JPH0966632A - Tape printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simplify the print processing setting at the printing of a terminal displaying label pasted to a terminal stand or a base board and of a displaying tube installed onto a wire connecting with the terminal display by the terminal displaying label. SOLUTION: In the print controlling section 18 of a tape printer, a data area 20a, in which a plurality of sets of print processing data can be housed, is provided so as to house print processing data for displaying label and print processing data for tube. The print processing data are selected with print processing data selector keys so as to allow to freely change the settings of respective items. When the characters having the same content are printed on a tape and a tube under the condition that their due forms or the like are respectively changed, tape printing can be carried out on the basis of the print processing data for displaying label while the printing on a tube can be carried out by selecting the print processing data for tube, resulting in reducing the labor for inputting data and changing setting.

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 tape printer for producing a display label for electric equipment which can be printed on a wire tube and a display tube.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a tape printer which prints on an adhesive tape or a tube by using a tape cassette containing an adhesive tape with a release paper or an electric wire coating tube.
This type of tape printer is configured so that terminal numbers can be printed continuously or consecutively on an adhesive tape with release paper attached to a terminal of a terminal block or a tube covering an end of an electric wire.

As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), when a terminal display label 31 or an electric wire terminal covering tube 32 in which a character string is printed at an arbitrary block pitch is prepared,
By setting the character size, vertical writing, horizontal writing, etc. in the format setting mode and inputting print data and character data such as block pitch, continuous printing count, serial number data, etc. with the function key, the character is set in the form Printed.

[0004]

When the wiring number is displayed on the terminal of the terminal block or board and the electric wire connected to the terminal, it is necessary to print the same number on the terminal display label and the tube. . However, as shown in FIG. 2, the terminal display label and the electric wire tube have different formats such as character size and character string pitch, and print processing settings such as the number of continuous prints.

Therefore, in the conventional printer for electric equipment, it is necessary to perform a data input operation for changing the setting of print processing data after printing one of the display label and the tube, and it takes time and labor to input the data. There is also a possibility that an input error may occur. Therefore, there is a technical problem to be solved in order to reduce the trouble of data input and improve the printing efficiency, and an object of the present invention is to solve the above problem.

[0006]

The present invention is proposed to achieve the above object, and develops character data into print data based on print processing data such as a format input to a print control unit and prints the print data. The present invention provides a tape printer, characterized in that a storage area is provided with a data area capable of storing a plurality of sets of print processing data, and a function of selecting arbitrary print processing data is provided.

In the above tape printer, for example,
When printing characters with the same content on the tape and tube in different formats, you can print one with arbitrary print processing data, select the other print processing data, and print the other. The time and effort of changing settings are reduced as much as possible.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. For convenience of description, technical matters that are conventionally known will be described at the same time. FIG. 1 shows a tape printer 1
The keyboard 2 is arranged in the front part, and the liquid crystal display panel 3 is provided on the left side of the central part. The cassette cover 6 that covers the cassette loading chamber 5 provided on the rear right side of the outer casing 4 is
It is pivotally attached to the outer casing 4 via a hinge (not shown) at the rear end portion, and the cassette loading chamber 5 can be opened by rotating the front portion upward with the hinge serving as a fulcrum.

In the cassette loading chamber 5, a thermal head 7, a platen roller 8, an ink ribbon take-up reel shaft 9, a manual tape cutter 10, and a half-cutting tape cutter 11 are provided.
Are arranged. When the ink ribbon cassette 12 and the tube cassette 13 or the adhesive tape cassette are loaded at predetermined positions and face each other, the ink ribbon 14 of the ink ribbon cassette 12 and the tube 15 of the tube cassette 13
Alternatively, the adhesive tape is located between the thermal head 7 and the platen roller 8.

When characters or symbols are input by the keyboard 2, the input contents are displayed on the liquid crystal display plate 3, and when a print execution command is input, the printing mechanism is driven and the platen roller 8 is rotated, whereby the thermal head 7 is rotated. The ink ribbon 14 pinched by the platen roller 8 and the tube 15 or the adhesive tape run in conjunction with each other, and the thermal ink of the ink ribbon 14 is thermally transferred to the tube 15 or the like by the thermal head 7 to laterally move the tube 15 or the like. Sent to. The fed tube 15 or tape is cut by the manual tape cutter 10 connected to the manual cutting button 16 via a link by pressing the manual cutting button 16 provided on the left edge of the outer casing 4.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the tape printer 1. The output signal of the keyboard 2 is input to the CPU 19 of the print control unit 18 via the interface 17 and written in the memory unit 20, and the CPU 19 is a display unit driver. The circuit 21 is driven to display the input contents on the liquid crystal display panel 3.

Further, on the tube cassette 13 and the tape cassette, identification information such as the type and width of the built-in tape or tube is displayed by identification information display means such as an identification hole or an identification code display label provided in the cassette body. Cage,
A known printing medium identification mechanism is configured by a cassette identification sensor 22 such as a limit switch or a photo sensor provided in the cassette loading chamber 5 of the tape printer 1.

