JPH07144437A - Tape printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a tape printing device capable of preparing a tape which provide a visually impressive designated part of a document by two-color printing. CONSTITUTION:A tape printing device is equipped with a tape storage cassette CS and a second ribbon cassette RS, and in the tape storage cassette CS, a printing tape 7, a first thermal transfer ribbon 11 and a double adhesive tape 16, on one adhesive side to which a separable tape is stuck are wound around each spool and stored, and in the second ribbon cassette RS, a second thermal transfer ribbon 21 is wound around a spool and stored. The first side of the printing tape 7 is printed with the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 and a first thermal head 27, and the adhesive side of the double adhesive tape 16 is joined to the first side of the printing tape 7. In addition, the second side of the printing tape 7 is printed by the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 of the printing tape 7 using a second thermal head 29.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape printer, and more particularly to a transparent tape in addition to the first thermal head for printing on the joining side of the transparent tape in order to prepare a label or tape printed in a plurality of colors. The present invention relates to an additional second thermal head for printing on the non-bonding side.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1-85050, the applicant of the present invention prints characters and symbols on a transparent tape (for example, a tape having a width of about 10 mm and about 24 mm) as a printing medium. The print head is equipped with a thermal head and a printing ribbon for printing, while a pattern data memory that stores dot pattern data for printing is provided in the control device for each of a plurality of characters and symbols, and Practical use of a tape printing device that prints symbols on a tape via a printing ribbon and a thermal head.

This tape printer is suitable for making a tape having a file name printed on the front cover or back cover of a file. In addition, since multiple colors such as "black", "red", "green", etc. are prepared for this printing ribbon, by using the printing ribbon of the desired color as appropriate, letters and symbols can be printed in the desired color. Printed tape can be made.

[0004]

In the conventional tape printer, characters and symbols can be printed on the tape in a desired color by using a printing ribbon of a desired color. All are printed in the same color such as "black" and "red", so you can change the font size or add text modifications such as italic and border characters to emphasize and impress the desired part of the document. However, there was a limit to the degree of emphasis and impression.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tape printer capable of producing a stickable tape capable of visually impressing a desired portion of a document by two-color printing.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, a tape printing apparatus of the present invention comprises a transparent tape as a printing medium and a transparent tape in a midway portion of the transparent tape feed path in a direction orthogonal to the transparent tape feed direction. A arranged first thermal head,
In a tape printer provided with a first printing ribbon for printing on a bonding surface of a transparent tape with a first thermal head,
A double-sided tape comprising a transparent first adhesive layer attached to one surface of a base tape and a second adhesive layer attached to the other surface, and a release tape attached to the second adhesive layer; A pressing mechanism that presses and bonds the double-sided tape to the printing surface of the transparent tape via the first adhesive layer on the downstream side of the head in the feeding direction of the transparent tape, and a transparent mechanism in the middle of the feeding path of the transparent tape. A second thermal head arranged orthogonal to the tape feeding direction and a second printing ribbon for printing on the surface of the transparent tape opposite to the joining surface by the second thermal head are provided.

The second print ribbon may be configured to develop a color different from the print color of the first print ribbon.

The second thermal head and the second thermal ribbon may be arranged at the terminal end of the feeding path of the joined transparent tape.

[0009]

In the tape printer constructed as described above, since the first thermal head is arranged in the midway portion of the feeding path of the transparent tape as the printing medium, the first thermal head is orthogonal to the feeding direction of the transparent tape. The transparent tape is printed with the color of the first print ribbon by the first thermal head through the first print ribbon. On the downstream side of the first thermal head in the feeding direction of the double-sided tape, the printing surface of the double-sided tape is pressed and joined to the transparent tape via the first adhesive layer by the pressing mechanism. On the other hand, the second thermal head is arranged in the middle of the transparent tape feeding path in a direction orthogonal to the tape feeding direction, and the second thermal head is provided on the surface opposite to the transparent tape joining surface via the second printing ribbon. The head prints with the color of the second print ribbon to form a printed tape on both sides of the transparent tape.

Two-color printing is performed by making the printing color of the first printing ribbon different from the printing color of the second printing ribbon.

Further, by arranging the second thermal head and the second thermal ribbon at the end of the feed path of the joined transparent tape, printing is performed on the non-joined surface of the joined transparent tape.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The present embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to a tape printer which is capable of two-color printing of a large number of characters such as alphabetic characters and symbols on a tape.

