Printing device and cartridge for printing

Abstract

The present application provides a printing device and a cartridge for printing. The printing device has an attachment portion to which a cartridge containing a printing medium can be detachably attached, a conveyance portion for conveying the printing medium, a printing portion for printing the printing medium, a cutter portion for cutting the printed printing medium, and a controller. The controller is configured to execute a conveyance process for conveying the printing medium from the printing portion to the cutter portion, a cutting process for cutting the printed printing medium, an acquisition process for acquiring control information from the cartridge, a determination process for determining a reverse conveyance amount of the printing medium based on the control information, and a reverse conveyance process for conveying a remaining unprinted portion of the printing medium from the cutter portion to the printing portion by the reverse conveyance amount determined in the determination process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to a printing apparatus and a printing cartridge. Background Technology

[0002] In a printing apparatus configured to perform printing on a long or strip-shaped printing medium (such as a printing tape contained in a cartridge), the printing medium is printed by a printing unit and then conveyed to a cutting unit. The conveyed printing medium is cut by the cutting unit, and the printed portion is separated from the unprinted portion of the printing medium.

[0003] In such a printing apparatus, a reverse conveying mechanism can be provided, which is configured to convey the printing medium in the reverse direction from the cutter section toward the printing section after cutting the printing medium, so as to reduce the margin of the front end of the unprinted portion of the printing medium and save the consumption of printing medium (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Publication 2011-136473, 2016-036907 and 2019-098687).

[0004] However, in the conventional printing apparatus described above, it is conceivable that the amount of printing media transported in reverse might be set too large in an attempt to reduce page margins. If this is the case, the printing media might be transported far backward to a position where printing or transporting relative to the unprinted portions of the printing media is no longer possible.

[0005] Furthermore, depending on the nature, characteristics, or conditions of use of the printing media, it is quite possible that an error may occur in the reverse transport mechanism of the printing device during the reverse transport of the printing media. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the foregoing, the object of this disclosure is to provide a printing apparatus capable of suppressing the occurrence of faults during the reverse transport of the printing medium.

[0007] (1) To achieve the above and other objectives, according to one aspect, this disclosure provides a printing apparatus having an attachment section, a conveying section, a printing section, a cutter section, and a controller. The attachment section is configured to detachably receive a cartridge containing a strip of printing media. The conveying section is configured to convey the printing media in opposite directions, a normal conveying direction and a reverse conveying direction. The printing section is configured to perform printing on the printing media. The cutter section is configured to cut the printing media after printing. The controller is configured to perform a conveying process, a cutting process, an acquisition process, a determination process, and a reverse conveying process. The conveying process controls the conveying section to convey the printing media from the printing section to the cutter section in the normal conveying direction. The cutting process controls the cutter section to cut the printing media to separate the printed portion of the printing media from the remaining unprinted portion of the printing media. The acquisition process acquires control information from the cartridge received in the attachment section. The determination process determines the amount of reverse conveying of the printing media based on the control information acquired in the acquisition process. The reverse transfer process is used to control the transfer unit to transfer the remaining unprinted portion of the printing medium in the reverse transfer direction by the reverse transfer amount determined in the determination process.

[0008] This configuration allows for the determination of the reverse transport amount based on control information associated with the cartridge, enabling the adjustment of the reverse transport amount of the printing media based on the characteristics of the printing device and / or the printing media. Consequently, it helps to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions during the reverse transport of the printing media.

[0009] (2) In the printing apparatus according to aspect (1), preferably, the control information is stored in the storage section of the cartridge, and the control information has information about the reverse transfer amount set for the printing medium of the cartridge.

[0010] (3) In the printing apparatus according to aspect (2), it is preferred that: the controller is configured to acquire multiple necessary pieces of information from the cartridge as the control information during the acquisition process; and the controller is further configured not to perform the reverse transmission process in the event that the controller fails to acquire a portion of the multiple necessary pieces of information during the acquisition process.

[0011] (4) In the printing apparatus according to aspect (2) or (3), it is preferred that: during the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire information on the consumption of the printing medium or the usage time period of the cartridge as the control information; and during the determination process, the controller is configured to determine the reverse transfer amount to be smaller as the consumption or usage time period acquired during the acquisition process is larger.

[0012] (5) In the printing apparatus according to any one of aspects (2) to (4), it is preferred that: during the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire information about the characteristics of the printing medium relating to the curling tendency of the printing medium as the control information; and during the determination process, the controller is configured to determine the reverse transfer amount to be smaller as the curling tendency of the printing medium based on the information about the characteristics of the printing medium is greater.

[0013] (6) In the printing apparatus according to aspect (4) or (5), it is preferred that: during the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire temperature information as the control information, which represents an upper limit temperature for allowing reverse transfer of the printing medium; and during the determination process, the controller is configured to correct the reverse transfer amount to a smaller value if the ambient temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature acquired during the acquisition process.

[0014] (7) In the printing apparatus according to any one of aspects (4) to (6), it is preferred that: during the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire humidity information as the control information, which represents an upper limit humidity for allowing reverse transfer of the printing medium; and during the determination process, the controller is configured to correct the reverse transfer amount to a smaller value if the ambient humidity exceeds the upper limit humidity acquired during the acquisition process.

[0015] (8) In the printing apparatus according to any one of aspects (2) to (7), it is preferred that: during the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire information regarding the suitability of reverse transfer, indicating whether reverse transfer of the printing medium should be performed, as the control information; and the controller is configured not to perform the reverse transfer process if the information regarding the suitability of reverse transfer indicates that reverse transfer of the printing medium is prohibited.

