Incremental printing of symbolic information – Ink jet – Medium and processing means
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-30
2002-12-03
Gordon, Raquel Yvette (Department: 2853)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Ink jet
Medium and processing means
C347S105000, C346S136000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06488371
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a printing method and an ink jet printer which are capable of printing on a printing medium by using an ink jet head, as well as a tape cartridge for use with the ink jet printer.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 15
shows a conventional printing method using an ink jet head. As shown in the figure, in the conventional printing method, an ink jet head H installed on a carriage is caused to reciprocate (for main scanning), and in synchronism with this reciprocation of the ink jet head H, a printing paper (printing medium) P is intermittently fed (for sub scanning) in a direction orthogonal to the direction of reciprocation of the ink jet head H, whereby printing is carried out.
As described above, in the conventional printing method, in order to increase printing speed, it is required to cause the ink jet head to reciprocate at an increased speed and with higher accuracy. In other words, the ink jet head which is relatively heavy in weight is required to be moved at a higher speed, and hence it is necessary to use a motor having a higher output power as a drive source. This results in increased power consumption. Further, since the ink jet head is moved at a high speed, fixed regions for acceleration and deceleration are required when the ink jet head undergoes transition from a standing state to a state moving at a constant speed, and transition from the latter to the former, which make it necessary to secure spaces for acceleration and deceleration of the ink jet head.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a printing method and an ink jet printer which are capable of attaining the energy saving and reduced installation space as well as implementing high speed printing, and a tape cartridge for use with the ink jet printer.
To attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of sequentially printing on a printing medium having a printing area whose width is sufficiently larger than a length of nozzle arrays of a print head, along a width of the printing medium, by the nozzle arrays extending in a direction of the width of the printing medium.
The method according to the first aspect of the invention is characterized in that the printing on the printing medium is carried out while feeding the printing medium such that the printing medium is reciprocatingly moved, and at the same time intermittently moving the print head facing the printing medium in the direction of the width of the printing medium, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of feed of the printing medium.
According to this method, the printing medium is caused to reciprocate, and the print head is intermittently moved. That is, by setting the direction of reciprocation of the printing medium to the direction of main scanning, and the direction of intermittent movement of the print head to the direction of sub scanning, printing is sequentially carried out in the direction of the width of the printing area, so that the printing speed mainly depends on the reciprocating speed of the printing medium. The printing medium is lighter in weight and more flexible than the print head, whereby it is possible to save power consumption and shorten acceleration/deceleration distances required in the reciprocating motion, thereby attaining the saving of energy and printing space. Further, even if a simple construction (using rollers, for instance) is employed, it is possible to cause the printing medium to reciprocate at a high speed.
Preferably, the printing by using the print head is carried out not only when the printing medium is moved forward but also when the printing medium is moved rearward.
According to this preferred embodiment, it is possible to prevent a wasteful motion of the printing medium, thereby causing the same to reciprocate efficiently.
Preferably, the print head is caused to reciprocate over the printing area, and the printing is carried out not only when the print head is moved forward but also when the print head is moved rearward.
According to this preferred embodiment, it is possible to prevent a wasteful motion of the printing medium which is relatively heavy in weight, thereby moving the same efficiently.
Preferably, the printing medium is a printing tape which is stored in a form of a roll and rolled out for the printing.
According to this preferred embodiment, especially when a printing tape having a small width is used, the whole distance over which the print head is intermittently moved can be reduced, and by increasing the speed of the reciprocation of the printing tape while providing means for preventing jamming of the tape, it is possible to increase the printing speed with ease.
To attain the above object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an ink jet printer comprising:
a printing medium feed mechanism for feeding a printing medium having a printing area upon which printing is carried out, such that the recording medium is reciprocatingly moved;
a print head having nozzle arrays extending in a direction of a width of the printing medium, and being brought to the printing medium whose width is sufficiently larger than a length of the nozzle arrays, for sequentially printing thereon along the width of the printing medium, by the nozzle arrays; and
a head-moving mechanism for intermittently moving the print head in the direction of the width of the printing medium, the direction being orthogonal to a direction of feed of the printing medium,
wherein the printing is carried out by causing the printing medium to be reciprocatingly moved and at the same time causing the print head to be intermittently moved.
According to this ink jet printer, the recording medium is caused to reciprocate by the recording medium feed mechanism, and the print head is driven (for ejecting ink droplets) while being intermittently moved by the head-moving mechanism, whereby printing on the printing tape is carried out as desired. That is, by setting the direction of reciprocation of the printing medium to the direction of main scanning, and the direction of intermittent movement of the print head to the direction of sub scanning, printing is sequentially carried out in the direction of the width of the printing area, so that the printing speed mainly depends on the reciprocating speed of the printing medium. The printing medium is lighter in weight and more flexible than the print head, whereby it is possible to save power consumption and shorten acceleration/deceleration distances required in the reciprocating motion, thereby attaining the saving of energy and printing space. Further, even if a simple construction (using rollers, for instance) is employed, it is possible to cause the printing medium to reciprocate at a high speed.
Preferably, the printing medium feed mechanism includes forward feed roller means and rearward feed roller means arranged at respective downstream and upstream locations in the direction of feed of the printing medium with respect to the print head, and the forward feed roller means is configured such that the forward feed roller means rotates slightly faster than the rearward feed roller means, and is permitted to perform slip rotation when the printing medium is moved forward, and at the same time to perform free rotation when the printing medium is moved rearward.
According to this preferred embodiment, the distance over which the printing medium reciprocates and the speed at which the same moves for reciprocation is controlled by the rearward feed roller means. When the printing medium is moved forward, the forward feed roller means cooperates with the rearward feed roller means to feed the printing medium forward, and performs slight slip rotation for giving a constant tension to the printing medium. On the other hand, when the printing medium is moved rearward, the forward feed roller means rotates freely while the rearward feed roller means rotates reversely. This enables excellent printing operation and
Kosaka Zenta
Nagashima Shinichi
Gordon Raquel Yvette
Hogan & Hartson LLP
Seiko Epson Corporation
Stewart Jr. Charles W.
LandOfFree
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