Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-12
2001-10-02
Hilten, John S. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C400S076000, C400S070000, C400S061000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06296406
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a label-making apparatus and method for producing a label by cutting a tape as a printing medium.
2. Prior Art
Recently, there have been proposed label-making apparatuses that are capable of printing at least one character string comprised of characters, such as letters, symbols, and images (including a character(a space or the like) representative of a blank), which are normally input to the apparatus as desired, while feeding a tape rolled out from a tape cartridge. The tape is held in the tape cartridge in a state wound into a roll. The label-making apparatuses create a label by cutting off the tape to a length set beforehand. More specifically, in these label-making apparatuses, not only printing of a character string but also feed of a label (tape) is carried out, and the label having a desired length is produced by cutting off a printed portion of the tape automatically or manually. The length of feed of the label and a position for cutting off the label are determined according to a label length set by a user, and when they are determined, it is assumed that before the tape is printed, a leading edge of the tape is placed just at the position of a cutter (see FIG.
6
A). For instance, when a label having a length of 50 is desired to be produce the tape is advanced by 50 mm, and cut off to form the label.
In the above label-making apparatuses, however, when the tape cartridge holding the tape therein is mounted, if the leading edge of the tape is advanced past the position of the cutter (see FIG.
6
B), or inversely if the leading edge of the tape is withdrawn inward of the cartridge (see FIG.
6
C), it is impossible to produce a label with a desired length by printing the tape as it is (as shown in the figures, e.g. when the user desires to produce a label having a length of 50 mm, a label with a length of (50+&agr;) mm is formed in the former case, while in the latter case, a label with a length of (50−&bgr;) mm is produced).
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention to provide a label-making apparatus and method which is capable of producing a label with an accurate length depending on a situation before and after printing.
To attain the above object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a label-making apparatus that is capable of printing an entered character string on a tape as a printing medium while advancing the tape, wherein after printing the entered character string on the tape, the label-making apparatus cuts the tape to a length set beforehand at a predetermined cutting position, thereby making a label.
The label-making apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is characterized by comprising:
printing means for printing on the tape;
tape feed means for feeding the tape;
non-printing feed instruction means for instructing non-printing feed of the tape; and
control means responsive to a non-printing feed instruction issued by the non-printing feed instruction means, for controlling operation of the printing means and operation of the tape feed means, such that the printing means is not driven but only the tape feed means is driven to advance the tape by a predetermined length.
To attain the above object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a label-making method for printing an entered character string on a tape as a printing medium while advancing the tape, and cutting the tape to a length set beforehand at a predetermined cutting position after printing the entered character string on the tape, to thereby make a label.
The label -making method according to the second aspect of the invention is characterized in that when a non-printing feed instruction which instructs non-printing feed of the tape is issued, the non-printing feed of the tape is carried out by only feeding the tape to advance the tape by a predetermined length without carrying out printing of the tape.
According to this label-making apparatus and method, when a leading edge of the tape to be printed is positioned short of the cutting position, in other words, when a label with a length shorter than a length set beforehand would be produced if the tape were printed and cut without further processing, a non-printing feed of the tape is carried out to advance the tape by a predetermined length until the leading edge of the tape is advanced past the cutting position (the non-printing feed operation is repeated a plurality of times if the leading edge is not advanced to a position past the cutting position by a single operation), whereby the leading edge of the tape can be fed to the cutting position. Further, in spite of limitation of configurable settings of lengths of the front and rear margins of a label, if the user wants to set a margin longer than the maximum length permitted by the construction of the apparatus, or even if the front and rear margins of a label can be set only to the same length, it is possible to provide leading and trailing margins with desired lengths by carrying out the non-printing feed by the predetermined length.
It should be noted that throughout the specification the term “character string” is used to mean a character string comprised of at least one character, such as a letter, a symbol, or an image, which is normally input to the apparatus. Further, it is assumed that a character (a space or the like) representative of a blank is also included in the above character.
To attain the above object, according to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a label-making apparatus that is capable of printing an entered character string on a tape as a printing medium while advancing the tape, wherein after printing the entered character string on the tape, the label-making apparatus cuts the tape to a length set beforehand at a predetermined cutting position, thereby making a label.
The label-making apparatus according to the third aspect of the invention is characterized by comprising:
printing means for printing on the tape;
tape feed means for feeding the tape;
cutting means for cutting the tape;
non-printing feed/cutting instruction means for instructing non-printing feed and cutting of the tape; and
control means responsive to a non-printing feed/cutting instruction issued by the non-printing feed/cutting instruction means, for controlling operation of the printing means, operation of the tape feed means, and operation of the cutting means, such that the printing means is not driven but the tape feed means is driven to advance the tape by a predetermined length, and then the cutting means is driven to cut the tape.
To attain the above object, according to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a label-making method for printing an entered character string on a tape as a printing medium while advancing the tape, and cutting the tape to a length set beforehand at a predetermined cutting position after printing the entered character string on the tape, to thereby make a label.
The label-making method according to the fourth aspect of the invention is characterized in that when a non-printing feed/cutting instruction which instructs non-printing feed and cutting of the tape is issued, the non-printing feed of the tape is carried out by only feeding the tape to advance the tape by a predetermined length without carrying out printing of the tape, and the cutting of the tape is carried out to cut the tape.
According to this label-making apparatus and method, when a leading edge of the tape to be printed is positioned short of the cutting position, in other words, when a label with a length shorter than a length set beforehand would be produced if the tape were printed and cut without further processing, it is possible to advance the tape by a predetermined length through the non-printing feed and cut the tape. This makes it possible to set the leading edge of the tape just at the cutting position, and thereby produce a label having an accurate length as the user desires. Further
Hilten John S.
Hogan & Hartson L.L.P.
Nolan, Jr. Charles H.
Seiko Epson Corporation
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