Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-13
2003-07-01
Hirshfeld, Andrew H. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C400S613000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06585438
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tape printing apparatus having a half-cutting function capable of cutting only an image-receiving layer of a tape-shaped member comprised of the image-receiving layer and a peel layer in the direction of the width thereof, by using a half cutter, and a method therefor, and a cutting device capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by using a tape cutter and a method therefor, as well as a tape printing apparatus incorporating the cutting device.
2. Prior Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed a half-cutting device which has a capability of cutting only an image-receiving layer of a tape-shaped member comprised of the image-receiving layer and a peel layer, so as to make it easy to peel off the peel layer. For instance, a cutting device for a label printer, as proposed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 9-314938, has a first cutting blade for use in cutting only the peel layer and a second cutting blade for use in cutting only the image-receiving layer. This cutting device is capable of performing half-cutting and through-cutting as required by driving either or both of the cutting blades.
Usually, devices of the above-mentioned kind, which are capable of performing half-cutting, can employ not only tape-shaped members comprised of an image-receiving layer and a peel layer but also various kinds of print mediums. Depending on the print medium, however, it is sometimes no use or impossible to carry out half-cutting. For instance, when a print medium, such as a transfer tape or the like, formed of only one layer is used, it is no use to carry out half-cutting of the print medium since the medium has no peel layer. Further, when a print medium having a magnetic layer is used, the cutting blade of the device can be damaged by a half-cutting operation (also by a through-cutting operation), so that the print medium has to be cut by using scissors.
However, even when such print mediums as mentioned above which are obviously unsuitable for half-cutting are used, it has been conventionally necessary to carry out selection between the half-cutting method and the through-cutting method, in case of need of cutting the mediums. This is troublesome. Further, the two cutting methods require different cutting operations, which is also troublesome and inconvenient to users.
There have been also proposed tape printing apparatuses incorporating a cutting device capable of cutting a printed portion of a tape-shaped member to a desired length. These tape printing apparatuses can automatically cut a tape-shaped member to be delivered therefrom as printing operation proceeds, in a proper timing corresponding to a tape length calculated from print data, or manually cut off a printed portion of the tape-shaped member.
These tape printing apparatuses can use tape-shaped members comprised of component parts made of various kinds of materials and having different thicknesses. Depending on the materials and thickness of the component part, however, there are some which cannot be cut or which are considered to be unsuitable for cutting by the cutting device. For instance, when a tape-shaped member having a magnetic layer is employed, the tape cutter (cutting edge thereof) is damaged if it is used in cutting the tape-shaped member. Therefore, to cut such a tape-shaped member, it is required to use scissors, which makes the cutting operation very troublesome. Further, if such an unsuitable type of tape-shaped member is unintentionally used by the user, the resulting cutting operation carried out on the tape-shaped member by mistake can damage the tape cutter of the apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a first object of the invention to provide a tape printing apparatus having a half-cutting function, which is capable of setting whether or not half-cutting of the tape-shaped member should be carried out, based on the detected type of the tape-shaped member, and a method therefor.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a cutting device capable of detecting the type of a tape-shaped member, and setting whether or not the tape-shaped member should be cut, based on the detected type of the tape-shaped member, a tape printing apparatus incorporating the device, and a method for the cutting device.
To attain the first object, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus which has a half-cutting function capable of cutting an image-receiving layer alone of a tape-shaped member in a direction of a width thereof by using a half cutter, the tape-shaped member having the image-receiving layer and a peel layer.
The tape printing apparatus according to the first aspect of the invention is characterized by comprising:
printing means for printing on the tape-shaped member;
tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
half cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not the half cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by the tape-detecting means; and
half-cutting means for performing half-cutting of the image-receiving layer alone of the tape-shaped member at a forward location of the tape-shaped member in a direction of feed thereof by driving the half cutter when the half cutter-driving setting means sets the half-cutter to be driven.
To attain the first object, according to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of printing on a tape-shaped member by a tape printing apparatus which has a half-cutting function capable of cutting an image-receiving layer alone of the tape-shaped member in a direction of a width thereof by using a half cutter, the tape-shaped member having the image-receiving layer and a peel layer.
The method according to the second aspect of the invention is characterized by comprising the steps of:
detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
setting whether or not the half cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection;
performing half-cutting of the image-receiving layer alone of the tape-shaped member at a forward location of the tape-shaped member in a direction of feed thereof by driving the half cutter when the half-cutter is set to be driven; and
printing on the tape-shaped member.
According to the tape printing apparatus and method, the type of a tape-shaped member is detected, and whether or not the half cutter should be driven is set based on the result of the detection. Therefore, when a tape-shaped member which requires half-cutting is detected, the half cutter is driven, whereas when a tape-shaped member which does not require half-cutting is detected, the half cutter is not driven. That is, the user does not have to set whether or not half-cutting should be performed each time it is necessary to cut the tape-shaped member. This makes it possible to simplify the setting operation.
Further, when a leading margin length can be set so as to perform the half-cutting of the leading end of a tape-shaped member, and at the same time when the leading margin length is shorter than the distance between a print head and a full cutter, it is possible to use a portion of a leading end portion of the tape-shaped member for carrying out the half-cutting of the leading end, which portion corresponds to the distance between the print head and the full cutter, which is normally cut off the tape-shaped member as an unnecessary portion. That is, a predetermined length of the tape-shaped member is not necessarily consumed for performing the half-cutting, but depending on the case, the length of a tape-shaped member which would otherwise be consumed for another reason can be made use of for the half-cutting.
Preferably, the tape-detecting means includes means for detecting whether or not the peel layer exists in the tape-shaped member, and the half cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting the half cutter to be inhibited from being driven when it is detected by the tape-detecting means that the peel layer does not exist in the tape-shaped member.
Preferably,
Hosokawa Takeshi
Nakamura Tomoki
Chau Minh H.
Hirshfeld Andrew H.
Hogan & Hartson LLP
Seiko Epson Corporation
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