen roller 7 and to rotate the platen roller 7 and the ribbon take-up shaft 9 as described with reference to FIGS. The heat generating body of the thermal head 8 is driven to generate heat, whereby the ink on the ink ribbon 72 is thermally transferred to the printing tape 71 for printing (S13).

  After the printing is completed, the cutting mechanism 17 is driven by the cutter motor 105 while the thermal head 8 is pressed against the platen roller 7, and the movable blade 17b is operated to cut the printing tape 71 (S14). Further, the printing operation motor 35 is driven in reverse to separate the thermal head 8 from the platen roller 7 and the processing is terminated (S15, end).

  In S4, when it is determined that the set print mode is the disc print mode, the information of the tape cassette detection switches 11a and 11b, the ribbon cassette detection switch 12 and the disk detection sensor 13 provided in the storage unit 6 is taken in. (S16) Next, based on the information of the ribbon cassette detection switch 12, it is determined whether the ribbon cassette 85 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 (S17).

  When it is determined that the ribbon cassette 85 is not stored in the storage unit 6 (NO in S17), it is subsequently determined whether or not the tape cassette 70 is stored in the storage unit 6 (S18). If it is determined that the tape cassette 70 is not accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 (NO in S18), an error message indicating that the ribbon cassette 85 is not accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 is displayed on the display portion 4 (S19), and S3 is printed. Transition to waiting for execution instruction. By this error display, the user can store the ribbon cassette 85 in the storage unit 6 and instruct execution of printing again.

  When it is determined that the tape cassette 70 is stored in the storage unit 6 (YES in S18), an error display is displayed indicating that the tape cassette 70 stored in the storage unit 6 should be replaced with the ribbon cassette 85 (S20). The process shifts to a print execution instruction wait in S3. As a result, the user can replace the tape cassette 70 accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 with the ribbon cassette 85 and instruct execution of printing again.

  On the other hand, when it is determined that the ribbon cassette 85 is stored in the storage unit 6 (YES in S17), it is subsequently determined whether or not the optical disk D is stored in the storage unit 6 (S21). When it is determined that the optical disc D is not accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 (NO in S21), an error display indicating that the optical disc D is not accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 is displayed (S22), and the print execution instruction in S3 is awaited. Transition. Thus, the user can store the optical disk D in the storage unit 6 and instruct the execution of printing again.

  When it is determined that the optical disk D is stored in the storage unit 6 (YES in S21), print data of the input data is created based on the set format (S23), as shown in FIGS. Then, the printing operation motor 35 is driven in the forward direction to press the thermal head 8 against the platen roller 7 and to rotate the platen roller 7 and the ribbon take-up shaft 9, and the heating element of the thermal head 8 is heated by the printing data. By driving, the ink of the ink ribbon 87 is thermally transferred and printed on the label surface of the optical disk D (S24).

  When this printing is finished, the optical disc D is transported to the position of the take-out unit 14 and stops in a state where a region portion of 1/2 or more upstream in the transport direction is supported on the take-out unit 14. Subsequently, as described with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, the printing operation motor 35 is driven in reverse to separate the thermal head 8 from the platen roller 7, and the printing operation motor 35 is further stopped for a certain period of time. The process is terminated after the ink ribbon 87 has been loosened by driving in the reverse direction (S25, end).

  In the above-described embodiment, the tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassette 85 that are selectively used have the same outer shape, so that both are positioned and accommodated at predetermined positions in the accommodating portion 6. To be able to.

  However, since the ribbon cassette 85 does not hold the printing tape unlike the tape cassette 70, the ribbon cassette 85 can be made compact as shown in FIG. However, in this case, since the ribbon cassette 85a is small, it cannot be positioned at a predetermined position even if it is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 as it is. Therefore, in this case, an adapter 98 having substantially the same outer shape as the tape cassette 70 is used, and a small ribbon cassette 85a is attached to the adapter 98 and accommodated in the accommodating portion 6. The adapter 98 is provided with supported portions 93a, 94a, and 95b corresponding to the support bases 10a, 10b, and 10c of the accommodating portion 6 in the same manner as the ribbon cassette 85 shown in FIG. The supported portions 93a, 94a, and 95b have the same shape and the same function as the supported portions 93, 94a, and 95 of the ribbon cassette 85.

  Further, in the above embodiment, even when the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, the optical disc D can be accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, and at that time, error notification is performed based on information from the disc detection sensor 13. However, when the tape cassette 70 is accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, the optical disk D can be structurally prevented from being accommodated in the accommodating portion 6.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 23, when the shape of the tape cassette 70 is slightly larger than the shape of the tape cassette 70 shown in FIG. It is also possible to configure so as to protrude from the guide portion 15.

