JPH0550657A - Tape printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable both of vertical printing and lateral printing to be obtained by specification one time of a printing file title format. CONSTITUTION:Character information required to be outputted is stored once in a RAM 64 by input operation with a key, and both of vertical printing and lateral printing are specified with a printing format setting key. Then, both of the vertical printing and the lateral printing are outputted by control with a CPU 60 in execution of printing.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape printer which edits input characters and symbols based on a predetermined command and prints on a tape surface which is a medium to be printed. The present invention relates to a tape printer that executes printing in a plurality of different directions by designating a print file title format once.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tape printing apparatus of this type, as shown, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-85050, inputs a desired character or symbol by means of a character selection dial and a character conversion function and presses a print key. Characters and symbols entered by pressing are printed one by one in the longitudinal direction on the tape surface, which is the medium to be printed, with the thermal head, and the release tape with the adhesive layer is attached to the printing tape and sent. .. And
By cutting the tape using a tape cutter, a tape piece for sticking on which desired characters, symbols and the like are recorded is produced.

[0003]

However, in order to create a file title and the like in such a tape printer, the operator must perform procedures such as layout of input character strings, print format, and print direction, one by one. It was
Therefore, when trying to print the same input character string in a different printing direction, it takes a lot of trouble to return to the beginning of the character string and set the printing direction again. For example, when printing a file book title, it is often the case that both vertical print for the back cover and horizontal print for the door cover are created. However, in order to change the print format from vertical print to horizontal print or from horizontal print to vertical print, the print format is set back to the beginning of the input character string each time. Also,
If the character size was changed in the middle of the character string, it was necessary to specify the printing direction again at that position.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is possible to create printing tapes in a plurality of different directions (for example, the vertical direction and the horizontal direction) by designating a print title format once. An object is to provide a tape printer.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, a tape printer according to the present invention is a tape printer for printing a predetermined character string on a tape surface as a medium to be printed based on input character string information. Storage means for storing the character string information, print format designating means for designating a plurality of different printing directions for the character string information stored in the storage means, and a plurality of printing directions designated by the print format designating means And a print control unit that controls the printing in the other printing direction to be executed after the printing in the one printing direction is completed.

[0006]

According to the tape printer of the present invention having the above construction, the inputted character string information is temporarily recorded in the storage means. When printing in a plurality of different directions is designated by the print format designating means, the print control means first prints the character string information stored in the storage means on the tape surface as the medium to be printed in one printing direction. Then, the same character string information is printed in the other printing direction. Therefore, for example, two types of horizontal printing for the door cover and vertical printing for the back cover of the file book are executed by designating the print format once.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a tape printer 1 of the present invention.
The external view of No. 0 is shown. This tape printer 10
Power key 12 and Kana-Kanji conversion key 1 on the top of the device
4, print format setting key 16, or print key 1
A function key row 20 in which various function keys such as 8 are arranged is provided, and a rotary type selection dial 22 in which characters to be input such as kana characters, symbols, and alphabets are written on the peripheral portion is arranged. .. An enter key 24 is provided in the middle of the character selection dial 22, and an index 26 for aligning a kana character string on the surface of the character selection dial 22 is provided in the vicinity of the character selection dial 22. Further, a liquid crystal display 28 for displaying characters selected by the character selection dial 22 is also provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body.

The power key 12 is for switching on / off the power of the tape printer 10. Also, the Kana-Kanji conversion key 14 is the character selection dial 2 described above.
This is an operation key for converting kana characters on two sides into kanji characters when necessary. Further, the print format setting key 16 is used to set a file title print format in the case of printing vertically or horizontally when printing a file title, or when both vertical writing and horizontal writing are desired. The print key 18 is the input character
These are operation keys for printing symbols on the tape surface.

On the other hand, one side surface of the apparatus body is provided with an outlet 30 for the tape T accommodated in the apparatus body, and
An operating lever 32 of a cutter for cutting the tape T pulled out from the pulling port 30 is provided, and the tape T is cut off by rotating the cutter operating lever 32 in the direction of arrow A. ..

FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of the tape printer 10. In this figure, the tape T wound in a roll on the spool 34 passes between the platen roller 36 and the thermal print head 38 while being unwound, and is fed by the feed roller 4
0 is pulled out of the apparatus main body from the outlet 30. At this time, the thermal transfer ribbon 44 wound around the spool 42 is superposed on the tape T and sent to the surface of the thermal print head 38.
The print information is printed on the T surface of the tape via 4. Then, the thermal transfer ribbon 44 is separated from the tape T and wound on the spool 46.

