Thermal printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016288528-A1
Application number	US-201514677078-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 2, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2015
Publication date	Oct 6, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A thermal printer comprises a sheet conveyance mechanism configured to convey a sheet formed by attaching labels on a mount; a ribbon conveyance mechanism configured to convey a ribbon; a thermal head configured to heat the ribbon to carry out printing of printing data on the sheet contacted with the ribbon; and a head moving mechanism configured to control the thermal head if a non-printing area is longer than a first distance based on the printing data to separate the ribbon from the sheet; wherein the ribbon conveyance mechanism stops the conveyance of the ribbon if the non-printing area is longer than the first distance; and the sheet conveyance mechanism controls, if the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, the sheet conveyance speed to a second speed slower than a first speed applied in a case of conveying a printing area.

First claim

1 . A thermal printer comprising:
a sheet conveyance mechanism configured to be able to convey a sheet formed by attaching labels on a mount at a first speed, at a second speed that is slower than the first speed and at a third speed that is higher than the first speed; a ribbon conveyance mechanism configured to convey a ribbon; a thermal head configured to heat the ribbon to carry out printing of printing data on the sheet contacted with the ribbon; and a head moving mechanism configured to control the thermal head in a case in which a non-printing area is longer than a first distance based on the printing data to separate the ribbon from the sheet, wherein the ribbon conveyance mechanism stops the conveyance of the ribbon in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, and the sheet conveyance mechanism stops the conveyance of the sheet in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, restarts the conveyance of the sheet in a case in which the head moving mechanism separates the ribbon from the sheet, and controls the conveyance speed to the third speed higher than the first speed in a case which the sheet conveyance mechanism conveys the non-printing area.

2 . The thermal printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet conveyance mechanism controls, in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, the sheet conveyance speed to the second speed slower than the first speed applied in a case of conveying the printing area.

3 . (canceled)

4 . (canceled)

5 . The thermal printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet conveyance mechanism controls the conveyance speed of the sheet based on the printing data in a case in which the conveyance of the sheet is restarted to convey the non-printing area.

6 . The thermal printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet conveyance mechanism controls the conveyance speed of the sheet to the third speed in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, and controls the conveyance speed of the sheet to a fourth speed higher than the third speed in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than a second distance longer than the first distance.

7 . The thermal printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the sheet conveyance mechanism controls the conveyance speed of the sheet to the second speed and then to the first speed in a case of conveying the sheet from the non-printing area to the printing area.

8 . A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium for storing programs enabling a thermal printer, which comprises a sheet conveyance mechanism configured to be able to convey a sheet formed by attaching labels on a mount at a first speed, at a second speed that is slower than the first speed and at a third speed that is higher than the first speed, a ribbon conveyance mechanism configured to convey a ribbon, a thermal head configured to heat the ribbon to carry out printing of printing data on the sheet contacted with the ribbon, and a head moving mechanism configured to control the thermal head in a case in which a non-printing area is longer than a first distance based on the printing data to separate the ribbon from the sheet, to execute the following processing:
stopping the conveyance of the ribbon in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance; and controlling the conveyance speed to the third speed higher than the first speed in a case which the sheet conveyance mechanism conveys the non-printing area, stopping the conveyance of the sheet in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, and restarting the conveyance of the sheet in a case in which the head moving mechanism separates the ribbon from the sheet.

9 . The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium according to claim 8 , wherein
the sheet conveyance mechanism controls, in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance, the sheet conveyance speed to the second speed slower than the first speed applied in a case of conveying the printing area.

10 . (canceled)

11 . A method controlling a conveyance speed of a thermal printer being comprised of a sheet conveyance mechanism configured to convey a sheet formed by attaching labels on a mount, a ribbon conveyance mechanism configured to convey a ribbon, a thermal head configured to heat the ribbon to carry out printing of printing data on the sheet contacted with the ribbon, and a head moving mechanism configured to control the thermal head in a case in which a non-printing area is longer than a first distance based on the printing data to separate the ribbon from the sheet, comprising:
stopping the conveyance of the ribbon in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance; stopping the conveyance of the sheet in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance; restarting the conveyance of the sheet in a case in which the head moving mechanism separates the ribbon from the sheet; and controlling the conveyance speed to a third speed higher than the first speed in a case which the sheet conveyance mechanism conveys the non-printing area.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
controlling the sheet conveyance speed to the second speed slower than the first speed applied in a case of conveying the printing area in a case in which the non-printing area is longer than the first distance.

Assignees

• Toshiba Tec Kk

Inventors

• Matsuda Okiharu

Classifications

• B41J11/007

  Conveyor belts or like feeding devices · CPC title

• 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 Primary

  Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J25/304 Primary

  Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface · CPC title