JP7060124B2 - Printing equipment, printing methods and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a printing apparatus, a printing method and a program.

Conventionally, a printing device (label printer) that creates a label as a printed matter by printing arbitrary characters, figures, pictures, etc. on a long strip-shaped printed medium and then separating the printed portion from the printed medium. )It has been known.
In a label printer, both a half-cut mechanism that cuts only the base material of a printed medium having a base material having an adhesive surface and a releaseable paper covering the adhesive surface, and a half-cut mechanism that cuts only the base material and the base material and the release paper. It is also known to have a full-cut mechanism that separates the label from the printing medium by cutting (full-cut) the label, and the label created by such a label printer is an object to be attached by peeling off the release paper. It is expected to be used by pasting it on.

However, in such a label, when the strip-shaped print medium is simply cut, the corners of the edges of the cut print medium in the width direction are rectangular shapes having a substantially right angle, and the corners of the label are used as the starting point. It may come off from the object to be attached.
As one of the methods to prevent the label from peeling off from the object to be attached, it is conceivable to cut off and trim the right-angled corners of the widthwise edge of the label formed in a rectangular shape before attaching to the object to be attached. Be done.

However, it is very troublesome for the user to use scissors or the like after creating the label to cut off the corners of the edges in the width direction of the label.
Therefore, a trimming device that cuts off the corners of the edges in the width direction of the label can be detachably attached to the label printer, and the printed matter is set in the trimming device after printing on the label printer, which bothers the user. There has also been proposed an apparatus for cutting off the corners of the widthwise edge of a label (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-194574

However, it is troublesome for the user to set the label after printing on the trimming device, and since printing to trimming cannot be performed as a series of operations, the corners of the corners are trimmed quickly and continuously. It is not possible to form a label that is difficult to peel off.
Further, since the printing operation and the trimming operation are not linked as a series of operations, the print range and the trimming position may be misaligned, resulting in a poor finish.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to link the printing operation and the trimming operation, and to form a printed matter which is hard to peel off by trimming the corners of the corners quickly and continuously. It has the advantage of being possible.

In order to solve the above problems, the printing apparatus of the present invention is used.
A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
The transport device for transporting the printable medium and
A first cutting device for cutting the printed medium on which the printing was performed by the printing unit, and a first cutting device.
Equipped with a control device,
The first cutting device has a cutting blade portion that cuts the printed medium and trims the corners of the widthwise end of the printed medium.
The cutting blade portion is integrally formed with the first blade portion that cuts a part of the printed medium in a straight line in the width direction and the first blade portion at both ends of the first blade portion in the extending direction. It has a second blade portion that is formed and performs the trimming on the corner of the end in the width direction of the printed medium.
The control device is
Based on the cutting information regarding the area where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device, the printing area where the printing is performed on the printing medium by the printing unit is not cut by the trimming by the first cutting device. In addition, by changing only the size of the printed medium in the transport direction in the area where the trimming is performed, or by adding a margin to the end of the print area in the transport direction, the printed medium in the print area is printed. It is characterized in that it is controlled to change only the size in the transport direction of.

According to the present invention, the printing operation and the trimming operation can be linked with each other, and it is possible to quickly and continuously trim the corners of the edges of the printed matter to form a printed matter that is hard to peel off.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the apparatus main body of the printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which opened the opening / closing lid of the apparatus main body in this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the appearance of the tape cassette housed in the apparatus main body in this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of the tape cassette in this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows typically the cutting unit of the printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the trim cutter mechanism which concerns on this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the state of cutting a printed matter by a trim cutter mechanism. (A) to (c) are plan views which show an example of the trim cutter mechanism corresponding to the printing medium having different tape widths. It is a block diagram which shows the control composition of the apparatus main body of the printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the control composition of the cutting unit of the printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. (A) is a diagram showing an example of a label in which the four corners are right angles, and (b) is a diagram showing an example of a label in which the four corners are trimmed to form a curved shape, (c). ) Is a diagram showing an example of a label having four corners at right angles, and (d) is a diagram showing an example of a label obtained by trimming the four corners into a curved shape. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the printing method in this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the trim cutter mechanism in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen displayed on the display device of an external computer. It is explanatory drawing explaining the resetting of a print position by a main body control device. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen displayed on the display device of an external computer. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the printing method in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen displayed on the display device of an external computer. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen displayed on the display device of an external computer. It is a schematic diagram which shows one modification of the printing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment.

An embodiment of the printing apparatus and printing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 20.
Although the embodiments described below are provided with various technically preferable limitations for carrying out the present invention, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and illustrated examples.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of the printing apparatus of the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment includes an apparatus main body 1 and a cutting unit 7 including a trim cutter mechanism 75, which is a first cutting apparatus described later.
The apparatus main body 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a label printer including a thermal head 11 which is an example of a printing unit that prints on a long strip-shaped printed medium M, and prints by, for example, a single pass method. The print medium M is, for example, a tape member having a base material Ma having an adhesive surface and a peelable release paper Mb covering the adhesive surface.
In the present embodiment, as will be described later, printing is performed by the thermal head 11 which is a printing unit on the surface of the base material Ma opposite to the adhesive surface (this is referred to as the surface or the printing surface of the base material Ma). .. In the following, a thermal transfer type label printer using an ink ribbon will be described as an example, but the printing method is not particularly limited, and for example, a thermal method using thermal paper may be used.
Further, in the present embodiment, as will be described later, the laminating film F is attached to the surface (printing surface) of the base material Ma after printing by the printing unit (thermal head 11 in the present embodiment).
In the following, the printed medium M before printing is referred to as the printed medium M1, and the printed medium M in which the laminated film F is attached after printing is referred to as the printed medium M2 (printed matter). In addition, when it does not matter before and after processing such as printing and laminating film F, it is also simply referred to as a printed medium M (printing tape).
In the present embodiment, as an example of the printed matter M2 (printed matter), a label on which a character string or the like is printed (note that a long printed matter M is cut to form a unit printed matter is labeled L (FIG. FIG.). 8 etc.)) will be described.

<< Configuration of the main body of the device >>
FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the apparatus main body of the printing apparatus according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the opening / closing lid of the apparatus main body is opened.
In the present embodiment, the transport direction of the printed medium M (printing tape) is defined as the “conveying direction X”, and the width direction of the printed medium M (printing tape) orthogonal to the transport direction X is the “medium width”. The direction Y is defined, and the thickness direction of the printing medium M (printing tape) is defined as the “thickness direction Z”. These X, Y, and Z directions are orthogonal to each other.
As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus main body 1 includes a housing 2 and an opening / closing lid 3 that is openably / closably attached to the housing 2. As shown in FIG. 3, the housing 2 includes a cassette accommodating portion 24 for accommodating a tape cassette 5, which will be described later, inside the housing 2.
In addition to the power button 21, an operation button 22 for performing various operations, a lid operation button 23 for opening the opening / closing lid 3, and the like are arranged on the upper surface of the housing 2.
When the power button 21 is pressed while the external power supply D (see FIG. 10) is connected (that is, the AC adapter is connected), a signal is sent to the power supply circuit 107 (see FIG. 10) and the printing device 100 (that is, that is, the AC adapter is connected). The power of the device main body 1 and the disconnection unit 7) electrically connected to the device main body 1 is turned on.
When the operation button 22 or the lid operation button 23 is pressed, a signal is sent to the operation input control circuit 106 (see FIG. 10) to perform processing according to each button operation.
The lid operation button 23 of the present embodiment only opens the opening / closing lid 3, and when the opening / closing lid 3 is closed, the user manually closes the opening / closing lid 3.
Although not shown, the housing 2 is provided with a power cord connection terminal, an external device connection terminal, a storage medium insertion port, and the like. If the device main body 1 operates with an internal power source such as a battery, the power cord connection terminal may not be provided. Further, when it is configured to be wirelessly connectable to an external computer 200 (see FIG. 10) described later, such as a personal computer or various terminal devices, it is not necessary to have an external device connection terminal.

