JP5822065B2 - Printing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a printing apparatus that performs desired printing on a medium to be printed.

  In general, in a printing apparatus using a thermal head, a conveying unit conveys a printing medium, and a plurality of heating elements of the thermal head print on the conveyed printing medium to create a printed matter. As a conventional technique using a pulse motor (stepping motor) as a driving source for the conveying means, for example, there is a technique described in Patent Document 1.

  In a printing apparatus using a pulse motor as in the above prior art, the setting of the target speed of the pulse motor is performed according to the energization control content of the thermal head. That is, the thermal head is configured to be variably divided into a plurality of heat generating regions (blocks) each having a plurality of heat generating elements, and can be individually energized for each of the divided heat generating regions. . As a result, even when it is necessary to energize a large number of heating elements, such as when printing ruled lines and black solid areas, it is necessary to energize multiple heating areas sequentially at close intervals in time series. Accordingly, it is possible to smoothly and reliably energize a large number of heating elements within a limited energy amount, and to reliably perform printing of the ruled lines, the black solid area, and the like. In the above-described prior art, so-called dynamic division driving is performed in which the number of heat generation regions to be divided (= number of divisions) at the time of printing is dynamically changed according to the number of dots to be printed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-320941

  In the prior art, in response to the execution of the dynamic division driving, when calculating the target speed, the value of the target speed to be calculated itself is, for example, the previous dot line motor period or a pre-stored motor basic period. Is corrected according to a predetermined constraint. As a result, when the dynamic division drive makes a sudden change from multiple divisions to small divisions or a sudden change from small divisions to multiple divisions, the drive sound becomes louder or steps out due to fluctuations in the motor rotation cycle. Can be prevented.

  However, in the method of correcting the target speed value itself calculated as described above, there is a possibility that smooth operation cannot be performed depending on the acceleration / deceleration conditions. As a result, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed may not be executed smoothly.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration capable of reliably and smoothly executing acceleration / deceleration up to a target speed in a printing apparatus that conveys a medium to be printed by a driving force of a pulse motor.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a pulse motor, conveying means for conveying a printing medium using the driving force of the pulse motor, and dividing the printing medium into printing resolutions in the conveyance direction. A thermal head that includes a plurality of heat generating elements that respectively form dots on each print line, and that can be variably divided into a plurality of heat generating regions along a direction orthogonal to the transport direction, While switching the energization mode for each line print data obtained by dividing the print data for printing after the start of the conveyance by the conveyance means and the conveyance control means for controlling the rotation speed of the pulse motor, into one print line unit, A printing control unit that performs energization control corresponding to the print data, the first operation environment information relating to the operation environment of the printing device And an energization time determining means for determining an energization time for one time to the heat generation area, and a predetermined first time corresponding to a period from the stop state to the maximum speed state of the pulse motor when N is an integer of 2 or more. Stores multiple types of acceleration / deceleration tables that define the acceleration / deceleration behavior from the acceleration / deceleration start point to the acceleration / deceleration completion point of the pulse motor in one block, with 1 block being 1 / N of one line range. The first storage means, the second storage means for storing a plurality of set speeds of the pulse motor that are discretely determined in advance, and the N blocks after the start block from the start block serving as the process start point The plurality of heating elements that are energized simultaneously in the second line number range based on the second operating environment information regarding the second line number range to be processed up to the block in the order of On-dot number determination means for determining the maximum number of simultaneous on-dots, which is the maximum value, and divided power supply in the second line number range based on the maximum simultaneous on-dot number determined by the on-dot number determination means A division number determining means for determining a maximum number of divisions that is a maximum value of the number of the heat generation regions, the energization time determined by the energization time determining means, and the maximum division determined by the division number determining means A printing cycle determining unit that determines a printing cycle that is an interval of energization timing for each line print data, and the printing cycle determination from among the plurality of set speeds stored in the second storage unit. the speed corresponding to the printing period determined by the means, a target speed selecting means for selecting as a target speed, the target selected by the target speed selection means Speed determines whether the applicable range to become either outside the scope of the deceleration table, and the target speed determining means, by the target speed determining means, the target speed the target speed selection means has selected, the If it is determined that the acceleration / deceleration table in units of one block stored in the first storage means is outside the applicable range, the selected target speed is set to the second storage so as to be within the applicable range. If the target speed is replaced by another speed included in the plurality of set speeds stored in the means, and the target speed is determined to be outside the applicable range by the target speed determination means, and speed of the plurality of types of deceleration table stored in said another based on the new target speed is replaced with the speed, the first memory means by said target speed replacement unit, corresponding JP Deceleration table with selecting deceleration table, when the target speed by the target speed determining means is determined to be within the range of application, based on the target speed selected by the target speed selection means And a table selection unit that controls the rotation speed of the pulse motor using the specific acceleration / deceleration table selected by the table selection unit, and the print control unit. Performs the energization control based on the printing cycle determined by the printing cycle determination means.

  In the printing apparatus of the present invention, the conveying means conveys the printing medium, and the plurality of heating elements of the thermal head print on the conveyed printing medium to create a printed matter.

  Here, a pulse motor is used as a driving source for the conveying means, and the rotation speed of the pulse motor is controlled by the conveying control means. The pulse motor rotates by a predetermined angle by giving one pulse (switching the excitation phase to the next state), and the rotation speed is controlled by shortening or lengthening the interval of giving the pulse. . The rotational speed can be accelerated by gradually shortening the interval, and the rotational speed can be decelerated by gradually increasing the interval. In the present invention, in order to realize the acceleration behavior (or deceleration behavior) of such a pulse motor, the mode (or the maximum value and its maximum value) when the pulse application interval is reduced to the minimum value and the minimum value in advance. A mode when increasing to the maximum value is patterned and prepared as a plurality of types of acceleration / deceleration tables. Thereby, when the conveyance control means actually controls the rotation speed of the pulse motor, one of the plurality of types of tables is selected, and a pulse is emitted to the pulse motor along the selected acceleration / deceleration table. Thus, a desired acceleration behavior (or deceleration behavior) can be easily realized.

  Here, since the motor is configured to rotate a rotor having a large inertia, it is difficult to suddenly accelerate or decelerate. Further, the line-speed correlation that allows efficient drive control without out-of-step from the stop state to the maximum speed state is uniquely determined from the characteristics of each motor. Therefore, in general, in the acceleration / deceleration table, a predetermined line number range (hereinafter referred to as “acceleration / deceleration line number” as appropriate) corresponding to a period from the stop state to the maximum speed state of the pulse motor is defined as one unit. The acceleration / deceleration behavior from the acceleration / deceleration start point to the acceleration / deceleration completion point in the number of acceleration / deceleration lines is determined. That is, at the time of speed control, the target speed of the pulse motor to be realized after the number of acceleration / deceleration lines from the present is set, and the acceleration / deceleration is performed according to the deviation between the current speed and the target speed after the acceleration / deceleration pulse. A table is selected and the motor speed is controlled.

