Printing System

• US 20200130367A1
• Filed: 10/31/2019
• Published: 04/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Fujita, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 10,933,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/12 Special adaptations for ensuring maximum life
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/325 by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 32/00 Ink-ribbon cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 33/14 Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 33/54 for ensuring maximum life of the ribbon B41J33/38 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 33/56 Ribbon adjusted transversely

Abstract

A printing system includes: a movable printing device; a control unit; and a device moving unit that is configured to move the movable printing device, the movable printing device includes a thermal head and a ribbon transport unit, the control unit is configured to: execute print operation control including: device position control; ribbon transport control; and head print control; execute, when a print stop command is received, print stop control; execute, when a print resume command is received after a start of execution of the print stop control, the print resume control, and execute, when predetermined information is received after the start of execution of the print stop control, reset control of causing the device moving unit to move the movable printing device to a reference position, causing the ribbon transport unit to transport the ink ribbon by a predetermined amount and then restarting the print operation control.

Claims

1. A printing system comprising:

a movable printing device;

a control unit;

an interface; and

a device moving unit that is configured to move the movable printing device,

wherein the movable printing device includes a thermal head and a ribbon transport unit that is configured to transport an ink ribbon in a direction orthogonal to a moving direction of the movable printing device,

wherein the control unit is configured to;

execute, when a print command is received via the interface, print operation control including;

device position control of causing the device moving unit to move the movable printing device and positioning the movable printing device in a width direction of a print medium;

ribbon transport control of causing the ribbon transport unit to transport the ink ribbon and transporting the ink ribbon between the print medium and the thermal head in a length direction of the print medium; and

head print control of causing the thermal head to heat the ink ribbon being transported and executing printing on the print medium;

execute, when a print stop command is received via the interface, print stop control of releasing a standby state where printing is executable after execution of the print operation control is completed;

execute, when a print resume command is received via the interface after a start of execution of the print stop control, print resume control of;

causing the device moving unit to resume the device position control from a stop position of the movable printing device;

causing the ribbon transport unit to resume the ribbon transport control from a stop position of the ink ribbon; and

causing the thermal head to resume printing from a print interruption position of the ink ribbon, and

execute, when predetermined information is received via the interface after the start of execution of the print stop control, reset control of causing the device moving unit to move the movable printing device to a reference position, causing the ribbon transport unit to transport the ink ribbon by a predetermined amount and then restarting the print operation control.

2. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to execute the print operation control based on a first parameter and a second parameter, for the first parameter the reset control is not needed, and

when the print resume command and a first change command instructing change of the first parameter are received via the interface after the start of execution of the print stop control, the control unit is configured to change the first parameter based on the first change command and execute the print resume control to resume the print operation control.

3. The printing system according to claim 2, wherein

the first parameter includes a parameter of print density of an image to be printed with the thermal head using the ink ribbon.

4. The printing system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit is configured to execute the print operation control based on a first parameter and a second parameter, for the second parameter the reset control is needed,

when a second change command instructing change of the second parameter is received as the predetermined information via the interface after the start of execution of the print stop control, the control unit is configured to change the second parameter based on the second change command and execute the reset control to restart the print operation control.

5. The printing system according to claim 4, wherein

the second parameter includes a parameter of the maximum number of columns, which is the maximum number of a plurality of images to be printed aligned in the width direction of the ink ribbon with the thermal head.