Printing apparatus and printing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a printing apparatus and printing method that can print on tape-shaped printing media with small margins, and that are less prone to ribbon wrinkling and ribbon breakage. [Solution] The printing apparatus comprises a printing unit 120, a transport unit 130, and a pressing unit 140. The printing unit 120 has a print head 121 for printing the object to be printed on the printing medium. The transport unit 130 has rollers 131 for transporting the printing medium in the delivery direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head 121. When transporting the printing medium in the delivery direction, the pressing unit 140 causes the rollers 131 to press the printing medium against the print head 121 with a first pressure, and when transporting the printing medium in the retraction direction, the rollers 131 to press the printing medium against the print head 121 with a second pressure different from the first pressure.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method.

Background Art

[0002] A printing apparatus for printing printing objects such as characters, symbols, logos, characters, marks, etc. on a tape-shaped printing medium is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This printing apparatus includes a thermal print head, and by transferring the ink applied to the ribbon onto the printing medium by heat while transporting the tape-shaped printing medium, the printing object is printed. The printing medium on which the printing object is printed is cut by a cutter.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the printing apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, since the printing medium is transported in one direction, it is difficult to print on the portion of the printing medium that is disposed between the thermal print head and the cutter. Therefore, the end portion of the printing medium becomes a margin. When this remaining portion is unnecessary, the user cuts the margin portion at the end of the printing medium with scissors or the like, which causes labor and waste of the printing medium. Further, in order to shorten the margin at the end, if the printing medium is transported in the reverse direction, an overload occurs on the ribbon, and ribbon wrinkles and ribbon breakage are likely to occur. Further, there is a problem that the ribbon gets entangled due to switching between forward and reverse transports.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide a printing apparatus and a printing method that can print on a tape-shaped printing medium with a small margin and are less likely to cause ribbon wrinkles and ribbon breakage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the objectives of the present invention, one form of the printing apparatus according to the present invention is: A printing unit having a print head for printing the object to be printed onto a printing medium, A transport unit having rollers that transport the printing medium in the feeding direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head, When the printing medium is transported in the discharge direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure, and when the printing medium is transported in the retraction direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure different from the first pressure, It is characterized by having the following features.

[0007] To achieve the objectives of the present invention, one form of the printing method according to the present invention is: A printing unit having a print head for printing the object to be printed onto a printing medium, A transport unit having rollers that transport the printing medium in the feeding direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head, A printing method using a printing device equipped with the following features: When transporting the printing medium in the discharge direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure, and when transporting the printing medium in the retraction direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure different from the first pressure. It is characterized by the following: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, printing can be done on a tape-shaped printing medium with small margins, and ribbon wrinkles and ribbon breakage can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows a printing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a diagram showing a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a front view showing a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram (part 1) showing the movement of a cam of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is a diagram (part 2) showing the movement of a cam of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing the printing process executed by a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a cross-sectional view (part 1) for explaining the operation of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a cross-sectional view (part 2) for explaining the operation of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] It is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the XII part of FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart showing the cartridge replacement process executed by a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] It is a cross-sectional view (part 3) for explaining the operation of a printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] It is a cross-sectional view showing a printing apparatus according to a comparative example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, a printing system and a printing apparatus according to embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, the printing system 1 according to the present embodiment prints a printing target S such as characters, symbols, logos, characters, marks, etc. on a tape-shaped printing medium R. The printing system 1 includes a printing device 100 and a terminal device 200. The printing device 100 is a thermal transfer printer that transfers ink applied to a ribbon to the printing medium R by heat. The terminal device 200 has a display 230 and is composed of, for example, a smartphone or a tablet PC (Personal Computer). The printing device 100 and the terminal device 200 are configured to be able to communicate with each other through a wireless connection, and the terminal device 200 transmits data indicating the printing target S to the printing device 100.

