JPH0647936A - Printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a printer for printing onto a wide image receiving tape easily at an effective cost. CONSTITUTION: The printer comprises a first cassette 2 for containing the supply source of an image receiving tape 4, a second cassette 3 for containing the supply source of an image transfer ribbon 7, feed rollers 6, 8 for passing the ribbon 7 and the tape 4 in superposed relationship through a print zone 5, and a print head 12 disposed at the print zone 5. The print head 12 is movable between an operating position where an image is transferred from the ribbon 7 to the tape 4 and a nonoperating position. The print head 12 is also movable between a first position where it is matched with the lower part of the tape 4 in the breadthwise direction and a second position where it is matched with the upper part of the tape 4 in the breadthwise direction. Consequently, printing can be performed onto a tape 4 wider than the print head 12 by returning the tape 4 after printing is performed onto the lower part thereof and then performing printing onto the upper part of the tape 4 corresponding to the lower part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a label printer.

[0002]

Thermal printing devices for forming labels are well known. Such thermal printing devices operate with a source of tape adapted to receive the image and a means for transferring the image to the tape. In one known device, a tape holding case holds a source of image receiving tape and a source of image transfer ribbon, the image receiving tape and the image transfer ribbon being in overlapping relationship in a print zone of a printing device. Pass through. In the print zone, the thermal print head cooperates with the platen to transfer the image from the transfer ribbon to tape. A printing device that cooperates with a tape holding case of the type described above is, for example, from Varitronics, Inc. EP 0267890 (EP-A-0267890).
It is described in.

In the above printing device, the image receiving tape comprises an upper layer for receiving the image secured to a backing layer releasable by a layer of adhesive.

With the above structure, the width of the image receiving tape is approximately the same as the width of the image transfer ribbon, which causes the image receiving tape and the image transfer ribbon to be in a registered and overlapping relationship in the print zone. Can pass through. Therefore, the width of the image receiving tape depends on the width of the image transfer ribbon. Its width is generally around 16 mm.
In the above construction, if a wider image receiving tape is used, the print head has to be wider, which causes problems with cost and power consumption. Approximately 3 to form a 6-line address label
It is desirable to use tape with a width of 0 mm.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a printing apparatus capable of printing on a wide image receiving tape at a simple and effective cost.

[0006]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, means for accommodating a source of image receiving tape, means for accommodating a source of image transfer ribbon, said image transfer ribbon and image receiver. A drive means for passing the tape through the print zone in an overlapping relationship and provided in the print zone for movement between an operative position and an inoperative position where an image is transferred from the image transfer ribbon to the image receiving tape. Printing comprising printing means and means for moving the printing means between a first position aligned with the lower portion of the image receiving tape and a second position aligned with the upper portion of the image receiving tape. A device is provided.

By providing the printing means movably between the first and second positions, the printing means itself need only have a width corresponding to half the width of the image receiving tape. Therefore, the lower part of the tape can be printed by the printing means in the first position, and then the upper part of the tape can be printed by the printing means in the second position. The drive means advances the image receiving tape to print on the lower portion of the tape, then retracts the image receiving tape to the upper portion of the tape in aligned relationship with the lower portion of the tape. It is preferably operated so that printing can take place.

The printing means preferably comprises a thermal print head cooperable with the platen. The length of the platen corresponds to the width of the image receiving tape and the print head is moveable between a first position and a second position so that the print head is approximately half the width of the image receiving tape. To
The platen can be held stationary.

In one embodiment, the means for accommodating the source of the image transfer ribbon is a ribbon holding case, the ribbon holding case being movably mounted with the print head. This means that the width of the image transfer ribbon can correspond to the width of the printhead and can be approximately half the width of the image receiving tape.

[0010]

In order to better understand the present invention and to show modes in which the present invention can be carried out, embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

Referring initially to FIG. 1, a first cassette 2 containing a reel 1 of image receiving tape 4 is shown. The image receiving tape has an upper layer that receives the image on its upper side and has on its lower side a layer of adhesive to which a releasable backing layer is secured. . The tape is arranged so that the image-receiving layers face downward in FIG. A second cassette 3 is provided which contains a source of image transfer ribbon 7 which extends from a supply spool 30 through a printing zone 5 of the apparatus to a take-up spool 32. In this embodiment, the image transfer ribbon 7 has a width of 18 mm and extends through the print zone 5 in overlapping relation with the image receiving tape 4. The printing device is provided with first and second feed rollers 6, 8 for guiding the image supply tape 7 and the image reception tape 4 in an overlapping relationship with each other. The feed rollers 6, 8 feed the image receiving tape from the cassette 2 through the print zone 5 to the outlet 10 of the printing device. The feed roller can also be driven to return the tape 4 a predetermined distance back into the cassette for the purposes described below. The cassette 2 is provided with a deflector or deflector plate 34 forming a tape receiving portion,
An image receiving tape that can be returned into the cassette can be accommodated.

