JP3139514B2 - 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 tape printing apparatus capable of printing characters and symbols in a maximum allowable size in a printable area of a tape when printing vertically in a tape length direction. About.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-85050, the applicant of the present invention has proposed a tape (for example,
A tape printer capable of printing characters and symbols on a tape having a width of 0 mm and a width of about 24 mm) has been put to practical use, and a tape printer having various functions added to the tape printer has been put to practical use. In particular, since this tape printer is suitable for producing a tape on which the file name to be printed on the spine of a file is printed, the character string is written horizontally on the tape (character direction is the width direction of the tape) and vertical. It is configured to selectively print in writing (character direction is the length direction of the tape).

[0003] By the way, with this kind of tape printing apparatus,
In the case of printing horizontally on a tape, as shown in FIG. 14, usually, the printing is performed in the print allowable area D2 of the printing tape 5 based on the base line BL, the top alignment TA, and the bottom alignment BA as shown in FIG. It is composed. In this case, since the characters and symbols are reduced in proportion to the width of the printable area, the applicant of the present application replaces the characters and symbols when the character string does not include a character such as “g”. A tape printer capable of printing the entire width of the printable area has also been put into practical use (see Japanese Patent Application No. 4-19494).

[0004]

When characters and symbols are printed horizontally in the width direction of the tape, the height of the characters and symbols is constant for each character size. When a character such as “g” is not included, characters and symbols can be printed to the full width of the printable area.
However, when printing characters and symbols vertically in the lengthwise direction of the tape, even if the character size is the same, since the character width of the characters and symbols is different for each character, the width of the printable area is different. It is not easy to determine a character size that allows full printing. In the conventional tape printer, when printing in vertical writing, it is configured to print with the character size set as input, so it is difficult to print so as to fill the printable area of the tape as much as possible. There is a problem in that characters or symbols having a large size protrude from the printable area or characters or symbols become too small. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to increase the size of characters in vertical writing in a tape printer as much as possible within a printable area.

[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 on a tape as a printing medium with a plurality of dot printing elements, and inputting characters, symbols, and various commands. Input means for inputting data of a character or a symbol, and data of the data stored in the data storage means. In a tape printer having print control means for performing printing, a mode setting means for setting an auto mode for printing characters and symbols at a maximum size in a print allowable area of the tape, and printing characters and symbols on the tape The horizontal writing mode for printing in the element array direction and the vertical writing mode for printing in the direction orthogonal to the array direction of the printing elements can be selected. A direction setting means for setting, a first maximum size for general characters and symbols and a special wide width which is at least the maximum size for vertical writing and is preset in association with the width of the tape. A size storage unit storing data of a second maximum size for the symbol, and when the vertical writing mode is set, characters or symbols stored in the data storage unit may be only general characters or symbols or special characters or symbols. Means for judging whether or not a large wide symbol is included, when the auto mode and the vertical writing mode are set, the width of the tape being used, the result of judgment by the judgment means, and the data in the size storage means. And size determining means for determining the maximum size and outputting the data of the maximum size to the print control means.

[0006]

In the tape printer according to the first aspect, character or symbol data input from the input means is stored in the data storage means, and the print control means receives the data stored in the data storage means, Using the data read from the generator, dot pattern data is created and printed by the printing means. When printing characters and symbols that have been input and stored, the mode setting means can set an ode mode in which characters and symbols are printed at the maximum size in the printable area of the tape. A horizontal writing mode in which printing is performed in the orientation and a vertical writing mode in which printing is performed in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the printing elements can be selectively set.