[0012] For ease of understanding, a rectangular coordinate system is set such that the direction in which the printing medium R is conveyed is the x direction, the direction perpendicular to the printing medium R is the y direction, and the direction perpendicular to the x direction and the y direction is the z direction, and is referred to as appropriate.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, the printing device 100 includes a cartridge storage unit 101, a printing unit 120, a conveyance unit 130, a pressing unit 140, and a cutting unit 150.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 3, the cartridge storage unit 101 is a part that stores a cartridge 300 in which a tape-shaped printing medium R and a ribbon coated with ink are wound and stored in a roll shape. The printing medium R has, for example, paper or resin coated with an adhesive and a release paper.

[0015] The printing unit 120 includes a print head 121 and a lower guide 122, and prints a print target S onto a tape-shaped printing medium R. The print head 121 is mounted on a metal fixing part 123, such as an aluminum die-cast part, to increase its rigidity. The print head 121 includes a thermal print head in which multiple heating resistors are arranged in a line on a substrate such as an alumina ceramic. The print head 121 selectively heats the multiple heating resistors by applying current corresponding to the print target S, and prints by transferring the ink applied to the ribbon to the printing medium R by heat. The lower guide 122 is a heat sink made of a metal with high thermal conductivity, and is located between the print head 121 and the cutting part 150, and is positioned near the print head 121. As a result, the lower guide 122 guides the print head 121, the printing medium R and the ribbon, and cools the printing medium R and ribbon heated by the print head 121.

[0016] The transport unit 130 includes a roller 131, a roller support 132, a tape guide 133, and a winding shaft 134 as shown in Figure 2, and transports the printing medium R in the delivery direction (x direction) and the retraction direction (-x direction). The transport unit 130 also transports an ink-coated ribbon together with the printing medium R.

[0017] The roller 131 includes a platen roller having a metal core and resin formed around the core, and rotates when driven by a servo motor or the like. The motor driving the roller 131 is not limited to a servo motor, but may also be a stepping motor or a DC (Direct Current) motor. The roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 and also transports the printing medium R.

[0018] The roller support section 132 comprises an arm 132a and a roller shaft support 132b. One end 132c of the arm 132a is rotatably supported on the rotation axis 132d, and the other end 132e is to which the roller shaft support 132b is attached. As the arm 132a rotates around the rotation axis 132d, the roller shaft support 132b moves in the y-direction or the -y-direction. The roller shaft support 132b rotatably supports the roller 131.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, the tape guide 133 has a fixed portion 133a, a curved portion 133b, and a tip portion 133c. The tape guide 133 is positioned in the direction of delivery from the roller 131 (between the roller 131 and the cutting portion 150) and in the vicinity of the roller 131, in order to suppress the bending of the printing medium R. The fixed portion 133a is fixed to the roller shaft support portion 132b in order to position the tape guide 133 in a fixed position relative to the roller 131. The curved portion 133b has one end fixed to the fixed portion 133a and has a curved shape so as not to hinder the rotation of the roller 131. The tip portion 133c is positioned at the other end of the curved portion 133b and is positioned to come into contact with the printing medium R when it bends. The distance L1 from the print head 121 to the tip portion 133c is, for example, 5 mm. Furthermore, the tip 133c of the tape guide 133 is positioned opposite the lower guide 122 described above, and there is a space between the tip 133c and the lower guide 122. As a result, the printing medium R and the ribbon 310 pass between the tip 133c of the tape guide 133 and the lower guide 122, and the bending of the printing medium R and the ribbon 310 is suppressed.

[0020] The winding shaft 134 shown in Figure 2 winds up the ink-coated ribbon 310 and transports the ribbon 310 together with the printing medium R in the delivery direction. To prevent the ribbon 310 from bending, the rotational speed of the winding shaft 134 is adjusted to a rotational speed that applies tension to the ribbon 310. The rotational speed of the winding shaft 134 is set to be greater than, for example, the rotational speed of the roller 131, and preferably, the rotational speed of the winding shaft 134 is set to 1.1 times or more the rotational speed of the roller 131. Also, when the printing medium R is transported in the pull-back direction, the winding shaft 134 rotates freely, and the ribbon 310 is transported in the pull-back direction together with the printing medium R.