  However, for example, when the conveyance is performed at a higher speed than usual as in the high-speed printing mode, the value of the acceleration / deceleration line number (the size of the predetermined line number range) becomes large, and the acceleration / deceleration line as described above. In the control using a number as a unit, there is a possibility that the printing process may be significantly delayed depending on the type of pattern of the acceleration / deceleration table. For this reason, for example, at a normal speed, the motor speed could be accelerated to the maximum speed in the non-printed portion between characters, but it becomes impossible due to the above speed increase, or a ruled line that requires energization of many heating elements In the case of a solid black or the like (originally, the slow processing time is long), even if the maximum speed increases due to the above speed increase, the time required to reach the maximum speed increases. There is a risk of it. In order to avoid this, it is conceivable to reduce the number of acceleration / deceleration lines using a pulse motor with a large torque. However, in order to increase the torque, the motor is increased in size and weight, or a special power source is used. It is necessary.

  Therefore, in the present invention, the predetermined line number range (the number of acceleration / deceleration lines) corresponding to the period from the stop state to the maximum speed state of the pulse motor is not set as one unit, but 1 / N (N: (An integer of 2 or more) is set as one block, and speed control is performed in units of the block. That is, the acceleration / deceleration behavior in one block is stored in the first storage means as the acceleration / deceleration table, and the transport control means uses the specific acceleration / deceleration table selected by the table selection means from this acceleration / deceleration table. Controls the rotational speed of the pulse motor. In this way, control is performed by applying a table at finer intervals than in the past, so that high-speed printing (without increasing the size and weight of the motor as described above, and without using a special power source ( High-speed conveyance).

  By the way, the setting of the target speed of the pulse motor is performed according to the energization control contents in the thermal head. In other words, the thermal head is provided with a plurality of heating elements, and energization of the plurality of heating elements is controlled by the print control means. In the present invention, the thermal head is configured to be variably divided into a plurality of heat generating regions each having a plurality of heat generating elements, and can be individually energized for each of the divided heat generating regions. . As a result, even when it is necessary to energize a large number of heating elements, such as when printing ruled lines and black solid areas, it is necessary to energize multiple heating areas sequentially at close intervals in time series. Accordingly, it is possible to smoothly and reliably energize a large number of heating elements within a limited energy amount, and to reliably perform printing of the ruled lines, the black solid area, and the like. At this time, the number of heat generation regions to be divided (= the number of divisions) is determined in consideration of the processing contents in a block processed after the block currently being processed. Specifically, the second line number range based on the second operating environment information (for example, the voltage of the thermal head and the resistance value of the thermal head) in the second line number range from the starting block to the Nth block after that. The maximum number of simultaneous on dots is determined by the on dot number determination means, and the division number determination means determines the maximum number of divisions in the second line number range in accordance with the maximum number of simultaneous on dots. On the other hand, at this time, the energizing time determining means determines the energizing time for one time based on the first operating environment information (such as the voltage and temperature of the printing apparatus) for the heating area of the thermal head. Then, based on the determined energization time and the determined maximum number of divisions, the energization timing interval (= printing cycle) is determined by the printing cycle determining means, and the target speed is determined according to the determined printing cycle. Is done. At this time, in the present invention, a plurality of set speed values of the pulse motor are determined in a discrete and stepwise manner, and the plurality of set speed values are stored in the second storage means. Of the plurality of stored set speeds, the speed corresponding to the printing cycle determined as described above is selected as the target speed by the target speed selecting means. Thus, the target speed can be determined easily and quickly with simple control.

  Here, the predetermined line number range (acceleration / deceleration line number) described above corresponds to the period from the stop state of the pulse motor to the maximum speed state. Therefore, in the method of the present invention in which control is performed with 1 / N (N: an integer of 2 or more) of the number of acceleration / deceleration lines as one block as described above, when the difference between the current speed and the target speed is large, the motor In terms of performance, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed may not be realized within the block. Therefore, in the present invention, in such a case, the target speed selected by the target speed selecting means is replaced as described above. That is, in the present invention, for example, a line-speed correlation that defines a standard acceleration / deceleration characteristic between a stop state and a maximum speed state, which represents a standard characteristic of a pulse motor, is determined in advance by actual measurement. Then, when the target speed is selected by the target speed selecting means as described above, the target speed deviates from the line-speed correlation and becomes a value outside the compliance range (in other words, the target speed is If the acceleration / deceleration table is outside the application range of the block unit), the target speed replacement means replaces the target speed. That is, the target speed replacement unit replaces the selected target speed with another speed included in the plurality of set speeds stored in the second storage unit, so that the target speed replacement unit does not deviate from the line-speed correlation. (In other words, the target speed is within the application range of the acceleration / deceleration table in units of one block). Then, the table selection means selects a corresponding specific acceleration / deceleration table based on the replaced target speed. As a result, even when the difference between the current speed and the target speed is large, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be reliably executed. In particular, at this time, as described above, by replacing the target speed with a different value from a plurality of preset speeds prepared in advance, the calculated target speed value itself (for example, the motor cycle of the previous dot line) In other words, there is no possibility that smooth operation cannot be performed depending on acceleration / deceleration conditions as in the case of correction according to a predetermined constraint (using a motor basic cycle or the like stored in advance). That is, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be executed smoothly and reliably.

  According to the present invention, when the medium to be printed is conveyed by the driving force of the pulse motor, the acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be surely and smoothly performed.

1 is a perspective view illustrating an appearance of an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a perspective view showing the printing apparatus of the state which opened the upper cover. It is a sectional side view along the front-back direction of a printing apparatus. It is a functional block diagram showing a control system of the printing apparatus. It is a basic motor table determined by actual measurement. When the pulse motor is controlled with 24 pulses corresponding to the period from the stop state to the maximum speed state as one unit, and when the pulse motor is controlled with 12 pulses that are 1/2 of 24 pulses as a block unit, respectively. FIG. An acceleration / deceleration table stored in a ROM. An acceleration / deceleration table stored in a ROM. An acceleration / deceleration table stored in a ROM. An acceleration / deceleration table stored in a ROM. It is explanatory drawing which compares and shows the comparative example which controls a pulse motor for 24 pulses as a control unit, and this embodiment which controls a pulse motor for 12 pulses as a control unit. It is a target speed table stored in the ROM. 3 is a target speed replacement table of target speeds stored in a ROM. It is a flowchart showing the control procedure which CPU performs.

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

<Configuration of printing device>
A schematic configuration of an embodiment of a printing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 2 and an upper cover 5. At the front part of the housing 2, a resin tray 6 is erected at the rear end part following the upper cover 5, a power button 7 is disposed in front of the tray 6, and a cutter unit 8 ( A cutter lever 9 that performs a cutting operation is provided so as to be movable in the width direction (left-right direction) of the housing 2.