As shown in FIG. 1, a keyboard 5 is arranged in the front part of the main body frame 3 of the tape printer 1, and two thermal heads 27 and 29 are provided in the main body frame 3 behind the keyboard 5. A printing mechanism PM is provided, and a liquid crystal display 49 capable of displaying characters and symbols is provided behind the keyboard 5.

The keyboard 5 includes character keys for inputting alphabets, numbers and symbols, a space key, a return key, a cursor movement key for moving the cursor to the right or left, and a printing color of characters or symbols to be printed. Color setting key to be set, format setting key to set print format, size setting key to set print character size, type setting key to set font of print character, print key to execute printing, sending of tape 24 A tape feed key for turning on and off, and a power key for turning the power on and off are provided.

Next, the printing mechanism PM capable of printing characters and symbols in two colors will be briefly described with reference to FIG. 2. The rectangular tape storage cassette CS and the second ribbon cassette RS are detachably attached to the printing mechanism PM. It is installed.

This tape storage cassette CS is made of a transparent polyethylene film and has a width of about 24 mm.
A tape spool 9 around which a film (hereinafter referred to as a printing tape) 7 is wound, a ribbon supply spool 13 around which a black first thermal transfer ribbon 11 is wound around, and a take-up spool around which the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 is wound up. 15, a supply spool 17 having the same width as the printing tape 7 and having a double-sided tape 16 having a peeling tape 16a attached to one adhesive surface, and the printing tape 7 and the double-sided tape 16 A joining roller 19 for joining and is provided rotatably.

Further, the second ribbon cassette RS is arranged in the feeding path of the tape joined by the joining roller 19 of the CS of the preceding tape storage cassette so as to face the tape storage cassette CS with the tape as a boundary. The second ribbon cassette RS is provided with a ribbon supply spool 23 around which the red second thermal transfer ribbon 21 is wound, and a take-up spool 25 around which the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 is wound.

At the position where the printing tape 7 and the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 overlap with each other and in the middle of the feeding path of the printing tape 7, the printing tape 7 is provided via the first thermal transfer ribbon 11.
A first thermal head 27 for printing characters and symbols is erected on the paper, and at a position where the printing tape 7 and the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 overlap each other, which is the end portion of the feeding path of the printing tape 7. A second thermal head 29 for printing characters and symbols is erected on the surface of the printing tape 7 opposite to the surface printed by the first thermal head.

These printing tapes 7 are tape spools 9.
A first platen roller 31 that presses an inner surface (hereinafter, referred to as a first printing surface) when wound on the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 to the first thermal head 27, and the printing tape 7. The pressing roller 32 for pressing the double-sided tape 16 and the double-sided tape 16 against the joining roller 19 are rotatably supported by a support 39 which is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 37, and the support 39 is not shown. Is elastically biased in the clockwise direction by the spring member. Further, the surface of the printing tape 7 opposite to the first printing surface (hereinafter referred to as the second printing surface) and the second platen roller 33 for pressing the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 against the second thermal head 29 are pivotally supported. It is rotatably supported by a support body 35 which is rotatably supported by a shaft 34, and the support body 35 is elastically biased in a clockwise direction by a spring member (not shown). In addition, there is a pressing mechanism (not shown) that moves the support 35 so that a position where the second thermal head 29 can be pressed and a position where the second thermal head 29 cannot be pressed can be arbitrarily selected.

In the first thermal head 27 and the second thermal head 29, a heating element group consisting of 128 heating elements is arranged in a line at right angles to the feeding direction of the printing tape 7. In addition, the joining roller 19, the pressing roller 32, the support 39, and the like constitute a pressing mechanism 41.

The printing tape 7 delivered from the tape spool 9 is supplied to the joining roller 19 via the guide roller 12 and the first platen roller 31, and the double-sided tape 16 delivered from the supply spool 17 is also joined. It is supplied to the roller 19.

By driving the tape feed motor 57 (see FIG. 4) in the predetermined rotation direction, the joining roller 19 and the take-up spool 15 are driven in synchronization with each other in the predetermined rotation direction, while the heating element group of the first thermal head 27 is driven. When each is energized, black characters and symbols formed by a plurality of dot rows are printed as a mirror image on the first printing surface of the printing tape 7.

The adhesive surface of the double-sided tape 16 is applied to the first printing surface of the printing tape 7 by the joining roller 19 and the pressing roller 32, which are located downstream of the first thermal head 27 in the feeding direction of the printing tape 7. The printing tape 7 and the double-sided tape 16 are integrated by being pressed and joined, and are supplied to the second platen 33.