The size storage means includes at least a maximum size for vertical writing, a first maximum size for general characters and symbols, and a special wide width set in advance in association with the width of the tape. The data of the second maximum size for the symbol is stored. When the vertical writing mode is set,
The determining means determines whether the character or symbol stored in the data storage means includes only general characters or symbols or a special wide-width symbol. Is set, the maximum size is determined based on the width of the tape in use, the determination result of the determination unit, and the data of the size storage unit, and the data of the maximum size is output to the print control unit. The printing control means creates dot pattern data to be printed at the maximum size and causes the printing means to print.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the present 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 (tape as a printing medium). As shown in FIG. 2, a keyboard 3 is provided at a front portion of the main body frame 2 of the tape printer 1, a printing mechanism PM is provided in the main body frame 2 behind the keyboard 3, and a keyboard 3 is provided. A liquid crystal display 32 capable of displaying characters and symbols is provided at the rear. The keyboard 3 includes a character key for inputting alphabets, numbers and symbols, a space key, a return key, a cursor movement key for moving the cursor on the display 32 to the right or left, and a character size to be printed. A character size key to set, a character direction setting key to set the direction of print characters, a print key to execute printing, a tape feed key to feed the printing tape 5, a power key to turn on / off the power, etc. Is provided.

Next, the printing mechanism PM will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 3. A rectangular tape storage cassette CS is detachably mounted on the printing mechanism PM. Approximate width 2 consisting of film
Tape spool 6 on which 4 mm printing tape 5 is wound
And a ribbon supply spool 8 around which the ink ribbon 7 is wound.
A winding spool 9 for winding the ink ribbon 7;
A supply spool 11 in which a double-sided tape 10 having the same width as the printing tape 5 is wound with the release paper outside, and a joining roller 12 for joining the printing tape 5 and the double-sided tape 10 are rotatably provided. Have been. At a position where the printing tape 5 and the ink ribbon 7 overlap, a thermal head 13 is attached to the machine frame 4, and a platen roller 14 that presses the printing tape 5 and the ink ribbon 7 against the thermal head 13, The feed roller 15 for pressing the tape 5 and the double-sided tape 10 against the joining roller 12 is rotatably supported by a support 16. In the thermal head 13, a heating element group including 128 heating elements is vertically arranged in rows.

Accordingly, by driving the tape feed motor 34 (see FIG. 4) in a predetermined rotation direction, the joining roller 12 and the take-up spool 9 are energized to the heating element group while being driven synchronously in the predetermined rotation direction. When printing tape 5
Characters are printed on the upper side by a plurality of dot rows, and the printing tape 5 is fed in the tape feeding direction A with the double-sided tape 10 joined. For details of the printing mechanism PM, see JP-A-2-106555. Further, the tape width is set to “6 mm”, “9 mm”, “12 mm”, “1”.
A tape storage cassette CS on which other four types of printing tapes 5 of "8 mm" are wound is prepared.

On the bottom wall of the tape storage cassette CS, a cassette discriminating member 1 for detecting the type of the tape storage cassette CS, ie, the tape width of the stored printing tape 5 is provided.
The first, second and third sensors 60 to 62 are provided with a photo interrupter 7 for detecting three projecting pieces (not shown) provided on the cassette discriminating member 17.
(See FIG. 4) is attached to the main body frame 2. Therefore, according to the combination of the detection signals from the first, second, and third sensors 60 to 62, “6 mm”, “9 mm”, “12
It is possible to detect five types of tape widths of “mm”, “18 mm”, and “24 mm”.

Next, the control system of the tape printer 1 is configured as shown in the block diagram of FIG. Keyboard 3
And a first controller 60, a second sensor 61, a third sensor 62, a display controller (LCDC) 33 having a display RAM for outputting display data to the liquid crystal display 32, and driving the thermal head 13. A driving circuit 35 for driving the tape feed motor 34 and a driving circuit 36 for driving the tape feed motor 34 are connected to an input / output interface 38 of the control device C, respectively.

The control device C comprises a CPU 40 and a CPU 40
Input / output interface 38, ROM 41/43, CGROM
42 and a RAM 50. A ROM (program memory) 41 stores a display control program for controlling the display controller 33 in correspondence with character code data such as characters, numbers, and symbols input from the keyboard 3, and stores the code data in the text memory 51 of the RAM 50. A control program to be stored; an image development processing control program for converting outline data corresponding to each code data in the text memory 51 into print dot pattern data and developing the print dot pattern data in the print buffer 53; A printing drive control program for driving and controlling the tape feed motor 13 and the tape feed motor 34, a control program for tape printing control which will be described later, and which are unique to the present application, are stored. In addition, this RO
In M41, the dimensions of the printable area D (see FIGS. 12 and 13) are stored in advance for each of the five types of tape width.

Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the ROM 41 has a horizontal writing auto size table TB1 comprising the type of tape width of the printing tape 5 to be used and the automatic size when characters and symbols are printed in the horizontal writing mode. As shown in FIG. 6, when printing characters and symbols in the vertical writing mode, when printing a character string composed of general characters and symbols having a character width equal to or less than the character width of the character "W". A second maximum size used when printing a character string including a special wide symbol having a first maximum size to be used and a character width larger than the character width of the character "W"; and a printing tape 5 to be used.
And an automatic size table TB2 for vertical writing composed of the following tape width types. Here, the auto size is the maximum character size that allows characters and symbols to be printed in the full print allowable area D according to the tape width.

CGROM (Pattern Data Memory) 42
Stores dot pattern data for display in association with code data for each of a large number of characters. In a ROM (outline data memory) 43, for each of a large number of characters for printing characters (characters, symbols, etc.), outline data (outline data) defining the outline of the character is written in a typeface (Gothic typeface, (Mincho typefaces, etc.) and stored in correspondence with the code data. Note that each of these multiple outline data stores a vertical dimension and a horizontal dimension of the print image. Here, with respect to the letters of the alphabet, the horizontal dimension of the letter "W" is the largest, but among the letters other than the alphabet, there are letters whose horizontal dimension is larger than the letter "W".

In the text memory 51 of the RAM 50, code data of input characters and symbols is stored as document data. The set character size data PZ is stored in the character size memory 52. The print buffer 53 stores print dot pattern data of characters and symbols. Flag data of the character direction flag TYF is set in the flag memory 54 when the vertical writing mode is set (data is “1”) and reset when the horizontal writing mode is set (data is “0”). The flag data of the auto size flag AF set when the auto size is set as the character size is stored. Further, R
The AM 50 is provided with a buffer, a counter, a pointer, and the like for temporarily storing the calculation result calculated by the CPU 40.

Next, a routine of tape printing control performed by the control device C of the tape printing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. In the figure, reference numerals Si (i = 10, 11, 12,...) Represent each step. When the power is turned on by operating the power key, this control is started, and initial settings such as resetting the memories 51 to 54 are first performed (S10). When the character size key is operated to set the character size (S11 / S12: Yes), character size setting control (see FIG. 8) is executed (S13). When this control is started, first, the character size setting screen is displayed on the display 32.
Is displayed (S30). For example, as shown in FIG. 11, the character size for printing is displayed as a point value corresponding to the numbers "1" to "6", and the number "7" is displayed.
Is displayed as Auto Size. Next, when a numeric key valid for character size setting, that is, a numeric key of “1” to “7” is operated (S31 / S32: Yes), an arbitrary character size other than the auto size is set. In some cases (S33: No), the auto size flag AF is reset (S35), the set size data PZ is stored in the character size memory 52 (S36), and the routine returns.
However, when the auto size is selected (S33:
Yes), the auto size flag AF is set, and the auto mode is set (S34). This control is terminated, and the process returns to the tape print control shown in FIG. Incidentally, when an invalid key other than the numerical keys of "1" to "7" effective for the character size setting is operated (S31: Yes, S32:
No), the process returns to S11 after a buzzer (not shown) sounds to notify that effect.

Next, when the character direction setting key is operated to set the character direction of the print character (S11: Ye
s, S12: No, S14: Yes), and direction setting control (see FIG. 9) is executed (S15). When this control is started, if the character direction flag TYF is set and the vertical writing mode is currently set (S4
0: Yes), the character direction flag TYF is reset, a new horizontal writing mode is set (S41), this control is terminated, and the routine returns. However, the character direction flag TYF
Is reset and the horizontal writing mode is currently set (S40: No), the character direction flag TYF is set and the vertical writing mode is newly set (S4).
2), this control is terminated and the process returns to the tape print control shown in FIG.