  An operation lever 21 for moving the thermal head 23 (see FIG. 3) up and down is provided on the left side of the housing 2 so as to rotate in the vertical direction. A power cord 10 is connected to the rear surface of the housing 2, and a connector portion (not shown) including a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connected to the personal computer 26 (see FIG. 4 described later) is provided. ing. The upper cover 5 is pivotally connected to the housing 2 at the rear end, and thus the upper cover 5 is configured to be openable and closable with respect to the housing 2.

  In addition, the printing apparatus 1 has a concave holder storage portion 4 behind the internal space of the housing 2 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. A roll holder 3a in which a roll 3 of a print-receiving tape 3A (print-receiving medium) is attached to the holder housing portion 4 makes the roll width direction coincide with the width direction of the housing 2 and feeds the print-receiving tape 3A from the upper side of the roll. So that it is stored. The print-receiving tape 3A includes a long heat-sensitive sheet (so-called thermal paper) having a print-receiving layer having self-coloring properties, and an adhesive layer for adhering to an adherend on one side of the heat-sensitive sheet. It is made of a long label sheet or the like on which release paper is laminated, and is wound around a winding core to form a roll 3.

  The roll holder 3a includes a guide member 13 on one side in the width direction of the roll 3 (left side in FIG. 2), a holding member 12 on the other side in the width direction of the roll 3 (right side in FIG. 2), and the holding member 12 and the guide member. 13 is provided with a shaft member (not shown). The core of the roll 3 is inserted into the shaft member from which the guide member 13 is removed, and the guide member 13 is fixed to an end portion on one side in the roll width direction protruding from the core of the shaft member. Thereby, the roll 3 can rotate around the shaft member 4 in a state in which one end in the width direction of the roll 3 is in contact with the guide member 13 and the other end in the width direction of the roll 3 is in contact with the holding member 12. To the roll holder 3a.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the guide member 13 of the roll holder 3 a includes a guide portion 13 a extending in the tape transport direction for guiding the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A fed out and transported from the roll 3. The lower end of the guide part 13a is formed horizontally. On the other hand, a horizontal placement portion 20 is provided in the front portion of the holder storage portion 4. As shown in FIG. 2, a holder support member 15 having an elongated hole-shaped positioning groove portion 16 opened upward is erected on the other side in the roll width direction of the holder storage portion 4. In the roll holder 3 a inserted into the holder housing portion 4, the guide portion 13 a of the guide member 13 is placed on the placement portion 20 of the holder housing portion 4, and the mounting portion 12 a of the holding member 12 is positioned on the positioning groove portion 16 of the holder support member 15. Fitted. Thereby, the roll holder 3a is detachably attached to the holder storage portion 4.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a thermal head 23 installed so as to be movable up and down is arranged on the downstream side in the tape transport direction of the mounting portion 20 at the front portion of the holder storage portion 4, and above the thermal head 23, A platen roller 22 (conveying means) is disposed oppositely. The front portion of the holder storage portion 4 is bent downward from the placement portion 20 and extends forward, and the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A fed out and conveyed from the roll 3 is transferred to the facing portion between the platen roller 22 and the thermal head 23. It leads to the insertion port 18 to be inserted.

  The platen roller 22 holds the print-receiving tape 3A from the roll 3 with the thermal head 23 moved upward, and is driven to rotate by a pulse motor 24 (see FIG. 4 described later), whereby the print-receiving tape 3A. Transport.

  The thermal head 23 forms dots on each print line formed by dividing the print-receiving tape 3A into print resolution in the tape transport direction, and forms a plurality of heating elements arranged in a direction orthogonal to the tape transport direction (see FIG. Not shown). The thermal head 23 energizes the heating element in accordance with the print data, thereby printing according to the print data on the above-mentioned print layer (lower surface) of the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A sandwiched between the thermal head 23 and the platen roller 22. Do. The thermal head 23 is moved downward to move away from the platen roller 22 when the operation lever 21 on the left side of the housing 2 is rotated upward, and is moved upward when the operation lever 21 is rotated downward. And is pressed against the platen roller 22 via the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A so that printing is possible.

  The cutter unit 8 that is movable in the width direction of the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A is disposed downstream of the thermal head 23 in the tape conveyance direction. When the cutter lever 9 below the front portion of the casing 2 is moved in the width direction of the casing 2, the cutter unit 8 moves in the width direction of the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A, and printing by the thermal head 23 is completed. The discharged print target tape 3A is cut in the width direction.

<Printing operation>
A printing operation of the printing apparatus 1 will be described. First, the operating lever 21 is rotated upward to position the thermal head 23 in a state of being separated downward with respect to the platen roller 22. In that state, the roll holder 3a to which the roll 3 is attached is inserted into the holder storage portion 3a, the attachment portion 12a of the holding member 12 of the roll holder 3a is fitted into the positioning groove portion 16 of the holder support member 15, and the guide member of the roll holder 3a The lower surface of the 13 guide portions 13 a is brought into contact with the placement portion 20, and the roll holder 3 a to which the roll 3 is attached is detachably stored in the holder storage portion 4. Subsequently, while the end of one side in the width direction of the print-receiving tape 3A is brought into contact with the inner side surface of the guide member 13, the print-receiving tape 3A is pulled out from the roll 3, and the other side in the width direction of the drawn print-receiving tape 3A is pulled out. The print-receiving tape 3A is inserted into the insertion port 18 while the end of the print port is brought into contact with the edge of the insertion port 18 on the other side in the roll width direction. 23. Thereafter, the upper cover 5 is closed to cover the upper side of the holder storage portion 4 (the state shown in FIG. 1).

  Next, the operation lever 21 is rotated downward to position the thermal head 23 in a state where it is pressed against the platen roller 22 via the print-receiving tape 3A. Then, the platen roller 22 is rotationally driven by a pulse motor 24 (see FIG. 4 described later), and the print-receiving tape 3A is conveyed by the platen roller 22, while the heating element of the thermal head 23 is energized and covered by the heating element. Printing corresponding to the print data is sequentially printed on the printing surface of the printing tape 3A. The print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A that has passed through the thermal head 23 is discharged onto the tray 6 from between the upper cover 5 and the housing 2. When the predetermined printing on the print-receiving tape 3A is completed and the discharge length from the cutter unit 8 reaches the predetermined length, the cut-lever 9 is moved to the right to move the print-receiving tape 3A. A label (printed material) having a predetermined length, which is cut in the width direction and subjected to predetermined printing, is created.