  In this case, when the optical disk D is erroneously inserted into the apparatus main body 2 with the tape cassette 70 being accommodated in the accommodating portion 6, the peripheral edge on the insertion side of the optical disk D is the tape cassette 70. In this case, it interferes with the tape cassette 70, and the interference prevents the insertion of the optical disc D and prevents the erroneous insertion of the optical disc D.

  In the above-described embodiment, confirmation of accommodation of the optical disk D at a predetermined accommodation position and positioning of printing start with respect to the optical disk D based on information from a single disk detection sensor 13 provided at the center of the guide portion 15. However, these two functions may be shared by two sensors.

  As shown in FIG. 10A, a sensor 13a is further added in the vicinity of the downstream side of the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8. In this case, the disc detection sensor 13 has a function for confirming accommodation of the optical disc D at a predetermined accommodation position, and the sensor 13a has a function for positioning printing start with respect to the optical disc D. .

  As shown in FIG. 10A, the sensor 13a is located near the downstream side of the outer peripheral edge of the optical disc D in a state where the optical disc D is accommodated in the initial accommodation position. The sensor 13a is constituted by, for example, a reflective optical sensor. Accordingly, in the state of FIG. 10A, the output of the disk detection sensor 13 is at a low level, and the output of the sensor 13a is also at a low level.

  With this combination of information, it is determined whether or not the optical disk D is stored in the initial storage position. When printing is started and the optical disk D is transported downstream, the optical disk D is not present at the position of the disk detection sensor 13, so that the output is at a high level, while the optical disk D is at the position of the sensor 13a. Since it moves, the output becomes a high level as the edge of the optical disk D arrives. Based on the information of both sensors, the timing for starting printing on the optical disk D can be controlled.

  When the sensor 13a is provided in addition to the disk detection sensor 13, information from the sensor 13a can be used for tape printing. That is, as is well known, a tape cassette is provided with a tape member that is configured such that a label of a predetermined shape is detachably attached at a predetermined interval along the length direction on a mount tape. is there. In this tape member, in order to perform printing while aligning within the label area, alignment marks are provided in advance on the back surface of the mount tape in correspondence with the positions of the labels. Therefore, the label 13 can be printed by detecting the alignment mark by the sensor 13a.

  Thus, the sensor 13a detects the edge of the optical disc D in the disc printing mode, and detects the alignment mark of the predetermined printing tape with the alignment mark in the tape printing mode. It can function for printing on optical disks and printing tapes.

  24 and 25 show a modified example of the insertion blocking means for preventing the optical disc D from being erroneously inserted into the accommodating portion 6 from above through the take-out port 23. In this example, the platen roller A rotating frame 120 is provided on the mounting frame 7 b that covers the upper surface of 7. The rotating frame 120 is supported so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction via a shaft 121 and elastically biased upward by a spring 122.

  A cover piece 125 is attached to the rotating frame 120 via a shaft 123. The cover piece 125 is rotatably attached to the shaft 123 and is elastically biased counterclockwise in FIG. 25 via a spring 126. The rotation frame 120 and the cover piece 125 that are elastically biased by the springs 122 and 126 have their rotation ranges restricted to a predetermined range by a stopper (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 24A, when the opening / closing lid 5 of the apparatus main body 2 is opened, the rotating frame 120 is rotated upward together with the covering piece 125 by the urging force of the spring 122 and inclined obliquely upward. The space between the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8 is retracted from the space above, and the space above the space is opened.

  In this state, the tape cassette 70 shown in FIG. 4 and the ribbon cassette 85 shown in FIG. 5 are accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 of the apparatus main body 2. At this time, the gap between the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8 is removed. Since the upper space is open, the printing tape 71 and the ink ribbon 72 of the tape cassette 70 or the ink ribbon 87 of the ribbon cassette 85 can be inserted into the gaps.

  Further, when the tape cassette 70 and the ribbon cassette 85 are taken out from the storage unit 6, the printing tape 71 and the ink ribbon 72 of the tape cassette 70 or the ink ribbon 87 of the ribbon cassette 85 can be drawn out from the gaps.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 24B, when the opening / closing lid 5 is closed, the rotating frame 120 is pushed by the opening / closing lid 5 by the operation, and the rotating frame 120 resists the elastic force of the spring 122. Then, the cover piece 125 is rotated downward together with the cover piece 125 to become a horizontal state, and the cover piece 125 is arranged in a space portion above the gap between the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8, and the gap is covered.