The opening / closing lid 3 is arranged so as to be openable / closable so as to cover the upper part of the cassette storage portion 24. The opening / closing lid 3 is opened by pressing the lid operation button 23.
In the present embodiment, the inner side surface of the opening / closing lid 3 (that is, the surface on the cassette storage portion 24 side) is provided with a protrusion 31 projecting inside the housing 2, and when the opening / closing lid 3 is closed. A lid opening / closing sensor 25 for detecting the protrusion 31 is provided in a portion corresponding to the protrusion 31. When it is detected by the lid opening / closing sensor 25 that the opening / closing lid 3 is closed, the detection result is output to the sensor input circuit 113 (see FIG. 10) of the main body control device 10 described later.
Further, a locking claw 32 protruding inside the housing 2 is provided on the inner surface of the opening / closing lid 3 (that is, the surface on the cassette storage portion 24 side), and this engagement occurs when the opening / closing lid 3 is closed. A locking recess 26 for locking the locking claw 32 is provided in the portion corresponding to the claw 32. When the opening / closing lid 3 is closed, the locking claw 32 is locked in the locking recess 26, and the opening / closing lid 3 is not erroneously opened. When the lid operation button 23 is pressed while the opening / closing lid 3 is closed, a signal corresponding to this is output to the operation input control circuit 106 (see FIG. 10), and the locking claw 32 is output by an operation mechanism (not shown). The locked state is released, and the opening / closing lid 3 is opened.
Further, in the opening / closing lid 3, it is possible to visually confirm whether or not the tape cassette 5 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) is stored in the cassette storage portion 24 even when the opening / closing lid 3 is closed. The window portion 33 is formed.
Further, on the inner side surface of the opening / closing lid 3 (that is, the surface on the cassette storage portion 24 side), a cassette presser 34 for holding the tape cassette 5 when the tape cassette 5 is accommodated in the cassette storage portion 24 is provided. The cassette presser 34 presses the tape cassette 5 from above in a state where the opening / closing lid 3 is closed to prevent the tape cassette 5 from being displaced or lifted. The thickness of the tape cassette 5 differs depending on the width of the printed medium M1 (printing tape) mounted therein, and the height of the upper surface when the tape cassette 5 is housed in the cassette storage unit 24 differs. Therefore, it is preferable that the cassette presser 34 has a structure having some springiness so as to be able to cope with various heights.

Inside the cassette storage unit 24, a tape type detection sensor 18 for detecting the type of the tape cassette 5 housed inside (the type of the printed medium M (printing tape) housed inside the tape cassette 5). Is placed.
The tape type detection sensor 18 reads, for example, an identification mark or the like attached to the cassette case 51 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) of the tape cassette 5, so that the printed medium contained in the tape cassette 5 is printed. The tape type such as the width of M (printing tape) is detected.
The detection result detected by the tape type detection sensor 18 is output to the sensor input circuit 113, whereby the main body control device 10 of the device main body 2 automatically selects the type of the tape cassette 5 housed in the device main body 2. Can be obtained. The tape type detection sensor 18 may be any as long as it can identify the type of the tape cassette 5, and the specific arrangement, configuration, and the like are not particularly limited.

Further, the drive shafts 241, 242, 243 are located in the cassette storage unit 24 at positions corresponding to the axis centers of the printing tape roller 52, the ink ribbon winding roller 54, and the laminating film roller 55 of the tape cassette 5, which will be described later, respectively. It is provided.
That is, in a state where the tape cassette 5 is stored in the cassette storage unit 24, the printing tape roller 52 is engaged with the drive shaft 241 and the ink ribbon winding roller 54 is engaged with the drive shaft 242, and the drive shaft 243 is engaged. The laminated film roller 55 engages with the.
A stepping motor 118 controlled by a transport motor control circuit 108, which will be described later, is connected to these drive shafts 241, 242, 243, and is rotationally driven according to the control of the transport motor control circuit 108. There is. As a result, the printing tape roller 52, the ink ribbon winding roller 54, and the laminating film roller 55 engaged with the drive shafts 241, 242, 243 rotate.

Further, a thermal head 11 as a printing unit in the present embodiment is arranged in the cassette storage unit 24.
The thermal head 11 is a printing unit that is arranged on the transport path of the printable medium M transported by the platen roller 122 or the like constituting the transport device and prints on the printable medium M.
The thermal head 11 has, for example, a plurality of heat generating elements arranged in the main scanning direction (medium width direction Y orthogonal to the transport direction X of the printed medium M1 (printing tape)). The thermal head 11 prints line by line on the printed medium M by thermal transfer by selectively energizing a plurality of heat generating elements according to print data under the control of a head drive circuit 112 (see FIG. 10) described later. I do.

A platen unit 12 is provided at a position corresponding to the thermal head 11 with the printed medium M interposed therebetween at the time of printing. The platen unit 12 is moved up and down in the direction of contact and separation with respect to the thermal head 11 by the platen unit elevating mechanism 125 (see FIG. 10) that is moved up and down by the elevating motor 116 (see FIG. 10).
The specific configuration of the platen unit elevating mechanism 125 is not particularly limited, but for example, as shown in FIG. 1, the rotating shaft 121 provided on the upstream side of the platen unit M in the transport direction X of the printed medium M is moved up and down. By operating the platen motor 116 (see FIG. 10), the entire platen unit 12 rotates with the rotation shaft 121 as a fulcrum.
In this embodiment, the operation of the platen unit elevating mechanism 125 is synchronized with the opening and closing of the opening / closing lid 3.
That is, when the lid opening / closing sensor 25 detects that the opening / closing lid 3 is closed, the elevating motor control circuit 110 (see FIG. 10) that controls the elevating motor 116 moves the platen unit 12 closer to the thermal head 11 side. It controls the elevating motor 116. When the lid opening / closing sensor 25 detects that the opening / closing lid 3 has been opened, the elevating motor control circuit 110 (see FIG. 10) controls the elevating motor 116 in a direction in which the platen unit 12 is separated from the thermal head 11. ..

In the present embodiment, the platen roller 122 is arranged in the platen unit 12 at a position facing the thermal head 11 at the time of printing. The platen roller 122 of the present embodiment extends in the medium width direction Y of the printed medium M and is pivotally supported by a rotating shaft 123 provided in the platen unit 12. The rotary shaft 123 is rotationally driven by a stepping motor 118 controlled by a transport motor control circuit 108 (see FIG. 10) described later, and the platen roller 122 is shown in FIG. 1 when the rotary shaft 123 rotates. Rotate in the direction of the arrow.
When the opening / closing lid 3 is closed and the platen unit 12 approaches the thermal head 11 side, the platen roller 122 comes into contact with the thermal head 11 via the print medium M, and the thermal head 11 with respect to the print medium M. The printed medium M is conveyed in the conveying direction X while being pressed so as to be in contact with each other with a substantially uniform force.
In this embodiment, as will be described later, the printed medium M is rewound before the start of printing. At the time of rewinding, the platen unit 12 is connected to the thermal head 11 regardless of the opening and closing of the opening / closing lid 3. The platen roller 122 is operated in a direction away from the above, and the elevating motor 116 is controlled so that the platen roller 122 does not come into contact with the thermal head 11 via the printed medium M. As a result, the platen roller 122 does not become a resistance when the print medium M is rewound, and the rewinding operation can be smoothly performed.