[0016] (9) In the printing apparatus according to any one of aspects (1) to (8), it is preferred that: the controller is further configured to perform an authentication process to authenticate the box received in the attachment based on the control information acquired during the acquisition process; and the controller is configured not to perform the reverse transmission process if the authentication of the box fails during the authentication process.

[0017] (10) In a printing apparatus according to any one of aspects (1) to (9), it is preferred that: the conveying unit includes a pressure roller configured to rotate to convey the printing medium in the normal conveying direction and in the reverse conveying direction; and the controller is configured not to perform the reverse conveying process in the case where the sum of the cumulative rotation distance of the pressure roller and the reverse conveying amount determined in the determination process exceeds a tolerance of the rotation distance of the pressure roller representing an upper limit of the service life of the pressure roller.

[0018] (11) In the printing apparatus according to any one of aspects (1) to (10), it is preferred that: the controller is further configured to receive a user's command to force the conveying unit to convey the printing medium in the reverse conveying direction; and the controller is configured to perform the reverse conveying of the printing medium in response to receiving the user's command in the case where the reverse conveying process is not performed.

[0019] (12) According to another aspect, this disclosure also provides a printing cartridge having a strip-shaped printing medium, a housing, and a storage section. The printing medium is contained within the housing. The housing has an opening to expose the printing medium to the outside of the housing for printing on the printing medium. The printing medium is configured to be conveyed in a normal conveying direction from the inside of the housing to the opening and in a reverse conveying direction opposite to the normal conveying direction. The storage section stores control information relating to the amount of reverse conveying of the printing medium, which is the amount of the printing medium conveyed in the reverse conveying direction.

[0020] This design allows for the adjustment of the reverse transport amount of the printing device based on the control information stored in the cartridge, thus enabling the adjustment of the reverse transport amount of the printing media according to the characteristics of the printing device and / or the printing media. Consequently, it helps to suppress the occurrence of malfunctions during the reverse transport of the printing media.

[0021] (13) In the box according to aspect (12), preferably, the control information has information about the consumption of the printing medium or information about the use of the box for a period of time.

[0022] (14) In the box according to aspect (12) or (13), preferably, the control information has information about the characteristics of the printing medium that indicates the curling tendency of the printing medium.

[0023] (15) In any of the aspects (12) to (14), preferably, the control information has information on the suitability of the reverse transfer of the printing medium, indicating whether the reverse transfer of the printing medium should be performed.

[0024] (16) In the box according to any one of aspects (12) to (15), preferably, the box is detachably attachable to multiple types of printing devices, each of which has a pressure roller configured to convey the printing medium and a motor for rotating the pressure roller, the pressure rollers of each of the printing devices being different from each other. The control information has multiple rotation information, each of the multiple rotation information being preset to correspond to one of the types of printing devices, each of the multiple rotation information representing: the rotation angle of each pressure roller associated with the corresponding printing device during the reverse conveying of the printing medium; or the number of steps of each motor associated with the corresponding printing device during the reverse conveying of the printing medium. Attached Figure Description

[0025] The specific features, advantages, and other objects of the embodiments will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic perspective view of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic perspective view showing the printing device and the box to be used for printing by the printing device;

[0028] Figure 3 It is a partial enlarged view schematically showing the printing section of the printing device and its vicinity and the box housed in the attachment part of the printing device;

[0029] Figure 4 It is a block diagram schematically illustrating the electrical structure between the controller and other components in the printing device; and

[0030] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a demonstration process that will be executed by the controller in the printing device. Detailed Implementation

[0031] 1. First Embodiment

[0032] A printing apparatus 100 and a cartridge 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] <Structure of Printing Device 100>

[0034] First, refer to Figures 1 to 3 Describe the structure of the printing device 100.

[0035] exist Figure 1The printing device 100 shown is configured to be housed in Figure 2 Printing is performed on the elongated or ribbon-like printing medium in cartridge 10 shown in the diagram. For example, in... Figure 1 As shown, the printing device 100 includes a housing 110, a keyboard 111, and a display 112.

[0036] Keyboard 111 is an input device for accepting user input regarding printed content (such as letters) and function settings. Display 112 is configured to display the printed content entered at keyboard 111 and information such as control errors.

[0037] As in Figure 2 As shown, the printing apparatus 100 further includes an attachment part 101, a printing part 102, a conveying part 103, a cutter part 104, an acquisition part 105, a drive force input part 106, and a controller 107. Incidentally, Figure 2 This shows the state of the display 112 being removed from the housing 110.

[0038] The attachment portion 101 is in the form of a recess for removably receiving the box 10 therein. The attachment portion 101 has the function of positioning the box 10. The attachment portion 101 is disposed on the housing 110. The display 112 also serves as a cover for covering the box 10 received in the attachment portion 101.

[0039] Incidentally, the insertion direction of the box 10 into the attachment portion 101 will be referred to as the "downward direction", and the removal direction of the box 10 from the attachment portion 101 will be referred to as the "upward direction".

[0040] The printing unit 102 is located inside the attachment portion 101. The printing unit 102 is configured to accommodate the printing tape 11A housed in the cartridge 10. Figure 2 The print head that performs printing.

[0041] The printing unit 102 includes multiple heating elements, and the heating of each heating element is controlled by the controller 107. For example, in Figure 3 As shown, the printing unit 102 is located in the opening 18 (described later) of the box 10 attached to the attachment part 101.

[0042] In the following text, the direction in which the printing tape 11A is discharged from the printing device 100 will be referred to as the "leftward direction," which is perpendicular to the upward / downward direction. The direction opposite to the tape discharge direction (leftward direction) will be referred to as the "rightward direction." Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the upward / downward and left / right directions will be referred to as the "forward / backward direction."