  Therefore, in this state, even if the optical disk D is inserted into the apparatus main body 2 from the upper side of the apparatus main body 2 through the take-out port 23 of the opening / closing lid 5, the optical disk D hits the cover piece 125 and is prevented from being inserted. Insertion of D from the wrong direction can be prevented.

  When the optical disk D is inserted in a normal direction, that is, from the opening 16 (insertion opening) on the side of the apparatus main body 2, the insertion side periphery of the optical disk D abuts on the side edge of the covering piece 125 according to the insertion. In response to this contact, the cover piece 125 rotates in the clockwise direction in FIG. 25 against the biasing force of the spring 123, and this rotation causes the cover piece 125 to move between the platen roller 7 and the thermal head 8. Thus, the optical disk D can be inserted to a predetermined initial position in the apparatus main body 2.

  At this time, the optical disk D is inserted in a direction parallel to the feeding direction of the ink ribbons 72 and 87, so that the ink ribbons 72 and 87 are smoothly inserted without being twisted or damaged.

  In the printing apparatus according to the above-described embodiment, printing on the optical disk D using the ribbon cassette 85 has been described. However, the printing medium is not limited to the optical disk D, and a print medium having a predetermined shape such as a card is used together with the ribbon cassette 85. It is possible to perform printing by storing the medium to be printed in an upright state as in the case of the optical disc D.

  As described above, according to the printing apparatus of the embodiment of the present invention, the tape cassette 70 that holds the printing tape 71 and the ink ribbon 72 in the single container 6, and the ribbon cassette 85 that holds the ink ribbon 87. In addition, the optical disk D is selectively accommodated, and the single thermal head 8 and the single platen roller 7 are driven, whereby the printing tape 71 of the tape cassette 70 accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 is interposed via the ink ribbon 72. The thermal transfer printing is performed, and the thermal transfer printing is performed on the optical disk D accommodated in the accommodating portion 6 via the ink ribbon 87 of the ribbon cassette 85, so that each single accommodating portion 6, the thermal head 8 and the platen roller are configured. 7 having a simple structure and a printing tape 71 held in the cassette, and a medium to be printed outside the cassette It can perform printing for different printing medium of a certain optical disc D.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state when the opening / closing lid of the printing apparatus according to the embodiment of the invention is closed. The perspective view which shows the state which opened the opening-and-closing lid | cover of the printing apparatus. The top view which shows the accommodating part of the printing apparatus. The top view and perspective view which show the tape cassette used for the printing apparatus. The top view and perspective view which show the ribbon cassette used for the printing apparatus. The top view which shows the state which accommodated the tape cassette in the accommodating part of the printing apparatus. The top view which shows the state which accommodated the ribbon cassette in the accommodating part of the printing apparatus. The perspective view which shows the state which accommodated the optical disk in the accommodating part of the printing apparatus. Sectional drawing which shows the accommodating part of the printing apparatus. Explanatory drawing which shows the state which accommodated the optical disk in the accommodating part of the printing apparatus. Explanatory drawing seen from the plane which shows the opening-and-closing lid and insertion prevention member of the printing apparatus. Explanatory drawing seen from the side surface which shows the opening-and-closing lid and insertion prevention member of the printing apparatus. The block diagram of the printing and conveyance mechanism of the printing apparatus. The figure which shows the state at the time of operation | movement of the 1st step | paragraph of the printing and conveyance mechanism. The figure which shows the state at the time of operation | movement of the 2nd step | paragraph of the printing and conveyance mechanism. The figure which shows the state at the time of operation | movement of the 3rd step | paragraph of the printing and conveyance mechanism. The figure which shows the state at the time of operation | movement of the 4th step | paragraph of the printing and conveyance mechanism. The block diagram which shows the lag gear mechanism of the printing and conveyance mechanism. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric circuit of the printing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart showing a part of the operation flow of the printing apparatus. 6 is a flowchart showing the remaining part of the operation flow of the printing apparatus. The figure which shows the modification of a ribbon cassette. The figure which shows the modification of a tape cassette. The block diagram which shows the modification of the insertion prevention means of an optical disk. The top view of the principal part of the modification.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printing apparatus 2 ... Apparatus main body 3 ... Key input part 4 ... Display part 5 ... Opening / closing lid 6 ... Storage part 7 ... Platen roller 8 ... Thermal head 8a ... Head cover 9 ... Ribbon winding shaft 11a. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11b ... Tape cassette detection switch 12 ... Ribbon cassette detection switch 13 ... Disc detection sensor 15 ... Guide part 15a ... Guide surface 16 ... Opening part 17 ... Cutting mechanism 17a ... Fixed blade 17b ... Movable blade 23 ... Extraction port 25 ... Dust removal cover DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 26 ... Inclined part 27 ... Position alignment index 28 ... Buffer material 29 ... Insertion prevention cover 32 ... Inclined part 35 ... Motor for operation 70 ... Tape cassette 71 ... Printing tape 72 ... Ink ribbon 73 ... Cassette case 74 ... Tape core 75 ... Ribbon Supply core 76 ... Ribbon take-up core 77 ... Head insertion part 85 ... Ribbon cassette 87 ... Ink ribbon 90 ... Ribbon supply core 91 ... Ribbon take-up core 92 ... Head insertion part 98 ... Adapter

