JPH07214876A - Tape printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a printer with a tape end function for detecting a tape end without influence of print even in a tape cassette having different print visible surface by processing a tape end on a rear surface of the visible surface for various tape cassettes. CONSTITUTION:A tape printer decides, when a tape cassette CS for containing a tape end-processed on a rear surface of a print visible surface is mounted, a type of the cassette CS by a tape type identification sensor 50. A CPU 41 selects driving of first or second tape end sensor 61, 62 based on a decided result by the sensor 50. Each time the tape is conveyed, the selected sensor 61 or 62 is so driven as to detect a tape end.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape printer having a tape end detection function for detecting the end of a tape-shaped printing medium housed in a tape cassette.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method for detecting the end of a wound long tape, the end of an ink ribbon in an ink ribbon cassette (hereinafter referred to as ribbon end) is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-63392. A printing device for detecting the is proposed. In such a printing device that can detect the ribbon end, the end of the ink ribbon is processed with silver tape in advance, and a hole is formed in the ink ribbon cassette so that the conveyance path of the ink ribbon can be seen.
A reflective photo sensor is arranged in the opening. Then, a method in which the tape end is detected by a difference in light reflectance between the ink ribbon and the silver tape is common.

A tape, which is a medium to be printed, used in a conventional tape printer is stored in a rectangular tape cassette in a wound state, and at the same time, an ink ribbon for printing on the tape is also stored.

Therefore, even in the tape printer, the same mechanism is used, a silver tape or the like is attached to the ink ribbon, and the end of the ink ribbon is detected by a photo sensor.
A device has been devised that recognizes the end of the ink ribbon as the end of the tape that is the medium to be printed.

Further, by using a similar mechanism, a silver tape or the like is attached to a tape which is a medium to be printed, one surface of the tape is monitored, and the end of the tape (hereinafter referred to as tape end).
There has also been devised a device for detecting a light by a photo sensor.

[0006]

However, along with the increase in types of tape cassettes due to the expansion of applications, in addition to laminate tapes and receptor tapes, heat-sensitive tapes that directly print on tapes without using ink ribbons and semi-transparent tapes are used. The film tape is subjected to mirror image printing, and a lettering tape (transfer tape) or the like capable of arbitrarily transferring the printing result has come to be manufactured.

Therefore, the method of detecting the end of the ink ribbon to know the tape end cannot be used for a tape cassette having no ink ribbon, for example, a tape cassette containing the above-mentioned thermal tape. In addition, in this method, if the ink ribbon and the tape are driven separately during tape feeding or the like, a gap occurs between the ribbon end detection and the tape end arrival, and the tape end cannot be accurately detected. was there.

On the other hand, in the case of the method of detecting the tape end by sensing the change in the reflectance of the tape surface with the photo sensor,
If print characters or the like are present on the surface on which the photo sensor is operated, the reflectance of light on the tape surface changes due to the influence of the ink of the print characters, and thus the photo sensor may malfunction. This is particularly noticeable when printing is performed on the tape using gold or silver ink. Therefore, it is necessary to detect the tape end on the surface where the print result is not displayed.

The surface of the tape on which the printing result of the characters and the like is visually recognized (hereinafter referred to as the visible printing surface) differs depending on the type of the tape. For example, with heat-sensitive tapes and receptor tapes, the surface colored by the print head is the visible print surface, but with laminated tape, double-sided tape is attached to the print surface by the print head, so the back surface is printed against the print surface. It becomes the visible surface. In this way, the tape ends of all tape cassettes cannot be detected by monitoring only one side of the tape.

Therefore, the conventional detection method has a problem that it cannot detect the tape end of a specific tape cassette such as a tape cassette having an ink ribbon, and cannot cope with a wide variety of tape cassettes. .

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems. For various tape cassettes, the type of tape is identified and the sensor to be driven is switched, so that the visible surface of the print is always visible. The end of the tape is detected on the back surface. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide a printing device with a tape end function that can accurately detect the tape end without being affected by printing even in a tape cassette having a different printing visible surface.