At the time of printing, the CPU 19 controls the motor driver circuit 23 to drive the motor 24 which drives the platen roller 7 and the ink ribbon take-up reel 9 to print on the thermal head 7 while feeding a tape or a tube for electric wire. Transfer data. Then, the head driver circuit 2
5 outputs a control signal to the thermal head 7 and the motor 24.
Are synchronously driven to thermally transfer the heat-sensitive ink of the ink ribbon 14 to the adhesive tape or the wire tube 15.

The tape printer 1 has an automatic half-cutting function of cutting only the adhesive tape of the release paper-attached adhesive tape on the boundary line of each print block or cutting the tube for electric wire in half, and a vertical line at the boundary of each print block. A border line printing function for printing lines is provided. These functions can be turned on / off by operating the keyboard 2. When the automatic half-cutting function is selected, the CPU 14 controls the cutter driver circuit 26 that drives the half-cutting tape cutter 11 to cut the tape or the electric wire tube halfway in the middle of each print block. When each printing block printed on the tape is separated and pasted by performing a half-cutting process,
The work for attaching the wire tube to the end of the wire can be done easily.

The print processing data area 20 of the memory unit 20
In a, two sets of print processing data are stored: terminal display label print processing data and tube print processing data. Focusing on the fact that there are few requests to change settings in tube printing, In each item, a standard block pitch length, an instruction to replace the line feed control symbol with another mark or a blank, horizontal writing setting, two continuous printing sheets, half cut of boundary line, etc. are set as default values.

The keyboard 2 is provided with a print processing data selection key 27 displayed as "tube print". By pressing the print processing data selection key 27, the print processing mode is changed from the label print mode to the tube print mode. “Tube printing” is displayed on the liquid crystal display board 3 as the operation is shifted.

To operate the keyboard 2, first select the print data setting mode in the label printing mode, and set the character size, format the block pitch, etc. according to the setting menu displayed on the liquid crystal display board 3, and perform continuous printing or continuous printing. Enter data in the print processing items such as number printing, make arbitrary settings, and enter character data.

At the time of printing, the print data processing unit 28 of the CPU 19 converts the character data into dot data according to the selected print processing data and drives the thermal head 7 and the motor 24.

When the number of continuous prints is set by the keyboard 2, the continuous / serial number print control unit 29 of the CPU 19 repeatedly outputs the same print data a set number of times, and the continuous print is executed. Further, serial number printing is performed by setting serial number printing and designating a start character and an end character of a numeral or alphabet.

When the continuous printing and the serial number printing are set redundantly, the continuous / serial number printing control unit 29 gives priority to the continuous printing, and after the same print data is printed the set number of times, the print data is set according to the set contents. Are updated in ascending or descending order. Then, the continuous printing is started again by the updated print data. For example, X10, X10, X11, X1
Continuous serial printing is executed as in 1, ...

At the time of tube printing, the line feed control symbol in the character data is replaced with a dot mark by the initial setting of the tube print processing data to suppress line feed, as shown in FIG. 3B. One line is printed. Further, horizontal writing is also set in the printing direction, and horizontally written character blocks are printed twice at a predetermined block pitch by the continuous printing function, and half-cut processing is performed on the boundary line of the character blocks.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3A, when the terminal display label 31 is printed with arbitrary print settings, the print processing data selection key 27 is pressed to specify the tube print mode, and printing is executed. As shown in FIG. 7B, printing is performed on the electric wire tube 32 in a preset tube printing format based on the same character data as the terminal display label 31.

Each item of the tube print processing data can also be arbitrarily changed by selecting the above-mentioned print data setting mode. Further, various modifications can be made such that the print processing data is automatically selected based on the output signal of the cassette identification sensor 22 described above, and the present invention does not extend to those modifications. Of course.

[0024]

As described in detail above, the tape printer of the present invention is capable of printing the same character data in a plurality of formats, such as the printing of display labels for electric equipment and tubes for electric wires.
Since it is configured so that the required print processing data can be selected from a plurality of preset print processing data with a simple operation, unlike conventional tape printers, it is necessary to input print processing data such as a format each time printing is performed. In addition, the labor of data input is reduced and the printing efficiency is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a tape printer.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the tape printer of the present invention.

FIG. 3A is a diagram showing a printed result of a terminal display label, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing a printed result of a wire terminal coating tube.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tape Printer 2 Keyboard 18 Print Control Section 19 CPU 20 Memory Section 20a Print Processing Data Area 27 Print Processing Data Selection Key 28 Print Data Processing Section 31 Terminal Display Label 32 Wire Terminal Covering Tube

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A tape printer that develops character data into print data based on print processing data such as a format input to a print control unit and prints the data, has a data area capable of storing a plurality of sets of print processing data in a storage unit. A tape printer provided with a function capable of selecting arbitrary print processing data.