Next, when a printable key such as a character key, a symbol key, or a space key is operated (S11: Y
(es, S12, S14: No, S16: Yes), the code data corresponding to the key is stored in the text memory 51 (S17), and the process returns to S11. Next, when a character size key, a character direction setting key, a printable key and a key other than a print key, for example, a cursor movement key or the like are operated (S11: Yes, S12, S14, S16,
(S18: No), the process corresponding to the operated key is executed (S20), and the process returns to S11. On the other hand, when the print key is operated (S11: Yes, S12 / S14 / S
16: No, S18: Yes), print control (see FIG. 10) is executed (S18).

When this control is started, first, first and second
The tape width data is read based on the detection signals from the third sensors 60 to 62 (S60). When document data to be printed exists in the text memory 51 (S61: Yes), the vertical writing mode is set (S62: Yes), and when the auto mode is set (S63: Yes). ), Text memory 51
The horizontal dimension of the outline data, that is, the character width is searched for each of the character codes in (6).
4) If there is no character having a character width larger than the character “W” in the searched character width (S65: N)
o) Based on the tape width data and the vertical writing auto size table TB2, the first maximum size data printable on the printing tape 5 having the tape width is read and stored in the character size memory 52. (S66).

Then, an enlargement ratio is obtained based on the first maximum size data, and the outline data is enlarged using this enlargement ratio. At the same time, print dot pattern data is created from the outline data and stored in the print buffer 53. It is stored (S68). Next, in the vertical writing mode (S69: Yes), a rotation process for rotating the print dot pattern data by 90 ° in the counterclockwise rotation direction is executed (S71), and the rotated print dot pattern in the print buffer 53 is executed. The data is output to the printing mechanism PM and subjected to printing processing in vertical writing (S70), and this control is ended, and the flow returns to the tape printing control shown in FIG. still,
For details of dot pattern conversion processing control for converting outline data to print dot pattern data using an enlargement factor, see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 49-129449. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a vertically written character string “WEAK” that does not include a special wide symbol is printed in the maximum character size that fills the print allowable area D of the printing tape 5 having a tape width of 24 mm. can do.

As a result of searching the character widths of all character codes in the text memory 51, if there is a symbol having a character width larger than the character "W" (S65:
Yes), based on the tape width data and the vertical writing auto size table TB2, the second maximum size data that can be printed on the printing tape 5 having that tape width is read out and stored in the character size memory 52 ( S67) The print dot pattern data created in the same manner as described above is rotated, output to the printing mechanism PM and printed in vertical writing (S68 to S69, S71, S70). The process returns to the tape print control shown in FIG. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, when the print character string includes a special Deutsche Mark symbol M having a character width larger than the character “W”, the character string including the special symbol M has a tape width of 24 mm. With the maximum character size that fills the print allowable area D of the printing tape 5, printing can be performed vertically.

When the vertical writing mode is set but the auto mode is not set (S62: Ye
s, S63: No), based on the character size data PZ of the character size memory 52 and the size of the printable area D corresponding to the tape width, as a result of searching for the character widths of all character codes in the text memory 51, When printing is possible (S73: Yes), characters and symbols are vertically written on the printing tape 5 in the set character size (S68 to S69, S71, S70), and the control ends. Then, the process returns to the tape print control shown in FIG.

On the other hand, when the horizontal writing mode and the auto mode are set at the start of printing (S61: Yes,
S62: No, S72: Yes), the maximum auto size data that can be printed on the printing tape 5 having the tape width is read out based on the tape width data and the horizontal writing auto size table TB1, and the character size memory is read out. 52 (S74). Then, the print dot pattern data created based on the auto size is immediately output to the printing mechanism PM and printed in horizontal writing (S68 to S68).
S70), ends this control and returns to the tape print control shown in FIG. At the start of printing, the text memory 5
1 when there is no document data to be printed (S6
1: No) or when No is determined in S73,
An error flag corresponding to the error content is set (S
75), and returns to the tape print control shown in FIG. Then, an error flag set by a main routine (not shown) is detected, and an error message corresponding to the error flag is displayed on the display 32.