On the other hand, the tape T on which the print information is printed is
The double-sided adhesive tape 50 wound around the spool 48 is bonded via the bonding roller 52 and pulled out of the apparatus main body through the pull-out port 30. The tape T pulled out of the main body of the apparatus is used by appropriately adhering it to the door or back surface of the file book via the double-sided adhesive tape 50. The detailed description of the configuration is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-106555 filed by the present applicant.

FIG. 3 shows an electrical control block diagram of the tape printer 10. As shown in the figure, the electronic control circuit 59 has a configuration in which a CPU 60, a ROM 62, a RAM 64, and an input / output circuit 66 for performing input / output with external devices are respectively connected via a bus 68, and tape printing is performed. Each device of the device 10 is connected. CP
U60 receives signals from the input devices such as the function keys of the function key row 20, the character selection dial 22, and the enter key 24 through the input / output circuit 66.
Based on the signal data and the program data stored in the ROM 62, the data of the print pattern such as characters and symbols stored in the ROM 62 is stored in the image buffer area of the RAM 64, and the liquid crystal display 28 and the print head 38, Control is performed to operate an output device such as the printing device 70 including the platen 36 and the like. The ROM 62 also stores print pattern data such as file titles, pattern data such as printable characters and symbols, a dictionary memory that performs kana-kanji conversion, and a control program that controls each device. The RAM 64 has an image buffer area for storing data for printing,
Various memory areas and register areas are provided.

Next, the operation of the tape printer 10 thus constructed will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When a file title is printed by using the tape printer 10, the operator first specifies a print format. When the print format setting key 16 of the function key row 20 is pressed, the liquid crystal display 2
The vertical print format, horizontal print format, or print file title format (meaning both vertical and horizontal print formats) is displayed in sequence on eight sides, so the desired format can be printed using the character selection dial. Select the file title format and confirm with the confirm key.

On the program side, when a key input is made from the operator side (S1), it is judged whether or not a character input is made (S2). Since it is not a character input (S2: NO), it is further printed. It is determined whether the key is the format setting key 16 (S4). When a key other than the print format setting key 16, for example, the kana-kanji conversion key 14 is pressed, each processing is performed (S7), but in this case, since the print format setting key 16 is pressed, it is determined to be YES. Then, it is determined whether the print file title format is designated (S5). If it is designated, the control code FOT is set in the input buffer of the RAM 64 (S6). A control code EOB representing the end of the buffer is already set in the RAM 64, and the newly input code is stored immediately before the control code EOB.
The control code EOB shifts later.

When a format other than the print file title format is designated in step 5, (S5.N
O) means that the vertical writing print format or the horizontal writing print format is selected as the print format. Therefore, in that case, the details are omitted because it is not the gist of the present invention, but the process (S7) is performed based on the control program (not shown) according to the print format designation of the vertical writing or the horizontal writing.

Next, the operator inputs characters and symbols to be printed by key input operations such as the character selection dial 22, the kana-kanji conversion key 14, and the enter key 24 (S2.YE).
S). Specifically, a character is selected by the character selection dial 22 and the confirm key 24 is pressed to confirm the input character string. At this time, the ROM 6 is pressed by the Kana-Kanji conversion key 14.
It is also possible to collate the readings of the idiom dictionary from the second dictionary memory, collate the readings of the idiom dictionary from the dictionary memory of the ROM 62 with the kana-kanji conversion key 14, perform kana-kanji conversion, and input. In this case, the character selection dial 22 and the enter key 24
When the hiragana character string is input from and the kana-kanji conversion key 14 is pressed, the conversion candidates are displayed on the liquid crystal display 28, and the necessary candidate is confirmed by the confirmation key 24. And
When these characters and symbols are entered (S2, YES),
The characters and symbols displayed on the liquid crystal display 28 are RA
The character code is set in the M64 input buffer (S3). Thus, the character strings to be printed are sequentially input and set in the input buffer.

FIG. 5 shows the character string "Weekly report ☆"
Display 28 and RAM 64 when "Morishita" is input
It represents the state of the image buffer area of.
A control code FOT indicating that the print file title format is designated in the image buffer of the RAM 64
Is stored, and the input character string is captured by the character code. At the end of the RAM, a control code EOB indicating the end of the input character string is stored.

Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG.
The process in which the processing is performed will be described in order using the character string of. First, in the initial state, the flag FLG1 and the flag FLG2 are reset (S8). FLG1
Means that a program for printing the character string stored in the image buffer of the RAM 64 for the second time is started, and FLG2 means that control codes other than the control code EOB are ignored when the second printing is performed. It is a thing.