Further, in the present embodiment, the printed medium M is located downstream of the transport direction X of the printed medium M in the platen unit 12 and at a position corresponding to the temporary crimping roller 56 described later with respect to the temporary crimping roller 56. Is provided with a protrusion 124 for pressing.
The shape of the protrusion 124 is not particularly limited, but the printed medium M is extended to some extent in the medium width direction Y of the printed medium M so that the printed medium M can be pressed against the temporary crimping roller 56 with as uniform a force as possible. It is preferable that the bosses have a plate-like shape that exists, or that a plurality of bosses are arranged in the medium width direction Y of the printed medium M. Further, when a plurality of bosses are provided as the protrusions 124, it is preferable to arrange the bosses at substantially equal intervals so that the pressing force is not biased as much as possible.

A cutting device 13 (second cutting device in the present embodiment) for cutting the printed medium M after printing on the transport path of the print medium M and downstream of the thermal head 11 in the transport direction X. Is provided.
The cutting device 13 (second cutting device) includes a full-cut mechanism 14 and a half-cut mechanism 15.
The printed medium M to be cut by the cutting device 13 (second cutting device) is a base material Ma having a printing surface on the front surface side and an adhesive surface on the surface opposite to the printing surface, and the base material Ma. It is provided with a release paper Mb superimposed on the adhesive surface side (see FIG. 6). Further, in the present embodiment, after printing, the laminating film F is attached to the printed surface side of the base material Ma, and the laminating film F and the base material Ma are attached to the cutting device 13 (second cutting device). , The printed medium M2 composed of three layers of the release paper Mb is conveyed.
Here, the full cut performed by the full cut mechanism 14 is an operation of cutting the laminating film F and the base material Ma of the printing medium M together with the release paper Mb along the medium width direction Y, and is a half cut mechanism. The half-cut performed by 15 is an operation of cutting only the laminating film F and the base material Ma along the medium width direction Y, leaving the release paper Mb of the printing medium M.

The full-cut mechanism 14 and the half-cut mechanism 15 in the cutting device 13 (second cutting device) include cutters 141 and 151 that descend to the cutting position of the printed medium M, respectively. That is, the cutter 141 of the full-cut mechanism 14 descends to a position in the thickness direction Z that cuts all three layers of the laminated film F, the base material Ma, and the release paper Mb. Further, the cutter 151 of the half-cut mechanism 15 descends to a position in the thickness direction Z that cuts only two layers of the laminating film F and the base material Ma, excluding the release paper Mb.
The cutters 141 and 151 of the full cut mechanism 14 and the half cut mechanism 15 are brought into contact with and separated from the printed medium M by the cutter motor 117 (see FIG. 10) whose operation is controlled by the cutter motor control circuit 111 described later. It is designed to work.
The lowering positions of the cutters 141 and 151 may be controlled by the cutter motor 117 by the cutter motor control circuit 111, or the half-cut mechanism 15 cuts only two layers of the laminating film F and the base material Ma in the thickness direction Z. A stopper (not shown) may be provided so that the cutter 151 stops at the position of 1 and does not descend any further.

A tape tip detection sensor that detects the tip of the transport direction X in the print medium M between the thermal head 11 and the cutting device 13 (second cutting device) on the transport path of the print medium M. 16 is provided.
The detection result detected by the tape tip detection sensor 16 is output to the sensor input circuit 113 of the main body control device 10.

Further, a pair of main crimping rollers 17 (upper roller 17a and lower roller 17b) are arranged on the downstream side of the transport path of the printed medium M from the cutting device 13 (second cutting device).
The crimping roller 17 is for crimping and fixing the laminating film F as a protective film to the surface of the base material Ma after printing.
The crimping roller 17 is a drive roller in which the upper roller 17a and / or the lower roller 17b are connected to a stepping motor 115 controlled by a discharge motor control circuit 109, and is rotationally driven by the stepping motor 115. be.
In the present embodiment, the upper roller 17a can move in the direction of contacting and separating from the lower roller 17b, and when the printing medium M is rewound before the start of printing, the lower roller 17a is moved to the lower side. It moves in a direction away from the roller 17b. As a result, the crimping roller 17 does not become a resistance when the printing medium M is rewound, and the rewinding operation can be smoothly performed.

A discharge port 27 is formed on the side surface of the housing 2 and located on the downstream side of the print medium M in the transport direction X. The printed medium M for which printing by the thermal head 11 has been completed in the apparatus main body 1 is pressed by the main crimping roller 17, so that the laminating film F is crimped and fixed to the surface of the base material Ma, and the device is pressed from the discharge port 27. It is discharged to the outside.
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, in the present embodiment, the cutting unit 7 can be mounted in the vicinity of the discharge port 27 in the device main body 1, and the cutting unit 7 is mounted on the device main body 1. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the printed medium M discharged from the discharge port 27 to the outside of the apparatus is conveyed into the cutting unit 7.

<< Configuration of tape cassette >>
As shown in FIG. 3, the tape cassette 5 of the present embodiment is detachably stored in the cassette storage portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1 in a state where the medium width direction Y of the tape cassette 5 is vertical.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the tape cassette in the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state in which a part of the cassette case is removed from the tape cassette shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 4, the tape cassette 5 includes a cassette case 51 in which a thermal head insertion portion 511 is formed. The cassette case 51 is formed by fitting the lower case 51a and the upper case 51b.
The thermal head insertion portion 511 is a recess formed at a position corresponding to the thermal head 11 when the tape cassette 5 is stored in the cassette storage portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1.
FIG. 5 shows the inside of the tape cassette 5 by removing the upper case 51b of the cassette case 51. Note that FIG. 5 illustrates a state in which the print medium M, the ink ribbon R, and the laminating film F are removed from the tape cassette 5.

A printing tape roller 52, an ink ribbon supply roller 53, an ink ribbon winding roller 54, and a laminated film roller 55 are provided in the cassette case 51.
The printing tape roller 52 is a drive roller that is engaged with the drive shaft 241 as described above and is driven by the stepping motor 118 controlled by the transfer motor control circuit 108.
A flange 521 is provided at the end of the printing tape roller 52 in the medium width direction Y, and the printing tape roller 52 has a bobbin shape as a whole. The printing medium M is wound around the printing tape roller 52 in a roll shape.
In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the operation of rewinding the printed medium M is performed under the control of the transport motor control circuit 108 before the printing operation, but the flange 521 is provided at the end of the printing tape roller 52. As a result, when the printed medium M is rewound, the printed medium M is less likely to shift, and smooth rewinding is possible.

Further, the ink ribbon R for thermal transfer is wound around the ink ribbon supply roller 53 in a roll shape with its tip wound around the ink ribbon winding roller 54.
The ink ribbon take-up roller 54 is a drive roller that is engaged with a drive shaft 242 and is driven by a stepping motor 118 controlled by a transport motor control circuit 108.

Further, the laminating film roller 55 is a drive roller that is engaged with the drive shaft 243 and is driven by the stepping motor 118 controlled by the transfer motor control circuit 108.
Similar to the printing tape roller 52, a flange 551 is provided at the end of the laminating film roller 55 in the medium width direction Y, and has a bobbin shape as a whole. A laminating film F as a protective film is wound around the laminating film roller 55 in a roll shape.

