JP3050469B2 - Tape printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape printing apparatus, and more particularly, to a method for dividing input document data consisting of a plurality of lines into a number of printable lines corresponding to the width of a tape as a print medium. About what you did.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 185050, the applicant of the present invention discloses a tape (for example, 6 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm) as a print medium stored in a tape cassette.
Practical use of a tape printer that can print characters and symbols on tapes having a width of 25 mm or 24 mm), while detecting the tape width of the tape according to the type of tape cassette installed, and the number of lines of input document data The print width of the document data is calculated based on the character size data set as
When the printing width is larger than the tape width, printing cannot be performed. Therefore, a tape printing device that displays an error on a display was proposed. That is, in this tape printer, when the print width is larger than the tape width, the character size of the document data is reduced, the number of lines is reduced, or the document data is divided into two or more blocks and input. Or if the document data is not to be modified, a wider tape is attached, and printing is performed again.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional tape printer, when the print width of input document data is larger than the tape width of the mounted tape, the input data is printed on the tape width. There are problems such as the need to correct the number of lines and the character size to make it possible, and the problem of dividing into two or more blocks that the number of lines printable in one block is not known. If the input document data is not corrected, the tape is replaced with a wider tape for printing. However, there is a problem that it is difficult to know which tape width is optimal for printing the document data. Further, there is a problem that printing cannot be performed unless a wider tape is held.

An object of the present invention is to divide the input document data by the number of printable lines on the tape without correcting the document data or exchanging the tape even when the print width of the input document data is larger than the tape width. An object of the present invention is to provide a tape printer capable of printing.

[0005]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus including a printing unit including a printing head for printing a dot pattern on a tape as a printing medium, as shown by a solid line in a functional block diagram of FIG. Input means for inputting characters and symbols and various instructions, data storage means for storing data of input characters and symbols, display means having a display for displaying characters and symbols, and data for data storage means A tape setting device for setting a character size when printing characters and symbols in a tape printing apparatus having a printing control means for generating dot pattern data in response to the printing and causing the printing means to print, and a tape width of the tape. And a text printed from the number of lines of data stored in the data storage means and the character size set by the size setting means. And a determining unit that determines whether the printing width is larger than the tape width received from the tape width detecting unit, and receives a determination result from the determining unit, and the printing width is larger than the tape width. In some cases, the data storage means is provided with block data output control means for dividing the data in the data storage means into block data each having the number of lines printable on the tape and outputting the divided data to the print control means.

Further, as shown by a solid line and a two-dot chain line in the functional block diagram of FIG.
When the print width is larger than the tape width, a tape width display control means for obtaining a tape width capable of printing data in the data storage means and displaying the tape width on the display means may be provided.

[0007]

In the tape printer according to the first aspect, the character size for printing characters and symbols is set by the size setting means, and the tape width detecting means detects the tape width of the tape. The data storage unit stores character and symbol data input by the input unit. The determining means obtains the print width of the character or symbol to be printed from the number of lines of data stored in the data storage means and the character size set by the size setting means, and the print width is determined by the tape width detecting means. The block data output control means receives the determination result from the determination means and determines whether or not the print width is larger than the tape width. The data is divided for each block data consisting of printable lines and output to the print control means. As a result, the print control means creates dot pattern data for each block data received from the block data output control means and causes the print means to print.

As described above, when the print width of an input character or symbol is larger than the tape width of a tape as a print medium, the print data is divided into block data corresponding to the number of lines printable on the tape, and the tape is divided into blocks. Without having to modify the input document data or replace the tape.
Division printing can be performed for each number of printable lines on the tape.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a tape printer exclusively for English which can print a large number of characters such as alphabetic characters and symbols on a printing tape over a plurality of lines. As shown in FIG. 2, the tape printer 1 includes a CRT display 3 capable of displaying characters, symbols, and the like for a plurality of lines, a keyboard 4, and a control main unit 5. And a printer 6 connected to the control main unit 5 by a connection line L. Here, the CRT display 3 and the keyboard 4
Are connected to the control main unit 5 via connection lines, respectively.

