JP2022155805A - Printing system and printing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printing system and a printing method which can accurately correct a set value relating to conveyance of an ink ribbon.SOLUTION: The printing system includes a printing device and a control part. The printing device comprises a thermal head, a first spool, a second spool, a first motor, a second motor, a guide shaft and an encoder. The first spool is mounted with a supply roll and is rotated by driving the first motor. The second spool is mounted with a take-up roll and is rotated by driving the second motor. The guide shaft is rotated by conveying an ink ribbon. The encoder detects the rotation amount of the guide shaft. The control part makes the thermal head perform printing (S32). Thereafter, the control part pulls back the ink ribbon from the take-up roll to the supply roll (S41). The control part measures the conveyance amount and conveyance speed of the ink ribbon based on a detection result from the encoder (S42). The control part corrects diameters of the supply roll and of the take-up roll based on a measurement result (S47).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to a printing system and printing method.

A recording apparatus including the conveying device of Patent Document 1 includes a roller for conveying a sheet, an opposing roller that faces the roller, and a drive motor that drives the roller. Based on the rotation speed of the roller and the driving current of the motor, the conveying device controls the operation of the drive motor during the period when the sheet is conveyed by a predetermined conveying amount from the position where the edge of the sheet enters the nipping portion between the roller and the opposing roller. Work is determined, and sheet dimensions are determined based on the work.

JP 2018-144904 A

In the conveying apparatus, when the sheet is conveyed over a short distance, the amount of rotation of the roller and the driving current of the driving motor become small, and the rotational speed of the roller and the driving current of the motor cannot be detected with high accuracy. In this case, the conveying device cannot accurately determine the dimensions of the sheet. If the dimensions of the sheet obtained by the conveying device differ from the actual dimensions of the sheet to be conveyed, the conditions for conveying the sheet become inappropriate, causing an image defect when the recording device records an image on the sheet. There is Therefore, there is a demand for a recording apparatus that can obtain the sheet dimensions with high accuracy and that appropriately corrects the sheet conveying conditions based on the sheet dimensions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing system and a printing method capable of accurately correcting set values relating to transport of an ink ribbon.

A printing system according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a printing device and a control unit, wherein the printing device includes a thermal head and a mechanism for conveying an ink ribbon, and is capable of supplying the ink ribbon to the thermal head. a supply section, a receiving section provided on the opposite side of the thermal head to the supply section and capable of receiving the ink ribbon, and driven by the ink ribbon transported between the supply section and the reception section. a conveying mechanism having a roller rotatable as a roller; and a detection unit that detects the amount of rotation of the roller. a print process, and a control process executed after the print process, wherein the transport mechanism pulls back the ink ribbon to the supply unit side in a state in which the thermal head is separated from the ink ribbon; a measurement process for measuring at least one of a transport speed and a transport length of the ink ribbon pulled back in the pull-back process based on the detection result of the detection unit; and a control process including a correction process for correcting a set value related to transport of the ink ribbon by the mechanism.

According to the above configuration, based on at least one of the transport speed and the transport length of the ink ribbon transported in the pull-back process, the setting value related to the transport of the ink ribbon is corrected. Since the thermal head is separated from the ink ribbon in the pull-back process, disturbance is less likely to occur during detection by the detection unit, and detection can be performed with high accuracy. Therefore, the printing system can correctly correct the setting value related to the transportation of the ink ribbon.

In the printing system of the first aspect, the correction processing may correct, as the set value, the amount of the ink ribbon in at least one of the supply section and the reception section. The printing system corrects the amount of ink ribbon in at least one of the supply section and the receiving section as a set value. Therefore, the printing system can correctly correct the amount of the ink ribbon and convey it.

In the printing system of the first aspect, the printing apparatus may include a stepping motor that drives the transport mechanism, and the correction process may correct a driving signal of the stepping motor as the set value. The printing system corrects the drive signal of the stepping motor as the set value. Therefore, the printing system can correctly correct the drive signal of the stepping motor and convey the paper.

In the printing system according to the first aspect, after the pull-back process, the control unit moves the transport mechanism to a position where an unused area of the ink ribbon, which is not used in the printing process, faces the thermal head. A feeding process of feeding the ink ribbon from the supply section to the receiving section may be performed. The printing system pulls the ink ribbon back to the supply section side in the pull-back process, and then feeds the ink ribbon to the receiving section side until the unused area faces the thermal head. Therefore, the printing system can easily transport the ink ribbon in the next printing process.

In the printing system of the first aspect, the control section can execute a second control process in which the transport mechanism pulls the ink ribbon back to the supply section side, and after the printing process, the control process and the second Control switching processing for selectively switching and executing control processing may be performed. The printing system selectively switches and executes the control process and the second control process. The printing system that executes the second control process does not perform measurement based on the detection result of the detection unit and does not correct the set value based on the measurement result, so the process can be simplified compared to the control process.

In the printing system of the first aspect, in the pull-back process of the control process, the control unit pulls back the ink ribbon a first distance longer than the second distance by which the ink ribbon is pulled back in the second control process. A first withdrawal process may be performed. The printing system pulls back a greater distance of the ink ribbon in the first pull-back process than pulls back the distance of the ink ribbon in the second control process. When the first pullback process is performed, the ink ribbon is conveyed over a long distance, so the detector can accurately detect the amount of rotation of the roller. Therefore, the printing system can correctly correct the setting value related to the transportation of the ink ribbon.

In the printing system of the first aspect, in the first pull-back process, the ink ribbon is pulled back at a predetermined first speed, and the pull-back process includes the first pull-back process and the transport mechanism moving the ink ribbon at a second speed slower than the first speed to the supply unit side by the second distance, and the control unit can execute the first pull-back process after the printing process. A pullback switching process for selectively switching between the return process and the second pullback process may be performed. The printing system pulls the ink ribbon back toward the feeder a second distance at a second speed in a second pullback process. Since the ink ribbon is pulled back at the second speed, which is slower than the first speed, the slippage of the ink ribbon on the roller is reduced and the detection accuracy of the detection unit is increased. Therefore, even when the ink ribbon is pulled back to the supply unit side by the second distance shorter than the first distance, the printing system can correctly correct the setting value related to the transportation of the ink ribbon.