[0043] The conveyor unit 103 is configured to convey the printing tape 11A in both the normal conveying direction and the reverse conveying direction. For example, in... Figure 3As shown, the conveying unit 103 includes a pressure roller 103A, a pressure roller 103B, and a roller retainer 103C.

[0044] The pressure roller 103A is located inside the attachment portion 101 at a position adjacent to the printing portion 102, facing the printing portion 102. The pressure roller 103A is capable of rotating in the normal conveying direction for conveying the printing belt 11A from the printing portion 102 to the cutter portion 104 and in the reverse conveying direction opposite to the normal conveying direction.

[0045] The pressure roller 103A is rotatably driven by a pressure gear (not shown) connected to the pressure roller 103. The pressure gear is configured to rotate by a driving force received from the housing 10, which is initially transmitted to the housing 10 from the driving force input 106. The rotation direction of the driving force input 106 determines the rotation direction of the pressure roller 103A.

[0046] The pressure roller 103B is located downstream of the pressure roller 103A in the discharge direction of the printing belt 11A. The pressure roller 103B is configured to cooperate with the pressure roller 15 (described later) of the cartridge 10 to squeeze the laminated belt 13A (described later) toward the printing belt 11A.

[0047] Roller retainer 103C holds pressure roller 103A and pressure roller 103B. Roller retainer 103C is pivotally movable to move pressure roller 103A and pressure roller 103B toward and away from printing section 102 and cartridge 10.

[0048] The cutter section 104 includes a cutter configured to cut the print belt 11A printed by the print section 102. The cutter section 104 is located at the discharge opening of the discharge print belt 11A of the attachment section 101. That is, the cutter section 104 is located downstream of the print section 102 and the conveyor section 103 in the discharge direction of the print belt 11A.

[0049] exist Figure 2 The acquisition unit 105 shown is configured to acquire control information from the cartridge 10. Specifically, the acquisition unit 105 includes a mechanical, optical, or electromagnetic information reading sensor to detect control information from the storage unit 19 of the cartridge 10.

[0050] The drive force input unit 106 includes a shaft configured to transmit drive force to the cartridge 10. Specifically, the drive force input unit 106 can engage with the take-up reel 14 (described later) of the cartridge 10 to rotate the take-up reel 14. In addition, the drive force input unit 106 can also engage with the input gear 16 (described later) of the cartridge 10 to transmit drive force to the input gear 16.

[0051] The drive force input unit 106 is located inside the attachment unit 101. The drive force input unit 106 can rotate about its axis by a drive source (not shown) that may be composed of, for example, a combination of a motor and gears.

[0052] As in Figure 4 As shown, controller 107 is electrically connected to keyboard 111 and acquisition unit 105 for processing information transmitted from keyboard 111 and acquisition unit 105. Furthermore, controller 107 is configured to provide control over display 112, printing unit 102, conveying unit 103, and cutter unit 104.

[0053] The controller 107 comprises, for example, a computer including a processor, storage media (such as RAM and ROM), and input / output units. The controller 107 is configured to execute a pre-stored program to control the printing, conveying, and cutting of the print belt 11A. Details regarding the processes performed by the controller 107 will be described later.

[0054] <Structure of Box 10>

[0055] Next, we will describe the details of box 10.

[0056] exist Figure 3 The cartridge 10 shown contains a printing tape 11A as an elongated or strip-shaped printing medium. The cartridge 10 is used by the printing apparatus 100 to create a printed product by attaching a laminated tape 13A to the printing tape 11A on which an image is printed.

[0057] Cartridge 10 is adapted to be detachably attached to various printing devices 100, for example, to those printing devices 100 with different diameters of the corresponding pressure rollers 103A. Replacing cartridge 10 with a new cartridge 10 enables the replenishment of printing media and / or a change in the type of printing media (such as media size, color, and material).

[0058] Box 10 includes a first roll 11, a second roll 12, a third roll 13, a winding spool 14, a pressure roller 15, an input gear 16, a housing 17, an opening 18, and a storage section 19.

[0059] The first roll 11 is a roll of printing tape 11A wound around the first spool. Printing is performed on the surface of printing tape 11A by the printing unit 102 of the printing apparatus 100 via ink tape 12A, which will be described later. The first roll 11 and the first spool rotate as the printing tape 11A is conveyed by the rotation of the pressure roller 103A of the printing apparatus 100, thereby supplying the printing tape 11A to the printing unit 102.

[0060] The second roll 12 is a roll of ink tape 12A wound on the second reel. Ink tape 12A is used for printing on the surface of the printing tape 11A. Ink tape 12A overlaps with the printing tape 11A at the opening 18 and is exposed to the printing unit 102 for printing. The ink tape 12A for printing is wound on the take-up reel 14. The second roll 12 and the second reel rotate as the ink tape 12A is wound onto the take-up reel 14, thereby supplying the ink tape 12A to the printing unit 102.

[0061] The third roll 13 is a roll of laminated tape 13A wound on the third reel. The laminated tape 13A is used to protect the printed surface of the printing tape 11A. The third roll 13 and the third reel are rotated by the rotation of the pressure roller 15 and the pressure roller 103B, thereby supplying the laminated tape 13A to be laminated on the printing tape 11A.

[0062] The take-up reel 14 has a hollow cylindrical shape and an inner circumferential surface defining a hollow space within it. Splines are provided on the inner circumferential surface of the take-up reel 14. When the cartridge 10 is attached to the attachment part 101, a drive force input part 106 is inserted into the hollow space of the take-up reel 14. The inserted drive force input part 106 can engage with the splines of the take-up reel 14 to transmit drive force to the take-up reel 14. The take-up reel 14 rotates due to the rotation of the drive force input part 106 to take up the used ink tape 12A.

