Patent ID: 6287030
Filing Date: 2001-09-11
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus, comprising:printing means for printing on a continuous tape, said printing means including a thermal head;tape-cutting means for cutting said continuous tape at a predetermined cutting position on said continuous tape, after said predetermined cutting position on said continuous tape has passed said printing means;tape-feeding means in rolling contact with said continuous tape for feeding said continuous tape in a manner such that said continuous tape faces said printing means and said tape-cutting means;driving means for driving said tape-feeding means for rotation; andcontrol means for operating, when said continuous tape is cut, to cause said driving means to stop driving said tape-feeding means for rotation to thereby stop feeding said continuous tape, and thereafter cause said tape-cutting means to cut said continuous tape;said control means holding said driving means in an energized state during a cutting operation of said tape-cutting means;said control means including means for causing said tape-cutting means to carry out said cutting operation after said control means causes said tape-feeding means to stop feeding said tape and said printing means to stop printing on said continuous tape when said continuous tape is in the process of being printed;said printing means including means for carrying out a printing operation for printing on said continuous tape whenever a predetermined amount of feed of said continuous tape is effected by said tape-feeding means, said control means causing said tape-cutting means to carry out said cutting operation so as to cut off an unnecessary portion from a leading end of said continuous tape to thereby leave a leading margin of said continuous tape having a predetermined length when a position on said continuous tape corresponding to a leading edge of said leading margin reaches said predetermined cutting position of said tape-cutting means after said control means causes said tape-feeding means to stop feeding said tape and after said printing means prints one line of dots along a width of said continuous tape by said printing operation.