As described above, the text memory 51
Determines whether only the general character or symbol having a character width smaller than the character “W” or a special symbol having a character width larger than the character width of the character “W” is stored in On the other hand, when the vertical writing mode and the auto mode are set, based on the tape width in use and the vertical writing auto size table TB2, when there are only general characters and symbols, the first tape corresponding to the tape width is used. Printing is performed at the maximum size, and when special symbols are included, printing is performed at the second maximum size corresponding to the tape width. Therefore, only general characters and symbols, and special wide symbols are included. In each case, printing can be performed so as to be as large as possible characters and symbols allowed in the print allowable area D of the printing tape 5.

Incidentally, the tape width of the printing tape 5 to be used can be set by inputting from the keyboard 3.
In the vertical writing auto size table TB2, two-line printing, three-line printing,
... The first maximum size and the second maximum size are stored when printing a plurality of lines as in the above. Also, when a character string composed of characters and symbols is printed on the printing tape 5 over a plurality of lines, this vertical writing is also possible. The applicable maximum size may be determined based on the automatic size table TB2. It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to various tape printers having a printing mechanism of a dot printing system and capable of printing with a printing dot pattern.

[0027]

As described above, according to the tape printing apparatus of the first aspect, the first storage for general characters and symbols set in advance in the size storage means in association with the width of the tape. The maximum size and the data of the second maximum size for the special wide symbol are stored, and the character or symbol stored in the data storage means is determined to be a general character or symbol only or a special wide character by the determining means. When the auto mode and the vertical writing mode are set by the size determining means, the size of the tape being used, the determination result of the determining means, and the data of the size storage means are determined. Since the maximum size is determined and the maximum size data is output to the print control means, the maximum size suitable for only general characters and symbols and the case including special wide-width symbols Can be printed with , In any case, it can be printed so that as much as possible a large character or symbol allowed to printing acceptable area of the tape.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan 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 an auto size table for horizontal writing.

FIG. 6 is a table showing setting contents of a vertical writing auto size table.

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

FIG. 8 is a schematic flowchart of a character size setting control routine.

FIG. 9 is a schematic flowchart of a direction setting control routine.

FIG. 10 is a schematic flowchart of a print control routine.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a display example of a character size setting screen.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a print example in which a character string composed of alphabets is printed in vertical writing.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a print example in which a character string including a special symbol is printed in vertical writing.

FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of printing a character string by horizontal writing according to the related art.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tape printing device 5 Printing tape 13 Thermal head 14 Platen roller 34 Tape feed motor 40 CPU 41 ROM 50 RAM 51 Text memory C Controller PM printing mechanism

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-62-158072 (JP, A) JP-A-5-229177 (JP, A) JP-A-3-72461 (JP, U) (58) Survey Field (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 2/485 B41J 3/36 B41J 5/30

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing means including a printing head for printing on a tape as a printing medium with a plurality of dot-shaped printing elements, an input means for inputting characters and symbols and various instructions, and the input characters and symbols And a print control means for receiving the data of the data storage means, creating dot pattern data using the data read from the character generator, and causing the printing means to print the dot pattern data. A mode setting means for setting an auto mode for printing characters and symbols at the maximum size in the print allowable area of the tape; a horizontal writing mode for printing characters and symbols on the tape in the direction of arrangement of printing elements; A direction setting means for selectively setting a vertical writing mode for printing in a direction orthogonal to the element arrangement direction; Data of the maximum size for writing and printing, the first maximum size for general characters and symbols and the second maximum size for special wide symbols set in advance in association with the width of the tape. When the stored size storage unit and the vertical writing mode are set, whether the characters and symbols stored in the data storage unit are only general characters and symbols,
Discriminating means for discriminating whether a special wide-width symbol is included, when the auto mode and the vertical writing mode are set, the width of the tape in use, the discrimination result of the discriminating means, and the data of the size storage means And a size determining means for determining the maximum size and outputting the data of the maximum size to the print control means.