# US 5,344,247 A · Printing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,344,247 A - Document ID: US5344247A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/020,282 - Filed: 1993-02-19 - Granted: 1994-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 1992-02-21 - Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Shoji Sakuragi; Akihiro Sawada; Hideo Ueno - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5344247A ## CPC - B41J 2/5056: {using dot arrays providing selective dot disposition modes, e.g. different dot densities for high speed and high-quality printing, array line selections for multi-pass printing, or dot shifts for character inclination (B41J2/2132 takes precedence)} - B41J 3/4075: {Tape printers; Label printers} - B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS ## Abstract A printing device, which is capable of printing image onto a tape-type recording medium along the longitudinal direction of the tape-type recording medium, is also capable of printing the image on the tape-type recording medium in a rotated fashion with respect to the longitudinal direction of the tape-type recording medium. When the image is printed with a certain rotation, it is discriminated whether a length of the image to be printed in the rotated fashion in the width direction of the tape-type recording medium is smaller than the width of the tape-type recording medium. Then the size of the image to be printed is reduced if the length of the image is greater than or equal to the width of the tape-type recording medium. It is further discriminated whether the length, in the width direction of the tape-type recording medium, of the image to be printed after reduced by the reducing means is smaller than the width of the tape-type recording medium; and alarm is actuated if the length of the reduced image is still greater than or equal to the width of the tape-type recording medium. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A printing device capable of printing an image onto a tape-type recording medium along the longitudinal direction of said tape-type recording medium, comprising: means for printing said image on said tape-type recording medium in a rotated fashion with respect to said longitudinal direction; means for detecting a width of said tape-type recording medium; means for detecting the length of the image to be printed and for comparing said length with the width of said tape-type recording medium; means for reducing a size of said image to be printed on said tape-type recording medium in said rotated fashion if the length of the image to be printed is greater than the width of the tape-type recording medium; second means for detecting a reduced length of the image to be printed after reducing the size of said image to be printed; and means for rotating said image with respect to said longitudinal direction if the width of the tape-type recording medium is greater than the reduced length of the image to be printed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The printing device according to claim 1, wherein said image comprises a character string having a plurality of characters. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The printing device according to claim 1, wherein said image comprises a plurality of lines of character string each having a plurality of characters. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The printing device according to claim 1, further comprising means for setting an angle, said printing means being capable of printing said image with rotation at said set angle. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The printing device according to claim 4, said setting means comprises select means for selecting one angle among a plurality of predetermined angles. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The printing device according to claim 5, wherein said plurality of predetermined angles comprises angles of 90 degrees and 270 degrees counter-clockwise. ### Claim 7 A printing device capable of printing an image onto a tape-type recording medium along the longitudinal direction of said tape-type recording medium, comprising: means for printing said image on said tape-type recording medium in a rotated fashion with respect to said longitudinal direction of said tape-type recording medium; means for determining whether a length of said image to be printed in rotated fashion is smaller than the width of said tape-type recording medium when said image is rotated to be printed in the width direction of said tape-type recording medium; means for reducing said size of said image if it is determined that said length of said image is greater than or equal to said width of said tape-type recording medium; second determining means for determining whether the length, in the width direction of said tape-type recording medium, of the image to be printed after reduction by said reducing means is smaller than said width of said tape-type recording medium; and alarm means actuated if it is determined that said length of the reduced image is greater or equal to said width of said tape-type recording medium. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The printing device according to claim 7, wherein said printing means prints said image without reducing the size thereof if it is determined that said length of said image is smaller than said width of said tape-type recording medium. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The printing device according to claim 7, wherein said image comprises a character string having a plurality of characters. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The printing device according to claim 7, wherein said image comprises a plurality of lines of character strings each having a plurality of characters. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The printing device according to claim 7, further comprises means for prohibiting printing operation if it is determined that said length of the reduced image is greater than or equal to said width of said tape-type recording medium. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The printing device according to claim 7, further comprising means for setting an angle, said printing means being capable of printing said image with rotation at said set angle. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The printing device according to claim 12, said setting means comprises select means for selecting one angle among a plurality of predetermined angles. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The printing device according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of predetermined angles comprises angles of 90 degrees and 270 degrees counter-clockwise. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The printing device according to claim 14, wherein said plurality of predetermined angles further comprises an angle of 180 degrees, and wherein said printing means merely prints said image with a 180-degree rotation. ### Claim 16 A printing device capable of printing an image onto a tape-type recording medium along the longitudinal direction of said tape-type recording medium, comprising: means for printing said image on said tape-type recording medium in a rotated fashion with respect to said longitudinal direction of said tape-type recording medium; means for determining whether a length of said image to be printed in rotated fashion is smaller than the width of said tape-type recording medium when said image is rotated to be printed in the width direction of said tape-type recording medium; means for reducing said size of said image if it is determined that said length of said image is greater than or equal said width of said tape-type recording medium; second determining means for determining whether the length, in the width direction of said tape-type recording medium, of the image to be printed after reduction by said reducing means is smaller than said width of said tape-type recording medium; and means for prohibiting said printing operation if it is determined that said length of said reduced image is greater than or equal to said width of said tape-type recording medium.