In the printing system of the first aspect, in the printing process, the thermal head may heat the ink ribbon while the transport mechanism transports the ink ribbon from the supply unit to the reception unit. The printing system of the first aspect performs printing with a thermal head while continuously conveying an ink ribbon. In this case as well, the printing system pulls back the ink ribbon in the pull-back process, and corrects the set values related to the transportation of the ink ribbon. Therefore, the printing system can correctly correct the setting value related to the transportation of the ink ribbon.

A printing method according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a thermal head, a mechanism for conveying an ink ribbon, a supply section capable of supplying the ink ribbon to the thermal head, and the supply section for the thermal head. a conveying mechanism provided on the opposite side of the ink ribbon and having a receiving portion capable of receiving the ink ribbon; and a roller rotatable following the ink ribbon conveyed between the supplying portion and the receiving portion; A printing method using a printing apparatus comprising a detection unit that detects the amount of rotation of the roller, wherein the thermal head heats the ink ribbon to print on a print medium, and after the printing step, A control step to be executed, in which the transport mechanism pulls back the ink ribbon to the supply unit side while the thermal head is separated from the ink ribbon, and based on the detection result of the detection unit, a measuring step of measuring at least one of a conveying speed and a conveying length of the ink ribbon pulled back in the pulling back step; and a set value related to conveying the ink ribbon by the conveying mechanism based on the measurement result in the measuring step. and a control step including a correction step of correcting the The printing method of the second aspect can produce the same effect as the first aspect.

1 is a diagram showing an overview of a printing system 8; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a printing system 8; FIG. 8A and 8B are diagrams for explaining the printing operation of the printing system 8 when the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in patterns Q1 and Q2 in the pullback process; FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the printing operation of the printing system 8 when the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in the pattern Q3 in the pullback process; 4 is a graph showing temporal variations in the conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 in the pullback process. 4 is a flowchart of main processing; FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a main process continued from FIG. 6; FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a main process continued from FIG. 7; FIG.

<Overview of Printing System 8>
An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The printing system 8 is a system for performing thermal transfer printing. The printing system 8 prints on a printing medium P transported by an external device 100 (see FIG. 2). A specific example of the external device 100 is a packaging machine that conveys packaging materials. In this case, for example, the printing system 8 is used by being incorporated into a part of a transport line along which the printing medium P is transported by the packaging machine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 8 includes a printing apparatus 1, control units 7 and 111 (see FIG. 2), a platen roller 20, and an inter-device controller 110 (see FIG. 2). Below, the upper side, the lower side, the left side, the right side, the front side, and the rear side of the printing apparatus 1 are defined in order to facilitate understanding of the explanation of the drawings. The upper, lower, left, right, front, and rear sides of the printing apparatus 1 correspond to the upper, lower, left, right, front, and back sides in FIG. 1, respectively. In FIG. 1 , the transport direction of the print medium P coincides with the horizontal direction of the printing apparatus 1 . The print medium P is conveyed from right to left by the external device 100 .

The printing apparatus 1 is a thermal transfer type thermal printer. The printing device 1 includes a thermal head 3, and a first motor 81, a second motor 82, and a third motor 83 (see FIG. 2). As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 1 has a box-shaped housing 10 . A substrate 10A is fixed inside the housing 10 . A thermal head 3, a controller 7 (see FIG. 2), and a transport mechanism 6 are provided on the substrate 10A. The conveying mechanism 6 includes a ribbon mounting portion 2, a guide shaft 60, and a motor 80 (see FIG. 2). The guide shaft 60 is a general term for the guide shafts 61 , 62 , 65 and 66 . Motor 80 is a general term for first motor 81 , second motor 82 , and third motor 83 .

A cylindrical platen roller 20 is arranged below the printing apparatus 1 . The thermal head 3 and the platen roller 20 face each other vertically. A first motor 81 and a second motor 82 (see FIG. 2) transport the ink ribbon 9 between the thermal head 3 and the platen roller 20 . The printing device 1 is adjacent to the printing medium P with the lower end of the printing device 1 facing the printing surface of the printing medium P (the upper surface in FIG. 1). A print medium P conveyed by the external device 100 passes between the ink ribbon 9 and the platen roller 20 . That is, the platen roller 20 is arranged opposite to the ink ribbon 9 with respect to the transport path of the print medium P transported by the external device 100 .

<Ribbon assembly 90>
The printing apparatus 1 prints on the printing medium P by heating the ink ribbon 9 of the ribbon assembly 90 housed inside the housing 10 with the thermal head 3 . The ribbon assembly 90 has core shafts 90A and 90B and an ink ribbon 9 . The core shafts 90A and 90B are each cylindrical. The ink ribbon 9 is a strip-shaped film, and an ink layer is applied to the surface of a base material such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The ink layer includes, for example, a pigment component such as carbon and a binder component such as wax and/or resin. The ink is melted by heating and transferred to the print medium P. The ink ribbon 9 may have functional layers such as a back coat layer, a peeling layer, and an adhesive layer, if necessary. The ink ribbon 9 has one end connected to the side surface of the core shaft 90A and the other end connected to the side surface of the core shaft 90B.

The ribbon assembly 90 is attached to the ribbon attachment portion 2 of the printing apparatus 1 with the ink ribbon 9 wound around the core shaft 90A. The ink ribbon 9 wound around the core shaft 90A is called a "supply roll 9A." In the process of printing by the thermal head 3, the ink ribbon 9 is let out from the supply roll 9A of the core shaft 90A, guided by the guide shaft 60 and the thermal head 3, and wound around the core shaft 90B. The ink ribbon 9 wound around the core shaft 90B is called a "winding roll 9B".

<Ribbon attachment part 2>
The ribbon mounting section 2 has a first motor 81 , a second motor 82 , a first spool 21 and a second spool 22 . The first spool 21 and the second spool 22 are each rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. The first spool 21 is provided substantially in the center of the substrate 10A in the vertical direction and on the right side of the center in the horizontal direction. The second spool 22 is provided substantially in the center of the substrate 10A in the vertical direction and on the left side of the center in the horizontal direction. A supply roll 9A wound around a core shaft 90A of a ribbon assembly 90 is attached to the first spool 21 . A winding roll 9B wound around the core shaft 90B of the ribbon assembly 90 is attached to the second spool 22 .

The first spool 21 is directly connected to a first motor 81 (see FIG. 2) and rotated by the first motor 81 . The second spool 22 is directly connected to a second motor 82 (see FIG. 2) and rotated by the second motor 82 . Since the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 are rotated by different motors 80, they can rotate at different rotational speeds. The first spool 21 and the second spool 22 may be indirectly connected to the first motor 81 and the second motor 82, respectively.