[0063] The clamping roller 15 is configured to clamp the printing belt 11A and the laminated belt 13A in the thickness direction of the belt in cooperation with the pressure roller 103B. The laminated belt 13A and the printing belt 11A are thus attached to each other.

[0064] The input gear 16 has a central hole into which the drive force input unit 106 can be inserted. Splines are provided on the inner circumferential surface defining the central hole of the input gear 16. The input gear 16 is coaxial with the take-up reel 14 and overlaps with the take-up reel 14 in the upward / downward direction. The drive force input from the drive force input unit 106 into the input gear 16 is transmitted to the pressure plate roller 103A (more precisely, to the pressure plate gear) through a power transmission mechanism (not shown) provided inside the housing 10.

[0065] The housing 17 houses the first roll 11, the second roll 12, the third roll 13, the winding spool 14, the pressure roller 15, the input gear 16, and the power transmission mechanism.

[0066] The opening 18 is a recess in the housing 17. The printing belt 11A is exposed to the outside of the housing 17 through the opening 18. When the cartridge 10 is attached to the attachment 101, the opening 18 provides space for positioning the printing unit 102 in that space. Printing by the printing unit 102 on the printing belt 11A is performed at the opening 18.

[0067] The printing tape 11A and the ink tape 12A are designed to extend in a left / right direction at the opening 18. The printing tape 11A, after printing, is conveyed by the conveyor 103 through the opening 18 toward the outside of the printing device 100. The ink tape 12A, which is used for printing by the printing unit 102 and is located in the opening 18, is then wound up by the take-up reel 14.

[0068] The storage unit 19 is configured to store control information for reverse transport of the print tape 11A performed by the transport unit 103 of the printing apparatus 100. The control information stored in the storage unit 19 is configured to be detected by the acquisition unit 105 of the printing apparatus 100. Detection of the storage unit 19 can be performed using contact or non-contact detection. The storage unit 19 can be composed of electronic circuitry or physical mapping markers.

[0069] The electronic circuitry may include: a memory that stores control information; and an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag that enables the acquisition unit 105 to acquire the control information. The physical mapping marker may be a recess, hole, protrusion, or a combination of these elements disposed on the housing 17.

[0070] The location of storage unit 19 is not limited to Figure 3 The location shown is sufficient as long as the acquisition unit 105 of the printing device 100 can detect the storage unit 19. Furthermore, the cartridge 10 may include multiple storage units 19, each storing a segment of control information.

[0071] <Control Information>

[0072] The control information stored in the storage unit 19 includes at least information about how much the print belt 11A should be transported in reverse (i.e., in the opposite direction to the transport direction of the print belt 11A from the inside of the housing 17 toward the opening 18) (hereinafter referred to as "reverse transport amount of print belt 11A").

[0073] Information regarding the reverse transport amount is set for each print belt 11A. This reverse transport amount information includes at least one of the following: information about distance, information about rotation, information about temperature, information about humidity, information about usage, information about the characteristics of the print media, information about the suitability of reverse transport, and certification information about the cartridge.

[0074] Information about distance

[0075] The distance information represents the distance that the printing belt 11A is conveyed in reverse by the pressure roller 103A, and its unit is, for example, mm. Alternatively, the distance information can be a coefficient (representing a relative value of the long and short conveying distances), which the controller 107 uses to determine the amount of reverse conveying.

[0076] Incidentally, the control information may include multiple distance information lines prepared for various types of printing devices 100. For example, the multiple distance information lines may include: a first reverse conveying distance for a printing device 100 equipped with a mechanism for measuring the rotation angle of the pressure roller 103A; and a second reverse conveying distance for a printing device 100 without a measuring mechanism. In this case, the second reverse conveying distance may be set to be less than the first reverse conveying distance, thereby ensuring margins to offset the rotational displacement of the pressure roller 103A.

[0077] In addition, the control information mainly includes multiple distance information lines prepared for various printing modes of the printing device 100. For example, the multiple distance information lines may include: a third reverse conveying distance for a printing mode with small margins; and a fourth reverse conveying distance for a printing mode with large margins. In this case, the fourth reverse conveying distance may be set to be less than the third reverse conveying distance, thereby ensuring a larger margin at the leading end of the print belt 11A in subsequent printing.

[0078] Information about rotation

[0079] The rotation information indicates the rotation angle of the pressure roller 103A during reverse conveying, in radians (rad) or degrees (°), or the rotation information indicates the number of steps of the motor used to reversely rotate the pressure roller 103A during reverse conveying. The control information may include multiple rotation information prepared for various types of printing devices 100.

[0080] For example, multiple rotation information can be prepared for each pressure roller 103A with different diameters. These multiple rotation information can be represented in tabular format relative to their respective diameters. The larger the diameter, the smaller the rotation angle or motor step count of the pressure roller 103A set as rotation information.

[0081] Information about temperature and humidity

[0082] The temperature information indicates the upper limit temperature for allowing reverse transport of print belt 11A, and the unit is "°C". The humidity information indicates the upper limit humidity for allowing reverse transport of print belt 11A, and the unit is "%".

[0083] Information about usage

[0084] The usage information indicates the consumption of printing tape 11A or the period during which cartridge 10 is used (usage period). Specifically, the usage information includes the diameter of the first roll 11 (i.e., the remaining amount of printing tape 11A on the first roll 11), the manufacturing date and time of cartridge 10, etc. The usage information is updated by the printing device 100 each time cartridge 10 is used.