Then, when the take-up spool 25 is driven in the predetermined rotation direction by the drive of the tape feeding motor 36, the heating elements of the second thermal head 29, which are pressed by the second platen 33, are energized. A red character or symbol composed of a plurality of dot rows is printed as a normal image on the second printing surface of the printing tape 7 and is fed in the tape feeding direction A as the tape 42 shown in FIG.

Here, the second thermal head 29 is heated by delaying for a predetermined time so that the printing position of the second thermal head 29 coincides with the printing position of the first thermal head 27. For details of the printing mechanism PM,
See Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-106555.

Next, the control system of the tape printer 1 is shown in FIG.
The block diagram of FIG.

The keyboard 5 and the liquid crystal display (LC
D) A display controller (LCDC) 51 having a display RAM for outputting display data to 49, a drive circuit 53 for driving the first thermal head 27,
Drive circuit 55 for driving the second thermal head 29
And a drive circuit 59 for driving the tape feed motor 57
And the drive circuit 47 for the warning buzzer 45 are connected to the input / output interface 79 of the controller C, respectively.

The control device C includes a CPU 61 and this CPU.
An input / output interface 79, a CGROM 63, and a ROM 6 which are connected to 61 via a bus 67 such as a data bus.
5.77 and RAM 69.

CGROM (pattern data memory) 63
For each of a large number of characters, the dot pattern data for display is stored in the column corresponding to the code data.

ROM (outline data memory) 65
In order to print the character in Mincho typeface, the outline data (outline data) defining the outline of the character is stored in association with the character code and the symbol code for each of a large number of characters.

In the ROM 77, the display controller 51 is made to correspond to the character codes and symbol codes of characters such as characters, numbers and symbols input from the keyboard 5.
Display drive control program for controlling PC, text memory 7
An image development processing control program for converting the outline data corresponding to each code data of 1 into dot pattern data for printing and developing it in the print buffer 72.
A print drive control program for sequentially reading data from the print buffer 72 to drive the first and second thermal heads 27 and 29 and the tape feed motor 57, a tape print control control program, which will be described later, peculiar to the present application, and the like are stored. still,
This image development processing control program includes various subroutines for controlling character modification processing for performing character modification such as bold or white characters on a character.

The text memory 71 of the RAM 70 stores code data of characters and symbols input from the keyboard 5 as document data. The print format memory 73 stores a plurality of print format information such as set character size data, typeface data, and selected character decoration data. The print buffer 72 stores dot pattern data for printing a plurality of characters and symbols that have been image-developed. Therefore, in this print buffer 72, 128 bits (16 bytes) corresponding to 128 dots in the vertical direction (dot row direction) and the horizontal direction (dot row direction)
Is provided with a memory capacity of a size consisting of predetermined bits for a plurality of characters.

A print pointer (whose contents are referred to as a print pointer value PP) 74 stores one address of the text memory 71 for reading a character code to be printed.
In the flag memory 75, the set color designation data is the first
The flag data of the color flag CF that is set (the data is “1”) when the basic color BC that is the color of the thermal transfer ribbon 11 is stored.

Next, the tape print control routine executed by the controller C of the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to the flow charts of FIGS. Incidentally, reference numeral S in the figure
i (i = 10, 20, 30, ...) Is each step.

When the power is turned on by operating the power key, this control is started, and initialization such as clearing each of the memories 71 to 75 is executed (S10). Then, when the color setting key is operated to set the color of the print character (S11: Yes, S12: No, S15: Ye
s), print color setting processing control (see FIG. 6) is executed (S16).

When this control is started, a print color setting screen is first displayed on the display 49 (S30). For example, as shown in FIG. 8, item number "1" means "BASE COLOR", which means the print color of the first thermal transfer ribbon 11, and item number "2" means the print color of the second thermal transfer ribbon, that is, the optional color. “OPT COLOR” is displayed on the display 49. In addition, "BASE COLOR" is referred to as "B
"C" and "OPT COLOR" are written as "OC".

Next, when the numeral key of the numeral "1" or "2" is operated (S31 / S32: Yes), the color designation data CD corresponding to the inputted numeral is stored in the text memory 71 (S33). ), The data of the document and the color setting mark CM are displayed (S34), and this control ends and the process returns to the tape print control. Here, the color designation data CD corresponding to the printing color of the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 is set to "B
C ”and the color designation data CD corresponding to the optional print color is“ OC ”. For example, as shown in FIG.
Color designation data CD at the top address of the text memory 71
Is stored, and as shown in FIG. 9, the color setting mark CM is displayed at the top display position of the display 49. Incidentally, K
Is the cursor.