When the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 rotate counterclockwise when the printer 1 in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front side, the core shafts 90A and 90B rotate in the normal direction. At this time, the ink ribbon 9 is let out from the supply roll 9A and wound on the take-up roll 9B. When the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 rotate clockwise when the printer 1 in FIG. 1 is viewed from the front side, the core shafts 90A and 90B rotate in the reverse direction. The ink ribbon 9 is unwound from a take-up roll 9B and taken up by a supply roll 9A.

The ink ribbon 9 stretched between the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B is conveyed within the housing 10 as the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 rotate. A route through which the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed is called a “conveyance route R”. The ink ribbon 9 is transported and guided along the transport path R by contacting the guide shaft 60 . The thermal head 3 is adjacent to the ink ribbon 9 stretched between the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B.

<Thermal head 3>
The thermal head 3 is provided below the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 on the front surface of the substrate 10A. The thermal head 3 is provided partly in the direction in which the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed. The thermal head 3 has a plurality of heating elements linearly arranged in the front-rear direction. The front-rear direction is the direction corresponding to the width direction of the ink ribbon 9, which is the direction intersecting the conveying direction of the ink ribbon 9. As shown in FIG. The thermal head 3 performs printing using the ink ribbon 9 by causing a plurality of heating elements arranged in the width direction of the ink ribbon 9 to generate heat.

The thermal head 3 is vertically movable. The third motor 83 (see FIG. 2) vertically moves the thermal head 3 between the head positions 3A and 3B. The head position 3B is a position where the ink ribbon 9 is urged toward the platen roller 20. FIG. The head position 3A is a position above the head position 3B and separated from the ink ribbon 9 to release the biasing force of the ink ribbon 9 against the platen roller 20 . That is, the third motor 83 moves the thermal head 3 toward and away from the platen roller 20 .

<Guide shaft 60>
The guide shaft 60 has a cylindrical shape and extends forward from the front surface, which is the surface of the substrate 10A. The guide shaft 60 is rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the front-rear direction. The guide shaft 61 is provided near the upper right corner of the substrate 10A. The guide shaft 62 is provided near the lower right corner of the substrate 10A. The guide shaft 65 is provided near the lower left corner of the substrate 10A. A guide shaft 66 is provided near the upper left corner of the substrate 10A.

The ink ribbon 9 contacts part of the peripheral surface of the guide shaft 60 . The transport path R of the ink ribbon 9 extends obliquely upward to the right from the supply roll 9A mounted on the first spool 21, contacts the guide shaft 61, changes direction, and extends downward toward the guide shaft 62. , changes direction in contact with the guide shaft 62 and extends leftward toward the guide shaft 65 . The direction of the transport path R of the ink ribbon 9 is changed according to contact with the thermal head 3 in the middle portion between the guide shafts 62 and 65 . The conveying path R of the ink ribbon 9 further contacts the guide shaft 65 to change direction, extends upward toward the guide shaft 66, contacts the guide shaft 66 to change direction, and extends rightward toward the take-up roll 9B. It extends obliquely downward. Note that the printer 1 may be provided with another guide shaft that changes the direction of the transport path R, for example, between the guide shaft 62 and the guide shaft 65 .

<Electrical Configuration of Printing System 8>
The electrical configuration of the printing system 8 will be described with reference to FIG. The printing device 1 has a control section 7 . The control unit 7 is composed of, for example, a CPU that controls the printing apparatus 1 and various drive circuits that operate according to instructions from the CPU. The various drive circuits are, for example, a circuit for supplying signals (eg, drive current) to the first motor 81, the second motor 82, and the third motor 83, which are the motors 80, and a signal (eg, drive current) to the thermal head 3. current), etc. The control unit 7 includes a storage unit 71, an operation unit 73, a thermal head 3, a first motor 81, a second motor 82, and a third motor 83, which are motors 80, an encoder 811, and a communication interface (communication I/ F) 72 is electrically connected via an interface circuit (not shown).

The thermal head 3 generates heat according to a signal output from the controller 7 . A motor 80 is a stepping motor that rotates in synchronization with a pulse signal. The first motor 81 rotates the first spool 21 according to the pulse signal output from the controller 7 . The second motor 82 rotates the second spool 22 according to the pulse signal output from the controller 7 . The third motor 83 rotates according to the pulse signal output from the control section 7 to move the thermal head 3 vertically.

An encoder 811 detects the rotational position and amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 . The encoder 811 outputs a signal indicating the detected rotational position and amount of rotation to the control section 7 . Communication I/F 72 is an interface element for communicating with inter-device controller 110 .

The inter-device controller 110 is provided outside the printing device 1 and controls communication between the printing device 1 and an external device. The inter-device controller 110 includes a control section 111 , a storage section 112 , a communication I/F 113 and a communication I/F 114 . The communication I/F 113 is connected to the communication I/F 72 of the printing apparatus 1 by wire or wirelessly. The communication I/F 114 is wired or wirelessly connected to the external device 100 and the external terminal 150 that are external devices. In this embodiment, the external device 100 is a device that conveys the print medium P (for example, a packaging machine that conveys packaging materials). The external terminal 150 is a terminal (for example, a PC) that allows the user to give various instructions to the printing apparatus 1 .

The storage unit 71 of the printing device 1 includes various storage media such as ROM, RAM, and flash memory. The storage unit 71 stores programs for processing executed by the control unit 7 . The storage unit 71 stores print data, the number of prints, maximum ribbon speeds Va and Va' described later, a transport amount L1, and the like. The print data and the number of prints are set in the storage unit 71 by being input from the external device 100 or the external terminal 150 to the control unit 7 via the inter-device controller 110 .

A program executed by the control unit 7 may be downloaded from the external terminal 150 via the communication I/F 72, for example. The control unit 7 may store the program acquired from the external terminal 150 in the storage unit 71 via the communication I/F 72 . The print data, medium speed V, and setting information may be input from the operation unit 73 of the printing apparatus 1 and set in the storage unit 71 .

<Outline of printing operation>
3 and 4, the outline of the printing operation for forming a print image on the print medium P in the printing system 8 will be described. 3 and 4, the ink ribbon 9 is shown linearly for easy understanding. However, in practice, the ink ribbon 9 and the print medium P may bend. Also, the operation of the printing apparatus 1 will be mainly described, and the description of the transported print medium P will be simplified. As shown in FIG. 3A, the thermal head 3 is arranged at a vertical position corresponding to a head position 3A before the printing operation.