[0085] Information about the characteristics of the printing media

[0086] Information about the characteristics of the printing medium indicates the curling properties of the printing medium. For example, information about the characteristics includes the width, thickness, material and layer structure of the printing tape 11A, as well as the inner diameter of the first roll 11 (i.e., the outer diameter of the first spool).

[0087] Information regarding the applicability of reverse transmission

[0088] The information regarding the applicability of reverse conveying indicates whether reverse conveying of the printing tape 11A should be performed. In cases where the printing tape 11A cannot withstand reverse conveying due to its characteristics, the information regarding applicability indicates a value prohibiting reverse conveying. For example, reverse conveying is prohibited for printing tape 11A whose linearity or stiffness is considered insufficient, because tape blockage is likely to occur during such reverse conveying of the printing tape 11A.

[0089] Authentication information

[0090] The certification information regarding the cartridge indicates whether cartridge 10 is suitable for use in the printing device 100. When cartridge 10 is compatible with the printing device 100, the certification performed by the controller 107 is successfully executed using the certification information acquired by the acquisition unit 105. Conversely, when cartridge 10 is not compatible with the printing device 100, the certification performed by the controller 107 terminates in failure.

[0091] <Processing performed by controller 107>

[0092] Next, the various processes performed by the controller 107 will be described.

[0093] Specifically, according to this embodiment, the controller 107 is configured to execute an acquisition process, an authentication process, a determination process, a printing process, a transmission process, a cutting process, a reverse transmission process, and a forced reverse transmission process.

[0094] Acquisition process

[0095] The acquisition process is configured to begin when the box 10 is attached to the attachment unit 101. During the acquisition process, the acquisition unit 105 acquires control information from the box 10 attached to the attachment unit 101.

[0096] Specifically, the controller 107 obtains necessary information from the storage unit 19, including information about distance, rotation, temperature, humidity, usage, characteristics of the printing media, suitability for reverse transfer, and certification information about the cartridge.

[0097] The controller 107 is configured not to perform the reverse transmission process if it cannot retrieve a portion of the multiple pieces of information that should be retrieved from the storage unit 19 during the retrieval process. For example, even if a value representing the reverse transmission distance is obtained as information about the distance, the controller 107 will not perform the reverse transmission process if it cannot obtain a label for distinguishing between the third and fourth reverse transmission distances, that is, if it cannot distinguish between the reverse transmission distance associated with the printing mode for small margins and the reverse transmission distance associated with the printing mode for large margins.

[0098] Furthermore, if the information obtained regarding the applicability of reverse transmission indicates that reverse transmission should be prohibited, the controller 107 will not perform the reverse transmission process.

[0099] Furthermore, if the temperature around the printing device 100 exceeds the upper limit temperature indicated by the temperature information, or if the humidity around the printing device 100 exceeds the upper limit humidity indicated by the humidity information, the controller 107 will not perform the reverse transfer process. The ambient temperature and ambient humidity are measured by sensors installed in the printing device 100.

[0100] Certification process

[0101] During the authentication process, the box 10 attached to the attachment unit 101 is authenticated. Specifically, authentication is performed by verifying the authentication information about the box obtained by the acquisition unit 105 from the storage unit 19 during the acquisition process. If the authentication of the box 10 fails, the controller 107 will not perform the reverse transmission process.

[0102] Determine the process

[0103] During the determination process, the reverse transfer amount of print tape 11A is determined based on the acquired control information.

[0104] Specifically, the controller 107 determines the reverse conveying amount of the print belt 11A based on distance or rotation information according to the type of printing device 100. At this time, if the consumption or time period indicated in the usage information is larger, the controller 107 sets the reverse conveying amount to be smaller. Furthermore, if the information regarding the characteristics of the printing medium indicates a greater curling nature of the print belt 11A, the controller 107 sets the reverse conveying amount to be smaller.

[0105] The reverse transfer amount can be corrected by referring to a table showing the reverse transfer amount corresponding to consumption, usage time, or curl characteristics, depending on the usage information or media characteristics. Alternatively, the reverse transfer amount can be corrected as a function using consumption, usage time, or curl characteristics as parameters.

[0106] Furthermore, the controller 107 can correct the reverse transmission amount to be smaller based on an increase in ambient temperature or ambient humidity. For example, if the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined threshold temperature, the controller 107 may not perform any correction on the reverse transmission amount; and if the ambient temperature exceeds the predetermined threshold temperature but is equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature, the controller 107 may perform an arithmetic operation to reduce the reverse transmission amount in response to an increase in ambient temperature.

[0107] Furthermore, the controller 107 can be configured not to perform reverse transmission in cases where the sum of the current cumulative rotational distance of the pressure roller 103A and the amount of reverse transmission obtained exceeds the tolerance of the rotational distance of the pressure roller 103A.

[0108] The rotation distance tolerance indicates the predetermined upper limit of the use of the pressure roller 103A, that is, the upper limit of the service life of the pressure roller 103A. If the rotation of the pressure roller 103A exceeds the rotation distance tolerance, slippage may occur due to frictional wear of the pressure roller 103A, which is likely to cause failure in reverse conveying.

[0109] Printing process

[0110] During the printing process, the printing unit 102 performs printing on the printing belt 11A located within the opening 18. The printing process is configured to begin in response to user input.

[0111] Transmission process

[0112] During the transfer process, the print tape 11A, on which the printing unit 102 has performed the printing, is transferred from the printing unit 102 to the cutter unit 104 by the transfer unit 103. Specifically, the controller 107 drives the drive force input unit 106 to rotate in the normal transfer direction so as to transfer the print tape 11A when the printing process is completed.