Thus, the RA described above for each character code unit
The input character in the image buffer of M64 is read (S9), but the control code FOT is first read by the CPU 60. This control code is the end control code E
Since it is not OB, NO is determined in step 10. Next, it is judged whether or not the control code exists (S1
If NO in 1), printing starts immediately (S1
3) In this case, the control code is determined to be YES and the process proceeds to step 13. In step 13, it is judged whether or not the FLG 2 is in the ON state. Since this is NO, the routine proceeds to step 14. In step 14, it is judged whether or not it is the control code of step 6 in FIG. 4, that is, whether or not it is the control code by the designation of the print file title format. Since it is YES in this case, FLG1 is set to the ON state (S15), Return to step 9. If NO is determined in step 14, another program process is executed according to the designated format of normal vertical writing or horizontal writing (S16).

Returning to step 9, when the next character, that is, the character code 3D35 of "week" in this example, is read, it is judged as NO in both steps 10 and 11, so that it is printed on the tape T surface in step 12. Will be done. In this example, horizontal writing printing is first executed. Then, the process returns to step 9 and the same process is sequentially performed to "pause" and "report"
The character codes of “Notification”, “Calligraphy”, “☆”, “Mori”, and “Lower” are sequentially read and printed. As a result, horizontal writing is performed as shown in the figure. The CPU 60 repeats the above processing up to the control code EOB which is the end of the input character string. Finally, when the control code EOB indicating the end of the input buffer is read, YES is determined in step 10 and the process proceeds to step 17. Then, in step 17, it is determined whether or not FLG1 is set to the ON state, but since it has already been set to the ON state in step 15, it is determined to be YES. Then, in step 18, FLG1 is reset to the OFF state, and FLG2 is set to the ON state. At this time, the print format is changed from horizontal writing to vertical writing. Then, the program is returned from the input buffer read head position of the RAM 64 and the program from step 9 is executed.

In the case of this print format change as well, the control code FOT is also read at first, which is judged as NO in step 10 and YES in step 11, and is judged in step 13 whether the FLG 2 is in the ON state. However, since it has already been set to the ON state in step 18, the determination is YES, and the process returns to step 9. Then, the next character "Week" is read out, which is determined as NO in Step 10, and Step 1
Even in the case of 1, it is determined as NO, and the process proceeds to step 12 to execute printing. In this case, since the printing direction has been changed in step 18, printing is performed in the vertical direction. Then, following "week", "pause", "report", "report", "calligraphy", "☆", "forest"
"Down" is read in sequence in step 9, and printing is executed in step 12, which means that vertical writing is performed on the tape T as shown in FIG. 7B. Finally, the control code EOB is read out, and YES is determined in step 10, but in the next step 17, FLG1 is in the OFF state (since it is reset to the OFF state in step 18), this program ends. To do.

The character string input in this manner is printed in one of two types of directions, vertical and horizontal, with a single print command, which is very convenient when creating a file title. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above in detail, and various modifications and applications can be added. For example, when changing the tape printing direction, the tape may be automatically cut or a message may be displayed so that the user can cut the tape at that position or replace it with a different type of tape. it can. In addition to each color, there are two types of recording tape T, a normal pasting type and a temporary pasting type that can be peeled off. Can be attached, and temporary notes can be written, expanding the range of use. By registering the input data in the database, file management will be easier, and the time and effort of re-inputting can be saved.

[0023]

As is apparent from the above description, the tape printer of the present invention can obtain two kinds of printing tapes having different printing directions by designating the printing format once. Therefore, the file cover, spine cover, etc. can be printed at one time, and the file title can be created easily and efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a tape printer according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the internal configuration of the tape printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an electrical control block diagram of the tape printer.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an operation when an input character string is set in an input buffer in this tape printer.

FIG. 5: RA of a character string input to this tape printer
It is a figure showing the data stored in M.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation when a character string is printed from the input buffer in the order of horizontal printing and vertical printing in this tape printer.

FIG. 7 is an example of a file title created by this tape printer.

[Explanation of Codes] 10 Tape Printing Device 14 Kana-Kanji Conversion Key 16 Printing Format Setting Key 18 Printing Key 22 Character Selection Dial 24 Confirmation Key 28 Liquid Crystal Display 38 Thermal Printing Head 59 Electronic Control Circuit 60 CPU 62 ROM 64 RAM T Tape

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Office reference number FI technical display location B41J 21/00 Z 8804-2C B41K 3/00 K 9112-2C

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tape printing apparatus for printing a predetermined character string on a tape surface, which is a medium to be printed, on the basis of inputted character string information, a storage unit for storing the character string information, and a storage unit for storing the character string information. A print format designating unit that designates a plurality of different printing directions for the character string information; and a printing format designating unit that finishes printing in one printing direction out of the plurality of printing directions designated by the printing format designating unit A tape printer, comprising: a print control unit for controlling execution of printing.