Patent EP0506460A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0506460A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Tape printer having spacing function
Assignee: Brother Industries Ltd
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Filing: 1992-03-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2012-03-27
Abstract
Abstract A tape printer (1) automatically expands an input character string up to the length of a desired printing range. Operating a fixed length key after input of printing data causes an indication, for example, "PRINTING LENGTH: 10" to appear. The "PRINTING LENGTH" indication is varied by, for example, rotating a character selecting dial (3). When a printing key is operated, an actually printable dot column count is determined from the selected printing length. The dot column count minus the total character width (dot column count required to print all desired characters) provides a margin space YS. If the margin space is equal to or greater than the total character spacing (i.e., the number of inter-character positions), a new margin space YS is determined, and the character spacing value is incremented by one dot column. The characters are then printed on the printing tape (9) using the spacing value thus obtained.
Inventors
- 👤 Kazuhisa C/O Brother Kogyo K.K. Hirono
- 👤 Yasuyo C/O Brother Kogyo K.K. Ooshio
- 👤 Takashi C/O Brother Kogyo K.K. Ito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:15
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J19/00; B41J19/14; B41J11/00; B41J11/36; B41J11/42; B41J29/00; B41J29/46; B41J3/00; B41J3/407; B41J3/4075
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
180 words
A tape printer for printing characters onto a print medium tape in accordance with input data comprising: input means for inputting character code data and command code data; an input data buffer for storing the input code data; a printing head for printing characters onto the print medium tape; driving means for driving the printing head by successively receiving the code data from the input data buffer; printing length setting means for setting a length of a printing range for printing the input character code data onto the print medium tape; character spacing determining means for receiving the code data from the input data buffer and printing range length data set by the printing length setting means in order to determine a character spacing value so that input characters are evenly spaced when printed within the printing range; and spacing controlling means for receiving the character spacing value output from the character spacing determining means and controlling the driving means in order to provide the output character spacing value between characters when the characters are printed by the driving means.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
145 words
A tape printer for printing characters onto a print medium tape by driving a printing head with a printing driver, said printing driver causing the printing head to print dot strings from successive dot pattern data groups corresponding to operator selected desired characters, and to insert spaces in accordance with a character spacing value between each successive dot pattern data group, comprising: input means for inputting character code data of the desired characters and command code data; printing length setting means for setting a length of a printing range for printing the desired characters onto the print medium tape; and character spacing determining means for determining the character spacing value, based upon the input character code data and the printing range set by said printing length setting means, so that the desired characters are evenly spaced across an entire printable length of said printing range.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
89 words
A tape printer according to claim 1 or 2, said driving means including: pattern data storing means for storing dot pattern data for a plurality of characters; a printing buffer for receiving from said pattern data storing means the dot pattern data for characters corresponding to the input character code data from the input data buffer and for storing the received dot pattern data; and controlling means for controlling said printing head by successively receiving dot strings of data from said dot pattern data stored in said printing buffer.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
92 words
The tape printer of claim 3, wherein said pattern data in said pattern data storing means includes regular size character data and double size character data; said printing buffer receives and stores said double size character data as single line data, and said regular size data as upper line data and lower line data based upon a line designation command supplied from said input means; and wherein said character spacing determining means determines said character spacing value without receiving code data regarding one of said upper line data and lower line data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
58 words
The tape printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: fixed length mode selecting means for selecting between a fixed length mode wherein said printing length setting means is operative to set the length of the printing range, and a default length mode, wherein a default value is used for said character spacing value.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
22 words
The tape printer according to any preceding claim, further comprising: a display for displaying the code data input from said input means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
35 words
The tape printer of claim 6, wherein said display includes means for successively displaying a plurality of possible printing range lengths in response to fixed length selection command code data input from said input means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
102 words
The tape printer according to any preceding claims, wherein said character spacing determining means includes: means for determining the actual printable length within the length set by said printing length setting means in which characters can be printed; means for determining a total number of desired characters to be printed; means for determining a total character width required to print the total number of desired characters; and spacing value determining means for determining said character spacing value by evenly distributing a difference between said actual printable length and said total character 'width amongst inter-character spaces located between said total number of characters.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
46 words
The tape printer of claim 8, wherein said spacing value determining means increases said spacing value between some of the characters to be printed when the difference between the actual printing length and the total character width is not an integer multiple of the inter-character spaces.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
32 words
The tape printer of claim 8 or 9, wherein said means for determining a total character width determines said total character width based on a constant character width amount for each character.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
68 words
The tape printer of claim 8, 9 or 10, wherein said means for determining a total character width includes pitch tables storing printing pitch data, the command code data includes selecting data for selecting one of the pitch tables, and said means for determining a total character width determines the total character width based on a printing pitch data of the pitch table selected by the selecting data.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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