Granted Patent B2

US 12,410,031 · App. 18/192,040 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Inventors: Isao Kobayashi (Nagoya, JP); Takashi Suzuki (Toyota, JP)

Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha

B65H35/0093B65H35/008B41J11/663B41J2203/01B65H2511/11B65H2801/03

Abstract

Claims (62)

1. A printing apparatus comprising:

a holder configured to accommodate a printing medium;

a conveyor configured to take the printing medium from the holder and configured to convey the printing medium along a conveying direction;

a printer configured to perform printing on the printing medium conveyed by the conveyor;

a cutter configured to cut the printing medium conveyed by the conveyor;

a first detector which is provided upstream in the conveying direction of the cutter, and which is configured to detect a front end and a rear end of the printing medium conveyed by the conveyor; and

a controller, wherein:

a distance in the conveying direction between the first detector and the cutter is shorter than a length in the conveying direction of one of media generated by dividing the printing medium into n-pieces of media (n is an integer not smaller than 2); and

the controller is configured to:

calculate a length in the conveying direction of the printing medium by using a result of a detecting of the front end and the rear end of the printing medium by the first detector, and set a cutting position of the printing medium so that the printing medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction; and

cause the cutter to cut the printing medium at the set cutting position.

2. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the printing medium includes a plurality of media; and

the controller is configured to set the cutting position of a second medium, of the plurality of media, so that the second medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the calculated length in the conveying direction of a first medium of the plurality of media, the second medium being a medium following the first medium.

3. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a standardized length based on a standard predefined for the printing medium, wherein

the controller is configured to set the cutting position of the first medium so that the first medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the standardized length stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

4. The printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein

the controller is configured to cause the cutter to cut the first medium, at the cutting position of the first medium set by using the standardized length stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, without causing the conveyor to convey the first medium in a direction opposite to the conveying direction.

5. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein:

the controller is configured to:

calculate the length in the conveying direction of each of the plurality of media, whenever each of the plurality of media is taken from the holder; and

set the cutting position of each of a plurality of next media so that each of the plurality of next media is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the calculated length in the conveying direction of each of the plurality of media, each of the plurality of next media being taken from the holder next to each of the plurality of media.

6. The printing apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a standardized length based on a standard predefined for the printing medium, and

a second detector configured to detect whether the holder is attached to the printing apparatus or not, wherein:

the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is configured to store the calculated length in the conveying direction of the printing medium; and

in a case that the controller determines that the holder is attached to and/or detached from, the printing apparatus, based on a detecting result by the second detector, the controller is configured to:

calculate the length in the conveying direction of a third medium, of the plurality of media, conveyed by the conveyor after the holder is attached to the printing apparatus;

update the length in the conveying direction of the printing medium stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium to the length in the conveying direction of the third medium calculated after the holder is attached to the printing apparatus; and

set the cutting position of a fourth medium, of the plurality of media, so that the fourth medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the updated length in the conveying direction of the printing medium, the fourth medium being a medium following the third medium.

7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein:

the holder includes a plurality of holders; and

the controller is configured to:

calculate the length in the conveying direction of the first medium conveyed by the conveyor, for respective holders of the plurality of holders; and

set the cutting position of the second medium so that the second medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the calculated length in the conveying direction of the first medium, the second medium being the medium following the first medium, the first medium and the second medium being accommodated in one of the plurality of holders identical to each other, for the respective holders; and

the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is configured to store the length in the conveying direction corresponding to the printing medium accommodated in the holder, for the respective holders.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein

in a case that the controller determines that the holder is attached to and/or detached from the printing apparatus based on a detecting result of the second detector, the controller is configured to set the cutting position of the third medium so that the third medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the standardized length stored in the non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

9. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the controller is configured to:

cause the conveyor to convey the printing medium of which length in the conveying direction is calculated to an opposite direction opposing to the conveying direction; and

set the cutting position of the printing medium conveyed in the opposite direction so that the printing medium conveyed in the opposite direction is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the calculated length in the conveying direction of the printing medium conveyed in the opposite direction.

10. The printing apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a first conveying route configured to convey the printing medium accommodated in the holder to the first detector, the printer, and the cutter along the conveying direction;

a second conveying route which is branched from the first conveying route at a position downstream in the conveying direction of the printer to extend in the opposite direction, and which merges with the first conveying route at a position upstream in the conveying direction of the printer and the cutter, wherein

the controller is configured to cause the conveyor to convey the printing medium of which length in the conveying direction is calculated in the opposite direction in the second conveying route.

11. The printing apparats according to claim 10 , wherein

the printing medium includes a plurality of media; and

the controller is configured to:

cause the conveyor to convey a following medium, of the plurality of media, in the opposite direction in the second conveying route, the following medium being a medium taken from the holder following the printing medium of which length in the conveying direction is calculated; and

set the cutting position of the following medium conveyed in the second conveying route in the opposite direction, so that the following medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction in the first conveying route.

12. The printing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein

the printing medium includes a plurality of media; and

the controller is configured to;

calculate the length in the conveying direction of each of the plurality of media, and cause the conveyor to convey each of the plurality of media of which length in the conveying direction is calculated in the opposite direction, whenever each of the plurality of media is taken from the holder; and

set the cutting position of each of the plurality of media conveyed in the opposite direction so that each of the plurality of media conveyed in the opposite direction is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the calculated length in the conveying direction of each of the plurality of media conveyed in the opposite direction.

13. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein

the controller is configured to:

determine whether the printing medium taken from the holder is a first printing medium or a second printing medium, a length in the conveying direction of one of media generated by dividing the first printing medium into the n-pieces of media being longer than the distance in the conveying direction between the first detector and the cutter, a length in the conveying direction of one of media generated by dividing the second printing medium into the n-pieces of media being shorter than the distance in the conveying direction between the first detector and the cutter;

in a case that the controller determines that the printing medium is the second printing medium, calculate a length in the conveying direction of the second printing medium based on a result of the detecting of the front end and the rear end of the second printing medium by the first detector;

set the cutting position of the second printing medium so that the second printing medium is divided into the n-pieces of media in the conveying direction, by using the calculated length in the conveying direction of the second printing medium, and

cause the cutter to cut the second printing medium, at the set cutting position of the second printing medium, without causing the conveyor to convey the second printing medium of which length in the conveying direction is calculated, in a direction opposite to the conveying direction.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (36)