Printing device and printing cassette

Abstract

To provide a printing device capable of suppressing defects generated during reverse conveyance of a printing medium.SOLUTION: The printing device comprises: a storage unit that detachably stores a printing cassette storing a long printing medium; a conveyance unit; a printing unit; a cutting unit; an acquisition unit; and a control unit. The control unit executes a conveyance process for conveying the printing medium from the printing unit to the cutting unit by the conveyance unit, a cutting process for cutting a part to be printed apart from an unprinted part by the cutting unit, an acquisition process for acquiring control information from the printing cassette by the acquisition unit, a determination process for determining a reverse conveyance amount of the printing medium on the basis of the acquired control information, and a reverse conveyance process for reverse-conveying the printing medium from which the part to be printed has been separated from the cutting unit toward the printing unit on the basis of the determined reverse conveyance amount.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus and a printing cassette. [Background technology]

[0002] In a printing device that prints on a long print medium (i.e., a printing tape) stored in a cassette, the print medium that has been printed in the printing section is transported to a cutting section, where the print medium is cut and the printed portion is separated from the unprinted portion.

[0003] In such printing devices, a mechanism is known that transports the printing medium back from the cutting unit to the printing unit after cutting in order to reduce the margins in the unprinted areas and save on printing medium consumption (see Patent Documents 1 to 3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-136473 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-036907 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2019-098687 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the above-mentioned printing device, if the amount of reverse transport is too large in order to reduce the margin, the print medium may move to a position where it cannot be transported or printed. Also, depending on the characteristics of the print medium, the usage conditions, etc., a malfunction may occur in the transport mechanism of the printing device during reverse transport.

[0006] An object of one aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a printing device that can suppress problems that occur when a print medium is transported in the reverse direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a printing device comprising a storage section in which a printing cassette containing a long sheet of printing medium is removably stored, a transport section for transporting the printing medium, a printing section for printing on the printing medium, a cutting section for cutting the printing medium, an acquisition section for acquiring control information from the printing cassette, and a control section.

[0008] The control unit executes a transport process in which the transport unit transports the printing medium from the printing unit to the cutting unit; a cutting process in which the cutting unit cuts the printing medium to separate the printed portion printed by the printing unit from the unprinted portion; an acquisition process in which the acquisition unit acquires control information from a printing cassette stored in the storage unit; a determination process in which the acquisition unit determines the amount of reverse transport of the printing medium based on the acquired control information; and a reverse transport process in which the transport unit transports the printing medium from which the printed portion has been separated reversely from the cutting unit to the printing unit based on the determined amount of reverse transport.

[0009] According to this configuration, the amount of reverse transport is determined based on the control information added to the printing cassette, so the amount of reverse transport of the printing medium can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the printing device and / or the printing medium, etc. As a result, problems during reverse transport of the printing medium can be suppressed.

[0010] Another aspect of the present disclosure is a printing cassette comprising a long sheet of printing medium, a case for housing the printing medium, an opening for exposing the printing medium to the outside of the case and through which printing is performed on the printing medium, and a memory unit for storing control information relating to the amount of reverse transport when the printing medium is transported reversely in a direction opposite to the direction in which the printing medium is transported from the inside of the case to the opening.

[0011] According to this configuration, the amount of reverse transport by the printing device is determined based on the control information stored in the printing cassette, so the amount of reverse transport of the printing medium can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the printing device and / or the printing medium, etc. As a result, problems during reverse transport of the printing medium can be suppressed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a printing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the printing apparatus of FIG. 1 and a printing cassette in the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic enlarged partial view of the vicinity of the printing section in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the control unit in FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating an outline of the process executed by the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] [1. First embodiment] [1-1. Configuration] <Printing device> A printing apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that uses a printing cassette 10 (see FIG. 2) to print on a long print medium.

[0014] In this embodiment, the direction in which the printing cassette 10 is inserted into the storage section 101 is defined as the downward direction, the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction in which the printing tape 11A is ejected from the printing device 100 is defined as the leftward direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the vertical direction and the left-right direction is defined as the front-rear direction.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing device 100 includes a housing 110, a keyboard 111, and a display 112.