Here, when a character key other than the numeral key of the numeral "1" or "2" is operated (S31: Ye
s, S32: No), the buzzer 45 sounds for a warning (S35), and the process returns to S31.

Next, in order to input a document, when a key related to document creation such as a character key or a symbol key is operated (S11 / S12: Yes), the input character code is stored in the text memory 71. (S13), the character having the character code is displayed on the display 49 (S1).
4) and returns to S11. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the character string "ABC" is input, the text memory 71 is followed by the character string "AB" in the text memory 71.
The character code string “C” is stored.

When the print key is operated (S11: Yes, S12 / S15: No, S17: Y
es), print processing control (see FIG. 7) is executed (S1).
8). At this time, as shown in FIG. 9, the character strings “ABC”, “DEF”, and “GHI” are input every time the color is set, and these character strings and the color setting mark CM are displayed on the display 49. On the other hand, in the text memory 71, as shown in FIG. 10, the character strings "ABC", "DEF",
It is assumed that the character code string “GHI” is stored and the color designation data CD is stored immediately before each character code string.

When this control is started and the document data to be printed is present in the text memory 71 (S50: Yes), the start address of the text memory 71 is set in the print pointer value PP (S51). The data designated by the print pointer value PP is the color designation data C.
When D (S52, S53: No, S60: Ye
s), when the color designation data CD is "BC" corresponding to the print color of the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 (S61: Ye
s), the color flag CF is set (S62), and the process proceeds to S58. However, when the color designation data CD is "OC" corresponding to the optional print color (S61: N
o), the color flag CF is reset (S63), S58
Move to. Then, the print pointer value PP is incremented by 1 (S58), and when the character code exists at the address of the text memory 71 designated by the print pointer value PP (S59: Yes), S52 and subsequent steps are repeated.

When the data designated by the print pointer value PP is a character code (S52, S53: Ye)
s), the enlargement ratio is obtained based on the data of the set size, and the outline data is enlarged using this enlargement ratio.
Along with the reduction processing, dot pattern data for printing is created from this outline data and stored in the print buffer 72 (S54). Details of the dot pattern data conversion processing control for converting outline data into dot pattern data are described in JP-A-49-12.
See Japanese Patent No. 9447.

Next, when the color flag CF is set, that is, when a character or a symbol is printed in the print color of the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 (S55: Yes), the print buffer 7 is printed.
The dot pattern data of 2 is output to the first thermal head 27 and printed on the first printing surface of the printing tape 7 (S56). Then, the print pointer value PP is incremented by 1 (S58), and when the character code exists at the address of the text memory 71 designated by the print pointer value PP (S59: Yes), S52 and subsequent steps are repeated.

On the other hand, when the color flag CF is reset, that is, when characters or symbols are printed in the print color of the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 (S55: No), the print buffer 7 is printed.
2 dot pattern data is output to the second thermal head 29 and printed on the second printing surface of the printing tape 7 (S
57), through S58 and S59, the process returns to S52.

However, the timing for starting the printing drive is different between the first thermal head 27 and the second thermal head 29 due to the difference in the arrangement position. In this embodiment, in the feeding direction of the print tape 7, the first thermal head 27
In comparison with the second print head, the second print head is provided on the downstream side by three characters, so the second thermal head 29 does not print until the print tape 7 flows downstream by three characters. That is, the dot pattern data output to the second thermal head 29 in S57 is delayed by three characters as compared with the processing in S56. Specifically, in the case of the character data shown in FIG. 10, the respective timings when the second thermal head 29 prints the characters “D”, “E”, and “F” are the same when the first thermal head 27 prints the character “G”. , "H",
The timing is the same as the timing of printing "I".

Further, when the read code data is neither a character code nor color designation data CD, for example, a space code, etc. (S52, S53.S60: N
o), the command corresponding to the code data is the printing mechanism PM.
Is output to (S64), and the process proceeds to S58.

When the printing process is completed for all the characters in the text memory 71 (S59: N).
o), the control is terminated and the process returns to the tape print control. If there is no document data to be printed in the text memory 71 at the start of this control (S50: N
o), the buzzer 30 sounds for a warning (S65), and the process immediately returns to the tape print control.

For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the character string "A
When "BC" is stored as the color designation data CD immediately before "BC" and "GHI", respectively, and "OC" is stored as the color designation data CD immediately before the character string "DEF" in the text memory 71. , Tape 4 as shown in FIG.
In 2, the character strings “ABC” and “GHI” are printed in black, respectively, and the character string “DEF” is printed in red.