[0012]

In order to achieve this object, a printing device with a tape end function of the present invention comprises a printing means for printing characters and symbols on one surface of a tape as a printing medium, and the tape. And a tape cassette containing
Discriminating means for discriminating the type of the tape stored in the tape cassette, and first and second tape end detections arranged at positions facing the front and back sides with the tape sandwiched therebetween and detecting the end of the tape. And a deciding means for deciding which of the first and second tape end detecting means is to be in the operating state, based on the type of the tape discriminated by the discriminating means.

The discriminating means may be a tape type discriminating means for discriminating the type of tape stored in the tape cassette.

Further, downstream of the printing means, the first tape end detecting means is arranged on the non-printing surface side of the tape, and the second tape end detecting means is arranged on the printing surface side of the tape. The determining unit selects a first tape end detecting unit when the tape type determining unit determines that the type of the tape stored in the tape cassette is a lettering tape or a heat-sensitive tape, and the tape. When the type discriminating unit discriminates the type of the tape as a laminated tape, it may have a second mode for selecting the second tape end detecting unit.

The first and second tape end detecting means may be composed of non-contact type sensors.

A light reflecting tape capable of reflecting light is attached to the non-printing surface side of the tape near the end of the tape, and the non-contact type sensor includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element. And the light emitting element emits light to the tape, and the light amount of the reflected light is detected by the light receiving element.

[0017]

In the tape printing apparatus of the present invention having the above structure, the discriminating means discriminates the type of tape stored in the tape cassette. Then, the deciding means, based on the discriminated tape type, of the first and second tape end detecting means arranged on both front and back surfaces with the tape sandwiched therebetween,
Decide which one to put into operation. The tape end detecting means selected by the determining means surely detects the end of the tape.

[0018]

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

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a tape printing apparatus capable of printing a large number of characters such as alphabetic characters and symbols on a tape.

As shown in FIG. 1, a keyboard 3 is provided in the front portion of the main body frame 2 of the tape printing apparatus 1, and behind the keyboard 3 and inside the main body frame 2, it corresponds to the printing means of the present invention. A printing mechanism PM is provided, and a liquid crystal display 44 is provided immediately behind the keyboard 3. The liquid crystal display 44 has a display screen composed of 32 dots in the vertical direction and 121 dots in the horizontal direction. While displaying characters and symbols input by each key of the keyboard 3, the printing mechanism PM is displayed. Edit the characters and symbols printed by. Here, the release button 4 is a button for opening the cover frame 6 when the tape storage cassette CS attached to the printing mechanism PM is attached or detached.

The keyboard (corresponding to the input means) 3 is a character key for inputting alphabets, numbers and symbols, a space key, a return key, a cursor movement key for moving the cursor vertically and horizontally, and a display size. Setting key, format setting key for changing and setting format information including character decoration, display character size and print character size, execution key for ending various setting processes, print key for instructing printing, power ON / OFF Power key is provided.

Next, the printing mechanism PM incorporated in the tape printer will be briefly described with reference to FIG. Figure 2
In the printing mechanism PM, a laminating tape storage cassette CS1, which is one of the rectangular tape storage cassettes CS, is detachably attached.

This laminated tape storage cassette CS1
The tape spool 9 around which a printing tape 8 having a width of about 24 mm made of a transparent film is wound, and the ink ribbon 1
0 is wound around the ribbon supply spool 11, a take-up spool 12 around which the ink ribbon 10 is wound up, and a double-sided tape 13 having the same width as the printing tape 8 are wound around the release paper outside. 14 and a joining roller 15 for joining the printing tape 8 and the double-sided tape 13 are rotatably provided.

In the vicinity of the end portion of the double-sided tape 13, a metal tape as a light reflecting tape having a high light reflectance is attached to the release paper.