[0021] As shown in Figure 3, the pressing unit 140 comprises a cam 141, a cam follower 142 that moves by the cam 141, and an elastic body 143 positioned between the cam follower 142 and the roller support unit 132. The pressing unit 140 is a device that presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a roller 131, and the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure or a second pressure smaller than the first pressure. Specifically, when the printing medium R is transported in the delivery direction, the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure. The first pressure is, for example, 500 gf / cm. This allows the printing target S to be clearly printed on the printing medium R. When the printing medium R is transported in the retraction direction, the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a second pressure. The second pressure is, for example, 360 gf / cm. This reduces the load on the printing medium R and ribbon 310 during transport and enables stable transport. Reducing the load on the printing medium R and ribbon 310 prevents ribbon wrinkling and ribbon breakage. The first and second pressures are expressed as force per unit of the axial length of the roller. When replacing the cartridge 300, the pressing unit 140 separates the roller 131 from the print head 121.

[0022] The cam 141 rotates around a rotation axis extending in the y-axis direction by a stepping motor or the like, and has a first cam surface 141a, a second cam surface 141b, and a third cam surface 141c. The distance D1 between the first cam surface 141a and the printing section 120 is smaller than the distance D2 between the second cam surface 141b and the printing section 120. The distance D2 between the second cam surface 141b and the printing section 120 is smaller than the distance D3 between the third cam surface 141c and the printing section 120. The third cam surface 141c also has a fitting portion 141d. Here, an example is described in which the cam 141 rotates around a rotation axis extending in the y-axis direction, but the direction of the rotation axis of the cam 141 and the shape of the cam 141 may be other than those described here.

[0023] The cam follower 142 has a contact portion 142a and a fitted portion 142b that fits into the fitting portion 141d, and is pressed by the cam 141 and moves in the y direction or -y direction. When the contact portion 142a of the cam follower 142 is in contact with the first cam surface 141a, the roller shaft support portion 132b is biased by the elastic body 143, and the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure. As shown in Figure 5, when the contact portion 142a of the cam follower 142 is in contact with the second cam surface 141b, the roller support portion 132 is biased by the elastic body 143, and the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a second pressure. As shown in Figure 6, when the contact portion 142a of the cam follower 142 is in contact with the third cam surface 141c, the fitted portion 142b fits into the fitted portion 141d, and the roller 131 moves away from the print head 121.

[0024] The elastic body 143 is positioned between the cam follower 142 and the roller shaft support 132b and biases the roller support 132, and includes, for example, a leaf spring or a coil spring.

[0025] The cutting unit 150 cuts the tape-shaped printing medium R on which the printing target S has been printed by the printing unit 120. The cutting unit 150 has a cutting blade and a drive unit that drives the cutting blade. The distance from the print head 121 to the cutting unit 150 is, for example, 20 mm.

[0026] As shown in Figure 7, the printing device 100 has an electrical configuration that includes, in addition to the printing unit 120, transport unit 130, pressing unit 140, and cutting unit 150 described above, a control unit 110, a communication unit 160, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 170, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 180.

[0027] The control unit 110 consists of a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like. By executing a program stored in the ROM 170, the control unit 110 functions as a print target acquisition unit 111, a print head control unit 112, and a transport control unit 113.

[0028] The print target acquisition unit 111 acquires the print target data transmitted from the terminal device 200 via the communication unit 160 and stores it in the RAM 180.

[0029] The print head control unit 112 controls the printing unit 120 to print the print target S on the print medium R based on the transport distance traveled by the transport unit 130 in the delivery direction. Specifically, each time the print medium R is transported a distance equivalent to one dot pitch in the sub-scanning direction, the print head control unit 112 causes the print head 121 to print a line of one pixel, which is a line of one pixel arranged in a line in the main scanning direction, from the image of the print target S stored in the RAM 180.