[0113] Cutting process

[0114] During the cutting process, the printing tape 11A is cut by the cutter unit 104, separating the printed portion of the printing tape 11A from the unprinted portion. Specifically, when the conveying process is completed, the controller 107 drives the motor of the cutter unit 104 to move the cutter blade of the cutter unit 104 toward the printing tape 11A.

[0115] Reverse transmission process

[0116] During the reverse conveying process, the printed tape 11A, from which the printed portion has been separated, is conveyed in reverse from the cutter section 104 to the printing section 102 by the conveying unit 103 based on the reverse conveying amount determined during the determination process. Specifically, after the cutting process, the controller 107 drives the drive force input unit 106 to rotate in the reverse conveying direction to convey the printed tape 11A in reverse.

[0117] In this embodiment, the controller 107 is configured to not perform the reverse transmission process if any of the following cancellation conditions are met.

[0118] (Cancellation condition 1)

[0119] If the controller 107 cannot obtain a portion of the necessary information from the storage unit 19 during the acquisition process, it considers the cancellation condition to be met. For example, even if a value representing the reverse transmission distance is obtained as information about distance, if the label used to distinguish between the third and fourth reverse transmission distances cannot be obtained—that is, if it cannot distinguish between the reverse transmission distance associated with the printing mode for small margins and the reverse transmission distance associated with the printing mode for large margins—the controller 107 will not execute the reverse transmission process.

[0120] (Cancellation condition 2)

[0121] In cases where information regarding the applicability of reverse transmission indicates that reverse transmission should be prohibited, the cancellation condition is considered to be met.

[0122] (Cancellation condition 3)

[0123] If the temperature around the printing device 100 exceeds the upper limit temperature indicated by information about the temperature, the cancellation condition is considered to be met. The ambient temperature can be measured by a sensor installed in the printing device 100.

[0124] (Cancellation condition 4)

[0125] If the humidity around the printing device 100 exceeds the upper limit humidity indicated by information about humidity, the cancellation condition is considered to be met. The ambient humidity can be measured by a sensor installed in the printing device 100.

[0126] (Cancellation condition 5)

[0127] If the authentication of Box 10 fails during the authentication process, the cancellation condition is considered to have been met.

[0128] Forced reverse transmission process

[0129] In the case of forced reverse conveying, where the reverse conveying process has not yet been performed after the cutting process, the printing tape 11A is forcibly conveyed in reverse in response to a user's command instructing the forced reverse conveying of the printing tape 11A.

[0130] Specifically, when any of the cancellation conditions described above is met, the controller 107 drives the drive force input unit 106 to rotate in the reverse conveying direction, thereby forcibly conveying the print tape 11A in the reverse conveying direction according to the user's command. The reverse conveying amount during the forced reverse conveying process can be set as: a reverse conveying amount determined during the determination process; a specific reverse conveying amount specified by the user; or a predetermined reverse conveying amount for the forced reverse conveying of the print tape 11A.

[0131] The command to perform a forced reverse transfer can be entered by the user via keyboard 111 each time any of the cancellation conditions described above for canceling a reverse transfer are met. Alternatively, whether to perform a forced reverse transfer can be preset by the user and stored in the storage medium (memory) of the controller 107.

[0132] <Demonstration processing after printing and cutting on printing tape 11A>

[0133] Next, refer to Figure 5 The flowchart shown illustrates an example of the processing performed by controller 107 after the printing and cutting process. That is, the following processing is configured to be performed relative to the print tape 11A, which has already undergone printing and cutting.

[0134] After the printing tape 11A is cut, the controller 107 determines whether the authentication process was successful (S110). If the authentication has failed (S110: No), the controller 107 sets the first flag to 1 (i.e., the first flag is ON) (S120). On the other hand, if the authentication is successful (S110: Yes), the controller 107 maintains the first flag in the default state (i.e., the first flag remains zero).

[0135] The controller 107 then determines whether the print tape 11A can be reverse-transmitted based on information regarding the suitability of reverse transmission (S130). If reverse transmission is prohibited (S130: No), the controller 107 sets the second flag to 1 (S140). On the other hand, if reverse transmission is permitted (S130: Yes), the controller 107 maintains the second flag in its default state (i.e., the second flag remains at zero).

[0136] The controller 107 then determines whether all necessary information has been acquired (S150). If any of the necessary information has not been acquired (S150: No), the controller 107 sets the third flag to 1 (S160). On the other hand, if all necessary information has been acquired (S150: Yes), the controller 107 maintains the third flag in its default state (i.e., the third flag remains at zero).

[0137] The controller 107 then determines whether the ambient temperature is equal to or less than the upper limit temperature that enables reverse transmission (S170). If the ambient temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature (S170: No), the controller 107 sets the fourth flag to 1 (S180). On the other hand, if the ambient temperature is equal to or less than the upper limit temperature (S170: Yes), the controller 107 maintains the fourth flag in the default state (i.e., the fourth flag remains zero).

[0138] The controller 107 then determines whether the ambient humidity is equal to or less than the upper limit humidity that enables reverse transmission (S190). If the ambient humidity exceeds the upper limit humidity (S190: No), the controller 107 sets the fifth flag to 1 (200). On the other hand, if the ambient humidity is equal to or less than the upper limit humidity (S190: Yes), the controller 107 maintains the fifth flag in the default state (i.e., the fifth flag remains zero).

[0139] Subsequently, the controller 107 determines the reverse transmission amount and whether the determined reverse transmission amount is equal to or less than the tolerance of the rotation distance (S210). If the determined reverse transmission amount exceeds the tolerance (S210: No), the controller 107 sets the sixth flag to 1 (S220). On the other hand, if the determined reverse transmission amount is equal to or less than the tolerance (S210: Yes), the controller 107 maintains the sixth flag in the default state (i.e., the sixth flag remains zero).

