Tape printing apparatus and method, cutting device and method, and tape printing apparatus incorporating the cutting device

A method of printing a tape-shaped member by using a tape printing apparatus which has a half-cutting function capable of cutting an image-receiving layer alone of the tape-shaped member in a direction of a width thereof by using a half cutter, the tape-shaped member having the image-receiving layer and a peel layer,

• the method comprising the steps of:
• detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• setting whether or not said half cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection;
• performing half-cutting of the image-receiving layer alone of the tape-shaped member at a forward location of the tape-shaped member in a direction of feed thereof by driving said half cutter when said half cutter is set to be driven;
• and
• printing on the tape-shaped member;
• wherein the step of detecting a type of the tape-shaped member includes detecting whether or not the tape-shaped member is cuttable;
• and
• wherein the step of setting whether or not said half cutter should be driven includes setting said half cutter to be driven only when the tape-shaped member is detected to be cuttable.

A tape printing apparatus which has a half-cutting function capable of cutting a peel layer alone of a tape-shaped member in a direction of a width thereof by using a half cutter, the tape-shaped member having an image-receiving layer and the peel layer,

• the tape printing apparatus comprising:
• printing means for printing on the tape-shaped member;
• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• half cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said half cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• and
• half-cutting means for performing half-cutting of the peel layer alone of the tape-shaped member at a forward location of the tape-shaped member in a direction of feed thereof by driving said half cutter when said half cutter-driving setting means sets said half cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting whether or not the tape-shaped member is cuttable;
• and
• wherein said half cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said half cutter to be driven only when said tape-detecting means detects that the tape-shaped member is cuttable.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• and
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting whether or not the tape-shaped member is cuttable;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be driven only when said tape-detecting means detects that the tape-shaped member is cuttable.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection by said tape-detection means;
• and
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting a thickness of the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be driven only when said tape-detecting means detects that the thickness of the tape-shaped member is equal to or smaller than a predetermined thickness defined in advance.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• and
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting materials of component parts forming the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be driven only when the materials of the component parts detected by said tape-detecting means are predetermined cuttable materials defined in advance.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection by said tape-detecting means;
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting materials of component parts forming the tape-shaped member;
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be driven only when the materials of the component parts detected by said tape-detecting means are predetermined cuttable materials defined in advance;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be inhibited from being driven only when the materials of the component parts detected by said tape-detecting means are predetermined uncuttable materials defined in advance.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• and
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting a hardness of each of the component parts forming the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be driven only when the hardness of each of the component parts detected by said tape-detecting means is equal to or smaller than a predetermined hardness defined in advance.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• and
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• wherein said tape-detecting means includes means for detecting an adhesion between the component parts forming the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be driven only when the adhesion of each of the component parts detected by said tape-detecting means is equal to or smaller than a predetermined adhesion value defined in advance.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• and
• tape cutter-driving instructing means for instructing whether or not said tape cutter should be driven;
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven based on an instruction given by said tape cutter-driving instructing means;
• and
• wherein said tape cutter-driving setting means includes means for setting said tape cutter to be inhibited from being driven irrespective of the instruction given by said tape cutter-driving instructing means, when it is detected by said tape-detecting means that the tape-shaped member is uncuttable.

A cutting device which is capable of cutting a tape-shaped member by a tape cutter thereof, comprising:

• tape-detecting means for detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• tape cutter-driving setting means for setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of detection by said tape-detecting means;
• cutting means for cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter-driving setting means sets said tape cutter to be driven;
• and
• display means for displaying messages for the user;
• wherein said display means includes means for displaying a message notifying the user that the settings by said tape cutter-driving setting means are changed if the settings are changed;
• further including tape cutter-driving instructing means for instructing whether or not said tape cutter should be driven;
• and
• wherein said display means includes means for displaying a message notifying the user that the instruction given by said tape cutter-driving instructing means is made invalid, when it is detected by said tape-detecting means that the tape-shaped member is uncuttable.

A method of cutting a tape-shaped member by using a tape cutter, comprising the steps of:

• detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection;
• and
• cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter is set to be driven;
• wherein the step of detecting a type of the tape-shaped member includes detecting whether or not the tape-shaped member is cuttable;
• and
• wherein the step of setting whether or not the tape cutter should be driven includes setting said tape cutter to be driven only when the tape-shaped member is detected to be cuttable.

A method of cutting a tape-shaped member by using a tape cutter, comprising the steps of:

• detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection;
• and
• cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter is set to be driven;
• wherein the step of detecting a type of the tape-shaped member includes detecting a thickness of the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein the step of setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven includes setting said tape cutter to be driven only when the thickness of the tape-shaped member is detected to be equal to or smaller than a predetermined thickness defined in advance.

A method of cutting a tape-shaped member by using a tape cutter, comprising the steps of:

• detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection;
• and
• cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter is set to be driven;
• wherein the step of detecting a type of the tape-shaped member includes detecting materials of component parts forming the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein the step of setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven includes setting said tape cutter to be driven only when said materials of the component parts are detected to be predetermined cuttable materials defined in advance.

A method of cutting a tape-shaped member by using a tape cutter, comprising the steps of:

• detecting a type of the tape-shaped member;
• setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven, based on a result of the detection;
• and
• cutting the tape-shaped member when said tape cutter is set to be driven;
• wherein the step of detecting a type of the tape-shaped member includes a detecting materials of component parts forming the tape-shaped member;
• and
• wherein the step of setting whether or not said tape cutter should be driven includes setting said tape cutter to be driven only when said materials of the component parts are detected to be predetermined cuttable materials defined in advance;
• and setting said tape cutter to be inhibited from being driven only when the materials of the component parts are detected to be predetermined uncuttable materials defined in advance.