Further, a temporary crimping roller 56 is provided at a position on the downstream side of the laminated film roller 55 in the transport direction of the printing medium M and corresponding to the protruding portion 124 of the platen unit 12.
A stepping motor 118 controlled by a transport motor control circuit 108 is connected to the rotary shaft 561 of the temporary crimp roller 56, and the temporary crimp roller 56 is rotationally driven according to the control of the transport motor control circuit 108. It is a drive roller.
A transparent plate 57 made of a transparent resin or the like is arranged between the temporary crimping roller 56 and the protruding portion 124 of the platen unit 12.
At the time of printing, the printing medium M is conveyed between the transparent plate 57 and the temporary crimping roller 56. The transparent plate 57 is pressed toward the temporary crimping roller 56 by the protruding portion 124 of the platen unit 12, and the base material Ma of the printing medium M and the laminating film F are between the transparent plate 57 and the temporary crimping roller 56. By being pressed, it is temporarily fixed.
Further, the tape tip detection sensor 16 described above is arranged at a position corresponding to the transparent plate 57. As a result, the tape tip detection sensor 16 can detect the tip portion of the printed medium M passing under the transparent plate 57 without being blocked by the member on the tape cassette 5 side or the like.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the type of the tape cassette 5 (the type of the printed medium M (printing tape) housed in the tape cassette 5) is detected in the cassette storage portion 24 of the housing 2. A tape type detection sensor 18 for printing is arranged, and the cassette case 51 is provided with an identification mark (not shown) detected by the tape type detection sensor 18.
The identification mark or the like may be any as long as it can be read by the tape type detection sensor 18, and is, for example, an unevenness formed on the outside of the cassette case 51. In this case, the tape type detection sensor 18 detects the type of tape by reading the arrangement or pattern of the unevenness. The identification mark or the like is not limited to a three-dimensional one, and may be, for example, a barcode. In this case, a bar code reader is provided as the tape type detection sensor 18. The configuration of the identification mark and the like attached to the tape cassette 5 and the tape type detection sensor 18 for reading the identification mark and the like is not limited to those exemplified here.

<< Configuration of cutting unit >>
As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting unit 7 is detachably attached to the apparatus main body 1.
In the present embodiment, the cutting unit 7 is arranged at a position communicating with the discharge port 27 provided on the downstream side of the transport direction X of the print medium M.
The cutting unit 7 cuts a portion of the printed matter M after printing (printed matter to be printed M2 (printed matter)) over the entire width direction of the printed matter M, and cuts the printed matter into unit prints. The trim cutter mechanism 75 is provided as the cutting device of 1. The printed matter M2 (printed matter) after printing is divided into individual unit printed matter, and the label L (see FIG. 8 and the like) is used.
Although not shown, in the present embodiment, the cutting unit 7 is provided with contacts, electrical connectors, and the like for exchanging information with the device main body 1 of the printing device 100, and the device main body 1 is provided. Is provided with a contact, an electrical connector, or the like connected to the contact of the cutting unit 7 at a position corresponding to the contact or the electric connector.
When the cutting unit 7 is attached to the device main body 1, the contacts and electrical connectors on the cutting unit 7 side are connected to the contacts and electrical connectors on the device main body 1 side. As a result, the cutting unit 7 is electrically connected to the device main body 1 and shares the power supply and the like with the device main body 1. In addition, as will be described later, the cutting unit control device 71 of the cutting unit 7 controls the main body of the device main body 1. Each part of the cutting unit 7 is operated according to the control of the device 10.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a cutting unit according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 6, the cutting unit 7 includes a box-shaped housing 73. Inside the housing 73, a cutter device main body 74 including a trim cutter mechanism 75, which is a first cutting device, and a trim cutter elevating mechanism 725 (see FIG. 10) for raising and lowering the trim cutter mechanism 75 is provided.
FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a trim cutter mechanism according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing a state in which a print medium is cut by the trim cutter mechanism 75.
The trim cutter mechanism 75 trims the corners of the edges of the unit printed matter (label L) in the width direction of the printed matter M2 (printed matter) after printing, and shapes it into a shape such as an arc shape by half-cutting (that is, that is). , The base material Ma and the laminating film F are cut, leaving only the release paper Mb).
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 6 to 8, the trim cutter mechanism 75 includes a straight blade portion (first blade portion) 753 extending in the width direction of the printed matter medium M2 and the straight blade portion. An arcuate blade portion (second) that is integrally formed at both ends of the 753 in the extending direction and trims the corners of the end in the width direction of the unit printed matter (label L) to cut into, for example, an arc shape or a round shape. The blade portion) 754 and. In the present embodiment, the trim cutter mechanism 75 has a cutting blade portion 752 including a straight blade portion 753 and an arc-shaped blade portion 754 attached under a frame-shaped base 751. The cutting blade portion 752 is not limited to the form including the straight blade portion 753 and the arc-shaped blade portion 754. For example, the cutting blade portion 752 is provided with only the cutting blade portion 752 without the straight blade portion 753. The entire width direction of the print medium M2 may be trimmed and cut into a curved shape such as an arc shape.
The trim cutter elevating mechanism 725 for elevating and lowering the trim cutter mechanism 75 is operated by the elevating motor 724 controlled by the elevating motor control circuit 712 described later, and the trim cutter mechanism 75 is operated by the trim cutter elevating mechanism 725. As a result, it moves up and down in the direction of contact and separation with respect to the printed medium M.
The mechanism for half-cutting the printed matter M2 (printed matter) by the trim cutter mechanism 75 is not particularly limited, and for example, the cutting blade portion 752 is stopped from being further lowered to a height substantially equal to the thickness of the release paper Mb. A stopper (not shown) may be provided.
By lowering the trim cutter mechanism 75 with respect to the print medium M2, as shown in FIG. 8, a straight cut portion Sc extending in the medium width direction Y of the print medium M2 and the straight cut portion Sc. The arc-shaped cutting portions (trim cut portions) Tc formed at both ends of the printed medium M2 in the medium width direction Y are cut once by the straight blade portion 753 and the arc-shaped blade portion 754 (trim cutter mechanism). It is formed at the same time by the descent of 75).

In the present embodiment, the trim cutter mechanism 75, which is the first cutting device, is configured to be detachable from the cutting unit 7.
A plurality of types of trim cutter mechanisms 75 including straight blade portions 753 and / or arc-shaped blade portions 754 having different shapes are prepared, and it is preferable that the trim cutter mechanism 75 is appropriately replaced according to an application or the like.
In the present embodiment, for example, a trim cutter mechanism 75a (see FIG. 9A) having a cutting blade portion 752 having a length corresponding to a width of 46 mm of the printed medium M, and a length corresponding to a width of 36 mm of the printed medium M. Trim cutter mechanism 75b having a cutting blade portion 752 (see FIG. 9B), trim cutter mechanism 75c having a cutting blade portion 752 having a length corresponding to a width of 24 mm of the printed medium M (see FIG. 9C). ) Are prepared, and the trim cutter mechanism 75 can be replaced according to the tape width of the tape cassette 5 mounted on the apparatus main body 1.

In the present embodiment, the base 751 of each trim cutter mechanism 75 is provided with an identification protrusion 756 indicating the type of the cutting blade portion 752 which is the cutter of the trim cutter mechanism 75. For example, in the present embodiment, the positions and numbers of the identification protrusions 756 differ depending on the type of the cutting blade portion 752.
A cutter type detection sensor 728 that detects the identification protrusion 756 is provided in the cutting unit 7 at a position corresponding to the identification protrusion 756 when the trim cutter mechanism 75 is mounted. The result detected by the cutter type detection sensor 728 is output to the sensor input circuit 713 (see FIG. 11).
The method for detecting the type of the cutting edge portion 752 is not limited to the one exemplified here.
Further, the type of the trim cutter mechanism 75 is not limited to those exemplified here. For example, the length of the entire cutting blade portion 752 is not different, but the angle, shape, and the like of R of the arcuate blade portion 754 may be different.

In the housing 73 of the cutting unit 7, on the upstream side of the printing medium M in the transport direction X from the trim cutter mechanism 75, there are an approach-side transport roller 722 that transports the printed medium M to the trim cutter mechanism 75. A tape entry detection sensor 726 that detects that the print medium M has entered the cutting unit 7 is provided.
The approach side transfer roller 722 is a drive roller connected to a stepping motor 721 (see FIG. 11) controlled by the transfer motor control circuit 711.
Further, the tape entry detection sensor 726 detects the tip end portion in the transport direction when the print medium M is transported, and the detection result is output to the sensor input circuit 713 (see FIG. 11). It has become.
Further, in the housing 73 and downstream of the trim cutter mechanism 75 in the transport direction X of the print medium M, a discharge side transport roller 723 for discharging the print medium M from the cutting unit 7 and a print medium. A tape discharge detection sensor 727 that detects that M is discharged from the inside of the housing 73 is provided.
The discharge side transfer roller 723 is a drive roller connected to a stepping motor 721 (see FIG. 11) controlled by the transfer motor control circuit 711.
Further, the tape ejection detection sensor 727 detects the tip end portion in the conveying direction when the printing medium M is conveyed and ejected from the inside of the housing 73, and the detection result is the sensor input circuit 713 (see FIG. 11). ) Is output.