[0140] The controller 107 then determines whether all flags (first flag to sixth flag) are set to zero (S230). If all flags are set to zero (S230: yes), the controller 107 performs a reverse transfer process to perform reverse transfer of the print tape 11A (S240).

[0141] On the other hand, if any of the flags is set to 1 (S230: No), the controller 107 determines whether there is a user command indicating the execution of forced reverse transmission (S250). If forced reverse transmission is indicated (S250: Yes), the controller 107 executes the forced reverse transmission process to perform the reverse transmission of print tape 11A (S240). On the other hand, if forced reverse transmission is not indicated (S250: No), the controller 107 cancels the execution of forced reverse transmission (S260).

[0142] After executing or canceling the reverse transfer of print tape 11A, controller 107 clears all flags to restore all flags to their corresponding default values ​​(S270).

[0143] Incidentally, in Figure 5 In the flowchart shown, if any of the cancellation conditions for canceling the reverse transfer is met (e.g., in the case of authentication failure), the controller 107 can be configured to skip the remaining intermediate processes and proceed directly to step S250 instead of setting a flag to confirm whether the user has indicated a forced reverse transfer.

[0144] <Technical and operational advantages of the embodiments>

[0145] The following advantageous effects can be obtained based on the embodiments described above.

[0146] (a) Because the reverse conveying amount is determined based on control information associated with cartridge 10, the reverse conveying amount of print tape 11A can be adjusted according to the characteristics of printing device 100 and / or print tape 11A. As a result, the occurrence of malfunctions during reverse conveying of print tape 11A can be suppressed.

[0147] (b) The reverse transfer process is configured not to be executed unless all of the multiple necessary pieces of information have been acquired; that is, the reverse transfer process is configured not to be executed if the controller 107 fails to acquire a portion of the multiple necessary pieces of information during the acquisition process. This configuration can prevent the print tape 11A from unintentionally reversing the transfer amount.

[0148] (c) As the consumption of printing tape 11A increases, the diameter of the first roll 11 decreases. Therefore, as the consumption of printing tape 11A increases, the tendency for printing tape 11A supplied to the opening 18 to curl increases. Furthermore, the time period for maintaining the curled shape of printing tape 11A is extended proportionally to the increase in the usage time of the cartridge 10 (i.e., the increase in time elapsed since the manufacturing date of the cartridge 10). Therefore, as more time has elapsed since the manufacturing date of the cartridge 10, the tendency for printing tape 11A to curl also increases.

[0149] In this regard, according to this embodiment, based on the usage information included in the control information, the reverse conveying amount of the printing tape 11A is corrected to be smaller as the consumption of the printing tape 11A increases or the usage time of the cartridge 10 increases. With this configuration, the reverse conveying amount can be adjusted in accordance with the strength of the curling properties of the printing tape 11A. As a result, the occurrence of malfunctions during reverse conveying can be suppressed.

[0150] (d) Based on the information about the characteristics of the printing medium included in the control information, as the curling tendency of the printing belt 11A increases, the reverse conveying amount of the printing belt 11A is corrected to be smaller. Therefore, the reverse conveying amount can be adjusted in accordance with the degree of curling tendency. As a result, the occurrence of faults during reverse conveying can be suppressed.

[0151] (e) The reverse conveying process is configured not to be performed when the ambient temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature and / or the ambient humidity exceeds the upper limit humidity. This configuration can eliminate failures caused by reverse conveying of the printing tape 11A, which has a higher tendency to curl.

[0152] (f) The reverse transfer process is configured not to be performed in cases where information regarding the suitability of reverse transfer indicates that reverse transfer is prohibited and / or in cases where authentication of cartridge 10 is unsuccessful. This configuration can suppress the reverse transfer of the print tape 11A of cartridge 10, which is deemed unsuitable for reverse transfer. Accordingly, erroneous use of cartridge 10 and printing device 100 can be avoided.

[0153] (g) The control information includes multiple distance information and / or multiple rotation information, each for each type of printing device 100. With this configuration, the cartridge 10 can be used as a common cartridge applicable to different types of printing devices 100, while suppressing the occurrence of malfunctions during reverse transport.

[0154] 2. Variations and variants

[0155] Although detailed description has been given with reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the scope of this disclosure.

[0156] (a) The printing apparatus and cartridge of this disclosure are not limited to those of the disclosed types that use ink ribbons for printing images on printing media. For example, the cartridge of this disclosure may include a thermal ribbon as a printing medium configured to be printed by a printing unit.

[0157] (b) The control information disclosed herein may not include authentication information regarding the cartridge. For example, the controller of the printing apparatus may be configured to perform authentication of the cartridge by recognizing its shape or internal structure.

[0158] (c) The cartridge of this disclosure may not include a laminating tape. In a cartridge without a laminating tape, it is not necessary to attach the laminating tape and the printed tape together using clamping rollers and pressure rollers. Therefore, it is possible to set an increased reverse conveying amount in the control information.

[0159] (d) An element having multiple functions in the embodiments described above can be configured as multiple elements to achieve the same function. Similarly, multiple elements having various functions can be configured as a single element capable of achieving the same function. Furthermore, a portion of the elements in the depicted embodiments can be omitted. Alternatively, at least a portion of the elements in the depicted embodiments can be added to or transferred to another alternative configuration of the embodiment, or replaced by another alternative configuration of the embodiment.

[0160] This disclosure may include various other embodiments that fall within the scope of the technology defined by the claims.