<Control system>
A control system of the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, a control circuit 210 is arranged in the control system of the printing apparatus 1. The control circuit 210 includes a CPU 27, a ROM 28 connected to the CPU 27, and an SRAM 29. The ROM 28 functions as first storage means and second storage means described in each claim. Further, a motor drive circuit 31 (conveyance control means) and a thermal head control circuit 32 (printing control means) are connected to the CPU 27 via an interface 30, and a personal computer 26 is connected as an external device. A pulse motor 24 is connected to the motor drive circuit 31, and a thermal head 23 is connected to the thermal head control circuit 32. In the present embodiment, the pulse motor 24 will be described below as an example in which the pulse motor 24 is associated with 1 line-1 pulse. In other words, when one pulse is applied to the pulse motor 24, the print-receiving tape 3A is conveyed by one print line divided into print resolutions in the conveyance direction by the rotational drive of the platen roller 22. ing. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other correspondences such as 1 line-2 pulse may be used.

  In the ROM 28, an acceleration / deceleration table 33 and a target speed table 35 are stored as data tables, and a print data prefetching program 36 and a target speed replacement table 37 are stored as application programs. The details of the acceleration / deceleration table 33, the target speed table 35, the print data prefetching program 36, and the target speed replacement table 37 will be described later together with a basic motor table 34 described later.

  The SRAM 29 stores temporary data necessary for the data processing of the CPU 27 and includes a print buffer 40 and a division number memory 41.

  The print buffer 40 stores print data transmitted from the personal computer 26.

  The division number memory 41 stores a maximum division number M (details will be described later), which is the maximum value of the number of heat generation regions to which the thermal head 23 is divided and supplied with power.

  The pulse motor 24 rotationally drives the platen roller 22 to convey the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A by the platen roller 22.

  The motor drive circuit 31 drives the pulse motor 24 to rotate by the pulse applied to the pulse motor 24 and controls the rotation speed.

  The thermal head control circuit 32 switches the energization mode for each line print data obtained by dividing print data for printing into one print line unit after the start of conveyance of the print-receiving tape 3A by the platen roller 23, and The energization control corresponding to the print data is performed on the 23 heating elements. At this time, the plurality of heating elements of the thermal head 23 can be energized for each of the plurality of heating regions divided along the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the tape transport direction (details will be described later).

  The CPU 27 uses the table such as the acceleration / deceleration table 33 and the application program such as the print data prefetch program 36 based on the print data transmitted from the personal computer 28 and stored in the print buffer 40. Each part such as the drive circuit 31 and the thermal head control circuit 32 is controlled to cause the print-receiving tape 3A to perform predetermined printing corresponding to the print data.

<Features of this embodiment>
In the above configuration, the feature of this embodiment is that the predetermined pulse number range corresponding to the period from the stop state to the maximum speed state of the pulse motor 24 is not set as one unit, but 1 / N (N: 2 or more). Is a block, and the speed control of the pulse motor 24 is performed in units of the block. Hereinafter, the details will be described in order.

<General characteristics of pulse motor>
As described above, the pulse motor 24 is a drive source of the platen roller 22 that transports the print-receiving tape 3 </ b> A, and the rotation speed thereof is controlled by the motor drive circuit 31. The pulse motor 24 rotates by a predetermined angle by giving one pulse (switching the excitation phase to the next state), and the rotation speed by shortening or lengthening the interval (pulse period) for giving the pulse. Is controlled. The rotational speed of the pulse motor 24 can be accelerated by gradually shortening the interval, and the rotational speed of the pulse motor 24 can be decelerated by gradually increasing the interval.

  In the present embodiment, in order to realize such acceleration behavior (or deceleration behavior) of the pulse motor 24, a mode (or maximum value) when the pulse application interval is reduced to the minimum value and the minimum value in advance. And a mode of increasing the maximum value) are patterned, and are prepared as a plurality of types of acceleration / deceleration tables 33 in the ROM 28 (see FIGS. 7 to 10 described later). Thus, when the motor drive circuit 31 actually controls the rotational speed of the pulse motor 24, one of the plurality of types of tables is selected and the pulse motor 24 is transferred along the selected acceleration / deceleration table. By issuing a pulse, a desired acceleration behavior (or deceleration behavior) can be easily realized.

<Basic motor table>
Here, since the motor is configured to rotate a rotor having a large inertia, it is difficult to suddenly accelerate or decelerate. Moreover, the pulse-speed correlation which can perform efficient drive control without a step-out does not generate | occur | produce from a stop state to the maximum speed state on the characteristic of each motor is decided uniquely. Therefore, in general, a predetermined first pulse number range (hereinafter referred to as “acceleration / deceleration pulse number” as appropriate) corresponding to a period from the stop state to the maximum speed state of the pulse motor 24 is defined as one unit. In the acceleration / deceleration table prepared for each type, the acceleration / deceleration behavior from the acceleration / deceleration start point to the acceleration / deceleration completion point in the acceleration / deceleration pulse number is determined. The first pulse range corresponds to the first line number range described in each claim, and the acceleration / deceleration pulse number corresponds to the acceleration / deceleration line number described in each claim.

  In the present embodiment, the pulse-speed correlation (line-speed correlation) defining the reference acceleration / deceleration characteristics between the stop state and the maximum speed state of the pulse motor 24 is measured as the basic motor table 34 by actual measurement. It has been decided. FIG. 5 shows an example of the basic motor table 34. The “speed” represents the speed of the pulse motor 24 using the transport speed [mm / s] of the print-receiving tape 3A by the platen roller 22, and “line” represents the print-receiving tape 3A described above. Represents a print line divided into print resolutions in the transport direction. In this example, the pulse motor 24 is 24.3 [mm / s] in the first line (first pulse) one line after the stop state (3484 converted to a cycle that is an interval of pulses applied to the pulse motor 24). [Μs], the same applies to the following), and in the next second line (second pulse), it becomes 36.3 [mm / s] (period 2336 [μs]). With 24 lines (24th pulse), the maximum speed reaches 1183 [mm / s] (period 716 [μs]).

  Therefore, based on the above-described normal method, in the acceleration / deceleration table prepared in plural types, acceleration / deceleration is started with the 24 pulses (corresponding to 24 lines on the assumption of 1 line-1 pulse described above) as one unit. The acceleration / deceleration behavior from the point to the acceleration / deceleration completion point is determined. In this case, at the time of speed control, the target speed of the pulse motor 24 to be realized after the present acceleration / deceleration pulse number (24 pulses) is set, and the difference between the current speed and the target speed after the acceleration / deceleration pulse. Accordingly, the acceleration / deceleration table is selected and the motor speed is controlled.