The keyboard 4 includes a character key for inputting alphabets, numbers and symbols, a space key, a return key, a cursor movement key for moving a cursor up, down, left and right, a size setting key for setting the size of a print character, A typeface setting key for setting the typeface of a print character, various editing function keys, a print key for executing printing, and the like are provided.

Next, a printing mechanism PM incorporated in the printer 6 will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 3. A rectangular tape storage cassette CS is detachably mounted on the printing mechanism PM. The cassette CS includes a tape spool 9 around which a printing tape 8 having a width of about 24 mm made of a transparent film is wound, a ribbon supply spool 11 around which an ink ribbon 10 is wound, and the ink ribbon 1.
0, a supply spool 14 in which a double-sided tape 13 having the same width as the printing tape 8 is wound with the release paper outside, and the printing tape 8 and the double-sided tape 13 are joined. And a joining roller 15 to be rotatably provided.

A thermal head 16 is provided upright at a position where the printing tape 8 and the ink ribbon 10 overlap, and a platen roller 17 for pressing the printing tape 8 and the ink ribbon 10 against the thermal head 16, Tape 8
A feed roller 18 pressing the double-sided tape 13 and the double-sided tape 13 against the joining roller 15 is rotatably supported by a support 19 rotatably mounted on a frame of the printer 6. In the thermal head 16, a heating element group including 128 heating elements is vertically arranged in rows.

Accordingly, by driving the tape feed motor 50 (see FIG. 4) in a predetermined rotation direction, the joining roller 15 and the take-up spool 12 are energized to the heating element group while being driven in synchronization with each other in the predetermined rotation direction. At this time, characters are printed on the printing tape 8 by a plurality of dot rows, and the printing tape 8 is fed in the tape feeding direction A with the double-sided tape 13 joined, as shown in FIG. 6 is sent out. For details of the printing mechanism PM, see JP-A-2-106555.

Here, five types of cassettes CS containing printing tapes 8 having tape widths of 6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm and 24 mm are prepared as the tape storage cassettes CS. On the bottom wall, any one of the first to third projecting pieces 20 to 22 is provided in combination. The first to third protruding pieces 2 are provided on the frame of the printer 6.
A tape width sensor 53 (see FIG. 4) composed of a photo interrupter for detecting presence / absence of 0 to 22 is attached.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, three protruding pieces 20 to 22 are attached to a tape storage cassette CS storing a printing tape 8 having a tape width of 24 mm. However, although not shown, the tape storage cassette CS storing the printing tape 8 having a tape width of 18 mm includes:
Only the first and third protruding pieces 20 and 22 are mounted on the tape storage cassette CS in which only the first and second protruding pieces 20 and 21 are mounted and the printing tape 8 having a tape width of 12 mm is stored. Only the first protruding piece 20 is attached to the tape storage cassette CS that stores the printing tape 8 having a tape width of 9 mm, and the printing tape 8 having a tape width of 6 mm.
Are mounted only on the second and third projecting pieces 21 and 22.

Next, the control system of the tape printer 1 is shown in FIG.
Is configured as shown in the block diagram of FIG. First, a control system of the data creation device 2 will be described. A CRT having a keyboard (K / B) 4 and a display RAM for outputting display data to a CRT display (CRTD) 3
A display controller (CRTC) 30 and a floppy disk drive (FD) provided in the control main unit 5
D) A floppy disk drive controller (FDC) 32 for 31 is an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 3 of a control device C1 provided in the control main unit 5.
6 are respectively connected.

The control device C1 comprises a CPU 33 and this CP
An input / output interface 36, a communication interface (I / F) 37 connected to the U33 via a bus 38 such as a data bus, and a hard disk drive controller (HDC) for a hard disk drive (HDD) 34 equipped with a hard disk. ) 35 and RAM4
0.