[0016] The keyboard 111 is an input device for inputting print contents such as characters and for setting functions. The display 112 is a display device that displays the print contents inputted via the keyboard 111, information such as control errors, and the like.

[0017] 2, the printing device 100 includes a storage unit 101, a printing unit 102, a transport unit 103, a cutting unit 104, an acquisition unit 105, a drive input unit 106, and a control unit 107. Note that the printing device 100 in FIG. 2 is in a state where the keyboard 111 has been removed from the housing 110.

[0018] (Storage section) The storage unit 101 is a recess in which the printing cassette 10 is detachably attached. The storage unit 101 has a positioning function for the printing cassette 10. The storage unit 101 is provided in a housing 110. The keyboard 111 constitutes a lid that covers the printing cassette 10 in the storage unit 101.

[0019] (Printing Department) The printing unit 102 is disposed inside the storage unit 101. The printing unit 102 is a print head that prints on the printing tape 11A contained in the printing cassette 10.

[0020] The printing unit 102 has a plurality of heating elements whose heat generation is individually controlled. The printing unit 102 is disposed within the opening 18 of the printing cassette 10 when the printing cassette 10 is attached to the storage unit 101.

[0021] (Transportation section) The transport section 103 transports and reverses the printing tape 11A. As shown in FIG. 3, the transport section 103 has a platen roller 103A, a pressure roller 103B, and a roller holder 103C.

[0022] The platen roller 103A is disposed in the vicinity of the printing unit 102 so as to face the printing unit 102 inside the storage unit 101. The platen roller 103A rotates in a feed direction for feeding the printing tape 11A from the printing unit 102 to the cutting unit 104, and in a reverse feed direction that is the opposite direction to the feed direction.

[0023] The platen roller 103A is rotationally driven by a platen gear (not shown) connected to the platen roller 103A. The platen gear rotates by receiving from the printing cassette 10 a driving force input to the printing cassette 10 by a driving input unit 106. The rotation direction of the platen roller 103A is determined by the rotation direction of the driving input unit 106.

[0024] The pressure roller 103B is disposed downstream of the platen roller 103A in the discharge direction of the printing tape 11A. The pressure roller 103B, together with the pinch roller 15 of the printing cassette 10, presses the laminate tape 13A against the printing tape 11A after printing.

[0025] The roller holder 103C holds the platen roller 103A and the pressure roller 103B. The platen roller 103A and the pressure roller 103B can move toward or away from the printing unit 102 and the printing cassette 10 by the swinging of the roller holder 103C.

[0026] (cutting part) The cutting unit 104 is a cutter that cuts the printing tape 11A after printing by the printing unit .

[0027] The cutting unit 104 is disposed at the discharge port of the print tape 11A in the storage unit 101. In other words, the cutting unit 104 is disposed downstream of the printing unit 102 and the transport unit 103 in the discharge direction of the print tape 11A.

[0028] (Acquisition Department) 2 acquires the control information from the printing cassette 10. The acquisition unit 105 detects the control information from the memory unit 19 of the printing cassette 10 by a mechanical, optical, or electromagnetic reading sensor.

[0029] (Drive input section) The drive input portion 106 is a shaft that inputs a drive force to the printing cassette 10. Specifically, the drive input portion 106 engages with the take-up spool 14 of the printing cassette 10 to rotate the take-up spool 14. The drive input portion 106 also engages with the input gear 16 of the printing cassette 10 to input a drive force to the input gear 16.

[0030] The drive input unit 106 is disposed inside the storage unit 101. The drive input unit 106 is rotated about its axis by a drive source (not shown). As the drive source, for example, a mechanism combining a motor and a gear can be used.

[0031] (Control unit) 4, the control unit 107 processes information input from the keyboard 111 and the acquisition unit 105. The control unit 107 also controls the display 112, the printing unit 102, the conveying unit 103, and the cutting unit 104.

[0032] The control unit 107 is configured by, for example, a computer including a processor, storage media such as RAM and ROM, and an input / output unit. The control unit 107 executes a pre-stored program to control printing, feeding, and cutting of the print tape 11A. Specific processing by the control unit 107 will be described later.