<< Control configuration of printing device >>
Next, the control configuration of the printing apparatus 100 in this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the apparatus main body 1, and FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a control configuration of the cutting unit.
As shown in FIG. 10, the apparatus main body 1 includes a main body control device 10 that controls each part of the main body driving device composed of the above-mentioned various rollers and the like.
The main body control device 10 is a computer including a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 104, and the like. The CPU 101 is connected to each circuit part of the device main body 1 by a bus 130, and the CPU 101 controls the operation of each circuit part of the device main body 1 by expanding and executing a program stored in the ROM 102 in the RAM 104. ..
Further, in the present embodiment, when the cutting unit 7 is attached to the device main body 1, the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1 can control the cutting unit 7.
Further, in the present embodiment, the CPU 101 functions as a print position acquisition means for acquiring information on the print position by the thermal head 11 which is a printing unit for the print medium M. That is, when a user inputs a character or the like to be printed from the operation input unit 210 or the like of the external computer 200, the positions of both ends of the character or the like are sent to the CPU 101 of the main body control device 10 as print position information.
Further, the CPU 101 cuts the area to be trimmed by the trim cutter mechanism 75, which is the first cutting device, including information on the length (trim size Tw, which will be described later) along the extending direction of the print medium M. Disconnection to acquire information Functions as an information acquisition means. That is, when the type of the cutting blade portion 752 of the trim cutter mechanism 75 is detected by the cutter type detection sensor 728 of the cutting unit 7, this detection result is sent to the CPU 101 of the main body control device 10 as cutting information. ..
Further, the CPU 101 has a printing position by the thermal head 11 which is a printing unit and a trim cutter mechanism which is a first cutting device based on the printing position information acquired as the printing position acquisition means and the cutting information acquired as the cutting information acquisition means. It also functions as an adjusting means for adjusting the cutting position according to the 75.

In the ROM 102, in addition to the system program 103 for comprehensively controlling each part of the apparatus, a print program for printing on the print medium M, various data (for example, fonts, etc.) necessary for executing the print program are stored. ..
The RAM 104 functions as an input data memory for storing information about print contents printed on the print medium M. The RAM 104 also functions as a print data memory for storing print pattern data (hereinafter referred to as print data 105) representing the print contents, which is generated based on the information about the input print contents.

The operation input control circuit 106 receives a signal corresponding to the operation when the various operation buttons 22 and the lid open / close button 23 of the apparatus main body 1 are operated.
The operation input control circuit 106 outputs the received operation signal to the CPU 101 or the like.
The power supply circuit 107 is connected to an external power supply D via an AC adapter or the like, and controls power supply to each part of the apparatus main body 1 according to ON / OFF of the power supply button 21.

The transport motor control circuit 108 controls the operation of the transport stepping motor 118 that transports the print medium M.
The stepping motor 118 includes a platen roller 122 (rotating shaft 123 of the platen roller 122), an ink ribbon winding roller 54 (drive shaft 242 engaging with the ink ribbon winding roller 54), and a temporary crimping roller via a clutch mechanism 118a. It is connected to 56 (rotary shaft 561 of the temporary crimping roller 55), printing tape roller 52 (driving shaft 241 engaging with the printing tape roller 52), and laminating film roller 55 (driving shaft 243 engaging with the laminating film roller 55). ing. The clutch mechanism 118a is, for example, a mechanical one-way clutch.
When the print medium M is conveyed in the forward direction, which is the normal transfer direction, the rotation of the stepping motor 118 is switched in the forward direction by the clutch mechanism 118a, and the platen roller 122, the ink ribbon take-up roller 54, and the temporary crimping roller are switched. By transmitting to 56, the platen roller 122, the ink ribbon take-up roller 54, and the temporary crimping roller 56 are rotated by the power of the stepping motor 118, and the printed medium M is sent out from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction X. ..
Further, when the printing medium M is conveyed in the direction opposite to the normal conveying direction in order to rewind, the rotation of the stepping motor 118 is switched in the opposite direction and transmitted to the printing tape roller 52 and the laminated film roller 55. As a result, the printing tape roller 52 and the laminating film roller 55 are rotated by the power of the stepping motor 118, and the printed medium M and the laminating film F are rewound from the downstream side to the upstream side in the transport direction X.

The discharge motor control circuit 109 controls the operation of the discharge stepping motor 115 for discharging the print medium M.
The stepping motor 115 is connected to and drives the main crimping roller 17, and the main crimping roller 17 is rotated by the power of the stepping motor 115 to convey the printed medium M after printing in the conveying direction X. Discharge to the outside of the device body 1.

The elevating motor control circuit 110 controls the operation of the elevating motor 116.
The elevating motor 116 is connected to and drives the platen unit elevating mechanism 125.
In the present embodiment, when the opening / closing lid 3 is closed and printing is performed on the printing medium M, the platen unit elevating mechanism 125 is used so that the elevating motor control circuit 110 moves the platen unit in a direction close to the thermal head 11. Is operated by the power of the elevating motor 116.
Further, when the opening / closing lid 3 is opened or when the printing medium M or the like is rewound before printing on the printing medium M, the elevating motor control circuit 110 separates the platen unit from the thermal head 11. The platen unit elevating mechanism 125 is operated by the power of the elevating motor 116 so as to move in the direction of movement.

The cutter motor control circuit 111 controls the operation of the cutter motor 117.
The cutter motor 117 is connected to and drives the full-cut mechanism 14 and the half-cut mechanism 15 constituting the second cutting device 13 in the present embodiment.
In the present embodiment, whether or not to perform a full-cut or half-cut cutting operation on the printed medium M after printing is determined according to a user's input instruction or the like in the second cutting device 13. When performing the cutting operation, the cutters 141 and 151 selected from the full-cut mechanism 14 and the half-cut mechanism 15 are lowered to the cutting position of the print medium M. That is, when performing a full cut, the cutter 141 is lowered to a position in the thickness direction Z where all three layers of the laminating film F, the base material Ma, and the release paper Mb are cut. When performing half-cutting, the cutter 151 is lowered to a position in the thickness direction Z where only the two layers of the laminating film F and the base material Ma are cut.

The head control circuit 112 controls the operation of the thermal head 11 which is the printing unit in the present embodiment. That is, the head control circuit 112 controls the thermal head 11 based on the print data 105 stored in the RAM 104.

Further, the sensor input circuit 113 outputs detection results from various sensors provided in the apparatus main body 1 of the present embodiment, such as the tape tip detection sensor 16, the tape type detection sensor 18, and the lid opening / closing sensor 25.
The sensor input circuit 113 outputs the received detection result to the CPU 101 or the like.

Further, in the present embodiment, the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1 is connected to the control device 201 of the external computer 200 via the interface 114.
The external computer 200 may be a normal personal computer, or various portable terminal devices having a function as a computer.
In the present embodiment, the device main body 1 of the printing device 100 is not provided with an operation input unit composed of a keyboard or the like, a display device composed of a liquid crystal panel or the like, and the operation input unit 210 or the like. By connecting to an external computer 200 provided with a display device 212 or the like, various settings such as print contents can be made on the external computer 200.