The hard disk has a display pattern data memory in which dot pattern data for display is stored in association with code data for each of a large number of characters. Font memory that stores outline data (outline data) defining the outline of a character for each typeface (Gothic typeface, Mincho typeface, etc.) and corresponding to code data, characters input from keyboard 4 CRT display controller 30 corresponding to the code data of characters such as characters, numbers and symbols.
Drive control program for controlling image data, an image development control program for converting outline data corresponding to each code data in the text memory 41 of the RAM 40 into dot pattern data and outputting the same to the printer 6, Control programs and the like are stored.

As shown in FIG. 5, the hard disk has various tape widths (24 mm, 18 mm, 12 mm, 9 mm).
mm, 6 mm) and a printable dot number table TB in which the number D of printable dots corresponding to each tape width is stored.

A text memory (corresponding to data storage means) 41 of the RAM 40 stores document data inputted from the keyboard 4. The print format memory 42 stores a plurality of print format information such as data of the set character size and data of the font number. The print buffer 43 stores print dot pattern data of characters and symbols developed into an image. The work memory 44 temporarily stores data necessary for data processing.

Next, the control system of the printer 6 will be described. The drive circuit 5 for driving the thermal head 16
2 and a drive circuit 5 for driving the tape feed motor 50
1 and the tape width sensor 53 are connected to an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 57 of the control device C2. The control device C2 includes a CPU 54 and the CPU 54
, An input / output interface 57 connected via a bus 59 such as a data bus, and a communication interface (I
/ F) 58, ROM 55, and RAM 56.

The ROM 55 stores a print drive control program for driving the thermal head 16 and the tape feed motor 50 based on the dot pattern data transmitted from the data creation device 2. The RAM 56 has a receiving buffer for receiving and storing the dot pattern data transmitted from the data creating device 2 via the communication interface 58, and various memories for temporarily storing the calculation results calculated by the CPU 54. And so on.

Next, the routine of the tape print control performed by the control device C1 of the data creation device 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
This will be described with reference to the schematic flowchart of FIG. Note that reference numerals Si (i = 10, 11, 12,...) In the figure indicate each step.

When the power is turned on, this control is started.
When a printable key such as an alphabet key, a symbol key, or a numeric key is operated (S10 / S11: Yes), a document data input process for storing the input code data as text data in the text memory 41 of the RAM 40 is executed. At the same time, display processing for displaying the character corresponding to the code data on the CRT display 3 is executed (S12), and the process returns to S10. For example, the document data "BR" for label printing for five lines shown in FIG.
OTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD. (Line break) ... BROTHER J5
When "9743 (line feed)" is input, the document data is stored in the text memory 41 and displayed on the CRT display 3.

Next, when the size setting key, the typeface setting key, and various editing keys are operated (S10: Yes, S11
(S13: No), processing corresponding to the operated key is executed, such as printing format information such as character size data and font number data being stored in the printing format memory 42 of the RAM 40 (S15), and the process returns to S10. Next, when the print key is operated (S10: Yes, S11: No, S
13: Yes), print processing control (see FIG. 7) is executed (S14).

When this control is started, first, a tape width data request command is transmitted to the printer 6 via the communication interface 37, and the tape width data detected by the tape width sensor 53 is transmitted to the communication interface 37.
And the received tape width data is read (S20). Next, the text memory 4 of the RAM 40
1 based on the number of lines of the document data stored in the print format memory 42 and the number of dots N of the print width of the document data composed of the plurality of lines based on the number of lines and the size data stored in the print format memory 42. Is required (S21).