The printing apparatus also includes a print head 12 and a platen 14 cooperating with the print head, with the image receiving tape 4 and the image transfer ribbon 7 in an overlapping relationship between the print head and the platen. Retained. The print heads 12 have a width of 16 mm and are each 128
It has a column with pixels. In FIG. 1, the print head 12 is shown in an actuated position in pressure contact with the platen 14 to transfer the image from the image transfer ribbon 7 to the image receiving tape 4. As will be described in more detail below, the printhead 12 is movable to an inoperative position, where the printhead is spaced from the platen 14 and the image receiving tape 14 and the image transfer ribbon 7 are separated from each other. Is possible. The image transfer ribbon 7 is returned into the cassette of the take-up spool 32 after passing through the print zone, while the image-receiving tape 4 with the image printed passes through the exit 10 of the device by the action of the feed roller. .

As most clearly shown in FIG. 2, the print head 12 and the image transfer ribbon cassette 3 are mounted on a chassis 16. The chassis 16 can be moved up and down relatively with respect to the base plate 18 of the printing apparatus by a lift motor 20 that drives a threaded rod 22. The basic position of the chassis is shown in solid lines in FIG. 2, while its raised or raised position is shown in broken lines.

In addition to being able to move up and down, the cassette 16 can be reciprocated by rollers 24 in guides on the base plate 18. By doing so, the print head 12 can be brought into contact with and separated from the platen 14. It is not possible to move the printhead between its operative and inoperative positions in other ways, such as by moving the printhead relative to the chassis 16 or by pivoting the entire chassis 16. Be understood.

As an example, the width of the image transfer ribbon is 16 mm.
Is. When a cassette 2 containing an image receiving tape of corresponding width is inserted into the device, the device operates in the normal manner. That is, a thermal print head is used to transfer the image to the image receiving tape. About 2 of normal width
When a cassette 2 containing a double width (eg 30 mm) image receiving tape is inserted into the printing device, the printing device is set to the wide label mode. This setting can be done automatically by detecting the insertion of a cassette, or by a function key of the device that the user can press.

In the wide label mode, printing is performed as follows. The message to be printed is formed in the usual way using the display of the device as well as the microcontroller. Print command given, chassis 1
When 6 is in its basic position, the print head moves to its working position and presses against the platen 14, the message is printed on the lower half of the image receiving tape and the feed rollers 6, 8 are Out of the print zone.
After the printing is completed, the print head 12 is moved away from the platen 14 by moving the chassis 16 to the left side in FIG.
Lift 6 to the raised position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. The image receiving tape 4 is formed on the cassette 2 by using the feed rollers 6 and 8.
Into the tape receiving portion of the tape, the distance of which corresponds to the distance that the tape has been advanced for printing. The printhead is then returned to contact the platen 14, which aligns the image transfer ribbon with the upper portion of the image receiving tape. Printing is then performed on the upper portion of the image receiving tape.

As described above, it is possible to print wide labels using image transfer ribbons and printheads of commonly available width.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a printing apparatus in which two cassettes are inserted.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a structure for moving a print head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Reel 2, 3 Cassette 4 Image Receiving Tape 5 Printing Zone 6, 8 Feeding Roller 7 Image Transfer Ribbon 10 Exit 12 Print Head 14 Platen 16 Chassis

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Hertfordshire England UK 8.7 Sd, Royston, Foulmere, Chapel Lane 70

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. In a printing apparatus, a means for accommodating a supply source of an image receiving tape, a means for accommodating a supply source of an image transfer ribbon, and the image transfer ribbon and the image receiving tape in a superposed relationship. Drive means for passing through the print zone; printing means provided in the print zone for movement between an operating position and an inactive position where an image is transferred from the image transfer ribbon to the image receiving tape; Printing comprising means for moving the means between a first position aligned with a widthwise lower portion of the image receiving tape and a second position aligned with a widthwise upper portion of the image receiving tape. apparatus. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit advances the image receiving tape to print on a lower portion of the tape, and then retracts the image receiving tape to move the image receiving tape. A printing device operable to print on an upper portion in alignment with the lower portion. 3. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the printing unit includes a thermal print head that can cooperate with a platen. 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the platen has a length corresponding to a width of the image receiving tape, and is arranged so as to remain stationary.
The printing apparatus, wherein the print head has a length that is approximately half the width of the image receiving tape. 5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for accommodating the supply source of the image transfer ribbon is a ribbon holding case movably mounted together with the print head. A printing device characterized by the above.