Print label producing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9440464-B2
Application number	US-201514842399-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 1, 2015
Priority date	Sep 2, 2014
Publication date	Sep 13, 2016
Grant date	Sep 13, 2016

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a print label producing apparatus including a controller. The controller is configured to execute a print contents acquisition process, a cut pattern acquisition process, a coordination control process, and a display control process. In a cut pattern acquisition process, specification of a cut pattern related to formation of a full-cut position and a half-cut position in producing a print label is acquired. In a coordination control process, print contents acquired are formed on a print-receiving tape, and the half-cut position or the full-cut position are formed in accordance with the cut pattern acquired. In a display control process, a display device is controlled to display an appearance image of a print label together with an identification display of all cut positions of the full-cut position and the half-cut position.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A print label producing apparatus comprising:
a feeder configured to feed a print-receiving tape;
a printing head configured to form a print on said print-receiving tape fed by said feeder to produce a tape with print;
a half-cutter configured to form a half-cut position by partially cutting said tape with print in a thickness direction;
a cutter configured to form a full-cut position by fully cutting said tape with print in the thickness direction;
a display device configured to provide a desired display; and
a controller,
said print label producing apparatus being configured to produce a print label by said tape with print that has been fully cut by said cutter,
said controller being configured to execute:
a print contents acquisition process for acquiring print contents to be formed on said print label;
a cut pattern acquisition process for acquiring specification of a cut pattern related to formation of said full-cut position and said half-cut position in producing said print label;
a coordination control process for forming the print contents acquired in said print contents acquisition process on said print-receiving tape, and forming said half-cut position or said full-cut position in accordance with the cut pattern acquired in said cut pattern acquisition process so as to produce said print label by controlling said feeder, said printing head, said half-cutter and said cutter in producing the label;
a display control process for controlling said display device triggered by an appropriate operation before said print label is produced by the control in said coordination control process to display an appearance image of said print label to be produced together with an identification display of all cut positions of said full-cut position and said half-cut position formed in producing the print label;
a length calculation process for calculating a first length of the print label extending along a transport direction, on which said print contents acquired in said print contents acquisition process are formed; and
a determination process of determining whether or not said first length calculated in said length calculation process is shorter than a predetermined length,
wherein if it is determined in said determination process that said first length is shorter than said predetermined length,
in said coordination control process, said half-cut position is formed at a position with said first length from a label starting end, and said full-cutting is performed at a position with a second length equal to or larger than said predetermined length from the label starting end so as to produce a print label with the second length by controlling said feeder, said printing head, said half-cutter, and said cutter in producing the label; and
in said display control process, said display device is controlled to, triggered by a predetermined operation before production start of the print label in said coordination control process, display an appearance image of said print label with said second length, the appearance image containing an identification display of said half-cut position at a position with said first length from the label starting end as well as an identification display of said full-cut position at a position with said second length from the label starting end.

2. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a housing that contains said feeder, said printing head, said half-cutter and said cutter therein; and
a discharging exit that is formed in said housing and is configured to discharge said tape with print outside the housing along a tape feeding path,
wherein in said determination process, it is determined whether or not said first length is shorter than said predetermined length that is a distance from said cutter to said discharging exit along said tape feeding path.

3. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
a mechanical operation mechanism is disposed in an area from said cutter to said discharging exit along said tape feeding path in said housing.

4. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
in said display control process, said display device is controlled to display a solid line extending along a tape width direction so as to be separated from said appearance image of an adjacent print label, as the identification display of said full-cut position.

5. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
in said display control process, said display device is controlled to display a broken line extending along a tape width direction and V-like grooves formed at both ends of the broken line, as the identification display of said half-cut position.

6. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein
in said display control process, said display device is controlled to display color information of said print-receiving tape together with color information of print formation by said printing head.

7. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
in a case where specification of said cut pattern acquired in said cut pattern acquisition process includes formation of said full-cut position without formation of said half-cut position, if said first length is determined to be shorter than said predetermined length by said determination process, in said coordination control process said half-cut position is formed at a position with said first length from the label starting end, and also said full-cutting is performed at a position with the second length equal to or larger than said predetermined length from the label starting end, by controlling said feeder, said printing head, said half-cutter, and said cutter in producing the label.

8. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in said display control process, said display device is controlled to display a solid line extending along a tape width direction so as to be separated from said appearance image of an adjacent print label, as the identification display of said full-cut position.

9. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in said display control process, said display device is controlled to display a broken line extending along a tape width direction and V-like grooves formed at both ends of the broken line, as the identification display of said half-cut position.

10. The print label producing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein in said display control process, said display device is controlled to display color information of said print-receiving tape together with color information of print formation by said printing head.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kako Keigo

Classifications

• B41J11/663 Primary

  Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image · CPC title

• B41J11/666

  Cutting partly, e.g. cutting only the uppermost layer of a multiple-layer printing material · CPC title

• B41J3/46

  Printing mechanisms combined with apparatus providing a visual indication · CPC title