Abstract: A tape printing apparatus includes a body, and a lid arranged on the body in a hinged-door form, the body having a pocket formed therein for removably loading a cartridge containing a tape-like member as a printing object material. An ejecting mechanism elevates the cartridge when the cartridge is in a state loaded in the pocket. The cartridge is classified into at least a small-height cartridge containing a tape-like member having a small width and a large-height cartridge containing a tape-like member having a large width. The body has a first support member arranged in the pocket for receiving a seating portion of the small-height cartridge in a shallow position in the pocket and a second support member arranged in the pocket for receiving a seating portion of the large-height cartridge in a deep position in the pocket. The first support member is arranged in a position away from the seating portion of the large-height cartridge when the large-height cartridge is loaded in the pocket.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a character printing apparatus in which an input character string is printed on a plurality of print mediums loaded in the apparatus and having a transversal dimension, on which limitation is imposed, and different longitudinal dimensions.

Abstract: There is provided a stamp-making method and apparatus therefor for making a square or circular stamp which can be accurately imprinted with reference to a top-indicating mark provided thereon, without discriminating the orientation of the stamp image engraved on the stamp surface thereof. There is formed first direction-oriented image data having each of a plurality of component elements of plate-making image data oriented in a first direction. When it is detected that it is difficult to discriminate orientation of the stamp body having the mark without reference to the mark, an instruction is given for arranging the image data in a manner oriented in a second direction. According to the instruction, the first direction-oriented image data is converted to a second direction-oriented image data in which the component elements of the plating-making image data are oriented in the second direction. A stamp body is engraved by the use of the second direction-oriented image data to thereby make a stamp.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus prints at least one line of a character string formed of characters on a tape. The at least one line of the character string is/are entered. At least one character size rank is/are designated respectively for the at least one line of the character string. The at least one character size rank designated are converted to at least one numerical value, respectively, to thereby determine at least one line-by-line relative character size corresponding respectively to the at least one character size rank. At least one line-by-line absolute character size corresponding respectively to the at least one line-by-line relative character size is/are determined based on a total absolute size corresponding to a tape width of the tape. At least one line of the character string on the tape is/are printed based on the line-by-line absolute character size.

Abstract: Tape printing device 1 is provided with the second and third screen modes M1 and M2, in which the input document and its layout can be simultaneously displayed on the same screen. These modes can be switched by operating layout image simultaneous display key 23. The user can enter a document while viewing its layout image displayed on the same screen to obtain the desired layout. Thus, the present invention provides a user-friendly character information processing device in which the user can enter a document while viewing the layout image on screen to obtain the desired layout.

Abstract: The tape printing device of the present invention has the function of automatically setting the length of the front and rear margins according to the width of the tape and the function of printing a square-array dot pattern on a wide region which is wider than the character string. Moreover, the tape printing device of the present invention has the function of feeding the tape, for example, between a print head and a cutter, when instructing to stop printing the character string, without printing characters.

Abstract: This invention provides a separation method for an adhesive tape and a separation device that can reliably and efficiently perform the operation of removing the backing sheet from the adhesive sheet of the adhesive tape and can be automated with a simple structure. The adhesive tape comprises a base sheet, an adhesive sheet which is applied to the base sheet and a backing sheet laminated to the base sheet. According to the invention, one end of the adhesive tape is supported leaving that end as a free end. Separation means is used to bend the free end in the direction from a first surface of the adhesive tape to a second surface of the adhesive tape until slippage occurs between the adhesive sheet and backing sheet. While in this state, the separation means is withdrawn from the adhesive tape as it traces the end surface at the free end. Thus, the backing sheet is removed from the adhesive tape and can be affixed to an object.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.

Abstract: The invention provides a structure in which an adhesion means that rotates, rocks, or reciprocates is pressed onto at least one side of an adhesive tape. The peel-off backing is subsequently removed from a base material of the adhesive tape by applying force on the adhesion means in the direction that separates the peel-off backing from the base material. The relative magnitudes of adhesive strengths are important, and the use of means such as end adhesion, end creasing, and slight delamination increase the effectiveness of the structure. After delamination, separation hooks separate the elements from the adhesion means.