In the laminating tape storage cassette CS1, along the feeding direction of the printing tape 8, in the vicinity of the label discharge hole 23 on the downstream side of the thermal head 16,
A tape end sensor 60 corresponding to the tape end detection means of the present invention detects the end of the tape. The tape end sensor 60 includes a first tape end sensor 61 and a second tape end sensor 62. In the figure, the first tape end sensor 61 is located above the printing tape 8 (platen roller 17, feed roller 18). The second tape end sensor 62 is disposed on the lower side (on the side of the thermal head 16 and the bonding roller 15). The first
The tape end sensor 61 corresponds to the first tape end detecting means of the present invention, and the second tape end sensor 62 corresponds to the second tape end detecting means of the present invention.

These first and second tape end sensors 6
Reference numerals 1 and 62 denote a light emitting diode which is a light emitting element,
It is a non-contact reflection type photo sensor composed of a phototransistor which is a light receiving element, and configured so that the phototransistor can detect the reflected light of the light emitted from the light emitting diode toward the printed label 25. . Then, the tape end sensor 60 is connected to the tape storage cassette CS.
When the reflected light of the metal tape attached to the end portion of the tape built in the tape is detected, the tape printer 6 recognizes that the built-in tape reaches the end. In the case of the laminated tape storage cassette CS1, the second tape end sensor 62 detects the metal tape attached to the double-sided tape 13 to detect the tape end.

A thermal head 16 is erected at a position where the printing tape 8 and the ink ribbon 10 overlap each other, and a platen roller 17 for pressing the printing tape 8 and the ink ribbon 10 against the thermal head 16 and a printing head. Tape 8
A feed roller 18 that presses the double-sided tape 13 against the joining roller 15 is rotatably supported by a support body 19 that is rotatably attached to the frame of the printer 6. In this thermal head 16, a heating element group consisting of 128 heating elements is vertically arranged in a row.

Therefore, the tape feed motor 48 (see FIG. 3) is driven in the predetermined rotation direction so that the joining roller 15 and the take-up spool 12 are driven in synchronization with each other in the predetermined rotation direction, and the heating elements are energized. At this time, characters are printed on the printing tape 8 by a plurality of dot rows, and the printing tape 8 is fed in the tape feeding direction A with the double-sided tape 13 joined, and as shown in FIG.
The labels 25 are sent out to the outside of the tape printer 1. The details of the printing mechanism PM are the same as those of the known printing mechanism disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-106555, and therefore the description thereof is omitted.

Here, an example of the laminated tape storage cassette CS1 is given as the tape storage cassette CS, but other types of tape storage cassette CS are available such as lettering tape, receptor tape, heat sensitive tape, iron print tape, etc. Various types of cassettes CS that accommodate the are prepared.

As an example, FIGS. 4 and 5 schematically show how the lettering tape storage cassette CS2 and the heat-sensitive tape storage tape CS3 are mounted on the printing mechanism PM of the tape printer.

The lettering tape storage cassette CS2 is
As shown in FIG. 4, a tape spool 9 around which the lettering tape 26 before printing is wound and a ribbon spool 11 around which the ink ribbon 10 is wound are arranged in the cassette case and are rotatably supported. ing. Here, a known lettering tape 26, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-74
For example, those disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 393 can be used. Further, on the left side of each spool 9, 11 in FIG. 2,
A take-up spool 12 for winding a printed ribbon is likewise rotatably supported. The lettering tape 26 is formed of a translucent member, and a metal tape is attached to the end of the lettering tape 26 and the outer surface in the winding direction around the tape spool 9. Then, as with the laminating tape, the ribbon take-up spool 12 and the joining roller 15 are driven to convey the ink ribbon 10 and the lettering tape 26, and the thermal head 16 causes the lettering tape 26 to print characters and the like on the lettering tape 26 via the ink ribbon 10. Printing is performed.

