Tape printer

• US 7,004,654 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2002
• Issued: 02/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Original Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha (Brother Industries Limited)
• Inventors: Shibata, Yasuhiro, Muto, Naruhito, Sugiura, Yoshio, Tanjima, Naoki, Hokazono, Takamine, Unotoro, Hirotsugu
• Primary Examiner(s): CHAU, MINH H
• Application Number:
  US10/483,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20040184862A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 400/76, 400/70, 400/61, 400/615.2, 400/611, 400/613
• US Class Current: 400/615.2
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/425 for a variable printing material feed amount
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 19/202 Drive control means for carriage movement
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

A tape printer for securing a time period sufficient for processing printing data even if the rpm of a DC motor increases, when an encoder is used for detecting rotation of the DC motor. When the DC motor does not rotate at a constant speed, in principle, the encoder detects an amount of rotation of the DC motor. Accordingly, a thermal head is driven for printing, every time a predetermined angle of rotation is sensed. On the other hand, when the DC motor rotates at a constant speed, the thermal head is driven for printing at constant intervals.

Claims

1. A tape printer, comprising:

a printing head that prints a dot pattern on a printing medium on a line basis, the printing medium having a tape shape;

a feed mechanism that relatively moves one of the printing medium and the printing head against the other;

a direct current motor that drives the feed mechanism;

forward rotation detection means that detects an amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor; and

printing control means that controls a driving timing of the printing head;

wherein during at least a part of a period from a suspension of power-supply of the direct current motor to a start of constant-speed rotation of the direct current motor through a stop of the direct current motor and a resumption of the power supply of the direct current motor, the printing control means prints data related on a line sequentially every time the amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor detected by the forward rotation detection means increases by a predetermined amount, and wherein during a period of a constant rotation of the direct current motor, the printing control means prints data related on a line at predetermined intervals.

2. The tape printer according to claim 1, further comprising reverse rotation detection means that detects an amount of reverse rotation of the direct current motor, wherein the printing control means controls the driving timing of the printing head after the resumption of the power supply to the direct current motor so as to compensate the amount of reverse rotation of the direct current motor detected by the reverse rotation detection means during a period from the suspension of power supply of the direct current motor to the stop of the direct current motor.

3. The tape printer according to claim 1, further comprising fluctuation reduction means that reduces a fluctuation in the rotation of the direct current motor.

5. The tape printer according to claim 2, further comprising fluctuation reduction means that reduces a fluctuation in the rotation of the direct current motor.

4. A tape printer, comprising:

a printing head that prints a line including a dot pattern arranged in a width direction of a printing medium having a tape shape;

a feed mechanism that moves either one of the printing medium and the printing head against the other, the feed mechanism including a direct current motor;

printing control means that controls driving of the printing head and the motor; and

forward rotation detection means that detects an amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor;

wherein during a period from suspension of power supply to the direct current motor to a start of constant-speed rotation of the direct current motor through a stop of rotation of the direct current motor and a resumption of power supply to the direct current motor, the control means prints a line sequentially every time the amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor detected by the forward rotation detection means increases by a predetermined amount, and wherein during a period of constant-speed rotation of the direct current motor, the printing control means prints the line at predetermined time intervals.

6. A tape printer, comprising:

a printing head that prints a line including a dot pattern arranged in a width direction of a printing medium having a tape shape;

a feed mechanism that moves either one of the printing medium and the printing head against the other, the feed mechanism including a direct current motor;

printing control means that controls driving of the printing head and the motor;

forward rotation detection means that detects an amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor;

wherein during a period from suspension of power supply to the direct current motor to a start of constant-speed rotation of the direct current motor through a stop of rotation of the direct current motor and a resumption of power supply to the direct current motor, the control means prints a line sequentially every time the amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor detected by the forward rotation detection means increases by a predetermined amount, and wherein during a period of constant-speed rotation of the direct current motor, the printing control means prints the line at predetermined time intervals; and

reverse rotation detection means that detects an amount of reverse rotation of the direct current motor, wherein the printing control means controls the driving timing of the printing head after the resumption of the power supply to the direct current motor so as to compensate the amount of reverse rotation of the direct current motor detected by the reverse rotation detection means during a period from the suspension of power supply of the direct current motor to the stop of the direct current motor.

7. A tape printer, comprising:

a printing head that prints a dot pattern on a printing medium on a line basis, the printing medium having a tape shape;

a feed mechanism that relatively moves one of the printing medium and the printing head against the other;

a direct current motor that drives the feed mechanism;

forward rotation detection means that detects an amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor;

printing control means that controls a driving timing of the printing head;

wherein during at least a part of a period from a suspension of power-supply of the direct current motor to a start of constant-speed rotation of the direct current motor through a stop of the direct current motor and a resumption of the power supply of the direct current motor, the printing control means prints data related on a line sequentially every time the amount of forward rotation of the direct current motor detected by the forward rotation detection means increases by a predetermined amount, and wherein during a period of a constant rotation of the direct current motor, the printing control means prints data related on a line at predetermined intervals; and

reverse rotation detection means that detects an amount of reverse rotation of the direct current motor, wherein the printing control means controls the driving timing of the printing head after the resumption of the power supply to the direct current motor so as to compensate the amount of reverse rotation of the direct current motor detected by the reverse rotation detection means during a period from the suspension of power supply of the direct current motor to the stop of the direct current motor.