As described above, the first thermal head 27 causes the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 to pass through the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 in black, the first printing surface of the printing tape 7, and the second printing surface.
The thermal head 29 causes the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 to pass through the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 and the red color of the second thermal transfer ribbon 21
It is possible to create the stickable tape 42 which is printed on both sides of the printing surface.

In addition, it is possible to perform two-color printing in which the black color of the first thermal transfer ribbon 11 and the red color of the second thermal transfer ribbon 21 are mixed, and the desired portion of the document can be visually emphasized particularly by the two-color printing. Can be attached. Naturally, the color of the thermal transfer ribbon is not limited to this embodiment, and various colors such as blue, yellow, green, gold, etc. may be used.

The first thermal head 27 and the tape storage cassette CS, the second thermal head 29 and the second thermal head
Since the ribbon cassette RS and the ribbon cassette RS are arranged in different directions with the printing tape 7 sandwiched therebetween, the tape cassette CS and the second tape cassette
The ribbon cassette RS can be arranged without interfering with each other, and the relative positions of the first thermal head 27 and the second thermal head 29 can be arranged extremely close to each other, so that the tape printing can be performed in the tape feeding direction. Device 1
The size of can be reduced.

Since the tape printer 1 of the present embodiment prints on both sides of the printing tape 7, the characters on the front surface of the printing tape 7 are directly visible and the characters on the back surface are visible through the printing tape 7. . Due to this difference in visibility, it is also possible to visually emphasize and impress a desired portion of the document.

It is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to various tape printers equipped with a dot-printing type printing mechanism and storing a character or symbol print image as dot pattern data.

Further, it is preferable that the second thermal head 29 and the second ribbon cassette RS are arranged at positions extremely close to the first thermal head 27. The print tape transport distance between the first thermal head and the second thermal head remains as a margin of the print tape, and the driving of the second thermal head 29 is delayed by that distance, which increases the print processing time. I will end up. Therefore, the two thermal heads should be placed close to each other in order to shorten the margin portion and the print processing time.

[0056]

According to the tape printer of the present invention,
The following effects can be obtained. A second thermal head, a second thermal ribbon, and a pressing mechanism are provided, and the transparent tape printed with the color of the printing ribbon by the first thermal head and the double-sided tape are bonded to each other, and It is also possible to print on the joint surface. Moreover, by making the printing color of the first printing ribbon different from the printing color of the second printing ribbon, two-color printing becomes possible. With this two-color printing, a desired portion of a document can be visually emphasized and impressed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tape printer which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a printing mechanism of the tape printer.

FIG. 3 is a partial enlarged cross-sectional view of a tape for explaining the structure of the tape of the tape printer.

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

FIG. 5 is a schematic flowchart of a tape printing control routine of the tape of the tape printing apparatus.

FIG. 6 is a schematic flowchart of a routine of a tape print color setting process control of the tape printer.

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

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display example of a tape print color setting screen of the tape printer.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a display example of document data on a tape of the tape printer.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the data structure in the text memory of the tape of the tape printer.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a printing example in which a character string of a tape of the tape printing device is printed in two colors.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tape Printing Device 7 Printing Tape 11 First Thermal Transfer Ribbon 16 Double-sided Tape 19 Bonding Roller 21 Second Thermal Transfer Ribbon 27 First Thermal Head 29 Second Thermal Head 32 Pressing Roller 41 Pressing Mechanism 42 Tape PM Printing Mechanism

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A transparent tape as a print medium, a first thermal head disposed in the middle of a transparent tape feed path in a direction orthogonal to the transparent tape feed direction, and a bonding surface of the transparent tape on the first thermal head. In a tape printer provided with a first printing ribbon for printing on a sheet, a transparent first adhesive layer is attached to one surface of a base tape, and a second adhesive layer is attached to the other surface of the base tape, and a second adhesive layer is attached. A double-sided tape formed by attaching a release tape to the layer, and pressing the double-sided tape on the printing surface of the transparent tape via the first adhesive layer on the downstream side of the first thermal head in the feeding direction of the transparent tape. And a pressing mechanism for joining the transparent tape, a second thermal head disposed in the middle of the transparent tape feeding path in a direction orthogonal to the feeding direction of the transparent tape, and the joining surface of the transparent tape by the second thermal head. Tape printer is characterized in that a second print ribbon for printing on a surface of the pair. 2. The tape printer according to claim 1, wherein the second print ribbon is configured to develop a color different from a print color of the first print ribbon. 3. The tape printer according to claim 1, wherein the second thermal head and the second thermal ribbon are arranged at a terminal end portion of a feeding path of the joined transparent tape.