On the other hand, the thermal tape storage cassette CS3 is
As shown in FIG. 5, the tape spool 14 around which the heat-sensitive tape 27 before printing is wound is arranged in the cassette case and is rotatably supported. Then, it is guided to the thermal head 16 via the guide member 28 and the like.
A metal tape is attached to the end of the heat sensitive tape 27 and to the outer surface of the tape spool 14 in the winding direction. Then, by driving the joining roller 15, the thermal head 16 prints characters and the like on the thermal tape 27 while conveying the thermal tape 27.

Then, on the bottom walls of these various tape storage cassettes CS, the first to third protruding pieces 20 to 22 are provided.
One of the protruding pieces is provided in combination. Then, a tape type identification sensor 50 (see FIG. 3) including a photo interrupter for detecting the presence or absence of each of the first protruding piece to the third protruding piece 20 to 22 is attached to the frame of the printing mechanism PM. . The tape type identification sensor 50 corresponds to the discriminating means of the present invention.

For example, as shown in FIG. 2, three projecting pieces 20 to 22 are attached to a laminated tape storage cassette CS1 which stores a laminated tape of a tape type. In addition, the lettering tape 26 shown in FIG.
The lettering tape storage cassette CS2 containing
Only the first and third projecting pieces 20 and 22 are attached, and only the first and second projecting pieces 20 and 21 are attached to the heat sensitive tape storage cassette CS3 shown in FIG. Only the first projecting piece 20 is attached to the receptor tape cassette CS4 that is not laminated.

Thus, by detecting the presence or absence of the first projecting piece to the third projecting piece 20 to 22 by the tape type identification sensor 50, the type of the tape stored in the tape storage cassette CS can be recognized. Further, when the tape type identification sensor 50 does not detect any of the first protruding piece to the third protruding piece 20 to 22, it is possible to recognize that the tape storage cassette CS is not attached to the printing mechanism PM.

The overall structure of this embodiment will be briefly described below with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. A tape printer with a tape end function, which is an embodiment of the present invention,
Via a data bus and an address bus, a CPU 41 (central processing unit), a ROM 42 which is a read-only memory in which font data, a control program, a program for performing an operation sensor determination process according to the present invention, and the like are stored, and a print buffer. And a RAM 43, which is a readable / writable memory having a flag for storing numerical values necessary for various controls, is connected.

The RAM 43 has a sensor flag 43a indicating which of the two tape end sensors 61, 62 is to be driven.

Further, the CPU 41 accepts a key input from the keyboard 3 by using an internal input / output interface (hereinafter abbreviated as I / F) by the control program stored in the ROM 42, or a tape by the tape type identification sensor 50. The type is identified, the first tape end sensor 61 and the second tape end sensor 62 are driven to detect the tape end, the liquid crystal display 44 is displayed via the liquid crystal display drive circuit 45, and the thermal head drive circuit is used. Printing is performed via 47, and tape feeding is performed via the tape feeding motor drive circuit 49.

Next, the operation of the tape printer 1 constructed as described above will be described with reference to FIG.
For simplicity of explanation, it is assumed that the tape printing apparatus 1 described below can print only on three types of tapes, namely, a laminating tape, a heat sensitive tape, and a lettering tape.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart of the determination process for determining the tape end sensor to be operated. Whether the tape storage cassette CS is attached to the tape printing apparatus,
When the power supply of the tape printer 1 is turned on, this determination process is started. Then, the CPU 41 detects the presence or absence of the first protruding piece to the third protruding piece 20 to 22 by the tape type identification sensor 50, and determines the type of the tape stored in the tape storage cassette CS.

First, it is judged whether the tape stored in the tape storage cassette CS is a lettering tape (S).
1 and S indicate steps. The same applies below). When it is determined that the tape is a lettering tape (S1, YES), the CPU 41
Sets 1 to the sensor flag 43a of the RAM 43 to set the first tape end sensor 61 to drive (S4), and ends the determination process. On the other hand, if it is determined that the tape is not a lettering tape (S1 · NO), then it is determined whether the tape is a heat sensitive tape (S2).