  However, for example, when the conveyance is performed at a higher speed than usual as in the high-speed printing mode, the value of the acceleration / deceleration pulse number (the size of the first pulse number range) becomes large, and the acceleration / deceleration pulse as described above. In the control using a number (24 pulses in the above example) as a unit, there is a risk that the printing process will be significantly delayed depending on the type of pattern of the acceleration / deceleration table. For this reason, for example, at a normal speed, the motor speed could be accelerated to the maximum speed in the non-printed portion between characters, but it becomes impossible due to the above speed increase, or a ruled line that requires energization of many heating elements In the case of a solid black or the like (originally, the slow processing time is long), even if the maximum speed increases due to the above speed increase, the time required to reach the maximum speed increases. There is a risk of it. In order to avoid this, it is conceivable to reduce the number of acceleration / deceleration pulses by using a pulse motor with a large torque. However, in order to increase the torque, the motor is increased in size and weight, or a special power source is used. It is necessary.

<Speed control in block units>
Therefore, in the present embodiment, the first pulse number range (acceleration / deceleration pulse number) corresponding to the period from the stop state to the maximum speed state of the pulse motor 24 is not set as one unit, but 1 / N ( N: An integer greater than or equal to 2. In this example, N = 2) is one block, and speed control is performed in units of the block. Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 6A, after starting acceleration from a stopped state (conceptually expressed as “speed 0”), the maximum speed state (“ In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, speed control is performed with 12 pulses as one unit for the pulse motor 24 having the characteristic of “speed 120”.

  That is, at the time of speed control in the present embodiment, the target speed of the pulse motor 24 to be realized after 12 pulses from the present is set, and the above described speed is set according to the deviation between the current speed and the target speed after the 12 pulses. The acceleration / deceleration table is selected, and the motor speed is controlled. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the acceleration / deceleration table 33 is prepared in advance, which defines a plurality of types of acceleration / deceleration behavior from the acceleration / deceleration start point of the pulse motor 24 to the acceleration / deceleration completion point in the 12-pulse range.

<Acceleration / deceleration table>
Examples of the acceleration / deceleration table 33 are shown in FIGS. 7, 8, 9, and 10. 7 to 10, “Tm0” is the speed (in other words, the cycle) of the acceleration / deceleration start point of the pulse motor 24, and “Tm1 ′” is the speed (in other words, the cycle) of the acceleration / deceleration completion point of the pulse motor 24. “Line” indicates the above-described print line obtained by dividing the print-receiving tape 3A into the print resolution in the transport direction, as described above.

  7 to 10, in the present embodiment, the target speed is discretely set in 7 stages of 0 to 6 as described later (see FIG. 12), and the acceleration / deceleration start speed Tm0, The acceleration / deceleration completion point speed Tm1 ′ is also divided into seven stages represented by seven division numbers of “0”, “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, and “6”. Then, the “0 → 0” table that starts acceleration / deceleration at Tm0 in the “0” section and ends acceleration / deceleration at Tm1 ′ in the “0” section, and starts acceleration / deceleration at Tm0 in the “0” section. “0 → 1” table that starts / stops acceleration / deceleration at Tm1 ′, and “0 → 6” table starts acceleration / deceleration at Tm0 in “0” section and starts acceleration / deceleration at Tm1 ′ in “6” section “1 → 0” table that starts acceleration / deceleration at Tm0 in “1” section and ends acceleration / deceleration at Tm1 ′ in “0” section, and starts acceleration / deceleration at Tm0 in “6” section. “6 → 5” table for starting acceleration / deceleration at Tm1 ′ in the “6” section, “6 → 6” table for starting acceleration / deceleration at Tm0 in the “6” section and ending acceleration / deceleration at Tm1 ′ in the “6” section, A total of 7 × 7 = 49 acceleration / deceleration tables (see thick line black frames in FIGS. 7 to 10) are included.The numbers in each acceleration / deceleration table indicate the speed of the motor 24 at the time of acceleration / deceleration for each pulse (for each line) in the 12-pulse range, as described above, and the transport speed [mm / s of the tape to be printed 3A by the platen roller 22] ] Is converted into a cycle [μs] and is a value extracted from the basic motor table 34 shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, the motor drive circuit 31 controls the rotational speed of the pulse motor 24 using one specific acceleration / deceleration table selected from the 49 acceleration / deceleration tables 33 as described above. In this way, control is performed by applying a table at finer intervals than in the past, so that high-speed printing (without increasing the size and weight of the motor as described above, and without using a special power source ( High-speed conveyance). This effect will be described with reference to FIGS. 11A and 11B with reference to a comparative example.

<Comparison between Comparative Example and Embodiment>
FIG. 11A shows the behavior in the comparative example in which the pulse motor 24 is controlled using 24 pulses as a control unit. On the other hand, FIG. 11B shows the behavior in this embodiment in which the pulse motor 24 is controlled using 12 pulses as a control unit.

  As an example of the control mode, for example, a case where the pulse motor 24 currently in the highest speed state is desired to be stopped at a time point 60 pulses (60 lines) after the present time is considered. In this case, in the comparative example of FIG. 11A, since 24 pulses become one control unit as described above, in order to stop after the lapse of 60 pulses, the control is stopped at the time after the lapse of 48 pulses. I have to keep it. For this reason, for example, when 24 pulses have elapsed, deceleration must be started from the maximum speed using an acceleration / deceleration table (specified in units of 24 pulses) based on the reference acceleration characteristics.

  On the other hand, FIG. 11B shows the behavior in this embodiment in which the pulse motor 24 is controlled using 12 pulses as a control unit. In this case, since 12 pulses become one control unit as described above, it is sufficient to control to stop just after 60 pulses have elapsed. As a result, unlike the comparative example described above, the maximum speed state is continued until the 38th pulse elapses, and at the time after the 38th pulse elapses, two acceleration / deceleration tables (specified in units of 12 pulses) based on the reference acceleration characteristic are used. Deceleration should be started from the maximum speed. As a result, the state of the maximum speed can be continued longer from the 24 pulse lapse time to the 36 pulse lapse time (12 pulses) than the comparative example of FIG. In other words, by performing the control by applying the table at finer intervals than in the comparative example, it is possible to perform efficient control even when performing high-speed printing (high-speed conveyance), for example.

<Setting target speed>
Here, the setting of the target speed of the pulse motor 24 already described is performed in accordance with the energization control contents in the thermal head 23. Details will be described below.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the thermal head 23 is configured to be variably divided into a plurality of heat generating regions each having a plurality of heat generating elements, and each of the divided heat generating regions is individually provided. Can be energized. As a result, even when it is necessary to energize a large number of heating elements, such as when printing ruled lines and black solid areas, it is necessary to energize multiple heating areas sequentially at close intervals in time series. Accordingly, it is possible to smoothly and reliably energize a large number of heating elements within a limited energy amount, and to reliably perform printing of the ruled lines, the black solid area, and the like. At this time, the number of heat generation regions to be divided (= the number of divisions) is determined in consideration of the processing contents in a block processed after the block currently being processed.