In the printing system 8 , the print medium P is conveyed by the external device 100 (see FIG. 2 ) at a medium speed V, which is the conveying speed set by the external device 100 . A printing operation is performed by the printing apparatus 1 while the printing medium P is conveyed at the medium speed V. FIG. The external device 100 transmits a print command to the printing apparatus 1 via the inter-device controller 110 at a predetermined timing.

When the print command is received from the external device 100, the printing apparatus 1 executes print preparation processing as shown in FIG. 3B. In the print preparation process, the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are driven to rotate the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 . The ink ribbon 9 is let out from the supply roll 9A of the first spool 21 and wound up on the take-up roll 9B of the second spool 22 . Then, the conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 is accelerated from zero to a predetermined ribbon speed Vr. The ribbon speed Vr is the target reaching speed of the ink ribbon 9 according to the medium speed V set by the external device 100 or the external terminal 150 .

Further, the thermal head 3 is driven by the third motor 83 to move vertically from the head position 3A to the head position 3B. The thermal head 3 approaches the platen roller 20 from above and urges the ink ribbon 9 against the printing surface of the printing medium P. As shown in FIG. The platen roller 20 contacts the surface of the print medium P opposite to the print surface and urges the ink ribbon 9 and the print medium P toward the thermal head 3 .

After the print preparation process is completed, the print process is executed as shown in FIG. 3(c). In the printing process, the heating elements of the thermal head 3 are heated by energization based on the print data set in the storage section 71 . The ink is transferred to the printing surface of the printing medium P while the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed at the ribbon speed Vr. A print image is formed on the print medium P by the above. When printing on the print medium P is completed, the heating of the thermal head 3 is stopped.

After the print processing is completed, the print completion processing is executed as shown in FIG. 3(d). In the print completion process, the third motor 83 is driven to vertically move from the head position 3B to the head position 3A. The thermal head 3 is separated above the ink ribbon 9 to release the bias of the ink ribbon 9 against the platen roller 20 . Further, the driving of the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 is controlled, and the conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 is reduced from the ribbon speed Vr to zero. By stopping the rotation of the first spool 21 and the second spool 22, the transport of the ink ribbon 9 is stopped.

After the print completion process is completed, the pullback process is executed as shown in FIG. 3(e). In the pullback process, the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are driven in a direction opposite to that in the printing process, and the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 rotate in the reverse direction. The ink ribbon 9 is pulled back from the take-up roll 9B of the second spool 22 to the supply roll 9A of the first spool 21 . The ink ribbon 9 is pulled back by at least the amount (Lta) used in the printing process.

A measurement process is performed while the pull-back process is being performed. In the measurement process, the encoder 811 detects the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 and outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the controller 7 . The controller 7 measures the transport amount and transport speed of the transported ink ribbon 9 based on the detection result of the encoder 811 . Note that the control unit 7 does not have to execute the measurement process while executing the pullback process. A setting in which the control unit 7 executes the measurement process during the execution of the pullback process is called a first control setting, and a setting in which the control unit 7 does not execute the measurement process during the execution of the pullback process is called a second control setting. . The external device 100 sets either the first control setting or the second control setting for the printing apparatus 1 via the inter-device controller 110 .

As shown in FIG. 5, in the pullback process, the conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 is accelerated at an acceleration A from zero to the maximum ribbon speed Va. The maximum ribbon speed Va is the target reaching speed of the ink ribbon 9 set by the external device 100 or the external terminal 150 . Thereafter, the conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 is decelerated from the maximum ribbon speed Va to zero at the acceleration -A. The total transport amount of the ink ribbon 9 from the time the ink ribbon 9 is transported to the time Ta completes the transport is Lta. The total transport amount Lta is equal to the amount of ink ribbon 9 used in the printing process, that is, the amount printed on the print medium P by the heated thermal head 3 at the head position 3B. The constant-velocity transport amount by which the ink ribbon 9 is transported at the constant velocity of the maximum ribbon velocity Va is La. The constant-speed transport amount La is the sum of the length of the ink ribbon 9 accelerated to the maximum ribbon speed Va and the length of deceleration from the maximum ribbon speed Va to zero, based on the amount (Lta) of the ink ribbon 9 used in the printing process. is the length minus

In this embodiment, diameter correction processing of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B, which will be described later, is performed based on the encoder output when the ribbon is fed at a constant speed. The constant-speed transport amount La varies depending on the print data set in the storage unit 71 . When the constant-speed transport amount La is small, the time during which the ribbon is transported at the constant maximum ribbon speed Va is shortened. In this case, the encoder 811 cannot accurately detect the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 .

If the constant-speed conveying amount La is shorter than the predetermined conveying amount L1, the controller 7 determines that the encoder 811 cannot detect it accurately. Va'. Let La' be the constant-speed transport amount of the ink ribbon 9 transported at the constant speed of the maximum ribbon speed Va'. As a result, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 5, even when the same total transport amount Lta is transported, the time during which the ribbon is transported at the maximum ribbon speed Va′ and the constant-speed transport amount La′ are different from those at the maximum ribbon speed Va. time and the constant-speed transport amount La. Therefore, the encoder 811 can accurately detect the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 . Q1 is the pattern in which the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed from the take-up roll 9B to the supply roll 9A at the total conveying distance Lta, the maximum ribbon speed Va, the constant conveying distance La, the acceleration A, and the required time Ta in the pullback process. Q2 is a pattern in which the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed from the winding roll 9B to the supply roll 9A with the total conveying distance Lta, the maximum ribbon speed Va', the constant conveying distance La', the acceleration A, and the required time Ta'.

When the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in the pattern Q2, the required time Ta' may become excessively long. Further, the degree of control over the transport speed (transport amount) of the ink ribbon 9 varies depending on the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B. More specifically, the amount of the ink ribbon 9 wound by the supply roll 9A with one pulse signal from the first motor 81 increases as the diameter of the supply roll 9A increases. The amount of the ink ribbon 9 fed out by the winding roll 9B with one pulse signal from the second motor 82 increases as the diameter of the winding roll 9B increases. Therefore, if the diameter of either the supply roll 9A or the take-up roll 9B is large, the controller 7 cannot finely control the transport speed (transport amount) of the ink ribbon 9 .