The control device 201 of the external computer 200 includes a CPU 202, a ROM 203, a RAM 206, and the like. The CPU 202 is connected to each part of the circuit by a bus 230, and the CPU 202 controls the operation of each part of the circuit by expanding and executing the program stored in the ROM 203 in the RAM 206.
In the ROM 203, in addition to the system program 204 for comprehensively controlling each part of the device, the application program 205 for a label printer for making various settings related to printing on the printed medium M by the device main body 1 of the printing device 100, and other programs. Various data necessary for executing the above are stored.
The RAM 206 functions as an input data memory for storing information about the print contents to be printed on the print medium M. The RAM 206 also functions as a print data memory for storing an image memory 207 for displaying an image on the display device 212. Further, the RAM 206 also functions as a print data memory for storing print pattern data (hereinafter referred to as print data 208) representing the print contents, which is generated based on the information about the input print contents.
Further, the control device 201 of the external computer 200 is connected to the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1 via the interface 214.

The content input from the operation input unit 210 of the external computer 200 is output to the operation input control circuit 209, and the operation input control circuit 209 outputs the received content to the CPU 202 or the like.

The display control circuit 211 controls the display device 212 based on the display data and the like stored in the image memory 207 of the RAM 206. The display device 212 performs various displays according to the control of the display control circuit 211. For example, the print content or the like may be displayed in such a manner that the progress of the print process in the apparatus main body 1 can be recognized.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the cutting unit 7 includes a cutting unit control device 71 controlled by the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1 and a cutting unit drive device 72 whose operation is controlled by the cutting unit control device 71. I have.

The transport motor control circuit 711 controls the operation of the transport stepping motor 721 that transports the printed medium M transported from the apparatus main body 1 to the cutting unit 7 side.
The stepping motor 721 is connected to and drives the approach side transfer roller 722 and the discharge side transfer roller 723, and the approach side transfer roller 722 and the discharge side transfer roller 723 are rotated by the power of the stepping motor 721. The printed medium M after printing is conveyed in the conveying direction X and discharged to the outside of the cutting unit 7.

The elevating motor control circuit 712 controls the operation of the elevating motor 724.
The elevating motor 724 is connected to and drives the trim cutter elevating mechanism 725.
In the present embodiment, when the printing medium M is conveyed to a predetermined position below the trim cutter mechanism 75, the trim cutter elevating mechanism 725 is operated by the power of the elevating motor 724, and the cutting blade portion of the trim cutter mechanism 75 is operated. The 752 is pressed against the print medium M to cut it into a half-cut state.
When the cutting operation is completed, the trim cutter elevating mechanism 725 is operated by the power of the elevating motor 724, and the trim cutter mechanism 75 is moved in a direction away from the print medium M.

Further, the sensor input circuit 713 outputs detection results from various sensors provided in the cutting unit 7 of the present embodiment, such as the tape entry detection sensor 726, the tape discharge detection sensor 727, and the cutter type detection sensor 728.
The sensor input circuit 713 outputs the received detection result to the CPU 101 or the like of the main body control device 10 of the main body 1.

<< Operation of printing equipment and printing method >>
Next, the operation of the printing apparatus 100 and the printing method in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 12A to 12D.

It is assumed that the label L, which is a unit printed matter printed by the printing apparatus 100 and individually cut, is used by attaching the adhesive surface to the object to be attached, as shown in FIG. 12 (a). Further, when the corner of the end of the label L in the width direction has a rectangular shape having a corner portion of about 90 degrees, the end portion is easily caught and peeled off.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, in the trim cutter mechanism 75 of the cutting unit 7, as shown in FIG. 12B, arc-shaped cutting portions (trim cut portions) Tc are formed at the four corners of the label L.
However, when the label L has a rectangular shape having a corner of about 90 degrees, as shown in FIG. 12 (c), even if characters or the like are printed up to the very edge of the corner, when cutting. While the printed characters and the like are not cut off, when arc-shaped cut portions (trim cut portions) Tc are formed at the four corners of the label L, as shown in FIG. 12 (d), the corners are formed. At the portion near the corner, a part of the printed characters or the like may be cut off at the time of cutting.
In the printing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, arc-shaped cutting portions (trim cut portions) Tc are formed at four corners by linking the printing operation by the apparatus main body 1 and the trimming operation by the trim cutter mechanism 75 of the cutting unit 7. At the same time, a label L is formed in which the printed characters and the like are not cut off.
Hereinafter, the printing method by the printing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment will be specifically described.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of a printing method by the printing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment.
When forming the label L, which is a unit printed matter, by the printing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the user first stores the tape cassette 5 in the cassette accommodating portion 24 of the apparatus main body 1 of the printing apparatus 100, and also stores the cutting unit 7. It is attached to the device main body 1 and the power of the device main body 1 is turned on. Further, the external computer 200 in which the label printer application 205 is installed is connected to the apparatus main body 1. The external computer 200 and the device main body 1 may be connected by wire or wirelessly.
When the tape cassette 5 is stored in the cassette storage unit 24 of the apparatus main body 1, the type of the tape cassette 5 stored in the tape type detection sensor 18 (for example, the tape width of the print medium M) is detected.
Further, when the cutting unit 7 is attached to the apparatus main body 1, as shown in FIG. 13, the type of the cutting blade portion 752 of the trim cutter mechanism 75 set in the cutting unit 7 is detected by the cutter type detection sensor 728. (Step S1). That is, the identification protrusion 756 indicating the type of the cutting blade portion 752, which is a cutter, is detected, and the detection result is transmitted from the sensor input circuit 713 to the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1. As the cutting information acquisition means, the CPU 101 of the main body control device 10 determines from the detection result that the trim cutter mechanism 75 as shown in FIG. 14, for example, is mounted on the cutting unit 7, and acquires the trim size Tw.
Here, the trim size Tw is, as shown in FIG. 14, the distance from the position of the straight blade portion 753 to the tip end portion of the cutting edge of the arc-shaped blade portion 754. When the print medium M is cut to form the label L, the region having a width corresponding to the trim size Tw is a region to be partially cut off at the time of cutting because R is provided at the corners of the corners.

Next, an input screen is displayed on the display device 212 of the external computer 200, and the user inputs the content to be printed by the printing device 100 from the operation input unit 210 or the like.
As a result, as shown in FIG. 15, the display device 212 displays an image corresponding to the content input by the user (step S2).
The content input by the user is sent from the CPU 202 of the external computer 200 to the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1, and the CPU 101 serves as a print position acquisition means from the input content to the print position (that is, the created image). (Positions at both ends in the length direction) are acquired, and as shown in FIG. 16, printing positions (Xmin, Xmax) are obtained (step S3).
Further, the CPU 101 functions as an adjustment means for resetting the print position in consideration of the trim size Tw so that the trim cut position by the trim cutter mechanism 75 does not overlap with the print area defined by the print position (step S4). ). That is, both ends (Xmin, Xmax) of the print area are shifted in the X-axis direction by Tw (that is, (−Tw) for Xmin and (+ Tw) for Xmax), and this is used as a margin. The reset print position is referred to as "new Xmin" and "new Xmax" in FIG.

Information on the positions at both ends of the reset print area (new Xmin, new Xmax) is sent to the control device 201 of the external computer 200, and the display control circuit 211 of the control device 201 controls the display device 212 to control the display device 212. A confirmation screen displaying an image of the label L after printing based on the information after resetting as shown in 17 is displayed (step S5).
The control device 201 determines whether or not the user has confirmed the display content (that is, whether or not an OK instruction, a print start instruction, or the like has been input from the operation input unit 210) (step S6), and if not confirmed. In (step S6; NO), confirmation is requested by returning to step S5, and when it is determined that the confirmation is confirmed (step S6; YES), the print data and the trim cut position information are transmitted to the printing apparatus 100 (step S6; YES). S7).
When the user is requested to confirm the print content and the trimming position, the user may modify the print content (for example, change the character, change the font, etc.) or change the trimming position (for example, a margin is desired). You may make it wider by the amount, narrow it to the limit that does not cover the characters, etc.), and when the user makes corrections or changes, the print data and trim cut position information will be reflected in the state that the contents are reflected. Will be updated.
Then, based on the transmitted information, the main body control device 10 controls the thermal head 11 which is a printing unit to perform a printing operation based on the print data, and the trim cut mechanism 75 of the cutting unit is performed based on the trim cut position information. Is controlled to perform a trim cut (trimming) operation (step S8).
As a result, the printed content such as characters is contained in the area of the label L without being cut off, and the corners of the four corners are trimmed to be cut into a curved shape such as an arc shape (unit). The label L as a printed matter) is formed.
For example, when a plurality of labels L are continuously created and then the long printed medium M is fully cut to end the printing operation, the main body control device 10 is subjected to a cutter motor by a cutter motor control circuit 111. Is controlled, and the full cut mechanism 14 constituting the second cutting device 13 provided in the main body of the device is operated to fully cut the print medium M. As a result, a printed matter in which a plurality of labels L are connected in a sheet shape on the release paper Mb is completed.