Abstract: In a tape printing device of the present invention, there is established an enlargement printing mode in which a large pseudo label, whose width is wider than the width of tape, can be obtained when the tape is divided into division portions in the longitudinal direction of the tape and when the division portions are arranged in the direction of the width of the tape. When printing in this mode, the tape printing device prints not only a character string but a marker which indicates the dividing positions in the longitudinal direction of the tape, with the intention of improving the quality of the pseudo label.

Abstract: A character information processor for carrying out the processing for printing an input character string, includes: a contact-command receiving section for receiving a contact command which commands to print at a character pitch of 0 between the adjacent two characters; and a printing control section for causing to print two characters, which are defined by the contact command, at a character pitch of 0.

Abstract: A processor for a tape printer enables user-generated characters each formed by dot patterns in four sizes (16.times.16 dots, 24.times.24 dots, 32.times.32 dots, 48.times.48 dots). The user generates the dot pattern of the smallest size (16.times.16 dots) and the processor automatically enlarges the generated dot pattern to tentative dot patterns in the three larger sizes which can then be modified in turn by the user. Upon completion of the modification of the second size pattern (24.times.24 dots) the processor enlarges the completed second size dot pattern to a substitute fourth size tentative dot pattern (48.times.48 dots) to incorporate the modifications of the second size dot pattern into the fourth size dot pattern and thus reduce the user modifications to the fourth size dot pattern.

Abstract: A ribbon cartridge device for electronic equipment includes a ribbon cartridge for being removably mounted in the electronic equipment. The ribbon cartridge comprises a supply reel, a take-up reel, and a path-setting member for bending a path of the ink ribbon along which the ink ribbon is routed between the supply reel and the take-up reel, each arranged within a casing. The path-setting member is capable of changing the path of the ink ribbon.

Abstract: A character information processor which can be applied to a tape printing device. The character information processor is provided with a read-only memory in which a table containing the levels of alternatives of a menu hierarchical structure set correspondingly to each edition function is stored. When an edition level is selected by an operator by keying, only edition operations, which are available at the selected edition level, are displayed on the screen of a display unit as choices. An example of the function of editing a character string is a function for enabling the restoration of a text, on which an edition operation such as an input operation and a deleting operation has been once performed.

Abstract: A compact print making device by which a desired imprint figure can be made easily in a short time. This print making device employs a resin seal face member, a part of which receives light having a wavelength within a predetermined range and thus is put into a state different from the state of the remaining part thereof and is adapted to have an uneven face formed by being acted upon by a predetermined fluid. The resin seal face member and an original picture representing an imprint figure are arranged with the original picture just in back of the resin seal face member. Imprint figure information representing the imprint figure shown in the original picture is taken in by an information reading mechanism. A negative film making unit is driven according to the imprint figure information so as to produce a negative film. Then, the produced negative film is carried to an irradiating position. Subsequently, a light irradiating unit irradiates the resin seal face member with light through the negative film.

Abstract: There are provided a printing apparatus and a method of making a mask pattern for exposure by the use of the printing apparatus. A temperature of a thermal head is detected, and a plurality of split pulses formed by dividing a strobe pulse applied to the thermal head are sequentially applied with quiescent periods interposed therebetween. There is stored in advance pulse-applying data of settings of a cumulative period of pulse-applying periods over which the plurality of split pulses are respectively applied, a number of the split pulses, the split pulse-applying periods, and the quiescent periods, defined in a manner corresponding to values of the temperature of the thermal head. Appropriate pulse-applying data is read out according to the temperature detected, and application of the split pulses is controlled according to the appropriate pulse-applying data.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for driving and controlling a thermal head used in a printing device, such as a tape printer, in response to the temperature variations of the printing device environment and the thermal head. According to the present invention, in the printing operation of the tape printer, measurements are made of the initial temperature T1 immediately after the power is switched on, the temperature prior to printing T2, and the ambient temperature of the thermal head each time the thermal head prints T3 (i). If the temperature difference between the initial temperature T1 and the temperature prior to printing T2 is small, the duration of the current signals provided to the thermal head is controlled in accordance with the temperature prior to printing T2, which is the most recently measured thermal head ambient temperature best reflecting the printing device environmental temperature.