Printer and printing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155397-B2
Application number	US-201715432430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 14, 2017
Priority date	Apr 1, 2016
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

According to an embodiment, there is provided a printer including a plurality of printing modes. A first printing mode is a printing mode for discharging a label by a transfer device, the label being still attached to a backing sheet. A second printing mode is a printing mode for discharging the label by the transfer device while peeling off the label from the backing sheet. The printer controls power supply from a storage battery such that a printing device performs printing at a first printing speed when the printing mode is the first printing mode and such that the printing device performs the printing at a second printing speed when the printing mode is the second printing mode, the second printing speed being slower than the first printing speed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer, comprising:
a printing device that performs printing on a label attached to a backing sheet at a selected one of a first printing speed and a second printing speed slower than the first printing speed;
a transfer device configured to
transfer the label to the printing device,
discharge the printed label with the backing sheet when a printing mode is a first printing mode, and
peel off the printed label from the backing sheet with a peel-off device and discharge the peeled off label when the printing mode is a second printing mode;

a battery configured to supply power to the printing device and the transfer device; and
a processor configured to:
control power supply from the battery to perform the printing at the first printing speed by the printing device when the printing mode is the first printing mode, and control the power supply from the battery to perform the printing at the second printing speed by the printing device when the printing mode is the second printing mode, wherein:
the power supplied to the printing device is larger than the power supplied to the transfer device when the printing mode is the first printing mode,
the power supplied to the transfer device is larger than the power supplied to the printing device when the printing mode is the second printing mode, and
the transfer device is configured to transfer the label by a transfer force corresponding to the power supplied from the battery.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to control the power supply from the battery such that the power supplied to the printing device in the first printing mode is larger than the power supplied to the printing device in the second printing mode.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein the printing device includes a plurality of heating elements, and
the processor is configured to change the number of simultaneously energizable heating elements on the basis of the power supplied to the printing device.

4. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the processor is configured to control the power supply from the battery such that the power supplied to the transfer device in the first printing mode is smaller than the power supplied to the transfer device in the second printing mode.

5. A printing method comprising:
transferring, with a transfer device, a label attached to a backing sheet to a printing device;
printing, with the printing device on a label attached to a backing sheet at a selected one of a first printing speed and a second printing speed slower than the first printing speed;
discharging the printed label with the backing sheet when a printing mode is a first printing mode;
peeling off the printed label from the backing sheet with a peel-off device included with the transfer device, and discharging the peeled off label when the printing mode is a second printing mode;
controlling power supply from a battery to perform the printing at the first printing speed with the printing device when the printing mode is the first printing mode; and
control the power supply from the battery to perform the printing at the second printing speed by the printing device when the printing mode is the second printing mode, wherein:
the power supplied to the printing device is larger than the power supplied to the transfer device when the printing mode is the first printing mode,
the power supplied to the transfer device is larger than the power supplied to the printing device when the printing mode is the second printing mode, and

the transfer device transfers the label by a transfer force corresponding to the power supplied from the battery.

6. The printing method according to claim 5 , wherein
the controlling of the power supply includes controlling the power supply from the battery such that the power supplied to the printing device in the first printing mode is larger than the power supplied to the printing device in the second printing mode.

7. The printing method according to claim 5 , wherein
the printing device includes a plurality of heating elements, and
the controlling of the power supply includes controlling the power supply from the battery in accordance with the number of simultaneously energizable heating elements.

8. The printing method according to claim 5 , wherein
the controlling of the power supply includes controlling the power supply from the battery such that the power supplied to the transfer device in the first printing mode is smaller than the power supplied to the transfer device in the second printing mode.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Tsuchimoto Hiroshi

Classifications

• B41J3/4075 Primary

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J29/13

  Cases or covers · CPC title

• B41J3/36 Primary

  for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B65H41/00

  Machines for separating superposed webs · CPC title

• B41J23/025 Primary

  using a single or common power source for two or more functions · CPC title