The printing method that can be adopted in this embodiment is not limited to the one in which the printing position is automatically set by the main body control device 10 as described above.
For example, as shown in FIG. 18, as in the above case, the type of the cutting blade portion 752 of the trim cutter mechanism 75 set in the cutting unit 7 is detected by the cutter type detection sensor 728 (step S11), and this detection is performed. From the result, after the CPU 101 of the main body control device 10 acquires the type of the cutting blade portion 752 as the cutting information acquisition means, as shown in FIG. 19, the display device 212 of the external computer 200 is provided with a trim cut shape corresponding to the cutter type. The label creation area to be held is displayed (step S12).
Then, when the user inputs the content to be printed by the printing device 100 from the operation input unit 210 or the like, the display device 212 displays the content input by the user in the label creation area as shown in FIG. 20. Is displayed on the display device 212 (step S13).

The content input by the user is sent from the CPU 202 of the external computer 200 to the main body control device 10 of the device main body 1, and the CPU 101 serves as a print position acquisition means to obtain a print position (that is, a created image) from the input content. The position to be printed) is acquired, and it is determined whether or not the trim cut position according to the cutter type overlaps with the print area defined by this print position (step S14).
When it is determined that the trim cut position overlaps the print area (step S14; YES), the CPU 101 moves the trim cut position to a position that does not overlap the print area as an adjustment means (step S15).
Since steps S16 to S19 are the same as steps S5 to S8 described with reference to FIG. 13, the description thereof will be omitted.
Even in the case of the printing method shown in FIG. 18, when the user is requested to confirm the print contents and the trimming position (that is, step S16), the user corrects the print contents (for example, changes the characters, changes the font, etc.). You may make changes) or change the trimming position (for example, widen the margins by the desired amount, narrow the margins to the limit that does not cover the characters, etc.), and when corrections / changes are made by the user, The print data and trim cut position information are updated with the contents reflected.
Even when the printing method shown in FIG. 18 is used, the printed content such as characters desired to be printed by the user is contained in the area of the label L without being cut off, and the corners of the four corners are trimmed. The label L as (unit printed matter) is formed.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the straight blade portion 753 extending in the width direction of the printed medium M and both ends of the straight blade portion 753 in the extending direction are integrally formed at the corners. It has an arc-shaped blade portion 754 that trims and cuts a corner portion, and has a trim cutter mechanism 75 that is a first cutting device that cuts a printed portion of the printed medium M after printing and cuts it into unit printed matter. ..
As described above, in the trim cutter mechanism 75, which is the first cutting device, the straight blade portion 753 and the arc-shaped blade portion 754 are integrally formed, so that the corners of the corners are trimmed by one cutting. The label L as the printed matter M2 (unit printed matter) can be formed, and the label L that is difficult to peel off can be formed quickly and continuously.
Further, as compared with the case where the linear portion and the corner portion are cut separately, the cutting position does not shift, and the cut portion of the label L has a beautiful finish.
Further, since the printed medium M of the present embodiment has a base material Ma having an adhesive surface and a peelable release paper Mb covering the adhesive surface, the created label L can be easily placed in a desired place. It can be attached to and used.
Further, the label L, which is a unit printed matter, is created by being printed by a thermal head 11 which is a printing portion on a surface opposite to the adhesive surface of the base material Ma, and is a trim cutter mechanism 75 which is a first cutting device. Cuts only the base material Ma among the printed matter M. Therefore, it is possible to easily create a label L that is connected to each other at the release paper Mb portion and can be individually peeled off from the release paper Mb and used.
Further, in the present embodiment, the trim cutter mechanism 75, which is the first cutting device, is detachably configured, and a plurality of types of trim cutter mechanisms 75 having straight blade portions and / or arc-shaped blade portions having different shapes are provided. It is prepared to be exchangeable. Therefore, it is possible to cope with the printed medium M having various tape widths.
The apparatus main body 1 is arranged on the transport path on the downstream side in the transport direction from the thermal head 11 which is a printing unit, and the printed portion of the printed medium M after printing is cut and cut into unit printed matter. The cutting device 13 of 2 is provided. As described above, by providing the cutting device in the device main body 1, it is possible to quickly and easily perform cutting in a desired mode according to the intended use and the like.
The trim cutter mechanism 75, which is the first cutting device, is provided in the cutting unit 7 that can be attached to and detached from the device main body 1. Therefore, if it is not necessary to trim the corners of the corners or if you want to perform a full cut, you can simply remove the cutting unit 7 without changing the cutting device, and it can be used for various purposes quickly and easily. be able to.
Further, in the present embodiment, the CPU 101 of the main body control device 10 is a printing position acquisition means for acquiring information on the printing position of the thermal head 11 which is a printing unit with respect to the printing medium M, and a trim cutter mechanism which is the first cutting device. As a cutting information acquisition means for acquiring cutting information including the cutting shape by the 75, and an adjusting means for adjusting the printing position and / or the cutting position by the trim cutter mechanism 75 of the thermal head 11 based on the printing position information and the cutting information. Function.
Therefore, even when the corners of the corners are trimmed to form the label L, it is possible to prevent the print content desired to be printed by the user from overlapping the trimmed portion and being cut off, and the four corners are trimmed, for example. It is formed in an arc shape or a round shape, and it is difficult to peel off, and it is possible to form a label L with a beautiful finish in which the printed contents are neatly contained in the area.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments and can be variously modified without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the present embodiment, after printing, a laminated film F is attached to the printed surface as a protective film to form a label L as a printed matter M2 (unit printed matter) whose printed surface is coated with the laminated film F. As an example, the label L as the printed matter M2 (unit printed matter) formed by the printing apparatus 100 is not limited to this, and the laminate film F may not be attached.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 21, it is not necessary to provide a laminating film roller on the tape cassette 5 mounted on the printing apparatus, and temporary crimping is performed by crimping the laminating film F to the printing surface of the printing medium M. It is not necessary to provide the roller 56 and the main crimping roller 17, and the device configuration can be simplified.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and the equivalent scope thereof. ..
The inventions described in the claims originally attached to the application of this application are described below. The claims described in the appendix are the scope of the claims originally attached to the application for this application.
[Additional Notes]
<Claim 1>
A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
A first cutting device that cuts the printed medium on which the printing is performed by the printing unit over the entire width direction of the printed medium.
With the control device
Equipped with
The first cutting device trims the corners of the widthwise edge of the printed medium.
The control device is
Based on the cutting information regarding the area where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device, the print area where the printing is performed on the printing medium by the printing unit is not cut by the trimming by the first cutting device. A printing device characterized by being controlled in such a manner.
<Claim 2>
The first cutting device has a cutting blade portion that trims the printed medium to cut the printed medium, and the cutting blade portion is removable from the first cutting device. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the printing apparatus is configured in 1.
<Claim 3>
The cutting blade portion is integrally formed with the first blade portion that cuts a part of the printed medium in a straight line in the width direction and the straight blade portion at both ends in the extending direction of the straight blade portion. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second blade portion that is formed and performs the trimming on a corner of an end in the width direction of the printed medium.
<Claim 4>
The printing medium has a base material having an adhesive surface and the surface opposite to the adhesive surface on which the printing is performed, and a releaseable release paper covering the adhesive surface.
The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first cutting device cuts a portion of the printed medium other than the release paper.
<Claim 5>
One of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first cutting device is provided in a cutting unit that can be attached to and detached from the printing unit and the main body of the device including the transport device. The printing device described in.
<Claim 6>
The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the apparatus main body is provided with a second cutting apparatus for cutting the printed medium on which the printing is performed by the printing unit.
<Claim 7>
The control device is
Information on the printing position by the printing unit with respect to the printing medium and the cutting information are acquired.
Based on the printing position information and the cutting information, the printing unit prints the printing position by the printing unit and / or the trimming position by the first cutting device on the printed medium by the printing unit. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the printed area is adjusted so as not to be cut by the trimming by the first cutting apparatus.
<Claim 8>
A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
A first cutting device that cuts the printed medium on which the printing is performed by the printing device over the entire width direction of the printed medium.
A transport device for transporting the printable medium before the cutting to the first cutting device is provided.
The first cutting device is a printing device characterized by trimming corners of edges in the width direction of the printing medium.
<Claim 9>
It is a printing method of a printing device.
The printing device is
A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
A first cut in which the printed medium on which the printing is performed by the printing unit is cut over the entire width direction of the printed medium, and the corners of the edges of the printed medium in the width direction are trimmed. With a department,
The first cutting device acquires cutting information regarding the area where the trimming is performed, and obtains cutting information.
A printing method based on the cutting information, wherein the printing unit adjusts the print area on which the printing is performed on the printing medium so that the printing area is not cut by the trimming by the first cutting device.