[0033] <Printing cassette> The printing cassette 10 shown in Fig. 3 contains a printing tape 11A, which is a long print medium. The printing cassette 10 shown in Fig. 3 is a printing cassette capable of forming a print result by bonding a laminate tape 13A to the printing tape 11A after printing.

[0034] The printing cassette 10 can be attached to and detached from different types of printing devices 100 (e.g., printing devices 100 having different diameters of the platen roller 103A). By replacing the printing cassette 10, it is possible to replenish printing media and change the type of printing media (e.g., size, color, material, etc.).

[0035] The printing cassette 10 includes a first roll 11, a second roll 12, a third roll 13, a take-up spool 14, a pinch roller 15, an input gear 16, a case 17, an opening 18, and a storage section 19.

[0036] (1st roll) The first roll 11 is a spool on which a printing tape 11A on which printing is to be performed is wound. Printing is performed on the surface of the printing tape 11A by a printing unit 102 of the printing device 100 and an ink ribbon 12A.

[0037] The first roll 11 rotates together with the spool as the platen roller 103A of the printing device 100 transports the printing tape 11A, thereby supplying the printing tape 11A to the printing unit .

[0038] (2nd roll) The second roll 12 is formed by winding an ink ribbon 12A, which is used for printing on the printing tape 11A, around a spool.

[0039] The ink ribbon 12A is overlapped with the printing tape 11A at the opening 18, and is used for printing by the printing unit 102. After being used for printing, the ink ribbon 12A is taken up by the take-up spool 14.

[0040] The second roll 12 rotates together with the take-up spool 14 as the ink ribbon 12A is taken up by the spool, thereby supplying the ink ribbon 12A to the printing unit 102.

[0041] (3rd roll) The third roll 13 is a spool on which a laminate tape 13A used for protecting the printing tape 11A is wound.

[0042] The third roll 13 rotates together with the spool as the pinch roller 15 and the pressure roller 103B bond the laminate tape 13A to the print tape 11A, thereby supplying the laminate tape 13A.

[0043] (Take-up spool) Take-up spool 14 has an inner circumferential surface that defines a hollow portion into which drive input portion 106 is inserted, and spline teeth provided on this inner circumferential surface.

[0044] The drive input portion 106 engages with the spline teeth of the take-up spool 14 to transmit the drive force to the take-up spool 14. The take-up spool 14 is rotated by the drive input portion 106 and takes up the ink ribbon 12A.

[0045] (Pinch roller) The pinch roller 15, together with the pressure roller 103B of the printing device 100, sandwiches the printing tape 11A and the laminating tape 13A in the thickness direction, thereby bonding the laminating tape 13A to the printing tape 11A.

[0046] (Input gear) The input gear 16 has an inner circumferential surface that defines a hollow portion into which the drive input portion 106 is inserted, and spline teeth provided on the inner circumferential surface. The input gear 16 is disposed so as to overlap with the take-up spool 14 in the vertical direction.

[0047] The driving force input to the input gear 16 by the driving input portion 106 is transmitted to the platen roller 103A (specifically, the platen gear) by a driving transmission mechanism (not shown) provided inside the printing cassette 10.

[0048] (case) The case 17 houses the first roll 11, the second roll 12, the third roll 13, the take-up spool 14, the pinch roller 15 and the input gear 16.

[0049] (Opening) The opening 18 exposes the printing tape 11A to the outside of the case 17. In the opening 18, printing on the printing tape 11A is performed by the printing unit 102.

[0050] The opening 18 is a portion obtained by cutting out a part of the case 17. The opening 18 forms a space in which the printing unit 102 is disposed when the printing cassette 10 is attached to the printing device 100.

[0051] The printing tape 11A and the ink ribbon 12A are stretched across the left and right direction in the opening 18. The printing tape 11A after printing is transported from the opening 18 toward the outside of the printing device 100 by the transport unit 103. The ink ribbon 12A after printing is taken up from the opening 18 onto the take-up spool 14.

[0052] (Storage part) The storage unit 19 stores control information that is used when the transport unit 103 of the printing device 100 transports the printing tape 11A in the reverse direction.