If the required time Ta' is excessively long in the pattern Q2, or if the constant-speed transport amount La' is shorter than the predetermined transport amount L1, the controller 7 sets the total transport amount of the ink ribbon 9 in the pull-back process to Ltb and The total transport amount Ltb is larger than the usage amount (Lta) of the ink ribbon 9 in the printing process. In the pull-back process, a pattern in which the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed with a total conveying amount Ltb, a maximum ribbon speed Va, a constant-speed conveying amount Lb (Lb≧L1) conveyed at the maximum ribbon speed Va, an acceleration A, and a required time Tb is set. Called Q3.

After the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in the pattern Q3 by the pull-back process, the feeding process shown in FIG. 4(f) is executed. In the feeding process, the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are driven in the direction opposite to the retraction process (that is, the same direction as the printing process) to rotate the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 . In the feeding process, the difference (Ltb−Lta) between the amount of ink ribbon 9 used in the printing process (Lta) and the total transport amount Ltb excessively pulled back in the pullback process of the pattern Q3 is supplied. It is fed from the roll 9A to the take-up roll 9B. After execution of the feeding process, an unused area of the ink ribbon 9 that is not used for printing faces the thermal head 3 . Note that when the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back in patterns Q1 and Q2 in the pulling back process, the feeding process is not executed.

<Correction of Diameter of Supply Roll 9A and Winding Roll 9B>
As described above, the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B are one of the important parameters for the controller 7 to control the transport speed and transport amount of the ink ribbon 9 . The control unit 7 uses the encoder 811 to detect the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B at the start of the printing operation. Further, when the conveying process is performed, the control section 7 executes a correction process for correcting the detected diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B.

In the correction process, the control unit 7 determines the constant-speed transport amount La (Lb) of the ink ribbon 9 set by the control unit 7 before the transport process and the constant-speed transport amount of the ink ribbon 9 measured based on the detection result of the encoder 811. Compare with Lm. If the measured constant-speed transport amount Lm is larger than the set constant-speed transport amount La (Lb), the ink ribbon 9 is excessively transported, and the actual diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B are the detected values. bigger than Therefore, the detected diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B are corrected by adding the correction value β. On the other hand, when the measured constant-speed transport amount Lm is smaller than the set constant-speed transport amount La (Lb), the transport of the ink ribbon 9 is insufficient, and the actual diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B are detected. smaller than the value Therefore, the detected diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B are corrected by subtracting the correction value β.

In this embodiment, the correction value β is calculated by the following formula (1). Note that Vm is the maximum ribbon speed measured by the control unit 7 based on the detection result of the encoder 811 . When the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in the pattern Q2, Va is replaced with Va'. F is a predetermined coefficient.
β=|Vm−Va|×F (1)

<Main processing>
Main processing of the printing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8. FIG. The main process is a process for the printing apparatus 1 to form a print image on the print medium P. FIG. Before starting the main process, the storage unit 71 stores in advance the print data to be printed, the number of prints, the maximum ribbon speeds Va and Va', and the transport amount L1. The number of prints is the number of repetitions of printing on the print medium P in the main process.

The storage unit 71 also stores a control flag and a withdrawal flag used in the main process.
The control flag is set to 0 when the first control setting for executing the measurement process and the correction process based on the measurement process is set, and the value is set to the second control setting for not executing the measurement process and the correction process. is set to 1. The retraction flag is set to 1 when the ink ribbon 9 is transported in the pattern Q3 in the transport process, and is set to 0 when the ink ribbon 9 is transported in the patterns Q1 and Q2.

When the printer 1 is powered on, the control unit 7 of the printer 1 reads out and executes a program stored in the storage unit 71 to start main processing. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 7 performs an initial operation (S1). The initial operation is processing for controlling the printer 1 to the initial state. In the initial operation, the controller 7 moves the thermal head 3 to the head position 3A and uses the encoder 811 to detect the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B.

The control unit 7 determines whether or not to change the control setting (S2). When switching the control settings, the user operates the external device 100 or the external terminal 150 to transmit an instruction to change the control settings to the printing apparatus 1 via the inter-device controller 110 . When an instruction to change the control setting is input to the control unit 7 (S2: YES), the control unit 7 determines whether or not the control setting to be changed is the first control setting (S3). If the control setting to be changed is the first control setting (S3: YES), the control unit 7 sets the value of the control flag to 0 as the first control setting (S4), and proceeds to S6. If the control setting to be changed is not the first control setting (S3: NO), the control section 7 sets the value of the control flag to 1 as the second control setting (S5), and proceeds to S6. On the other hand, if an instruction to change the control setting is not input to the control unit 7 (S2: NO), the control unit 7 does not change the control setting and proceeds to S6.

The control unit 7 determines whether or not a print command has been received from the external device 100 (S6). When the user executes the printing operation of the printing apparatus 1 , the user operates the external device 100 and transmits a print command to the printing apparatus 1 via the inter-device controller 110 . When determining that the print command has not been received from the external device 100 (S6: NO), the control unit 7 returns the process to S2 and repeats the processes of S2 to S6.

When determining that a print command has been received from the external device 100 (S6: YES), the control unit 7 acquires various data such as print data, the number of prints, the maximum ribbon speed Va, and the acceleration A from the storage unit 71 (S11). . The control unit 7 calculates the total transport amount Lta and the constant-speed transport amount La based on the acquired print data, ribbon maximum speed Va, and acceleration A (S12).

The control unit 7 determines whether or not the value of the control flag stored in the storage unit 71 is 0 (S13). If it is determined that the value of the control flag is 0 (S13: YES), the control unit 7 executes the printing operation with the first control setting, and shifts the process to S21 (see FIG. 7). If it is determined that the value of the control flag is 1 (S13: NO), the control unit 7 executes the printing operation with the second control setting, and executes the pull-back process described later in the pattern Q1 (total transport amount Lta, constant speed It is set that the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back at the conveying distance La and the maximum ribbon speed Va) (S14), and the process proceeds to S31.

As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 7 determines whether the calculated constant-speed transport amount La is equal to or greater than the transport amount L1 stored in the storage unit 71 (S21). If the constant-speed transport amount La is equal to or greater than the transport amount L1 (S21: YES), the controller 7 detects the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 with sufficient accuracy by the encoder 811 even when the ink ribbon 9 is transported in the pattern Q1. judge that it can be done. Then, the control unit 7 sets the pull-back process, which will be described later, to pull back the ink ribbon 9 with a pattern Q1 (total carry amount Lta, constant-speed carry amount La, ribbon maximum speed Va) (S22), and shifts the process to S28. .

