Patent ID: 6371670
Filing Date: 2002-04-16
Classification: B41J

Abstract:
A printing apparatus for creating a label to be wound on an object having a cross-section of one of a plurality of predetermined shapes, including a circular shape, a regular triangular shape and a regular square shape, the printing apparatus comprising:a character input device that inputs a string of characters or symbols; a tape carrier that carries a tape to be used to form the label; a printing head adapted to print the input string of characters or symbols in a longitudinal direction of the tape; a memory that stores arithmetic expressions to be used for calculating lengths of outer circumferences of a plurality of reference objects having cross-sections of the plurality of predetermined shapes, each predetermined shape having a particular length; an information input device that specifies a shape of the cross-section of the object on which the label is to be wound, and that inputs a particular length corresponding to the specified shape; a calculator that calculates a length of an outer circumference of the object on which the label is to be wound in accordance with the input particular length and the arithmetic expression of the reference object corresponding to the specified shape that is stored in the memory; and a printing control section that determines a printing size and pitch of the input string of characters or symbols such that the input string of characters or symbols is printed within a portion of the tape having the length calculated by the calculator, and that then controls the label to be created by driving the tape carrier and the printing head to print the input string of characters or symbols on the tape in accordance with the determined printing size and pitch.