1 Device body 7 Cutting unit 11 Thermal head 13 Cutting device (second cutting device)
14 Full cut mechanism 15 Half cut mechanism 75 Trim cut mechanism (first cutting device)
753 Straight blade 754 Arc blade 100 Printing device

Claims (15)

A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
The transport device for transporting the printable medium and
A first cutting device for cutting the printed medium on which the printing was performed by the printing unit, and a first cutting device.
Equipped with a control device,
The first cutting device has a cutting blade portion that cuts the printed medium and trims the corners of the widthwise end of the printed medium.
The cutting blade portion is integrally formed with the first blade portion that cuts a part of the printed medium in a straight line in the width direction and the first blade portion at both ends of the first blade portion in the extending direction. It has a second blade portion that is formed and performs the trimming on the corner of the end in the width direction of the printed medium.
The control device is
Based on the cutting information regarding the area where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device, the printing area where the printing is performed on the printing medium by the printing unit is not cut by the trimming by the first cutting device. In addition, by changing only the size of the printed medium in the transport direction in the area where the trimming is performed, or by adding a margin to the end of the print area in the transport direction, the printed medium in the print area is printed. A printing device characterized in that it is controlled to change only the size in the transport direction of the printer. The cutting information corresponding to the size of the second blade portion in the transport direction of the printed medium is acquired, and the cutting information is acquired.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control regarding the area where the trimming is performed or the printing area is performed based on the acquired cutting information. The first cutting device is configured to be usable by exchanging a plurality of cutting blades of different types.
Detects the type of cutting blade and
The cutting information corresponding to the detected information on the type of the cutting blade is acquired, and the cutting information is acquired.
The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control regarding the area where the trimming is performed or the printing area is performed based on the acquired cutting information. The first cutting device has a cutting blade portion and an identification unit indicating the type of the cutting blade portion.
The printing device further includes a sensor for detecting the identification unit.
The control device is characterized in that the printed area is controlled so as not to be cut by the trimming by the first cutting device based on the information of the type of the cutting blade detected by the sensor. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The first cutting device further includes a base provided with the cutting blade portion and the identification portion.
The identification portion includes a plurality of protrusions and includes a plurality of protrusions.
The printing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of protrusions of the identification portion are arranged at different positions from each other according to the type of the cutting blade portion provided on the base. Any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the cutting blade portion has a different length of the first blade portion or a different angle or shape of the second blade portion depending on the type. The printing device described in the section. The control device is
The information of the printing area by the printing unit with respect to the printing medium and the cutting information are acquired.
When it is determined that the print area overlaps with the position to be cut by the trimming based on the information of the print area and the cutting information.
Based on the information in the print area and the cutting information, the position where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device is adjusted to a position where the printing unit does not overlap the printing area where the printing is performed on the printing medium. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the printing apparatus is arranged. The control device is
The information of the printing area by the printing unit with respect to the printing medium and the cutting information are acquired.
When it is determined that the print area overlaps with the area where the trimming is performed based on the information of the print area and the cutting information.
Based on the information of the print area and the cutting information, the printing area by the printing unit and the printing area where the printing was performed on the printing medium by the printing unit are trimmed by the first cutting device. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the printing apparatus is adjusted to a position where it is not cut. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the cutting blade portion is configured to be detachable from the first cutting device. One of claims 1 to 9, wherein the first cutting device is provided in a cutting unit that can be attached to and detached from the printing unit and the main body of the device including the transport device. The printing device described in. Claim 1 is characterized in that, apart from the first cutting device, the device main body is provided with a second cutting device for cutting the printed medium on which the printing is performed by the printing unit. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 10. The printing medium has a base material having an adhesive surface and the surface opposite to the adhesive surface on which the printing is performed, and a releaseable release paper covering the adhesive surface.
The first cutting device cuts a portion of the printed medium other than the release paper.
The printing device according to claim 11, wherein the second cutting device cuts the base material and the release paper of the printing medium. The control device is
The information of the printing area by the printing unit with respect to the printing medium and the cutting information are acquired.
Based on the information in the print area and the cutting information, the printing unit prints the printing area by the printing unit and / or the position where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device on the printing medium by the printing unit. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the printed area is adjusted so as not to be cut by the trimming by the first cutting apparatus. A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
A first cutting device for cutting the printed medium on which the printing was performed by the printing unit is provided.
The first cutting device has a cutting blade portion that cuts the printed medium and trims the corners of the widthwise end of the printed medium.
The cutting blade portion is integrally formed with the first blade portion that cuts a part of the printed medium in a straight line in the width direction and the first blade portion at both ends of the first blade portion in the extending direction. A printing method performed by a control unit of a printing apparatus, comprising a second blade portion that is formed and trims the corners of the widthwise edge of the printed medium.
Based on the cutting information regarding the area where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device, the printing area where the printing is performed on the printing medium by the printing unit is not cut by the trimming by the first cutting device. In addition, by changing only the size of the printed medium in the transport direction in the area where the trimming is performed, or by adding a margin to the end of the print area in the transport direction, the printed medium in the print area is printed. A printing method characterized in that it is controlled to change only the size in the transport direction of. A printing unit that prints on the printed medium,
A first cutting device for cutting the printed medium on which the printing was performed by the printing unit is provided.
The first cutting device has a cutting blade portion that cuts the printed medium and trims the corners of the widthwise end of the printed medium.
The cutting blade portion is integrally formed with the first blade portion that cuts a part of the printed medium in a straight line in the width direction and the first blade portion at both ends of the first blade portion in the extending direction. By the control unit of the printing apparatus, which has a second blade portion formed and trimmed with respect to the corner of the widthwise end of the printed medium.
Based on the cutting information regarding the area where the trimming is performed by the first cutting device, the printing area where the printing is performed on the printing medium by the printing unit is not cut by the trimming by the first cutting device. In addition, by changing only the size of the printed medium in the transport direction in the area where the trimming is performed, or by adding a margin to the end of the print area in the transport direction, the printed medium in the print area is printed. A printing program characterized in that it is controlled to change only the size in the transport direction of.

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