Typewriting machines – Typing by other than type-face or type-die – Thermal
Patent
1998-03-18
1999-09-14
Funk, Stephen R.
Typewriting machines
Typing by other than type-face or type-die
Thermal
4006152, B41J 2315
Patent
active
059511745
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to tape printers which print data on a tape.
BACKGROUND ART
Conventionally, there are tape printers which produce original index labels to be pasted on audio or video cassettes or original name labels to be pasted on our various belongings.
These tape printers each print document data, which were created, using a document creating function, lengthwise on a tape with a printing head which has a plurality of heat producing elements arranged across the tape. The printed tape is discharged through a tape exit to the outside of the printer and cut by a manually or automatically driven cutter disposed between the printing head and the tape exit to produce a label.
Some conventional tape printers each have a so-called an enlarged-label printing function which prints on a tape an enlarged-character string whose height exceeds the width of the tape to produce a label having a width larger than the tape width.
This enlarged-label printing includes printing a plurality of character string portions, into which an enlarged character string is divided by the tape width through the height of the characters, on a corresponding plurality of labels each of which is a tape section.
By arranging the plurality of labels, on which the respective enlarged-character string portions are printed, in predetermined order in the direction of width of the labels, an enlarged-label on which the enlarged-character string is printed is obtained.
When the enlargement magnification of a character string increases and the number of labels on which the divided enlarged character string portions are printed increase in the tape printer having the enlarged-label printing function, it is considerably difficult to know positions in an enlarged label where the individual labels on which divided enlarged character string portions are printed are disposed.
In addition, it is also considerably difficult to align the plurality of printed labels so that the divided enlarged-character string portions do not deviate one from the other even when the positions in the enlarged label where the individual labels on which the divided enlarged-character string portions are printed are known.
In the conventional tape printer having the enlarged-label printing function, a plurality of labels which constitute one enlarged label are printed successively. When an unused tape set in the printing unit of the printer fails during printing of the divided enlarged character labels and the cassette needs to be replaced, printing of one label which constitute a part of the whole enlarged label is unsuccessful. As a result, each and every one of the plurality of labels which constitute the whole enlarged label must be reprinted, which produces a waste of the tape.
Also, even when only one of the plurality of labels which constitute the whole enlarged label is damaged, all of the plurality of labels must be reprinted.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore a first object of the present invention to provide a tape printer which is capable of enlarged-label printing in which when an enlarged character or character string is divided into a plurality of portions through its height and the plurality of divided character or character string portions are printed on a corresponding plurality of labels, the user is able to clearly know the positions of arrangement of the individual labels and their mutual positions in an enlarged label.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a tape printer which is capable of selecting any one of a plurality of labels which constitute an enlarged label in the enlarged label printing and which is capable of printing the appropriate data on that label.
According to the present invention, there is provided a tape printer comprising: across a tape; the character data entered by the input means in an enlarged character size whose height exceeds the width of the tape; specifying means specifying the printing of the character data entered by the input means in the enlarged character s
REFERENCES:
patent: 4939674 (1990-07-01), Price et al.
patent: 5302038 (1994-04-01), Hirono et al.
patent: 5462372 (1995-10-01), Hirono
patent: 5503482 (1996-04-01), Kawakami et al.
patent: 5551785 (1996-09-01), Mori et al.
patent: 5795086 (1998-08-01), Wantanabe et al.
Casio Computer Co. Ltd.
Chau Minh H.
Funk Stephen R.
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