[0030] The transport control unit 113 controls the transport unit 130, the pressing unit 140, and the cutting unit 150 to transport the printing medium R in the delivery and retraction directions, and cut the printed printing medium R. Specifically, when printing an image while transporting the printing medium R in the delivery direction, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to press the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure using the roller 131, and then controls the transport unit 130 to transport the printing medium R and ribbon 310 in the delivery direction. After printing the print target S on the printing medium R, the transport control unit 113 controls the transport unit 130 to transport the printing medium R in the delivery direction until the planned cutting position of the printing medium R is positioned at the cutting blade of the cutting unit 150. After that, the transport control unit 113 controls the cutting unit 150 to cut the printing medium R at the planned cutting position. Subsequently, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to press the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a second pressure using the roller 131, and then controls the transport unit 130 to pull back the printing medium R. At this time, the transport unit 130 preferably pulls back the printing medium R in the delivery direction from the tape guide 133 (between the tape guide 133 and the cutting unit 150) and to a position where the leading edge of the printing medium R to be printed is located near the tape guide 133. Subsequently, when the next print target S to be printed is the printing medium R, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to press the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure using the roller 131, and controls the transport unit 130 to transport the printing medium R and ribbon 310 in the delivery direction. Also, when replacing the cartridge 300, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to move the roller 131 away from the print head 121.

[0031] As described above, the printing unit 120 selectively heats up the heating resistor provided on the print head 121 according to the print data, based on the control of the print head control unit 112. The heated heating resistor transfers the ink coated on the ribbon 310 to the printing medium R, and pixels (1-dot lines) arranged in a line in the main scanning direction of the print head 121 are printed.

[0032] As described above, the transport unit 130 transports the printing medium R in the delivery and retraction directions while pressing it against the print head 121, based on the control of the transport control unit 113. Also, based on the control of the transport control unit 113, the transport unit 130 rotates the winding shaft 134 to transport the ink-coated ribbon 310 along with the printing medium R.

[0033] As described above, the pressing unit 140 rotates the cam 141 based on the control of the transport control unit 113. When transporting the printing medium R in the delivery direction, the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure. When transporting the printing medium R in the retraction direction, the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a second pressure. When replacing the cartridge 300, the cam 141 is rotated based on the control of the transport control unit 113, and the roller 131 is moved away from the print head 121.

[0034] As described above, the cutting unit 150 cuts the tape-shaped printing medium R on which the printing target S has been printed by the printing unit 120, based on the control of the transport control unit 113.

[0035] The communication unit 160 receives data indicating the print target S from the terminal device 200. The communication unit 160 is composed of wireless communication modules such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0036] ROM 170 consists of non-volatile memory such as flash memory, and stores programs for the control unit 110 to implement various functions, as described above. RAM 180 consists of volatile memory and is used as a workspace for the control unit 110 to execute programs for various processing. RAM 180 also stores information such as image data of the print target S.

[0037] As shown in Figure 8, the terminal device 200 includes a control unit 210, a communication unit 220, a display 230, an operation unit 240, a ROM 250, and a RAM 260.

[0038] The control unit 210 consists of a CPU and the like. The control unit 210 functions as a print target acquisition unit 211 and a print target transmission unit 212 by executing a program stored in the ROM 250.

[0039] The print target acquisition unit 211 acquires data indicating the print target S that has been received by the operation unit 240 or the communication unit 220.

[0040] The print target transmission unit 212 transmits data of the print target S to the printing device 100 via the communication unit 220. Furthermore, when a user operates the terminal device 200 and issues a print start command, it transmits data indicating a print start command to the printing device 100. Also, when a user operates the terminal device 200 and issues a cartridge replacement command, it transmits data indicating a cartridge replacement command to the printing device 100.

[0041] The communication unit 220 transmits data indicating the print target S and data indicating an instruction to start printing to the printing device 100. The communication unit 220, like the communication unit 160 described above, is composed of wireless communication modules such as wireless LAN and Bluetooth®.

[0042] The display 230 displays images necessary for operation and consists of components such as an LCD (liquid crystal display).

[0043] The control unit 240 receives user input to receive instructions regarding the data to be printed S, the start of the printing process, the start and end of printing, and cartridge replacement. The control unit 240 and the display 230 constitute a touch panel display device.

[0044] ROM250 consists of non-volatile memory such as flash memory and stores programs for the control unit 110 to implement various functions. RAM260 consists of volatile memory and is used as a work area for the control unit 110 to execute programs for various processing and stores data indicating the print target S.