[0053] The storage unit 19 causes the acquisition unit 105 of the printing device 100 to detect the control information. Reading of the storage unit 19 may be either contact or non-contact. The storage unit 19 may be configured with an electronic circuit or a physical marker.

[0054] The location of the storage unit 19 is not limited to the location shown in the figure, as long as it is a location that can be detected by the acquisition unit 105 of the printing device 100. In addition, the printing cassette 10 may be provided with multiple storage units 19, each of which stores a portion of the control information.

[0055] The electronic circuit includes, for example, a memory that stores the control information, and an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag that allows the acquisition unit 105 to acquire the control information. The physical marker is, for example, a recess, a hole, a protrusion, or a combination thereof provided in the case 17.

[0056] The control information includes at least information related to the amount of reverse feeding of the printing tape 11A when the printing tape 11A is reversely fed in the direction opposite to the direction in which the printing tape 11A is fed from the inside of the case 17 to the opening 18.

[0057] The information on the reverse feed amount is set according to the printing tape 11 A. The control information includes at least one of distance information, rotation information, temperature information, humidity information, usage information, medium characteristic information, reverse feed availability information, and cassette authentication information as information on the reverse feed amount.

[0058] The distance information indicates the distance (for example, in mm) that the printing tape 11A is conveyed backward by the platen roller 103A. The distance information may also be a coefficient (that is, a relative value indicating the magnitude of the backward conveyance amount) that the control unit 107 uses to determine the backward conveyance amount.

[0059] The control information may include a plurality of distance information items prepared for each type of printing device 100 . For example, the control information may include a first reverse conveying distance when the printing apparatus 100 has a mechanism for measuring the rotation angle of the platen roller 103A, and a second reverse conveying distance when the printing apparatus 100 does not have the measurement mechanism. To ensure a margin for deviation in the rotation of the platen roller 103A, the second reverse conveying distance is set to a value smaller than the first reverse conveying distance.

[0060] Furthermore, the control information may include a plurality of distance information prepared for each printing mode of the printing device 100. For example, the control information may include a third reverse feed distance for a printing mode with a small print margin and a fourth reverse feed distance for a printing mode with a large print margin. In order to increase the margin of the printing tape 11A in the next printing, the fourth reverse feed distance is set to a value smaller than the third reverse feed distance.

[0061] The rotation information indicates the rotation angle (e.g., in rad or ° units) of the platen roller 103A during reverse transport or the number of steps of the motor that rotates the platen roller 103A during reverse transport. The control information may include multiple pieces of rotation information prepared for each type of printing device 100.

[0062] For example, the control information may include a plurality of pieces of rotation information (i.e., a table of rotation information) corresponding to the diameter of the platen roller 103A of the printing apparatus 100. The larger the diameter of the platen roller 103A, the smaller the rotation angle of the platen roller 103A or the number of steps of the motor is set to.

[0063] The temperature information indicates the upper limit temperature (for example, in ° C.) at which the reverse feed of the print tape 11A is permitted.The humidity information indicates the upper limit humidity (for example, in %) at which the reverse feed of the print tape 11A is permitted.

[0064] The usage information is information related to the consumption amount or usage time of the printing tape 11A. Specifically, the usage information includes the diameter of the first roll 11 (i.e., the remaining amount of the printing tape 11A on the first roll 11), the manufacturing date and time of the printing cassette 10, etc. The usage information is overwritten by the printing device 100 as the printing cassette 10 is used.

[0065] The medium characteristic information is information relating to the tendency of the print medium to curl. Specifically, the medium characteristic information includes the width, thickness, material, and layer structure of the printing tape 11A, the inside diameter of the first roll 11 (i.e., the outside diameter of the spool), etc.

[0066] The reverse feed possibility information indicates whether reverse feed of the printing tape 11A is possible or not. In a printing cassette 10 in which reverse feed is inappropriate due to the characteristics of the printing tape 11A, the reverse feed possibility information is set to a value indicating that reverse feed is prohibited. For example, if the rigidity of the printing tape 11A is low, reverse feed is not possible because there is a risk of a jam occurring due to reverse feed.