<Determining the maximum number of simultaneous on dots>
More specifically, in the present embodiment, first, the second pulse number range from the starting block to N (N = 2 in this example) after the starting block (corresponding to the “second line number range” in each claim) Based on the second operating environment information such as the voltage of the thermal head 23 and the resistance value of the thermal head 23, the maximum number of simultaneously ON dots in the second pulse number range is determined. At this time, the aforementioned print data prefetching program 36 is used. That is, the CPU 27 uses the print data prefetching program 36 to perform the second pulse from the starting block serving as the current printing processing starting point to the N blocks (two in the present embodiment) after the starting block. A number of ranges of print data are pre-read to determine the maximum number of simultaneous on dots. After determining the maximum number of simultaneous on dots, the maximum division number M in the second pulse number range is determined according to the maximum number of simultaneous on dots.

  For example, in the example of FIG. 11B described above, the starting point block has a range of 0 to 12 pulses, and the second pulse number range is 24 pulses to 36, two after the starting point block (N = 2). The range is from 0 to 36 pulses including the pulse. For example, when print data for printing ruled lines or black solid areas is included in the range from 0 to 36 pulses, the maximum number of simultaneous on dots is very large for printing the ruled lines and black solid areas. Therefore, the maximum division number M in the range of 0 to 36 pulses is the maximum value set so as to be capable of division in the thermal head 23, for example. The maximum division number M determined in this way is stored in the division number memory 41 of the SRAM 29.

<Determination of energization time>
Meanwhile, at this time, the first operating environment information such as the voltage of the printing apparatus 1 detected by a known method, the temperature around the printing apparatus 1, etc. To be determined. As an example, when the ambient temperature of the printing apparatus 1 is low, it takes time to develop the color of the heat-sensitive sheet of the print-receiving tape 3A, so that the energization time Th is set longer. Alternatively, when the voltage of the printing apparatus 1 is high, the color development of the heat sensitive sheet of the print-receiving tape 3A is completed in a short time by applying a high voltage, so that the energization time Th is set short.

<Determination of printing cycle>
Then, based on the energization time Th determined as described above and the determined maximum division number M, a printing cycle that is an energization timing interval to the heat generating elements (in other words, an energization timing interval of each divided area). T is determined by T = Th × M. Thereafter, the target speed is determined according to the determined printing cycle T. At this time, in the present embodiment, in the target speed table 35, a plurality of set speed values of the pulse motor 24 are discretely determined in advance.

<Target speed table>
An example of the target speed table 35 is shown in FIG. As described above, the target speed is divided into seven stages represented by seven division numbers of “0”, “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, and “6” and is set discretely. Yes. In each section, the target speed [mm / s] set in the section is described in the “speed” column, and the value of each target speed converted into the period [μs] is described in the “period” column. ing. In this example, the target speed of the “0” section is 0 [mm / s], the target speed of the “1” section is 24.3 [mm / s] (converted cycle Tm1 = 3484 [μs]), “2” The target speed of the section is 45.0 [mm / s] (converted cycle Tm1 = 1848 [μs]), and the target speed of the “3” section is 69.0 [mm / s] (converted period Tm1 = 1228). [Μs]), the target speed of the “4” section is 91.7 [mm / s] (converted cycle Tm1 = 924 [μs]), and the target speed of the “5” section is 107.8 [mm / s]. (The converted period Tm1 = 786 [μs]), the target speed of the “6” section is 118.3 [mm / s] (the converted period Tm1 = 716 [μs]).

  Of the target speeds (in other words, the cycle Tm1; the same applies hereinafter) for each of these sections, the target speed (cycle Tm1) to be used in the control is the one corresponding to the printing cycle T determined as described above. Selected. In the selection, a target speed is selected such that the value of the period Tm1 is larger than the calculated printing period T (in other words, the speed is slow) and the section number is the maximum. For example, when the printing cycle T calculated as described above is 900 [μs], the target speed 91.7 [mm] in the “4” section corresponding to a larger Tm1 = 924 [μs]. / S] is selected. When the calculated printing cycle T is 1000 [μs] (instead of “4” classification corresponding to 924 [μs] close to 1000 [μs]), a larger Tm1 = 1228 [μs] is set. The target speed 69.0 [mm / s] in the corresponding “3” section is selected. This is because the above-mentioned step-out may occur if it is selected according to the fast speed setting side, and the above-mentioned fear is avoided by always selecting according to the slow speed setting side. As described above, by using the target speed table 35, the target speed can be easily and quickly determined by simple control according to the printing cycle T.

<Replacement of target speed>
Here, as described above, the number of acceleration / deceleration pulses corresponds to the period from the stop state of the pulse motor 24 to the maximum speed state (range of 24 pulses). Therefore, as described above, in the method of this embodiment in which the control is performed with 1/2 of the number of acceleration / deceleration pulses (12 pulse range) as one block, when the difference between the current speed and the target speed is large, the motor performance In addition, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed may not be realized within the one block. Therefore, in this embodiment, in such a case, the target speed selected as described above is replaced using the target speed table 35.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the target speed set as described above is a value outside the compliance range in which the target speed deviates from the pulse-speed correlation represented by the basic motor table 34 shown in FIG. In other words, the value is outside the applicable range of the acceleration / deceleration table 33). If a problem such as step-out occurs, the target speed is replaced. In other words, by replacing the target speed once selected from FIG. 12 as described above with another target speed in FIG. 12, the value within the compliance range is obtained without departing from the pulse-speed correlation. (In other words, the value is within the applicable range of the acceleration / deceleration table 33). At this time, in the present embodiment, the target speed replacement is performed using the target speed replacement table 37.

<Target speed replacement table>
An example of the target speed replacement table 37 is shown in FIG. Similar to FIG. 12, this target speed replacement table uses speed sections discretely represented by seven section numbers of “0”, “1”, “2”, “3”, “4”, “5”, and “6”. Is set. “Tm0” represents the current speed (specifically, the current speed converted into a cycle. Hereinafter, simply referred to as “current speed Tm0”), and “Tm1” is set using the target speed table 35. The target speed (specifically, the target speed converted into a cycle. Hereinafter, it is simply referred to as “target speed Tm1” or the like as appropriate). Then, when the section number located at the intersection of the “Tm0” field and the “Tm1” field accelerates or decelerates from the current speed Tm0 to the target speed Tm1, the final target speed Tm1 ′ that is actually used. Represents the division number. At this time, the portion without hatching is a portion where the above-described replacement is not performed and the value set in the target speed table 35 is used as it is (that is, Tm1 ′ = Tm1). On the other hand, the hatched portion is a portion where the above-described replacement is performed on the values set in the target speed table 35 (in other words, Tm1 ′ ≠ Tm1).

