Incremental printing of symbolic information – Thermal marking apparatus or processes – Record receiver driving means
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-14
2002-04-30
Le, N. (Department: 2861)
Incremental printing of symbolic information
Thermal marking apparatus or processes
Record receiver driving means
Reexamination Certificate
active
06380965
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a tape printing apparatus and, in particular, but not exclusively, is concerned with a drive system for a tape printing apparatus. The present invention also relates to a supply of image receiving tape for a tape printing apparatus.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Known tape printing apparatus of the type with which the present invention is generally concerned are disclosed in European Patents, EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919 (Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) and European Patent EP-A-267890 (Varitronic). The tape printing apparatus have a cassette receiving bay for receiving a cassette or tape holding case. In EP-A-267890, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon and a substrate tape, the latter comprising an upper image receiving layer secured to a backing layer by an adhesive. In EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon, a transparent image receiving tape and a double-sided adhesive tape which is secured at one of its adhesive coated sides to the image receiving tape after printing and which has a backing layer peelable from its other adhesive coated side. With both these apparatus, the image transfer medium (ink ribbon) and the image receiving tape (substrate) are in the same cassette.
In all of these apparatus, the image receiving tape passes in an overlap matter with the ink ribbon to a print zone consisting of a fixed print head and a platen against which the print head can be pressed to cause an image to transfer from the ink ribbon to the image receiving tape. There are many ways of doing this, including dry lettering or dry film impression, but the most usual way at present is by thermal printing where the print head is heated and the heat causes ink from the ink ribbon to be transferred to the image receiving tape. Alternatively, the print head may be in direct contact with a thermally sensitive image receiving tape whereby when the print head is heated, an image is defined directly on the image receiving tape, without the need for an ink ribbon.
The known tape printing apparatus have input means, for example, a keyboard to allow the user to input an image to be printed. A display may be provided to display the input image and/or messages to the user. A cutting arrangement is provided to separate the image receiving tape on which an image has been printed from the supply of image receiving tape to thereby define a label.
European Patents EP-A-575772 (Esselte Meto International Produktions GmbH) discloses a thermal printer arranged to print bar code information or the like on discrete labels. The discrete labels may be supported on a backing sheet. Markings to identify the characteristics of the label may be provided either on the label itself or on the backing sheet. The markings, if provided on the label, are invisible. The markings are read by the thermal printer and may be used to determine whether an image should be printed directly on the label by the thermal printer or whether an ink ribbon is required to print an image on the label.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,531,850 (K.K. Sato) describes a printer which is arranged to print an image on a plurality of discrete labels carried on a backing web. Each label on the backing web has a mark thereon which is used to control the timing of the printing. In other words, the signal resulting from the detection of the marks on each label is used to control when the printer is activated so that the image falls within the label boundaries. Thus, a signal is sent to a control unit connected with a thermal head and the printing operations are conducted in response to the instructions coming from the control unit. The label maybe temporarily halted during printing.
Published International Application WO 96/04142 (Laser Master Corp.) describes a printer having the capability of multiple colour printing. Accordingly, a locating pattern is provided on the image receiving media to ensure that subsequent layers of colour correctly overlie previous layers. The markings on the print media are used to determine where printing should take place.
British Patent GB-A-2228449 (Tokyo Electric Co. Ltd.) discloses an ink ribbon for use in multiple colour printing. The ink ribbon has a plurality of colours sequentially aligned along the tape. Between the regions of different colours, colour recognition marks are provided so t hat the next colour can be identified. A plurality of evenly spaced markings are also provided on the tape from which the ribbon speed is determined. The speed of the ribbon varies as the ribbon spool is driven at a constant speed. The speed of the ink ribbon is used to correct readings obtained from the colour recognition marks so that the correct colour can be determined.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus for printing an image on an image receiving tape, the apparatus comprising:
input means for receiving data defining an image to be printed on the image receiving tape;
receiving means for receiving a supply of image receiving tape;
printing means for printing an image on the image receiving tape;
detecting means for detecting markings provided on the image receiving tape, the markings being arranged to provide information on a characteristic of the image receiving tape; and
control means for controlling the tape printing apparatus in accordance with the detected image receiving tape characteristic.
Thus, it is possible to use the signals provided by the detecting means for controlling the printing apparatus in accordance with the detected image receiving tape characteristics. The image receiving tape may be provided with markings indicating, e.g. the tape width and/or printing energy required for obtaining optimal printing results. The tape printer can thus size the image to be printed according to the detected tape width and/or select the printhead energy appropriately. Further, the markings can represent tape background color, tape printing color or tape length. The latter characteristics will be primarily used for display purposes, informing the user about the parameters of the tape he is using. This aspect of the invention allows to dispense with representation means in a cassette (as disclosed, e.g. in EP-A-497352 or EP-A-534794) or in a tape replacement unit, as disclosed, e.g. in EP-A-635375, since only the image receiving tape as such is necessary for detecting the markings and hence controlling the printer. The invention is consequently applicable for image receiving tape provided in cassettes, and in replacement spools without any cassette, as well.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus for printing an image on an image receiving tape, the apparatus comprising:
input means for receiving data defining an image to be printed on the image receiving tape;
receiving means for receiving a supply of the image receiving tape;
printing means for printing an image on the image receiving tape in accordance with the input data, the printing means being controlled by control means;
a drive system operable to drive the image receiving tape past the printing means; and
monitoring means for monitoring the speed of the image receiving tape, the monitoring means being arranged to detect markings provided on the image receiving tape and to provide a signal indicative of the speed at which the image receiving tape moves past the printing means, the monitoring means being connected to the control means for the printing means whereby the printing means is controlled in dependence on the speed of the tape.
By controlling the print head in dependence on the speed of the image receiving tape, it can be ensured that variations in the speed of the drive system or slippage between the drive system and the image receiving tape do not have an adverse effect on the printing. As the printing is controlled in dependence on the measured speed of the tape, variations in the speed of the tape are compensated for by the printing m
Day Robert Charles Lewis
Halket Andrew Richard Buchanan
Palmer Mathew Richard
Sims Charles Roberts
Esselte N.V.
Feggins K.
Jones Tullar & Cooper P.C.
Le N.
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