If the tape in the tape storage cassette CS is a thermal tape (S2, YES), the CPU 41 similarly
The sensor flag 43a of the RAM 43 is set to 1 and the first tape end sensor 61 is set to be driven (S
4), the determination process ends. If the tape is not a heat-sensitive tape (S2, NO), it is determined whether the tape is a laminated tape (S3). Then, if the tape is a laminated tape (S3, YES), the sensor flag 43a of the RAM 43 is set to 0 and the second tape end sensor 62 is set to be driven (S5), and the determination process is ended.

If the tape is not a laminated tape (S3, NO), the CPU 41 sends a command to the liquid crystal display drive circuit 45 to display an error indicating that a nonstandard tape is mounted (S6). . After displaying the error, the determination process is abnormally terminated and the printing operation by the printing mechanism is prohibited.

The processing steps S4 and S5 correspond to the determining means of the present invention, and further, the processing step S in the present embodiment.
4 corresponds to the first mode of the present invention, and the processing step S5 in this embodiment corresponds to the second mode of the present invention.

After the setting by the determination process, when the joining roller 15 is driven by printing, tape feeding, etc. and the tape is used, only one of the two tape end sensors 61, 62 is in accordance with the sensor flag 43a of the RAM 43. Drive to detect the tape end. That is,
If the sensor flag 43a is 1, the first tape sensor 61
If the sensor flag 43a is 0, the second tape sensor 6
2 is driven.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it goes without saying that various improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the determination unit of the present invention is not limited to the determination process shown in the above-mentioned flowchart, and identifies a large number of tape types such as a receptor tape and an iron-print tape that can be transferred by an iron, Either of the two tape end sensors 61 and 62 may be activated.

[0047]

As is clear from the above description,
According to the present invention, by discriminating the type of the tape stored in the tape cassette and selectively using the two tape end detecting means based on the type of the tape, various tapes can be obtained without being affected by printing. The effect is that the tape end can be accurately detected with respect to a plurality of tape cassettes storing therein.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire tape printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the vicinity of the printing mechanism when the laminated tape storage cassette is mounted on the tape printing apparatus, without the cover frame.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration of the tape printing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the operation when the laminated tape storage set is mounted on the tape printing apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the operation when the heat-sensitive tape storage cassette is mounted on the tape printing apparatus that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process of determining an operating tape end sensor.

[Explanation of symbols]

 3 keyboard 16 thermal head 41 CPU 42 ROM 43 RAM 44 liquid crystal display 45 liquid crystal display drive circuit 47 thermal head drive circuit 48 tape feed motor 49 tape feed motor drive circuit 50 tape type identification sensor 60 tape end sensor 61 first tape end sensor 62 Second tape end sensor

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A printing means for printing characters, symbols, etc. on one surface of a tape as a print medium, a tape cassette in which the tape is stored, a judging means for judging the type of the tape cassette, and the tape. The first and second tape end detecting means, which are respectively arranged at positions facing the front and back sides of the tape, and detect the end of the tape; and the first and second tape end detecting means based on the type of the tape cassette determined by the determining means. A tape printing apparatus comprising: a determination unit that determines which of the second tape end detection units is to be in an operating state. 2. The tape printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discriminating means is a tape type discriminating means for discriminating the type of the tape stored in the tape cassette. 3. The first tape end detecting means is provided on the non-printing surface side of the tape downstream of the printing means.
The second tape end detecting means is arranged on the printing surface side of the same tape, and the determining means determines the type of the tape stored in the tape cassette by the tape type determining means as a lettering tape or a heat-sensitive tape. In this case, a first mode for selecting the first tape end detection means and a second mode for selecting the second tape end detection means when the tape type determination means determines that the tape type is a laminated tape 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein
The tape printer described in 1. 4. The tape printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the first and second tape end detecting means are constituted by non-contact type sensors. 5. The tape is near the end of the tape,
On the non-printing surface side, a light reflection tape capable of reflecting light is attached, the non-contact type sensor includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element, and emits light to the tape by the light emitting element, The tape printer according to claim 4, wherein the light amount of the reflected light is detected by a light receiving element.