  In FIG. 13, for example, when the current speed Tm0 in the “0” section is set to the target speed Tm1 in the “0” section, the “0” section is set as the final target speed Tm1 ′. The Similarly, when the current speed Tm0 of the “0” section is set to the target speed Tm1 of the “1” section, the “2” section, the “3” section, and the “4 section”, it is “1” as it is. The section, “2” section, “3” section, and “4 section” are set as final target speeds Tm1 ′. On the other hand, when the current speed Tm0 of the “0” section is set to the target speed Tm1 of the “5” section, it is not possible to perform a large acceleration by this designation within the 12 pulse range as it is. (Because the value deviates from the pulse-speed correlation of the basic motor tail section 34), the “4” section shifted from the “5” section by one to the lower speed side is set as the final target speed Tm1 ′. That is, the target speed is replaced from the “5” section to the “4” section. Similarly, when the current speed Tm0 in the “0” section is set to the target speed Tm1 in the “6” section, the “4” section is set as the final target speed Tm1 ′, and the “6” section is set. The target speed is replaced from “4” to “4”.

  Furthermore, even when the current speed Tm0 of the “1” section is set to the “5” section and the target speed Tm1 of the “6” section, the “5” section is changed to the “4” section, and the “6” section is changed. The target speed is replaced with the “4” section. In addition, when the current speed Tm0 of the “2” section is set to the “5” section and the target speed Tm1 of the “6” section, the “5” section is changed to the “4” section, and the “6” section is changed. The target speed is replaced with the “4” section. Further, when the current speed Tm0 in the “3” section is set to the target speed Tm1 in the “6” section, the target speed is replaced from the “6” section to the “5” section.

  In addition, even when the current speed Tm0 in the “5” section is set to the target speed Tm1 from the “0” section, the “1” section, and the “2” section, this specification is used within the 12 pulse range as it is. Since a large deceleration cannot be performed (the value deviates from the pulse-speed correlation of the basic motor tail section 34), the "0" section is changed to the "3" section, the "1" section is changed to the "3" section, The target speed is replaced from the “2” section to the “3” section. Similarly, when the current speed Tm0 of the “6” section is set to the target speed Tm1 from the “0” section, the “1” section, the “2” section, and the “3” section, the “0” section The target speed is replaced from "4" to "4", from "1" to "4", from "2" to "4", and from "3" to "4".

  In the present embodiment, the target speed Tm1 ′ appropriately replaced as necessary as described above is used as the final target speed Tm1 ′ at the acceleration / deceleration completion point, and the corresponding specific acceleration / deceleration table 33 is selected (FIG. 7 to FIG. 7). (See FIG. 10). As a result, even when the difference between the current speed and the target speed is large, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be reliably executed.

<Control flow>
FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing a control procedure executed by the CPU 27 of the control circuit 210 in order to realize the above contents. The flow in FIG. 14 is started, for example, when the power button 7 of the printing apparatus 1 is pressed.

  In FIG. 14, first, in step S <b> 10, the CPU 27 initializes the storage contents of the print buffer 40 and the division number memory 41 of the SRAM 29 and sets the printing speed to an initial value of 0. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, the CPU 27 pre-reads the print data stored in the print buffer 40 in the second pulse number range from the starting block currently being processed to the Nth block after that, and in the second pulse number range. Based on the second operating environment information, the maximum number of simultaneously ON dots of a plurality of heating elements that are energized simultaneously by the thermal head 23 in the second pulse number range is determined. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S20.

  In step S20, the CPU 27 determines the maximum division number M of the thermal head 23 in the second pulse number range in accordance with the maximum simultaneous on-dot number determined in step S15. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S25, the CPU 27 determines a single energization time Th to the heat generation area of the thermal head 23 based on the first operating environment information, and the determined energization time and the maximum division determined in step S20. Based on the number M, the printing cycle T (= Th × M) is determined. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S30.

  In step S30, the CPU 27 selects a speed corresponding to the printing cycle T determined in step S25 from the plurality of set speeds in the target speed table 35 as the target speed Tm1 by the above-described method. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S35.

  In step S35, the CPU 27 determines whether or not it is necessary to replace the target speed Tm1 selected in step S35 with another set speed included in the plurality of set speeds in the target speed table 35 (in other words, FIG. 13). Whether or not it corresponds to the shaded hatching part. If the difference between the current speed Tm0 and the target speed Tm1 is large and the target speed is outside the compliance range of the basic motor table 34, the determination in step S35 is satisfied (step S35: YES), and the process proceeds to step S40.

  In step S40, the CPU 27 replaces the target speed Tm1 selected in step S35 with another set speed included in the plurality of set speeds in the target speed table 35 as described above, and creates a new target speed Tm1 ′. And Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S45.

  On the other hand, if the difference between the current speed Tm0 and the target speed Tm1 is small and the target speed is within the observance range of the basic motor table 34 in step S35, the determination in step S35 is not satisfied (step S35: YES), and the target The speed Tm1 is set as a new target speed Tm1 ′ as it is, and the process proceeds to Step S45.

  In step S45, the CPU 27 determines whether or not the current speed Tm0 of the pulse motor 24 is different from the next speed, that is, the target speed Tm1 ′ (whether or not the current speed is not the next speed). If the current speed Tm0 of the pulse motor 24 is the same as the target speed Tm1 ′, the determination is not satisfied (step S45: NO), and the process proceeds to step S50. If the current speed Tm0 of the pulse motor 24 is different from the target speed Tm1 ′, the determination is satisfied (step S45: YES), and the process proceeds to step S55.

  In step S <b> 50, the CPU 27 maintains the current speed of the pulse motor 24 while keeping the target speed (in other words, the pulse period) set in the pulse motor 24 as the currently set target speed (in other words, the pulse period). Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S55.

  In step S55, the CPU 27 determines that the acceleration / deceleration start point is the current speed Tm0 and the acceleration / deceleration completion point is the target speed from among a plurality (49 in the above example) of the acceleration / deceleration table 33 shown in FIGS. The acceleration / deceleration table is selected so that is the target speed Tm1 ′ determined as described above, and the pulse period is set. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S60.

  In step S60, the CPU 27 outputs a control signal to the motor drive circuit 31, and gives the motor drive circuit 31 one pulse at a cycle based on the pulse cycle determined in step S55. The motor 24 is driven to rotate by one pulse, and the print-receiving tape 3A is conveyed by one line. On the other hand, the CPU 27 outputs a control signal to the thermal head control circuit 32, and the thermal head control circuit 32 applies a cycle based on the pulse cycle determined in step S55 to the plurality of heat generating regions of the thermal head 23. In addition, power is supplied in a division mode based on the number of divisions determined in step S20, and the printing tape 3A is caused to print one line corresponding to the line printing data. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S65.