[0067] The cassette authentication information is information indicating that the printing cassette 10 is compatible with the printing device 100. In a printing cassette 10 that is compatible with the printing device 100, the acquisition unit 105 acquires the cassette authentication information, and authentication by the control unit 107 is successful. On the other hand, if the printing cassette 10 is not compatible with the printing device 100, the authentication by the control unit 107 will not be successful.

[0068] <Processing of control unit> The control unit 107 executes an acquisition process, an authentication process, a decision process, a printing process, a transport process, a cutting process, a reverse transport process, and a forced reverse transport process.

[0069] (Acquisition process) The acquisition process is started when the printing cassette 10 is attached to the storage unit 101. In the acquisition process, the acquisition unit 105 acquires control information from the printing cassette 10 stored in the storage unit 101.

[0070] Specifically, the control unit 107 acquires from the storage unit 19 necessary information from among distance information, rotation information, temperature information, humidity information, usage information, medium characteristic information, reverse conveyance availability information, and cassette authentication information.

[0071] The control unit 107 does not execute the reverse conveying process if it is unable to acquire some of the multiple pieces of information that need to be acquired from the storage unit 19 in the acquisition process. For example, even if the numerical value of the reverse conveying distance can be acquired as distance information, if it is unable to acquire a label that distinguishes between the third reverse conveying distance and the fourth reverse conveying distance (that is, if it is unable to distinguish whether the reverse conveying distance is for a print mode with a small print margin or a print mode with a large print margin), it does not execute the reverse conveying process.

[0072] Furthermore, when the obtained reverse transport possibility information indicates that transport is prohibited, the control unit 107 does not execute the reverse transport process.

[0073] Furthermore, the control unit 107 does not execute the reverse conveying process when the temperature in the environment in which the printing device 100 is used (i.e., the ambient temperature) exceeds the upper limit temperature indicated by the temperature information, or when the humidity in the environment in which the printing device 100 is used (i.e., the ambient humidity) exceeds the upper limit humidity indicated by the humidity information. The ambient temperature and ambient humidity are measured by sensors provided in the printing device 100.

[0074] (Authentication process) In the authentication process, the printing cassette 10 stored in the storage unit 101 is authenticated. Specifically, the authentication is performed by checking the cassette authentication information acquired by the acquisition unit 105 from the storage unit 19 in the acquisition process. If the authentication of the printing cassette 10 is not successful, the control unit 107 does not execute the reverse conveyance process.

[0075] (Decision process) In the determination process, the reverse feed amount of the printing tape 11A is determined based on the acquired control information.

[0076] Specifically, the control unit 107 determines the amount of reverse feed of the printing tape 11A based on distance information or rotation information according to the type of printing device 100. At this time, the control unit 107 reduces the amount of reverse feed as the consumption amount or usage time based on the usage information increases. Also, the control unit 107 reduces the amount of reverse feed as the tendency to curl based on the medium characteristic information increases.

[0077] The corrected reverse transport amount based on the usage information or media characteristic information may be determined by referring to a table indicating the reverse transport amount corresponding to the consumption amount, usage time, or tendency to curl, or may be determined by a function with the consumption amount, usage time, or tendency to curl as variables.

[0078] Furthermore, the control unit 107 may perform a correction such that the reverse conveyance amount is decreased as the atmospheric temperature or the atmospheric humidity is increased. For example, the control unit 107 may perform a calculation such that the correction is not performed when the atmospheric temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined correction temperature, and the reverse conveyance amount is decreased as the atmospheric temperature increases when the atmospheric temperature is higher than the correction temperature and equal to or lower than an upper limit temperature.

[0079] Furthermore, the control unit 107 may be configured not to execute reverse conveyance when the sum of the current cumulative rotation distance of the platen roller 103A and the determined reverse conveyance amount exceeds an allowable value for the rotation distance.

[0080] The allowable value of the rotation distance is a predetermined value that indicates the upper limit of the use of the platen roller 103A. If the platen roller 103A rotates beyond the allowable value of the rotation distance, slippage occurs due to wear, and there is a risk of a malfunction occurring during reverse conveyance.