If the constant-speed transport amount La is smaller than the transport amount L1 (S21: NO), the control unit 7 determines the total transport amount Ltb and the constant-speed transport amount Lb in the pattern Q3 based on the print data, the ribbon maximum speed Va, and the acceleration A. , the required time Tb is calculated (S23). Based on the total transport distance Lta, the reduced maximum ribbon speed Va′, and the acceleration A, the controller 7 calculates the required time Ta′ in the pattern Q3 and the constant-speed transport distance La′ at the maximum ribbon speed Va′ (S24 ).

The control unit 7 determines whether or not the constant-speed transport amount La' is greater than or equal to the transport amount L1 stored in the storage unit 71 (S25). If the constant-speed transport amount La' is greater than or equal to the transport amount L1 (S25: YES), it is determined whether or not the required time Ta' calculated in S24 is equal to or shorter than the required time Tb calculated in S23 (S26). If the required time Ta' is equal to or shorter than the required time Tb (S26: YES), the controller 7 determines that the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 can be detected with sufficient accuracy even when the ink ribbon 9 is transported in the pattern Q2. . Then, the control unit 7 sets to pull back the ink ribbon 9 in the pattern Q2 (total carry amount Lta, constant speed carry amount La', ribbon maximum speed Va') in the pull back process to be described later (S27). The control unit 7 sets the value of the delivery flag stored in the storage unit 71 to 0 (S28), and shifts the process to S31.

If the constant-speed transport amount La' is smaller than the transport amount L1 (S25: NO) or the required time Ta' is greater than the required time Tb (S26: NO), the controller 7 transports the ink ribbon 9 in the pattern Q3. It is determined that the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 can be detected with sufficient accuracy when The control unit 7 sets to transport the ink ribbon 9 in the pattern Q3 (total transport amount Ltb, constant-speed transport amount Lb, maximum ribbon speed Va) in the transport process to be described later (S29). The control unit 7 sets the value of the pullback flag stored in the storage unit 71 to 1 (S30), and shifts the process to S31.

As shown in FIG. 8, the control unit 7 executes print preparation processing (S31). In the print preparation process, the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are driven to convey the ink ribbon 9 from the supply roll 9A to the take-up roll 9B. The conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 is accelerated from zero to the ribbon speed Vr. The thermal head 3 is driven by the third motor 83 to move vertically from the head position 3A to the head position 3B. The thermal head 3 approaches the platen roller 20 from above and urges the ink ribbon 9 against the printing surface of the printing medium P. As shown in FIG.

The control unit 7 starts print processing (S32). In the printing process, the control unit 7 heats the heating elements of the thermal head 3 based on print data, and prints on the print medium P while conveying the ink ribbon 9 from the supply roll 9A to the take-up roll 9B. The control unit 7 determines whether printing is completed (S33). If it is determined that the printing is not completed (S33: NO), the control section 7 returns the process to S33, and repeats the determination of S33 until the printing is completed. If it is determined that printing has been completed (S33: YES), the control section 7 stops the heat generation of the heating elements of the thermal head 3 and ends the printing process (S34).

The control unit 7 executes print completion processing (S35). In the print completion process, the thermal head 3 is driven by the third motor 83 to move vertically from the head position 3B to the head position 3A. The thermal head 3 is separated above the ink ribbon 9 . The driving of the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 is controlled, and the conveying speed of the ink ribbon 9 is reduced from the ribbon speed Vr to zero. By stopping the rotation of the first spool 21 and the second spool 22, the transport of the ink ribbon 9 is stopped.

The control unit 7 determines whether or not the value of the control flag stored in the storage unit 71 is 0 (S36). If it is determined that the value of the control flag is 0 (S36: YES), the control unit 7 assumes that the first control setting is performed, and shifts the process to S40. If it is determined that the value of the control flag is 1 (S36: NO), the control unit 7 assumes that the second control setting is set, and shifts the process to S51.

If it is determined that the value of the control flag is 0 (S36: YES), the control unit 7 executes pullback switching processing (S40). In the pullback switching process, the control unit 7 switches the transport pattern to Q1 to Q3 based on the settings in S22, S27, and S29 (see FIG. 7). The control unit 7 starts the withdrawal process based on the transport patterns Q1 to Q3 (S41). In the pullback process, the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are driven. The first spool 21 and the second spool 22 rotate in the opposite direction to that during the printing process, and the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back from the take-up roll 9B of the second spool 22 to the supply roll 9A of the first spool 21 . The control unit 7 executes measurement processing (S42). In the measurement process, the controller 7 measures the transport amount and the transport speed of the transported ink ribbon 9 based on the detection result of the encoder 811 .

The controller 7 determines whether or not the withdrawal of the ink ribbon 9 has been completed (S43). If it is determined that the required time Ta (Ta', Tb) has not elapsed and the pulling back of the ink ribbon 9 has not been completed (S43: NO), the control unit 7 returns the process to S43 and the pulling back is completed. The determination of S43 is repeated until. When it is determined that the required time Ta (Ta', Tb) has elapsed and the ink ribbon 9 has been pulled back (S43: YES), the controller 7 stops driving the first motor 81 and the second motor 82. The withdrawal process is ended (S44).

The control unit 7 determines whether or not the delivery flag is 1 (S45). When it is determined that the transport pattern is set to Q1 and Q2 and the delivery flag is 0 (S45: NO), the control section 7 shifts the process to S47. If it is determined that the transport pattern is set to Q3 and the delivery flag is 1 (S45: YES), the controller 7 executes delivery processing (S46). In the feeding process, the controller 7 drives the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 to feed the ink ribbon 9 from the supply roll 9A to the take-up roll 9B. The ink ribbon 9 is fed until an unused area of the ink ribbon 9 that is not used for printing faces the thermal head 3 . The control unit 7 shifts the process to S47.

The control unit 7 executes correction processing (S47). In the correction process, the controller 7 corrects the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B detected in S1 based on the transport amount and transport speed of the ink ribbon 9 measured in the measurement process (S44). The control unit 7 shifts the process to S61.