  In step S65, the CPU 27 determines whether or not printing of all the print lines existing within the range of the number of pulses of one block on the print-receiving tape 3A, that is, printing of the specified number of lines is completed. In the present embodiment, a pulse number range of one block is constituted by 12 pulses, and thus the specified number of lines is 12 lines. If printing of the specified number of lines on the print-receiving tape 3A is completed, the determination is satisfied (step S65: YES), and the process proceeds to step S70. If printing of the specified number of lines on the print-receiving tape 3A has not been completed, the determination is not satisfied (step S65: NO), the process returns to step S45, and the same procedure is repeated.

  In step S70, the CPU 27 determines whether or not printing of all the lines corresponding to the print data stored in the print buffer 40 has been completed on the print-receiving tape 3A. If printing of all the lines corresponding to the print data is completed, the determination is satisfied (step S70: YES), and this flow ends. If printing of all the lines corresponding to the print data has not been completed, the determination is not satisfied (step S70: NO), the process returns to step S15, and the same procedure is repeated.

  In the above flow, the procedure of step S15 functions as the on-dot number determining means described in each claim, the procedure of step S20 functions as the division number determining means, and the procedure of step S25 is described in each claim. In addition to functioning as the energization time determination unit described, it also functions as a printing cycle determination unit. Further, the procedure of step S30 functions as a target speed selection means described in each claim, the procedure of step S35 functions as a target speed determination means, the procedure of step S40 functions as a target speed replacement means, The procedure of step S55 functions as a table selection unit.

  As described above, according to the printing apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the predetermined pulse number range corresponding to the period from the stop state of the pulse motor 24 to the maximum speed state is not set as one unit, but 1 / With N (N: an integer of 2 or more) as one block, the speed control of the pulse motor 24 is performed in units of the block. As a result, even when the difference between the current speed and the target speed is large, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be reliably executed. In particular, at this time, as described above, the target speed value itself to be calculated (for example, the previous dot) can be obtained by replacing the target speed with another value from a plurality of set speeds prepared in advance as necessary. There is no possibility that smooth operation cannot be performed depending on acceleration / deceleration conditions as in the case of correction according to a predetermined restriction (using a motor cycle of a line, a motor basic cycle stored in advance, or the like). That is, acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be executed smoothly and reliably. In addition, high-speed printing (high-speed conveyance) can be handled without increasing the size and weight of the pulse motor 24 and without using a special power source.

  In this embodiment, in particular, when it is determined in step S35 of FIG. 14 that the target speed Tm1 selected by the target speed table 35 is within the observance range of the basic motor table 34, the selected value The acceleration / deceleration table is selected as is as the final target speed Tm1 ′. As a result, when the difference between the current speed and the target speed is not so large and acceleration / deceleration up to the target speed can be realized within one block (12 pulse range), the target speed is not replaced quickly and reliably. Processing can be performed.

  In addition, the arrow shown in the said FIG. 4 shows an example of the flow of a signal, and does not limit the flow direction of a signal.

  Note that the flowchart shown in FIG. 14 is not intended to limit the present invention to the procedure shown in the above flow, but to add or delete procedures or change the order within the scope not departing from the spirit and technical idea of the invention. Also good.

  In addition to those already described above, the methods according to the above embodiments may be used in appropriate combination.

  In addition, although not illustrated one by one, the present invention is implemented with various modifications within a range not departing from the gist thereof.

1 Printing device 3A Printed tape (printed medium)
22 Platen roller (conveying means)
23 Thermal head 28 ROM (first storage means, second storage means)
31 Motor drive circuit (transport control means)
32 Thermal head control circuit (printing control means)
33 Acceleration / deceleration table 34 Basic motor table 35 Target speed table 37 CPU
210 Control circuit Tm0 Current speed Tm1 Target speed Tm1 'Final target speed

Claims (2)

A pulse motor,
Transport means for transporting the print medium using the driving force of the pulse motor;
A plurality of heat generating elements for forming dots on each print line obtained by dividing the print medium in the transport direction into print resolutions, and for each of a plurality of heat generation regions along a direction orthogonal to the transport direction A thermal head that can be divided and supplied with power, and
A transport control means for controlling the rotational speed of the pulse motor;
Print control means for performing energization control corresponding to the print data while switching the energization mode for each line print data obtained by dividing the print data for printing into one print line unit after the start of conveyance by the conveyance means When,
A printing device comprising:
Energization time determining means for determining one energization time to the heat generation area based on first operation environment information related to an operation environment of the printing apparatus;
When N is an integer greater than or equal to 2, the unit in one block is 1 block that is 1 / N of a predetermined first line number range corresponding to the period from the stop state of the pulse motor to the maximum speed state. A first storage means for storing a plurality of types of acceleration / deceleration tables each defining acceleration / deceleration behavior from the acceleration / deceleration start point of the pulse motor to the acceleration / deceleration completion point;
A second storage means for storing a plurality of set speeds of the pulse motor determined in a discrete and stepwise manner;
Based on the second operating environment information related to the second line number range to be processed from the starting block serving as the processing start point to the N-th sequential block after the starting block, power is supplied simultaneously in the second line number range. On-dot number determination means for determining the maximum number of simultaneous on-dots that is the maximum value of the plurality of heating elements,
A division for determining a maximum division number that is a maximum value of the number of the heat generation areas to be divided and fed in the second line number range based on the maximum simultaneous on-dot number determined by the on-dot number determination means. Number determining means;
A printing cycle for determining a printing cycle, which is an interval of energization timing for each line print data, based on the energization time determined by the energization time determination unit and the maximum division number determined by the division number determination unit. A determination means;
Target speed selecting means for selecting, as a target speed, a speed corresponding to the printing cycle determined by the printing cycle determining means from the plurality of set speeds stored in the second storage means;
Target speed determination means for determining whether the target speed selected by the target speed selection means falls within or outside the application range of the acceleration / deceleration table;
By the target speed determining means, the target speed the target speed selection means has selected, if it is determined that outside the scope of the stored acceleration table of the block by block in the first storage means Target speed replacement means for replacing the selected target speed with another speed included in the plurality of set speeds stored in the second storage means so as to be within the applicable range;
When the target speed determining means determines that the target speed is out of the applicable range, based on the current speed and the new target speed replaced with the other speed by the target speed replacing means. A corresponding specific acceleration / deceleration table is selected from the plurality of types of acceleration / deceleration tables stored in the first storage means, and the target speed determination means determines that the target speed is within the applicable range. A table selection means for selecting an acceleration / deceleration table based on the target speed selected by the target speed selection means;
Have
The transport control means includes
Controlling the rotational speed of the pulse motor using the specific acceleration / deceleration table selected by the table selection means;
The print control means includes
A printing apparatus that performs the energization control based on the printing cycle determined by the printing cycle determination means. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 .
The transport means transports a print-receiving tape provided with an adhesive layer and a print-receiving layer to be attached to an adherend as the print-receiving medium,
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the thermal head is a print label producing device for producing a print label by forming a print on the print layer included in the print-receiving tape conveyed by the conveying means.

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