[0081] (Printing process) In the printing process, the printing unit 102 prints on the printing tape 11A inside the opening 18. The printing process is started by an input from the user.

[0082] (Transportation processing) In the transport process, the transport unit 103 transports the printed printing tape 11A from the printing unit 102 to the cutting unit 104. Specifically, after the printing process is completed, the control unit 107 rotates the drive input unit 106 in the transport direction to transport the printing tape 11A.

[0083] (Disconnection process) In the cutting process, the cutting unit 104 cuts the printing tape 11A so as to separate the printed portion printed by the printing unit 102 from the unprinted portion. Specifically, after the conveying process is completed, the control unit 107 drives the motor of the cutting unit 104 to move the blade of the cutting unit 104 toward the printing tape 11A.

[0084] (Reverse transport process) In the reverse feed process, the print tape 11A from which the print portion has been separated is fed reversely by the feed unit 103 from the cutting unit 104 toward the printing unit 102 based on the determined reverse feed amount. Specifically, after the cutting process is completed, the control unit 107 feeds the print tape 11A reversely by rotating the drive input unit 106 in the reverse feed direction.

[0085] (Forced reverse transport process) In the forced reverse feed process, when the reverse feed process is not executed, the print tape 11A is fed reversely in response to an instruction from the user.

[0086] Specifically, when any of the reverse transport stop conditions for not executing the reverse transport process described above is satisfied, the control unit 107 rotates the drive input unit 106 in the reverse transport direction based on a forced reverse transport instruction from the user. The reverse transport amount in the forced reverse transport process is set to the reverse transport amount determined in the determination process, the reverse transport amount input by the user, or a predetermined reverse transport amount for forced reverse transport.

[0087] The instruction for forced reverse transport may be input by the user via the keyboard 111 each time a reverse transport cancellation condition is satisfied. Also, whether or not forced reverse transport is possible may be set and registered in the memory of the control unit 107 by the user in advance.

[0088] (Control Flow) Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 5, an example of the process executed by the control unit 107 on the printing tape 11A that has been printed and cut will be described.

[0089] When cutting of the printing tape 11A is completed, the control unit 107 judges whether or not the authentication process is successful (step S110). If the authentication process is unsuccessful (S110: NO), the control unit 107 sets the first flag to 1 (i.e., ON) (step S120). On the other hand, if the authentication process is successful (S110: YES), the control unit 107 leaves the first flag at the default (i.e., zero).

[0090] Next, the control unit 107 judges whether or not the print tape 11A can be fed backward based on the information on whether or not the reverse feed is possible (step S130). If the reverse feed is prohibited (S130: NO), the control unit 107 sets the second flag to 1 (step S140). On the other hand, if the reverse feed is possible (S130: YES), the control unit 107 leaves the second flag at the default.

[0091] Next, the control unit 107 determines whether or not the necessary information has been acquired (step S150). If there is necessary information that has not been acquired (S150: NO), the control unit 107 sets the third flag to 1 (step S160). On the other hand, if all necessary information has been acquired (S150: YES), the control unit 107 leaves the third flag at the default.

[0092] Next, the control unit 107 determines whether the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than the upper limit temperature at which reversal is possible (step S170). If the ambient temperature exceeds the upper limit (S170: NO), the control unit 107 sets the fourth flag to 1 (step S180). On the other hand, if the ambient temperature is equal to or lower than the upper limit (S170: YES), the control unit 107 leaves the fourth flag at the default.

[0093] Next, the control unit 107 determines whether the ambient humidity is equal to or lower than the upper limit humidity at which reversal is possible (step S190). If the ambient humidity exceeds the upper limit (S190: NO), the control unit 107 sets the fifth flag to 1 (step S200). On the other hand, if the ambient humidity is equal to or lower than the upper limit (S190: YES), the control unit 107 leaves the fifth flag at the default.