[0161] <Note>

[0162] Printing device 100 is an example of a printing device. Attachment part 101 is an example of an attachment part. Transport part 103 is an example of a transport part. Printing part 102 is an example of a printing part. Cutter part 104 is an example of a cutter part. Controller 107 is an example of a controller. Pressure roller 103A is an example of a pressure roller in the transport part. Cartridge 10 is an example of a cartridge configured to be detachably attached to the attachment part. Printing belt 11A is an example of the printing medium for the cartridge. Housing 17 is an example of the housing for the cartridge. Storage part 19 is an example of a storage part for the cartridge.

Claims

1. A printing apparatus comprising: an attachment portion configured to detachably receive a cartridge that houses a belt-like printing medium; a conveyance portion configured to convey the printing medium in a normal conveyance direction and a reverse conveyance direction opposite to each other; a printing portion configured to perform printing on the printing medium; a cutter portion configured to cut the printing medium after the printing; and a controller configured to execute: a conveyance process that controls the conveyance portion to convey the printing medium from the printing portion to the cutter portion in the normal conveyance direction; a cutting process that controls the cutter portion to cut the printing medium to separate a portion of the printing medium that is printed by the printing portion from a remaining unprinted portion of the printing medium; an acquisition process that acquires control information from the cartridge received in the attachment portion; a determination process that adjusts an amount of reverse conveyance of the printing medium based on the control information acquired in the acquisition process; and a reverse conveyance process that controls the conveyance portion to convey the remaining unprinted portion of the printing medium in the reverse conveyance direction by the amount of reverse conveyance adjusted in the determination process.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control information is stored in a storage portion of the cartridge, and the control information has information set for the printing medium of the cartridge regarding the amount of reverse conveyance.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the controller is configured to acquire a plurality of pieces of necessary information as the control information from the cartridge in the acquisition process, and wherein the controller is further configured not to execute the reverse conveyance process in a case where the controller fails to acquire a part of the plurality of pieces of necessary information in the acquisition process.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire, as the control information, an amount of consumption of the printing medium or information regarding a use time period of the cartridge, and wherein wherein, in the determination process, the controller is configured to determine the amount of reverse conveyance to be smaller as the amount of consumption or the use time period acquired in the acquisition process is larger.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire, as the control information, information regarding a characteristic of the printing medium that relates to a curling tendency of the printing medium, and wherein, wherein, in the determination process, the controller is configured to determine the amount of reverse conveyance to be smaller as the curling tendency of the printing medium based on the information regarding the characteristic of the printing medium is larger.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, in the acquisition process, the controller is configured to acquire, as the control information, information regarding a temperature that indicates an upper limit temperature for permitting reverse conveyance of the printing medium, and wherein wherein, in the determination process, the controller is configured to determine the amount of reverse conveyance to be smaller as the upper limit temperature based on the information regarding the temperature is higher. In the determining process, the controller is configured to correct the reverse conveying amount to be smaller in a case where the ambient temperature exceeds the upper limit temperature acquired in the acquiring process.

7. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein In the acquiring process, the controller is configured to acquire, as the control information, information on humidity indicating an upper limit humidity for permitting reverse conveying of the printing medium, and In the determining process, the controller is configured to correct the reverse conveying amount to be smaller in a case where the ambient humidity exceeds the upper limit humidity acquired in the acquiring process.

8. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein, In the acquiring process, the controller is configured to acquire, as the control information, information on reverse conveying applicability indicating whether or not reverse conveying of the printing medium should be performed, and In a case where the information on reverse conveying applicability indicates that reverse conveying of the printing medium is prohibited, the controller is configured not to perform the reverse conveying process.

9. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, In a case where authentication of the cartridge in the authentication process is unsuccessful, the controller is configured not to perform the reverse conveying process.

10. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The conveying section includes a platen roller configured to rotate to convey the printing medium in the normal conveying direction and in the reverse conveying direction, and In a case where a sum of a cumulative rotation distance of the platen roller and the reverse conveying amount determined in the determining process exceeds a tolerance of a rotation distance of the platen roller indicating a service life of the platen roller, the controller is configured not to perform the reverse conveying process.

11. The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The controller is further configured to receive a user's command for forcing the conveying section to convey the printing medium in the reverse conveying direction, and In a case where the reverse conveying process is not performed, the controller is configured to perform reverse conveying of the printing medium in response to receiving the user's command.

12. A cartridge for printing, comprising: a band-shaped printing medium; a housing in which the printing medium is accommodated, the housing having an opening portion to expose the printing medium outside of the housing for printing on the printing medium, the printing medium being configured to be conveyed in a normal conveying direction from an inside of the housing to the opening portion and in a reverse conveying direction opposite to the normal conveying direction; and a storage section storing control information for adjusting a reverse conveying amount of the printing medium, the reverse conveying amount being an amount by which the printing medium is conveyed in the reverse conveying direction. ​ 13. The cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the control information has information on a consumed amount of the print medium or information on use indicating a use period of the cartridge.

14. The cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the control information has information on a characteristic of the print medium indicating a curling tendency of the print medium.

15. The cartridge according to claim 12, wherein the control information has information on a suitability of reverse transfer of the print medium indicating whether reverse transfer of the print medium should be performed.

16. The cartridge according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein the cartridge is detachably attachable to a plurality of types of printing apparatuses each having a platen roller configured to transfer the print medium and a motor for rotating the platen roller, the platen rollers of the respective printing apparatuses being different from each other, and wherein the control information has a plurality of pieces of rotation information each preset for a corresponding one of the types of the printing apparatuses, each of the pieces of rotation information indicating: a rotation angle of each of the platen rollers associated with the corresponding printing apparatus during reverse transfer of the print medium; or a number of steps of each of the motors associated with the corresponding printing apparatus during reverse transfer of the print medium.

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