Claims (11)

A first cassette that holds a printing medium and an ink ribbon, a second cassette that holds an ink ribbon, and a storage unit that selectively stores a predetermined printing medium different from the printing medium;
A single printing means;
Control means for controlling the printing means,
When the first cassette is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the control means is to be printed held in the first cassette via the ink ribbon held in the first cassette by the printing means. When thermal transfer printing is performed on the medium, and the predetermined printing medium is accommodated together with the second cassette in the accommodating portion, the ink is held by the printing means via the ink ribbon held in the second cassette. A printing apparatus that performs thermal transfer printing on the predetermined printing medium. Furthermore, a cassette detection means for detecting the type of cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion,
A print medium detection unit for detecting that the predetermined print medium is stored in the storage unit;
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the printing unit based on information from the cassette detection unit and the print medium detection unit.   The control means performs error notification when the cassette detection means detects the first cassette and the print medium detection means detects the predetermined print medium. 2. The printing apparatus according to 2.   The control means does not control the printing of the printing means when the cassette detecting means detects the first cassette and the print medium detecting means detects the predetermined print medium. The printing apparatus according to claim 2.   2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein in the state in which the first cassette is stored in the storage portion, the first cassette interferes with the storage of the predetermined print medium in the storage portion. The printing device described in 1. A first cassette that holds a printing medium and an ink ribbon, a second cassette that holds an ink ribbon, and a storage unit that selectively stores a predetermined printing medium different from the printing medium;
A single printing means;
The first print mode setting for printing with the ink ribbon held in the first cassette on the print medium held in the first cassette, and the predetermined print medium on the print medium Print mode setting means capable of selectively performing setting of a second print mode for printing with an ink ribbon held in a second cassette;
Cassette detection means for detecting the type of cassette accommodated in the accommodating portion;
A print medium detecting means for detecting that the predetermined print medium is stored in the storage section;
Control means for controlling the printing means,
The control means sets the first print mode by the print mode setting means and the second print mode by the print mode setting means when the first cassette is detected by the cassette detection means. When the second cassette is detected by the cassette detection means and the predetermined print medium is detected by the print medium detection means, the print means is controlled to control each print mode. A printing apparatus that performs printing processing corresponding to the above.   The control means is configured such that when the first print mode is set by the print mode setting means and the first cassette is not detected by the cassette detection means, and the second print is set by the print mode setting means. When the mode is set, if the second cassette is not detected by the cassette detection means and / or the predetermined print medium is not detected by the print medium detection means, an error notification is issued. The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the printing apparatus is performed.   The control means is configured such that when the first print mode is set by the print mode setting means and the first cassette is not detected by the cassette detection means, and the second print is set by the print mode setting means. If the second cassette is not detected by the cassette detection means and / or the predetermined print medium is not detected by the print medium detection means when the mode is set, the printing means The printing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the printing is not controlled. Furthermore, a single transport means is provided,
When the first cassette is accommodated in the accommodating portion, the conveying means conveys the printing medium and the ink ribbon held in the first cassette to the printing means, and the accommodating portion When the predetermined printing medium is accommodated together with the second cassette, the printing medium and the ink ribbon held in the second cassette are conveyed to the printing means. The printing apparatus according to claim 1. The printing means includes a single thermal head that is driven to generate heat by predetermined printing data,
The conveying means is driven to rotate, so that the print medium and ink ribbon held in the first cassette, and the predetermined print medium and ink ribbon held in the second cassette, respectively. The printing apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising a single platen roller that is nipped and conveyed between the thermal heads in a stacked state. The medium to be printed held by the first cassette is a printing tape,
The predetermined printing medium is a disk-shaped recording medium.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

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