[0094] Next, the control unit 107 determines the amount of reverse conveyance, and determines whether the determined amount of reverse conveyance is equal to or less than the allowable value of the rotation distance (step S210). If the amount of reverse conveyance exceeds the allowable value (S210: NO), the control unit 107 sets the sixth flag to 1 (step S220). On the other hand, if the amount of reverse conveyance is equal to or less than the allowable value (S210: YES), the control unit 107 leaves the sixth flag at the default value.

[0095] Next, the control unit 107 determines whether all flags (i.e., the first flag to the sixth flag) are zero (step S230). If all flags are zero (S230: YES), the control unit 107 performs reverse feeding of the print tape 11A by a reverse feeding process (step S240).

[0096] On the other hand, if any of the flags is 1 (S230: NO), the control unit 107 judges whether or not the user has instructed to perform forced reverse transport (step S250). If the user has instructed to perform forced reverse transport (S250: YES), the control unit 107 performs reverse transport of the print tape 11A by a forced reverse transport process (S240). If the user has not instructed to perform forced reverse transport (S250: NO), the control unit 107 stops reverse transport (step S260).

[0097] After the reverse transport is performed or stopped, the control unit 107 clears all flags and returns them to their default values ​​(step S270).

[0098] In the flow of FIG. 5, if the reverse transport cancellation condition is met (for example, if authentication is not successful), instead of setting a flag, the remaining steps may be skipped and the process may jump to a step (S250) of checking whether or not there is an instruction for forced reverse transport.

[0099] [1-2. Effects] According to the embodiment described above in detail, the following effects can be obtained. (1a) Since the amount of reverse feed is determined based on the control information added to the printing cassette 10, the amount of reverse feed of the printing tape 11A can be adjusted according to the characteristics of the printing device 100 and / or the printing tape 11A. As a result, problems during reverse feed of the printing tape 11A can be suppressed.

[0100] (1b) By not executing the reverse feed process when some of the multiple pieces of information that need to be obtained cannot be obtained, it is possible to prevent the printing tape 11A from being reverse fed an unexpected reverse feed amount.

[0101] (1c) As the consumption amount of the printing tape 11A increases, the diameter of the first roll 11 decreases. Therefore, the curling tendency of the printing tape 11A supplied to the opening 18 becomes stronger. Furthermore, as the time that the printing cassette 10 has been in use (that is, the time that has elapsed since the date of manufacture) increases, the time that the printing tape 11A is maintained in a rolled state increases, and therefore the curling tendency of the printing tape 11A increases.

[0102] In response to this, the amount of reverse feed is corrected to be smaller in accordance with an increase in consumption or usage time based on the usage information included in the control information, so that the amount of reverse feed of the printing tape 11A can be reduced in accordance with the strength of the curling tendency, thereby preventing problems during reverse feed.

[0103] (1d) By correcting the amount of reverse feed to be smaller in accordance with the degree of tendency to curl based on the medium characteristic information included in the control information, the amount of reverse feed of the printing tape 11A can be reduced in accordance with the tendency to curl. As a result, problems during reverse feed can be suppressed.

[0104] (1e) When the ambient temperature exceeds the upper limit and / or the ambient humidity exceeds the upper limit, the reverse feed process is not executed, thereby preventing problems caused by the reverse feed of the printing tape 11A, which is prone to curling.

[0105] (1f) When the availability information indicates that reverse transport is prohibited and / or when authentication of the printing cassette 10 is unsuccessful, the reverse transport process is not executed, thereby making it possible to avoid reverse transport of the printing cassette 10 having characteristics unsuitable for reverse transport. As a result, it is possible to suppress malfunctions in both the printing cassette 10 and the printing device 100.

[0106] (1g) Since the control information includes multiple distance information and / or multiple rotation information prepared for each type of printing device 100, it is possible to use a common printing cassette 10 among different types of printing devices 100 while suppressing malfunctions during reverse transport of the printing tape 11A.

[0107] 2. Other embodiments Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can take various forms.

[0108] (2a) The printing device of the above embodiment is not limited to one that prints on a print medium using an ink ribbon. For example, the printing cassette may include a strip of thermal paper as the print medium printed by the printing unit.

[0109] (2b) In the printing device of the above embodiment, the cassette authentication information does not necessarily have to be included in the control information. For example, the control unit of the printing device may authenticate the printing cassette based on the shape, internal structure, etc. of the printing cassette.