[0045] Next, the printing process performed by the printing device 100 will be described.

[0046] In response to a user's instruction to start the printing process, the printing device 100 starts the printing process shown in Figure 9.

[0047] First, the print target acquisition unit 111 waits in a state where it can receive data indicating the print target S, and determines whether or not it has received data indicating the print target S (step S101). If it has not received data indicating the print target (step S101; No), step S101 is repeated.

[0048] When the user inputs the print target S into the terminal device 200 and transmits the print target S from the terminal device 200 to the printer 100, the print target acquisition unit 111 receives data indicating the print target S (Step S101; Yes). Upon receiving the print target S, the print target acquisition unit 111 stores the data indicating the print target S in the RAM 180 and waits in a state where it can start printing if the user gives a start command (Step S102).

[0049] Next, the transport control unit 113 determines whether or not the user has operated the terminal device 200 to issue a print start instruction (step S103). If it is determined that the print start instruction was not issued (step S103; No), the process returns to step S102, and steps S102 and S103 are repeated.

[0050] When the transport control unit 113 determines that the instruction to start printing has been executed (step S103; Yes), it controls the pressing unit 140 to press the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure using the roller 131 (step S104). Specifically, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to rotate the cam 141 to a position where the first cam surface 141a contacts the contact portion 142a of the cam follower 142, as shown in Figure 3. This biases the elastic body 143 positioned between the cam follower 142 and the roller shaft support 132b, causing the printing medium R to be pressed against the print head 121 with a first pressure by the roller 131.

[0051] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the print head control unit 112 controls the printing unit 120 to print the print target S on the print medium R based on the transport distance traveled by the transport unit 130 controlled by the transport control unit 113 in the delivery direction (step S105). Specifically, each time the print medium R is transported a distance equivalent to one dot pitch in the sub-scanning direction, the print head control unit 112 causes the print head 121 to print a one-dot line, which is a line of one pixel arranged in a line in the main scanning direction, from the image of the print target S stored in the RAM 180.

[0052] Next, after printing the print target S onto the printing medium R, the transport control unit 113 controls the transport unit 130 to transport the printing medium R in the discharge direction until the planned cutting position of the printing medium R is positioned at the cutting blade of the cutting unit 150 (step S106).

[0053] Next, the transport control unit 113 controls the cutting unit 150 to cut the printing medium R at the planned cutting position (step S107).

[0054] Next, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to press the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a second pressure using the roller 131 (step S108). Specifically, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to rotate the cam 141 to a position where the second cam surface 141b contacts the contact portion 142a of the cam follower 142, as shown in Figure 5. This biases the elastic body 143 positioned between the cam follower 142 and the roller shaft support 132b, causing the printing medium R to be pressed against the print head 121 with a second pressure by the roller 131.

[0055] Next, the transport control unit 113 controls the transport unit 130 to transport the printing medium R in the retraction direction (step S109). The transport unit 130 transports the printing medium R in the retraction direction to a position, preferably as shown in Figures 11 and 12, between the tape guide 133 and the cutting unit 150, and where the leading edge of the printing medium R to be printed is located near the tape guide 133. The distance L2 from the print head 121 to the leading edge of the printing medium R is, for example, 6 mm. At this time, the leading edge of the printing medium R is located between the tip 133c of the tape guide 133 and the lower guide 122, so that the bending of the printing medium R and the ribbon 310 is suppressed. As a result, when the printing medium R is transported again in the discharge direction, it is possible to prevent the leading edge of the printing medium R from contacting the rib 320 or cartridge claw 330 of the cartridge 300.

[0056] Next, the transport control unit 113 determines whether or not it has received an instruction to terminate the printing process (step S110). If it has not received an instruction to terminate the printing process (step S110; No), it returns to step S101 and repeats steps S101 through S110. When returning to step S101 and printing on the printing medium R again, in step S109 the printing medium R is transported in the pull-back direction, which reduces the margin between the leading edge of the printing medium R and the print head 121.

[0057] When the printer receives an instruction to terminate the printing process (step S110; Yes), the printer 100 terminates the printing process.

[0058] Next, the cartridge replacement process performed by the printing device 100 will be described.