On the other hand, when it is determined in S36 that the value of the control flag is 1 (S36: NO), the controller 7 starts the pullback process (S51). In the pullback process, the control unit 7 drives the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 based on the transport pattern Q1 set in S14 (see FIG. 6). The first spool 21 and the second spool 22 rotate in the opposite direction to that during the printing process, and the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back from the take-up roll 9B to the supply roll 9A.

The controller 7 determines whether or not the withdrawal of the ink ribbon 9 has been completed (S53). If it is determined that the required time Ta has not elapsed and the pulling back of the ink ribbon 9 has not been completed (S53: NO), the control unit 7 returns the process to S53, and repeats the determination of S53 until the pulling back is completed. . When it is determined that the required time Ta has passed and the pulling back of the ink ribbon 9 is completed (S53: YES), the control section 7 stops driving the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 to end the pulling back process. (S54). The control unit 7 shifts the process to S61.

The control unit 7 determines whether or not all printing for the number of prints has been completed (S61). If it is determined that all printing has not been completed (S61: NO), the control section 7 returns the process to S31. If it is determined that all the printing for the number of prints has been completed (S61: YES), the control section 7 returns the process to S1.

As described above, the printing system 8 of this embodiment includes the printing device 1 and the control section 7 . The printing apparatus 1 includes a thermal head 3 , a transport mechanism 6 , a supply roll 9A, a take-up roll 9B, and an encoder 811 . The transport mechanism 6 includes a first spool 21 , a second spool 22 , a first motor 81 , a second motor 82 and a guide shaft 65 . The supply roll 9A is attached to the first spool 21 . The winding roll 9B is attached to the second spool 22 . An encoder 811 detects the rotational position and amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 . The control unit 7 executes a print process in which the thermal head 3 heats the ink ribbon 9 to print on the print medium P (S32). After executing the printing process, the controller 7 executes the pullback process to drive the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 while the thermal head 3 is separated from the ink ribbon 9 (S41). The ink ribbon 9 is pulled back from the take-up roll 9B to the supply roll 9A. The encoder 811 detects the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 in the pullback process and outputs the detection result to the control section 7 . The control unit 7 executes measurement processing, and measures the transport amount and transport speed of the transported ink ribbon 9 based on the detection result of the encoder 811 (S42). The control unit 7 executes a correction process, and corrects the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B as set values for transporting the ink ribbon 9 based on the measurement results of the measurement process (S47). Since the thermal head 3 is separated from the ink ribbon 9 in the withdrawal process, disturbance is less likely to occur when the encoder 811 detects the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 . Therefore, the printing system 8 can correctly correct the setting values related to the transport of the ink ribbon 9 .

In the correction process, the printing system 8 corrects the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B as setting values related to the transport of the ink ribbon 9 . The degree of control over the transport speed (transport amount) of the ink ribbon 9 varies depending on the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B. Since the printing system 8 can correctly correct the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B, the transport speed (transport amount) of the ink ribbon 9 can be controlled correctly.

After the ink ribbon 9 is transported in the pattern Q3 in the pull-back process, the controller 7 executes the feeding process (S46). In the feeding process, the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are rotationally driven in a direction opposite to that in the pulling-back process, and the ink ribbon 9 is fed from the supply roll 9A to the take-up roll 9B. The ink ribbon 9 is fed until an unused area not used for printing faces the thermal head 3 . As a result, the printing system 8 does not need to transport the ink ribbon 9 to an unused area in the next printing process, thereby simplifying the process.

Before executing the printing operation, the control unit 7 sets a first control setting for executing a pull-back process (S41), a measurement process (S42), and a correction process (S47) based on the measurement process, and a pull-back process (S51 ) is set by the control flag (S4, S5). After the printing process is completed (S35), the control unit 7 performs the pull-back process (S41), the measurement process (S42), and the correction process (S47) according to the first control setting and the pull-back process (S47) according to the second control setting based on the control flag. The return processing (S51) is switched and executed. When the pullback process (S51) is executed by the second control setting, the measurement process and the correction process are not executed, so the process can be simplified.

When the pull-back pattern is Q3 in the pull-back process (S41) by the first control setting, the total transport amount Ltb is greater than the total transport amount Lta of the ink ribbon 9 in the pull-back process (S51) by the second control setting. of the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back. In this case, since the distance that the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back is long, the encoder 811 can accurately detect the amount of rotation of the guide shaft 65 . Therefore, the printing system 8 can correctly correct the setting values related to the transport of the ink ribbon 9 .

The control unit 7 executes pullback switching processing (S40). In the pull-back switching process, the control unit 7 switches between patterns Q1 and Q3 (maximum ribbon speed Va) with high ribbon speed and pattern Q2 (maximum ribbon speed Va') with low ribbon transport speed. In the pullback process, the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back based on the transport pattern switched by the pullback switching process. When the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back in the pattern Q2, slippage of the ink ribbon 9 on the first spool 21, the second spool 22, and the guide shaft 60 is reduced compared to the case of conveying in the patterns Q1 and Q3. Therefore, the detection accuracy of the encoder 811 is improved, and the printing system 8 can correctly correct the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B.

In the printing process (S32), the printing apparatus 1 causes the thermal head 3 to heat the ink ribbon 9 based on the print data while conveying the ink ribbon 9 from the supply roll 9A to the take-up roll 9B. print. Even when printing is performed while continuously conveying the ink ribbon 9 to the take-up roll 9B side, the printing system 8 pulls the ink ribbon 9 back to the supply roll 9A side in the pull-back process, and is involved in the conveyance of the ink ribbon 9. Correct the setting value. Therefore, the printing system 8 can correctly correct the setting values related to the transport of the ink ribbon 9 .

In the above embodiment, the first spool 21 corresponds to the "supply part" of the invention. The second spool 22 corresponds to the "receiving portion" of the present invention. The guide shaft 65 corresponds to the "roller" of the invention. The encoder 811 corresponds to the "detector" of the present invention. The diameter of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B corresponds to the "amount related to the ink ribbon" of the present invention. S51 to S54 executed by the control unit 7 correspond to the "second control process" of the present invention. S36 executed by the control unit 7 corresponds to the "control switching process" of the present invention. The total transport amount Lta corresponds to the "second distance" of the invention. The total transport amount Ltb corresponds to the "first distance" of the invention. The ribbon maximum speed Va corresponds to the "first speed" of the present invention. The pullback process in the case of pulling back in the patterns Q1 and Q3 corresponds to the "first pullback process" of the present invention. The maximum ribbon speed Va' corresponds to the "second speed" of the present invention. The pullback process in the case of pulling back in pattern Q2 corresponds to the "second pullback process" of the present invention.

