Printer and printer control method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10596825-B2
Application number	US-201916292106-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 4, 2019
Priority date	Feb 8, 2017
Publication date	Mar 24, 2020
Grant date	Mar 24, 2020

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a thermal head is provided opposite to a platen roller. A ribbon transport unit transports an ink ribbon between the thermal head and the platen roller. A transport unit transports a sheet carrying a label between the thermal head and the platen roller. A clamping mechanism clamps the ink ribbon, a printing area of the label and the sheet in the thermal head and the platen roller. An acquisition unit acquires first print data to be printed on a first label and second print data to be printed on a second label. A non-printing area specifying unit specifies a non-printing area on the sheet, based on the first print data and the second print data. The control unit separates the ink ribbon and the sheet when it is transported between the thermal head and the platen roller, and stops the transport of the ink ribbon.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A printer comprising:
a thermal head configured to thermally transfer ink of an ink ribbon to a label;
a platen roller provided opposite to the thermal head;
a ribbon transport unit configured to transport the ink ribbon between the thermal head and the platen roller;
a transport unit configured to transport a sheet carrying the label between the thermal head and the platen roller such that a printed surface of the label and the thermal head face each other across the ink ribbon;
a clamping mechanism configured to clamp the ink ribbon, a printing area of the label, and the sheet between the thermal head and the platen roller;
an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of print commands and draw print data to be printed on each of a plurality of labels based on the acquired plurality of print commands;
a non-printing area specifying unit configured to specify a non-printing area on the sheet based on the print data of consecutive labels after drawing the print data to be printed on each of the plurality of labels; and
a control unit configured to control the clamping mechanism to separate the ink ribbon from the sheet and stop transport of the ink ribbon by the ribbon transport unit, when the transport unit transports the non-printing area on the sheet carrying the label between the thermal head and the platen roller.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the acquisition unit is further configured to acquire the plurality of print commands before execution of printing.

3. The printer according to claim 1 ,
the control unit is further configured to, before execution of printing, determine whether or not to perform ribbon saving on the print data including the acquired plurality of print commands.

4. The printer according to claim 3 ,
wherein a threshold is determined, based on a transport speed of the sheet by the transport unit.

5. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein when the non-printing area has a dimension not less than a predetermined threshold along a transport direction of the sheet, the control unit separates the thermal head and the platen roller from each other by the clamping mechanism, and stops transport of the ink ribbon by the ribbon transport unit.

6. The printer according to claim 1 ,
wherein the acquisition unit acquires the print data of the plurality of labels after the first label when the transport unit transports the sheet carrying the first label,
the non-printing area specifying unit specifies all the non-printing areas from a plurality of print data, and
the control unit starts printing by the thermal head, after specifying the non-printing area having a dimension not less than a threshold along a transport direction of the sheet, among all the non-printing areas.

7. A printer control method for controlling a printer including a thermal head configured to thermally transfer ink of an ink ribbon to a label, a platen roller provided opposite to the thermal head, and a clamping mechanism configured to clamp the ink ribbon, a printing area of the label, and a sheet between the thermal head and the platen roller, the method comprising:
transporting the ink ribbon between the thermal head and the platen roller;
transporting a sheet carrying the label between the thermal head and the platen roller such that a printed surface of the label and the thermal head face each other across the ink ribbon;
acquiring a plurality of print commands and draw print data to be printed on each of a plurality of labels based on the acquired plurality of print commands;
specifying a non-printing area on the sheet based on the print data of consecutive labels after drawing the print data to be printed on each of the plurality of labels; and
controlling the clamping mechanism to separate the ink ribbon from the sheet and stop transport of the ink ribbon by the ribbon transport unit, when the transport unit transports the non-printing area on the sheet carrying the label between the thermal head and the platen roller.

8. The printer control method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
acquiring the plurality of print commands before execution of printing.

9. The printer control method according to claim 7 , further comprising:
before execution of printing, determining whether or not to perform ribbon saving on the print data including the acquired plurality of print commands.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Katsumata Akio

Classifications

• B41J33/388

  the ribbon being fed only when type impression takes place · CPC title

• B41J2/325 Primary

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J33/14

  Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J17/12 Primary

  Special adaptations for ensuring maximum life · CPC title