[0059] In response to a user's instruction to begin the cartridge replacement process, the printing device 100 starts the cartridge replacement process shown in Figure 13. The cartridge replacement process may also be initiated, for example, in response to detection by a sensor or the like that the lid of the cartridge storage compartment 101 has been opened.

[0060] When the cartridge replacement process begins, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to move the roller 131 away from the print head 121 (step S201). Specifically, the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 to rotate the cam 141 so that the contact portion 142a of the cam follower 142 contacts the third cam surface 141c, as shown in Figure 6. As a result, the fitted portion 142b of the cam follower 142 fits into the fitted portion 141d of the cam 141, and the roller 131 moves away from the print head 121. As shown in Figure 14, the tape guide 133 is positioned in a fixed position relative to the roller 131, so when the roller 131 moves away from the print head 121, the tape guide 133 also moves away from the print head 121 and does not interfere with the replacement of the cartridge 300.

[0061] Next, the transport control unit 113 determines whether or not the cartridge has been replaced by the user (step S202). Whether or not the cartridge has been replaced may also be determined by detecting, using a sensor or the like, that the lid of the cartridge storage unit 101 has been closed. If the cartridge has not been replaced by the user (step S202; No), step S202 is repeated.

[0062] When the user replaces the cartridge (step S202; Yes), the transport control unit 113 controls the pressing unit 140 and presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a first pressure using the roller 131 (step S203). At this time, since the tape guide 133 is positioned in a fixed position relative to the roller 131, when the roller 131 is pressed against the print head 121, the tip 133c of the tape guide 133 is positioned near the lower guide 122. After that, the transport control unit 113 terminates the cartridge replacement process.

[0063] As described above, according to the printing system 1 and printing apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the printing target S is clearly printed on the printing medium R by printing while pressing with a first pressure. Furthermore, when transporting the printing medium R in the pull-back direction, the roller 131 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a second pressure that is less than the first pressure, thereby reducing the load on the printing medium R and ribbon 310 during transport and enabling stable transport. This reduces the load on the printing medium R and ribbon 310, making it possible to prevent ribbon wrinkling and ribbon breakage. In addition, after cutting the printing medium R on which the printing target S has been printed, the transport unit 130 transports the printing medium R to be printed in the pull-back direction, allowing printing on the tape-shaped printing medium R with a small margin. In detail, the transport unit 130 is located between the tape guide 133 and the cutting unit 150, and the leading edge of the printing medium R to be printed is positioned near the tape guide 133. By transporting the printing medium R in the pull-back direction, the distance the printing medium R is transported in the pull-back direction can be increased, allowing printing on the tape-shaped printing medium R with small margins. Furthermore, the tape guide 133 suppresses the bending of the printing medium R, preventing the leading edge of the printing medium R from contacting the rib 320 or cartridge claw 330 of the cartridge 300. In addition, since the tape guide 133 is positioned in a fixed position relative to the roller 131, it synchronizes with the raising and lowering of the roller 131. When the roller 131 moves away from the print head 121, the tape guide 133 also moves away from the print head 121, so as not to interfere with the replacement of the cartridge 300. The printing apparatus 100 has a structure in which the rollers 131 of the transport section 130 are movable, and the print head 121 is attached to a metal fixing part 123 made of aluminum die-cast or the like. This prevents the print head 121 from tilting and prevents the printing from becoming fainter on one side of the printing medium R.

[0064] In contrast, as shown in Figure 15, in a printing apparatus without a tape guide, if the printing medium R is transported in the retraction direction and then transported again in the discharge direction, if the printing medium R bends, the leading edge RE may come into contact with the cartridge claw 330, and the printing medium R may not be transported properly.

[0065] (modified version) In the above-described embodiment of the printing apparatus 100, an example was described in which the pressing section 140 comprises a cam 141 and a cam follower 142 that moves by the cam 141. The pressing section 140 only needs to be able to press the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a roller 131 at a first pressure or a second pressure smaller than the first pressure, and also be able to separate the roller 131. It may also have a structure using a linear motor other than a cam structure, or a structure using a fluid such as hydraulics or pneumatics.