Next, the printable dot number table TB
The number D of printable dots corresponding to the read tape width data is obtained based on the following formula. If the number N of dots of the print width is smaller than the number D of printable dots (S22: N
o) For each character or symbol in the document data, the outline data is read from the font memory, and the dot pattern data expanded and reduced to the set character size is stored in the print buffer 43. At the same time, the dot pattern data is transferred to the printer 6 via the communication interface 37 and the connection line L.
(S35). As a result, the document data is printed on the printing tape 8. Next, after the printing tape 8 is fed by a predetermined amount, the printing tape 8 is cut by a cutting mechanism (not shown) (S33).
Return to

When the number N of dots of the total print width is larger than the number D of printable dots (S22: Yes)
), A tape corresponding to the smallest dot number D among the printable dot numbers D in the printable dot number table larger than the dot number N based on the print width dot number N and the printable dot number table TB The width data, that is, the optimum tape width that can be printed collectively, is required. For example, the document data shown in FIG. 8 is required to have an optimum tape width of 24 mm. Further, the print width is obtained for each line, and the integrated print width obtained by integrating the print widths for each line from the first line is compared with the number D of printable dots corresponding to the tape width data read in S20. The number of lines printable on the printing tape 8 is determined (S23). For example, when a printing tape 8 having a tape width of 12 mm is mounted on the printer 6, the number of printable lines is three.
It must be a row. Then, the document data cannot be printed at one time unless the tape is replaced with a printing tape 8 having a wider tape width. Wide optimal tape width for CRT
It is displayed on the display 3 (S24). For example, as shown in FIG.
3rd lines ・ ・ ・ ・ the set tape.Do you want to shi
ft... next block? "is displayed on the CRT display 3 and a message" Optimum tape width: 24 mm "for the optimum tape width is displayed.

Next, selection processing is performed to determine whether to perform divided printing by operating the "Y" key or not to perform divided printing by operating a key other than the "Y" key (S25). As a result of the processing, when the "Y" key is operated (S26:
Yes), the document data in the text memory 41 is transferred to the work memory 44 and copied (S27). In the work memory 44, based on the number of lines obtained in the above S23, the number of lines that can be printed on the tape width is determined. Then, the return code is changed to a new block code and divided into a plurality of block data having the number of printable lines (S28). For example, FIG.
When printing on the printing tape 8 having a tape width of 12 mm for the document data shown in (1), three lines from the top line can be printed, so the return code on the third line is changed to a new block code, and Divided.

Next, the maximum line length is calculated for each of a plurality of lines included in the document data (S29). For each character or symbol in the block data from the work memory 44 to the new block code or the text end code stored at the end of the document data, outline data is read from the font memory while the set character size and At the same time, the dot pattern data expanded and reduced so as to be expanded is stored in the print buffer 43, and at the same time, the dot pattern data is transmitted to the printer 6 via the communication interface 37 and the connection line L ( S30). As a result, the block data is printed on the printing tape 8. Next, when the maximum line length is not included in the printed block data, the printing tape 8 is fed so that the block length of the block becomes the maximum line length (S31).

Next, when there is document data to be printed in the work memory 44 (S32: Yes), S30 and subsequent steps are repeatedly executed. Then, when the printing process of all the document data is completed (S32: No), after executing S33, the control is terminated and the process returns to S10. For example, when printing the document data shown in FIG. 8 on a printing tape 8 having a tape width of 12 mm, FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, three lines from the first line to the third line to which the new block code is added are printed as the first block data, and the remaining lines from the fourth line to the fifth line are printed. Two lines are printed as the next second block data.
If the printing tape 8 created in this way is cut into blocks and pasted at desired positions continuously in the vertical direction, a printing result similar to the document data shown in FIG. 8 can be obtained.

On the other hand, as a result of the selection processing, when a key other than the "Y" key is operated (S26: No), the divided printing is not executed. Replace it with a tape storage cassette having a wide printing tape 8. ", and a message about the printing process is displayed on the CRT display 3 (S34).
After terminating this control, the process returns to S10.

