Tape Printer Cassette Separator Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional tape printing apparatuses face issues with printing tapes having uncovered adhesive surfaces adhering to each other near the label ejecting port, causing blockages and requiring time to peel off separators from printed tapes for proper use.
Innovation Solution
The tape printing apparatus is designed to identify the type of tape cassette, control printing to occur only once for stripped-tape cassettes, and automatically cut the tape after peeling off the separator, preventing overlapping adhesion and simplifying the peeling process by stopping tape conveyance after printing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the separator is peeled off from the printing tape inside the tape cassette, then time and effort to peel off the separator is eliminated, but the uncovered adhesive surface causes printing tapes to adhere overlapping with one another near the label ejecting port
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is peeled off from the adhesive layer in advance inside the tape cassette before the printing tape is ejected. This preliminary action eliminates the need for users to manually peel separators later, while the system controls the timing and location of separator removal to prevent adhesive surfaces from adhering to each other near the ejecting port.
2Productivity
If printing is carried out successively for multiple labels, then productivity is improved, but printing tapes with uncovered adhesive surfaces adhere overlapping and block the label ejecting port
Solution Approach 1:
The separator removal is performed in advance inside the cassette for each printing tape before ejection. This allows successive printing operations to proceed without the harmful effect of adhesive surfaces adhering to each other, as each tape's separator is already removed and the tape is properly positioned before being ejected to the port.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the printing unit and the ejecting port. This control system manages the timing of separator removal and tape ejection, ensuring that tapes with peeled separators do not adhere to each other during successive printing operations, thereby preventing blockage of the ejecting port.
3Ease of operation
If the separator remains adhered on the printing tape, then the adhesive surface is protected, but time and effort are required to peel off the separator for pasting the label
Solution Approach 1:
The separator is removed in advance inside the tape cassette before the printing tape is ejected. This preliminary separator removal protects the adhesive surface during storage and handling within the cassette, while eliminating the need for users to manually peel separators after ejection, thus reducing time and effort.
4Productivity
If tape conveyance continues during successive printing, then productivity is improved, but printing tapes with peeled separators adhere overlapping near the ejecting port
Solution Approach 1:
The control mechanism serves as an intermediary that coordinates tape conveyance with separator removal timing. It ensures that tapes with peeled separators are properly positioned and spaced during conveyance, preventing them from adhering to each other near the ejecting port while maintaining continuous operation for high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs periodic action by controlling the conveyance and ejection of each printing tape at specific intervals. This periodic control ensures that tapes are ejected at appropriate times after separator removal, preventing adhesive adhesion between successive tapes while maintaining efficient production rhythm.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4
AI summary
A CPU 91 detects whether or not a type of a tape cassette housed in a cassette housing portion 8 is a stripped-tape accommodating cassette 21 that creates an after-printed tape 28 with a separator 53D being peeled off from its adhesive layer. In case the CPU 91 detects that the type of the tape cassette in the cassette housing portion 8 is a stripped-tape accommodating cassette 21 that creates an after-printed tape 28 with a separator 53D being peeled off from its adhesive layer, only one after printed tape 28 in predetermined length with a separator 53D being peeled off from its adhesive layer is ejected from a label ejecting port 17 and subsequently tape printing is terminated.