[0066] In the printing apparatus 100 of the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the pressing unit 140 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with a roller 131 at a first pressure or a second pressure less than the first pressure. When the pressing unit 140 presses the printing medium R against the print head 121 with the roller 131, it is sufficient that the load on the printing medium R and the ribbon 310 is reduced. The second pressure does not need to be different from the first pressure, and may be greater than the first pressure. The first and second pressures are determined by the characteristics of the printing medium R and the ribbon 310, etc.

[0067] In the above-described embodiment of the printing apparatus 100, an example was described in which the ink coated on the ribbon is transferred to the printing medium R by heat. The printing apparatus 100 can be any print head 121 that is capable of heat transfer, and instead of transferring the ink coated on the ribbon to the printing medium R by heat, it may be a thermal printer that prints on thermal paper that changes color when it senses heat. In this case, since a ribbon is not required, it is possible to reduce running costs. It is also possible to print on thermal paper such as cash register receipts.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment of the printing system 1, an example comprising a printing device 100 and a terminal device 200 was explained. The printing device 100 may also include a display and an operating unit, and may be capable of printing the print target S on the printing medium R by itself without the terminal device 200.

[0069] Furthermore, the core part of the printing support processing performed by the terminal device 200, which consists of a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., can be executed using a regular mobile information terminal (smartphone, tablet PC), personal computer, etc., without requiring a dedicated system. For example, a computer program for performing the above-mentioned operations may be stored on a computer-readable recording medium (flexible disk, CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), etc.) and distributed, and an information terminal that performs the above-mentioned processing may be configured by installing this computer program on a mobile information terminal, etc. Alternatively, this computer program may be stored on a storage device of a server device on a communication network such as the Internet, and an information processing device may be configured by downloading it from a regular information processing terminal, etc.

[0070] Furthermore, if the functions of a printing assistance device are realized through a division of labor between the OS (Operating System) and an application program, or through collaboration between the OS and an application program, then only the application program portion may be stored on a recording medium or storage device.

[0071] Furthermore, it is possible to superimpose a computer program onto a carrier wave and distribute it via a communication network. For example, this computer program could be posted on a bulletin board system (BBS) on a communication network and distributed via the network. The computer program could then be launched and executed under the control of the OS, similar to other application programs, thereby enabling the execution of the aforementioned processes.

[0072] Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments, and the present invention includes the invention described in the claims and its equivalents. The invention described in the original claims of this application is listed below.

[0073] (Note) (Note 1) A printing unit having a print head for printing the object to be printed onto a printing medium, A transport unit having rollers that transport the printing medium in the feeding direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head, When the printing medium is transported in the discharge direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure, and when the printing medium is transported in the retraction direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure different from the first pressure, A printing apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

[0074] (Note 2) It includes a cutting section for cutting the aforementioned printing medium, The pressing unit, in response to the cutting unit cutting the printing medium, causes the roller to press the printing medium against the print head with the second pressure. The printing apparatus described in Appendix 1, characterized by the features described herein.

[0075] (Note 3) The pressing portion comprises a cam having a first cam surface and a second cam surface, a cam follower that moves by the cam, a roller support portion that supports the roller, and an elastic body disposed between the cam follower and the roller. When the first cam surface presses against the cam follower, the cam follower presses against the elastic body, the roller support is biased against the elastic body, and the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure; when the second cam surface presses against the cam follower, the cam follower presses against the elastic body, the roller support is biased against the elastic body, and the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure. A printing apparatus as described in Appendix 1 or 2, characterized by the features described herein.

[0076] (Note 4) The device includes a tape guide positioned in the direction of delivery from the roller and in the vicinity of the roller, which suppresses the bending of the printing medium. A printing apparatus as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized by the above.

[0077] (Note 5) The transport unit, when the cutting unit cuts the printing medium, transports the printing medium in the pull-back direction and positions the leading edge of the printing medium to be printed between the tape guide and the cutting unit, and in the vicinity of the tape guide. The printing apparatus described in Appendix 4, characterized by the features described herein.

