Thermal Printer Tape Reverse Feed for Half Cut Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional label printers experience printing quality deterioration due to mid-print feeding stops required for half cuts, leading to deviations and potential omissions or uneven printing.
Innovation Solution
A control method and device that reverses the tape feeding direction after a half cut is performed, allowing the printing start area to reach the print head before resuming printing, ensuring continuous feeding and preventing printing quality issues.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the feeding is stopped in the middle of printing to perform a half cut, then the half cut can be performed, but printing quality deteriorates due to position deviation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing the half cut before initiating the printing process. The control unit determines that the tape member has reached the half cutter, stops feeding temporarily to position the tape, performs the half cut, and then resumes feeding to continue printing. This ensures the half cut is completed in advance, allowing printing to proceed without interruption and maintaining position accuracy throughout the printing process.
2Ease of manufacture
If printing and feeding are stopped to perform half cut, then half cut can be completed, but printing quality deteriorates due to position deviation and potential omissions
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit detects when the tape member reaches the half cutter position and performs the half cut operation before printing begins. This preliminary completion of the half cut ensures that the tape is properly prepared and positioned, allowing subsequent printing to proceed continuously without stops, thereby maintaining high printing quality and avoiding omissions or uneven printing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuity of useful action by making the printing process continuous without interruptions. After the half cut is completed in advance, the feeding roller resumes feeding the tape member and the print head continues printing without stopping. This continuous printing action prevents position deviations and maintains consistent printing quality throughout the label creation process.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the tape member reaches the half cutter position during printing, then half cut can be performed, but feeding must be stopped causing printing interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit monitors the tape member position and determines when it reaches the half cutter position. At this point, it performs the half cut operation before printing begins, rather than interrupting ongoing printing. This preliminary action approach allows the system to adapt to the half cut requirement while maintaining continuous printing operation, thereby preserving printing efficiency and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by ensuring printing operates continuously without interruptions. The feeding roller feeds the tape member continuously through the printing process, and the print head performs printing without stops. The half cut operation is completed in advance or in a manner that does not interrupt the printing flow, thereby maximizing printing efficiency and productivity while still achieving the required half cut positioning.
Data Source
AI summary
A printing device 1 includes a platen roller 7 which feeds a thermal tape 42, a thermal head 8 which performs printing on the thermal tape 42, a half cutter 10 which performs a half cut on the thermal tape 42, and a control circuit 12. After the half cut is performed, the control circuit 12 controls the platen roller 7 to feed in a backward direction opposite to a direction of ejecting the thermal tape 42 into an outlet until a printing start area of the thermal tape 42 reaches a head position of the thermal head 8. The thermal head 8 performs printing on the thermal tape 42 after the printing start area reaches the head position by the feeding of the thermal tape 42 in the backward direction.