[0110] (2c) The printing cassette of the above embodiment does not necessarily have to include a laminate tape. In such a printing cassette, since it is not necessary to bond the printing tape and the laminate tape after printing using a pinch roller and a pressure roller, the reverse transport amount in the control information can be increased.

[0111] (2d) The function of one component in the above embodiments may be distributed among multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. In addition, a part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be omitted. In addition, at least a part of the configuration of the above embodiments may be added to or substituted for the configuration of another of the above embodiments. Note that all aspects included in the technical idea identified from the wording of the claims are embodiments of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 10...printing cassette, 11...first roll, 11A...printing tape, 12...2nd roll, 12A...ink ribbon, 13...3rd roll, 13A... laminate tape, 14... take-up spool, 15... pinch roller, 16: input gear; 17: case; 18: opening; 19: storage unit; 100: printing device; 101: storage section, 102: printing section, 103: conveying section, 103A: platen roller, 103B: pressure roller, 103C: roller holder, 104: cutting unit, 105: acquisition unit, 106: drive input unit, 107: control unit, 110: housing, 111: keyboard, 112...Display.

Claims

1. a storage section in which a printing cassette containing a long print medium is detachably stored; A conveying unit that conveys the print medium; a printing unit that prints on the print medium; a cutting unit that cuts the print medium; an acquisition unit that acquires control information from the printing cassette; A control unit; Equipped with The control unit is a conveying process in which the conveying unit conveys the print medium from the printing unit to the cutting unit; a cutting process in which the cutting unit cuts the print medium so as to separate a printed portion printed by the printing unit from an unprinted portion; an acquisition process for acquiring the control information from the printing cassette stored in the storage unit by the acquisition unit; a determination process for determining a reverse transport amount of the print medium based on the acquired control information; a reverse transport process in which the transport unit transports the print medium from which the print portion has been separated reversely from the cutting unit toward the printing unit based on the determined reverse transport amount; A printing device that performs the

2. 2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control information is information stored in a storage unit of the printing cassette, and includes information about the reverse transport amount set in accordance with the printing medium.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit does not execute the reverse conveying process when some of a plurality of pieces of information that need to be acquired in the acquisition process cannot be acquired.

4. The control unit is In the acquisition process, usage information regarding the consumption amount or usage time of the print medium included in the control information is acquired, and 4. The printing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the determination process, the reverse transport amount is made smaller as the consumption amount or the usage time based on the usage information increases.

5. The control unit is In the acquisition process, medium characteristic information regarding the tendency of the print medium to curl, which is included in the control information, is acquired, The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein in the determination process, the reverse transport amount is made smaller as the tendency to curl based on the medium characteristic information increases.

6. 6. The printing device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit acquires reverse conveying enable / disable information included in the control information in the acquisition process, and when the acquired enable / disable information indicates that reverse conveying is prohibited, does not execute the reverse conveying process.

7. 7. A printing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit executes an authentication process to authenticate the printing cassette stored in the storage unit, and if authentication of the printing cassette is not successful, does not execute the reverse transport process.

8. A long print medium; a case for housing the print medium; an opening for exposing the print medium to the outside of the case and through which printing is performed on the print medium; a storage unit that stores control information relating to a reverse transport amount when the print medium is transported in a direction opposite to a direction in which the print medium is transported from the inside of the case to the opening; A printing cassette comprising:

9. 9. The printing cassette of claim 8, wherein the control information includes usage information relating to consumption or time of use of the print medium.

10. 10. The printing cassette according to claim 8, wherein the control information includes medium characteristic information relating to the tendency of the print medium to curl.

11. The printing cassette according to claim 8 , wherein the control information includes information on whether reverse transport is possible.

12. The printing apparatus is detachably attachable to different types of printing apparatuses each including a platen roller for transporting the printing medium, the control information includes a plurality of pieces of rotation information prepared for each type of the printing device, 12. The printing cassette according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of pieces of rotation information each represent a rotation angle of the platen roller during reverse transport or a number of steps of a motor that rotates the platen roller during reverse transport.

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