As described above, when the dot number N of the print width of the document data input and stored in the text memory 41 is larger than the dot number D of the tape width of the print tape 8 as a print medium, The tape is divided into blocks each corresponding to the number of lines that can be printed on the tape, and is printed on the printing tape 8, so that the tape storage cassette CS that corrects the document data or stores the wider printing tape 8
It is possible to perform division printing for each printable line number by using the printing tape 8 without replacing the printing line. Furthermore, since printing can be performed even when the number N of dots in the print width of the document data is larger than the number D of dots in the tape width, the printing tape 8 currently available can be effectively used. In addition, when the number N of dots of the printing width is larger than the number D of dots of the tape width, the tape width at which the document data in the text memory 41 can be printed is displayed on the CRT display 3, so that the document data printing is performed. The possible optimum tape width can be easily known via the CRT display 3.

Here, the correspondence between each means described in the claims and the configuration in the above embodiment will be described. The size setting means is equivalent to a size setting key provided on the keyboard 4. The tape width detecting means corresponds to the first to third projecting pieces 20 to 22 and the tape width sensor 53 provided on the tape storage cassette CS, and the determining means corresponds to the print processing control. In particular, S20 to S22, the one corresponding to the block data output control means is S27 to S32 in particular of the print processing control, and the one corresponding to the tape width display control means is S23 to S24 in particular the print processing control. .

In place of the printable dot number table TB, a print storing an optimum tape width capable of printing corresponding to each of a plurality of sets of print conditions in which various character sizes and the number of print lines are combined. A condition table may be used. still,
Within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention, various changes may be made to the control of the above-described embodiment based on existing technology or technology obvious to those skilled in the art. Of course, the present invention can be applied to various tape printers having a display and a printing mechanism.

[0036]

As described above, according to the tape printing apparatus of the first aspect, the size setting means, the tape width detecting means, the judging means, and the block data output control means are provided. If the print width of the symbol or symbol is larger than the tape width of the tape as the print medium, the data is divided into block data for the number of lines printable on the tape and printed on the tape. It is possible to perform division printing for each printable line number using the tape without correcting or exchanging the tape. Furthermore, since printing can be performed even when the print width of the document data is larger than the tape width of the tape, the tape currently available can be effectively used.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape printing control device for obtaining a printable tape width of the data in the data storage means and displaying it on the display means when the print width is larger than the tape width. Therefore, the optimum tape width on which document data can be printed can be easily known through the display.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration according to claims 1 and 2;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape printer.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a printing mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system of the tape printer.

FIG. 5 is a table showing setting contents of a printable dot number table.

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a tape print control routine.

FIG. 7 is a schematic flowchart of a print processing control routine.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a display example of input document data.

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a message regarding divided printing of document data.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a print example of document data that is divided and printed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 tape printing device 3 CRT display 4 keyboard 8 printing tape 16 thermal head 20 first projecting piece 21 second projecting piece 22 third projecting piece 33 CPU 34 hard disk drive 41 text memory 53 tape width sensor 54 CPU 55 ROM 56 RAM PM printing mechanism C1 controller C2 controller

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-5-84975 (JP, A) JP-A-1-316279 (JP, A) JP-A-58-31785 (JP, A) JP-A-4-201284 (JP) JP-A-5-92649 (JP, A) JP-A-6-143694 (JP, A) JP-A-5-18853 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB Name) B41J 21/00 B41J 3/36

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing means including a print head for printing a dot pattern on a tape as a printing medium, an input means for inputting characters and symbols and various commands, and storing data of the input characters and symbols. A data storage means, a display means having a display for displaying characters and symbols, and a print control means for receiving the data of the data storage means to create dot pattern data and print it on the printing means, Size setting means for setting a character size when printing the characters and symbols; tape width detecting means for detecting a tape width of the tape; number of lines of data stored in the data storage means and the size The print width of characters or symbols to be printed is obtained from the character size set by the setting means, and the print width is the tape width received from the tape width detection means. Determining means for determining whether or not the width is larger than the width of the tape when the print width is larger than the tape width, based on the determination result from the determination means; And a block data output control means for dividing the data for each data and outputting the divided data to the print control means. 2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a determination result from said determining means, when the printing width is larger than the tape width, determining a tape width capable of printing the data of the data storage means and displaying the tape width on the display means. The tape printer according to claim 1, further comprising a display control unit.