The present invention can be variously modified from the above embodiment. The various modified examples described below can be combined as long as there is no contradiction. In the above embodiment, the control unit 7 of the printing apparatus 1 executes the main processing (see FIGS. 6 to 8), but the control unit 111 of the inter-device controller 110 executes part or all of the main processing. good too. For example, the control unit 111 may execute processing (S21 to S30) related to setting of the pullback processing in the main processing.

In the above embodiment, the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B are corrected by correction processing, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a process of correcting the pulse signals of the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 may be performed in the correction process. Specifically, the detection result of the encoder 811 or the deviation of the conveying amount is calculated, and the number of pulses included in the pulse signal sent to the first motor 81 or the second motor 82 is increased or decreased according to the deviation. Also good. Also, the masses of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B may be corrected. In this case, the mass of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B corresponds to the "amount related to the ink ribbon" of the present invention.

The guide shaft 60 may have an encoder for detecting the amount and position of rotation of a guide shaft other than the guide shaft 65 . In addition to the encoder 811 , the controller 7 may measure the transport speed and the transport amount based on the detection results of the encoder provided on the first spool 21 or the second spool 22 . For example, when the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 are brushless motors, the encoder 811 and the encoder provided on the first spool 21 or the second spool 22 are used together to measure the transport speed and the transport amount. .

In the above embodiment, the first spool 21 and the second spool 22 are rotated by different motors 80, respectively. You may rotate following the drive of either. In this case, the printing apparatus 1 does not have to include the other of the first motor 81 and the second motor 82 .

In the above embodiment, after the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in the pattern Q3, the feeding process (S46) is executed, and then the correction process (S47) is executed. may In this case, in the delivery process, the transport amount, transport speed, etc. may be controlled based on the diameters of the supply roll 9A and the take-up roll 9B corrected in the correction process. Further, even when the ink ribbon 9 is pulled back in the pattern Q3, the feeding process (S46) does not necessarily have to be executed. For example, when it is desired to process the next printing operation quickly, the printing operation may be started as it is without performing the feeding process. Although the possibility of overlapping the same area of the ink ribbon by the amount of pulling back increases, printing can be performed quickly while performing appropriate correction processing.

In the above embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 prints on the print medium P while continuously conveying the ink ribbon 9, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the ink ribbon 9 is intermittently conveyed, and when the thermal head 3 prints, the conveyance of the ink ribbon 9 and the print medium P is interrupted, and the thermal head 3 moves relative to the ink ribbon 9 while printing. The present invention can also be applied when performing In this case, the printer 1 preferably has a motor for driving the thermal head 3 in the transport direction of the ink ribbon 9 .

1 Printing Device 2 Ribbon Mounting Unit 3 Thermal Head 7 Control Unit 8 Printing System 21 First Spool 22 Second Spool 71 Storage Unit 81 First Motor 82 Second Motor 811 Encoder

Claims (9)

Equipped with a printing device and a control unit,
The printing device
a thermal head;
A mechanism for conveying an ink ribbon, comprising: a supply unit capable of supplying the ink ribbon to the thermal head; and a receiving unit provided on the opposite side of the thermal head to the supply unit and capable of receiving the ink ribbon. and a roller rotatable following the ink ribbon transported between the supply section and the reception section;
A detection unit that detects the amount of rotation of the roller,
The control unit
a print process in which the thermal head heats the ink ribbon to print on a print medium;
A control process executed after the printing process,
a pull-back process in which the transport mechanism pulls back the ink ribbon toward the supply section while the thermal head is separated from the ink ribbon;
a measurement process for measuring at least one of a transport speed and a transport length of the ink ribbon pulled back in the pull-back process based on the detection result of the detection unit;
and a control process comprising: a correction process for correcting set values relating to transport of the ink ribbon by the transport mechanism based on the measurement result of the measurement process. 2. A printing system according to claim 1, wherein said correction processing corrects, as said set value, an amount of said ink ribbon in at least one of said supply section and said receiving section. The printing device includes a stepping motor that drives the transport mechanism,
3. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein the correction process corrects a drive signal for the stepping motor as the set value. The control unit
After the pull-back process, the conveying mechanism feeds the ink ribbon from the supply section to the reception section until an unused area of the ink ribbon that is not used in the printing process faces the thermal head. 4. The printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a feeding process is performed. The control unit
the conveying mechanism is capable of executing a second control process for pulling back the ink ribbon toward the supply unit;
5. The printing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a control switching process for selectively switching and executing the control process and the second control process is performed after the printing process. In the pull-back process of the control process, the control unit performs a first pull-back process of pulling back the ink ribbon by a first distance longer than a second distance by which the ink ribbon is pulled back in the second control process. 6. The printing system of claim 5, wherein: In the first pull-back process, the ink ribbon is pulled back at a predetermined first speed,
The pullback process is
the first pullback process;
a second pull-back process in which the transport mechanism pulls the ink ribbon by the second distance toward the supply unit at a second speed slower than the first speed,
7. The printing according to claim 6, wherein after the printing process, the control unit performs a pull-back switching process for selectively switching between the first pull-back process and the second pull-back process. system. 8. The printing process according to claim 1, wherein the thermal head heats the ink ribbon while the transport mechanism transports the ink ribbon from the supply unit to the receiving unit. The printing system described. a thermal head, a mechanism for conveying an ink ribbon, and a supply section capable of supplying the ink ribbon to the thermal head, and a supply section provided on the opposite side of the thermal head to the supply section to receive the ink ribbon. a receiving portion, a roller rotatable following the ink ribbon transported between the supplying portion and the receiving portion; and a detecting portion for detecting the amount of rotation of the roller. A printing method using a printing device comprising:
a printing step in which the thermal head heats the ink ribbon to print on a print medium;
A control step performed after the printing step, comprising:
a pulling back step, wherein the transport mechanism pulls back the ink ribbon toward the supply section while the thermal head is separated from the ink ribbon;
a measuring step of measuring at least one of a conveying speed and a conveying length of the ink ribbon pulled back in the pulling-back step based on the detection result of the detection unit;
and a control process comprising: a correction process of correcting a set value relating to transport of the ink ribbon by the transport mechanism based on the measurement result of the measurement process.

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