[0078] (Note 6) The tape guide is positioned in a fixed position relative to the roller. When the pressing part moves the roller away from the print head, the tape guide moves away from the print head together with the roller. The printing apparatus according to Appendix 4 or 5, characterized by the features described herein.

[0079] (Note 7) The tip of the tape guide is positioned so that when the printing medium bends, the tip of the tape guide and the printing medium come into contact. A printing apparatus as described in any one of the appendices 1 to 6, characterized by the above.

[0080] (Note 8) A printing unit having a print head for printing the object to be printed onto a printing medium, A transport unit having rollers that transport the printing medium in the feeding direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head, A printing method using a printing device equipped with the following features: When transporting the printing medium in the discharge direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure, and when transporting the printing medium in the retraction direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure different from the first pressure. A printing method characterized by the following features. [Explanation of symbols]

[0081] 1...Printing system, 100...Printing device, 101...Cartridge storage unit, 110, 210...Control unit, 111, 211...Print target acquisition unit, 112...Print head control unit, 113...Transport control unit, 120...Printing unit, 121...Print head, 122...Lower guide, 123...Fixing unit, 130...Transport unit, 131...Roller, 132...Roller support unit, 132a...Arm, 132b...Roller shaft support unit, 132c...One end, 132d...Rotating shaft, 132e...Other end, 133...Tape guide, 133a...Fixing unit, 133b...Bent part, 133c...Tip, 134...Winding shaft, 140...Pressing unit, 1 41...Cam, 141a...First cam surface, 141b...Second cam surface, 141c...Third cam surface, 141d...Matching part, 142...Cam follower, 142a...Contact part, 142b...Matched part, 143...Elastic body, 150...Cutting part, 160, 220...Communication part, 170, 250...ROM, 180, 260...RAM, 200...Terminal device, 212...Print target transmission part, 230...Display, 240...Operation part, 300...Cartridge, 310...Rib, 320...Rib, 330...Cartridge claw, R...Printing medium, S...Print target, D1~D3...Spacing, L1~L2...Distance, RE...Tip

Claims

1. A printing unit having a print head for printing the object to be printed onto a printing medium, A transport unit having rollers that transport the printing medium in the feeding direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head, When the printing medium is transported in the discharge direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure, and when the printing medium is transported in the retraction direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure different from the first pressure, A printing apparatus characterized by being equipped with the following features.

2. It includes a cutting section for cutting the aforementioned printing medium, The pressing unit, in response to the cutting unit cutting the printing medium, causes the roller to press the printing medium against the print head with the second pressure. The printing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The pressing portion comprises a cam having a first cam surface and a second cam surface, a cam follower that moves by the cam, a roller support portion that supports the roller, and an elastic body disposed between the cam follower and the roller. When the first cam surface presses against the cam follower, the cam follower presses against the elastic body, the roller support is biased against the elastic body, and the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure; when the second cam surface presses against the cam follower, the cam follower presses against the elastic body, the roller support is biased against the elastic body, and the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The device includes a tape guide positioned in the direction of delivery from the roller and in the vicinity of the roller, which suppresses the bending of the printing medium. A printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The transport unit, when the cutting unit cuts the printing medium, transports the printing medium in the pull-back direction and positions the leading edge of the printing medium to be printed between the tape guide and the cutting unit, and in the vicinity of the tape guide. The printing apparatus according to feature 4.

6. The tape guide is positioned in a fixed position relative to the roller. When the pressing part moves the roller away from the print head, the tape guide moves away from the print head together with the roller. The printing apparatus according to claim 4 or 5.

7. The tip of the tape guide is positioned so that when the printing medium bends, the tip of the tape guide and the printing medium come into contact. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

8. A printing unit having a print head for printing the object to be printed onto a printing medium, A transport unit having rollers that transport the printing medium in the feeding direction and the retraction direction while the printing medium is pressed against the print head, A printing method using a printing device equipped with the following features: When transporting the printing medium in the discharge direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a first pressure, and when transporting the printing medium in the retraction direction, the roller presses the printing medium against the print head with a second pressure different from the first pressure. A printing method characterized by the following features.

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