Patent ID: 8905658

Claim:
A tape printing apparatus for forming a printed tape having a printing tape with a transparent film and an adhesive layer formed on the transparent film wound around a tape spool connected to a take-up shaft, on the adhesive layer an image or character being printed and a release sheet adhered to the adhesive layer of the printing tape, the tape printing apparatus comprising: a print head that applies printing onto the adhesive layer of the printing tape; a first conveying roller that conveys the printing tape; second conveying rollers that convey the printing tape with the release sheet adhered thereto; a first cutter that cuts the printing tape without the release sheet adhered thereto, the first cutter being arranged between the print head and the second conveying rollers; a second cutter that cuts the printing tape with the release sheet adhered thereto, the second cutter being arranged downstream of the second conveying rollers in a printing tape-conveying direction; a release sheet providing mechanism that provides the release sheet onto the printing tape in cooperation with the second conveying rollers; and a control device that controls respective operations of the first conveying roller, the second conveying rollers, the first cutter: the second cutter, the release sheet providing mechanism and the take-up shaft, at least one sensor positioned along a printing tape conveying path for detecting various positions of the printing tape; wherein the control device is configured to: operate the first conveying roller to thereby conduct printing and conveyance of the printing tape; operate, upon detecting that a predetermined front end position of the printing tape has reached the first cutter, the first cutter to thereby cut the printing tape at the predetermined front end position to produce a cut-off printing tape; operate, upon detecting that the cut-off printing tape has reached the second conveying rollers, the second conveying rollers to thereby convey the cut-off printing tape and the release sheet; and operate, upon detecting that a predetermined rear end position of the cut-off printing tape with the release sheet adhered thereto has reached the second cutter, the second cutter thereby cuts the cut-off printing tape with the release sheet at the predetermined rear end position; operate the release sheet providing mechanism to thereby reversely convey the release sheet to a grasping position of the second conveying rollers; and operate the take-up shaft to thereby rewind the printing tape around the tape spool.