JPH0825706A - Apparatus and tape for producing tapelike label - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an apparatus for producing a tapelike label capable of detecting simply and certainly an end part of a tape and a tape for producing a tapelike label capable of improving productive efficiency. CONSTITUTION:When detecting control of a tape end is executed in printing and an equipped cassette is of a laminate type, since a printing part of a printing tape is transparent (S10: Yes), printing is repeated while an end detecting signal from a detection sensor is at a level 'L' and an opaque end part is not detected (S13:No). When the opaque end part is detected and the end- detecting signal changes to be at a level 'H' (S13:Yes), printing process is stopped. When it is of a recepter type (S10:No), printing is repeated while the end detecting signal is at a level 'H' (S18: No). When the transparent end part is detected, and the end-detecting signal changes to be at a level 'L' (S18:Yes), the printing process is stopped.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape-shaped label producing apparatus and a tape-shaped label producing tape, and particularly, the end portion at the end of the tape is simple and reliable on the basis of the optical transparency or non-optical transparency of the tape. Regarding the ones that are supposed to be detected.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, the applicant of the present application has proposed that Kaikaihei 1-850.
As described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 50, a tape-like label suitable for producing a label suitable for printing characters or marks of characters or symbols on a printing tape which is a printing object and affixing it to a spine of a file. We proposed a production device and put it into practical use.
This label producing apparatus is equipped with a keyboard, a display, and a thermal printing type printing mechanism, and has a printing tape (for example, tape width 6, 9, 12, 18, 2) as a printing object.
4 mm), characters and marks can be printed in various character sizes and fonts.

As the printing tape, generally, a laminate type printing on a transparent thin laminate film and a receptor type printing paper having a release paper adhered from the back side by a double-sided tape have been put into practical use. . By the way, when detecting the end portions of these laminate type or receptor type printing tapes, for example, by using a simple detection sensor such as a photo interrupter, the laminate type printing tapes have a light-transmitting property made of a transparent laminate film. And non-light-transmissive ones made of colorfully colored laminated films such as red, black and gold have been put to practical use.Receptor type printing tapes have a release paper attached to the back side. For some reason, since it is not transparent but non-light-transmitting, it can be easily detected by simply providing a light-transmitting tape or a similar terminating tape made of non-light-transmitting tape at the end of the printing tape. Can not. Therefore, the inventor of the present application prints a bar code-shaped end portion identification mark on the terminating tape provided at the end portion of the printing tape, and detects the end portion identification mark by the detection sensor. Ensured to detect the end.

[0004]

As described above, a bar code-shaped end portion identification mark is printed on the terminating tape provided at the end portion of the printing tape, and the end portion identification mark is detected by the detection sensor. Therefore, when the tape end is detected, there is a problem that a processing step of printing a bar code-shaped end portion identification mark is additionally required, which lowers the production efficiency of the printing tape and increases the cost.

An object of the present invention is to provide a tape-shaped label producing apparatus capable of easily and surely detecting an end portion of a tape which is an object to be printed, and a tape-like label producing tape capable of improving production efficiency. Especially.

[0006]

A tape-shaped label producing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a printing means including a print head for printing on a tape which is an object to be printed, a tape feeding means for feeding the tape, a printing means and a tape. In a tape-shaped label producing apparatus provided with a print control means for controlling a feeding means, an end portion for identifying the end provided at the end of the tape, which is non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting. Composed,
If the tape is non-light-transmissive, it is provided with a light-transmissive end portion and a photo interrupter for detecting the end of the tape through the end portion.

A tape-shaped label producing tape according to a second aspect of the present invention controls a printing means including a print head for printing on a tape which is an object to be printed, a tape feeding means for feeding the tape, and a printing means and the tape feeding means. A tape-shaped label producing tape applied to a tape-shaped label producing apparatus provided with a printing control means for detecting the end of the tape and a photo interrupter for detecting the end of the tape. If the tape is non-light-transmissive, it is a light-transmissive end portion for identifying the end, and the end portion detected by the photo interrupter is provided at the end.

[0008]

In the tape-shaped label producing apparatus according to the first aspect, the end portion for identifying the end, which is provided at the end of the tape to be printed, is non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting. If the tape is non-light transmissive, it is configured to be light transmissive, and the photo interrupter detects the end of the tape through its end, so that the end is light transmissive or non-light transmissive. It is possible to detect easily and surely without switching the identification mark in the form of a bar code by printing whether or not the property is changed based on the light transmission state of the tape.

In the tape-shaped label producing tape according to claim 2, the end portion for identifying the end provided at the end of the tape is made non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting, and If the end of the tape is detected by the photo interrupter through this end, the end is either light-transmissive or non-light-transmissive. Is
By switching based on the light transmission state of the tape, it is possible to easily and surely detect without printing a barcode-shaped identification mark or the like.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment is a case where the present invention is applied to a tape-shaped label producing apparatus and a tape-like label producing tape capable of printing a large number of characters such as alphabetic characters and symbols on a printing tape which is a printing object.
As shown in FIG. 1, in the front part of the main body frame 8 of the tape-shaped label producing apparatus 1, in addition to character keys such as alphabetic characters, symbols and numbers, a keyboard 2 provided with various function keys is arranged. A liquid crystal display 3 capable of displaying input characters and symbols is provided immediately behind the keyboard 2, and a thermal printing mechanism PM provided with a thermal head 36 in the body frame 8 on the rear side thereof. Is provided.

Next, the thermal printing mechanism PM will be described with reference to FIGS. First, a laminate type tape cassette 10 detachably mounted on the thermal printing mechanism PM will be described with reference to FIG. Inside the cassette case 11 of the laminate type tape cassette 10, a tape spool 14 around which a printing tape 12 made of a laminated film is wound, a ribbon spool 15 around which an ink ribbon 13 for printing is wound,
A ribbon take-up spool 1 for taking up the ink ribbon 13
6 and a supply spool 17 in which a double-sided tape 19 having release paper adhered to one surface is wound with the release paper facing outward, and a tape feed roller for feeding the print tape 12. 18 is rotatably provided.

The printing tape 12 fed from the tape spool 14 is guided by a guide roller to open the opening 2.
Tape feed roller 1 from 0 through the thermal head 36
8 is configured to be ejected to the outside of the tape cassette 10. On the other hand, the ink ribbon 13 wound around the ribbon spool 15 passes through the right side guide wall portion 11b of the pair of guide wall portions 11a and 11b formed in the cassette case 11 and the opening portion 20, and then the printing tape. 12
Is temporarily parallel to and is wound by the ribbon winding spool 16.

By the way, the tape cassette 10
A plurality of types are prepared depending on the color of the ink of the ink ribbon 13, the type of the printing tape 12 such as the receptor type or the lamination type, and the tape width (12, 18, 24, 32 mm) of the printing tape 12, and the cassette case 11 The bottom wall portion of the above is provided with a detection hole group in which the presence or absence of the six detection holes 21 to 26 is combined in order to detect any of these plural types of tape cassettes 10.

Next, the printing tape 12 and the ink ribbon 13
A feed drive mechanism capable of moving the sheet in the printing direction will be described with reference to FIG. On the main body frame 8, a double-sided tape drive cam 30 engageable with the central portion of the supply spool 17,
A ribbon drive cam 31 engageable with the center of the ribbon take-up spool 16 and a tape drive cam 32 engageable with the center of the tape feed roller 18 are rotatably supported, and the guide wall 11a is also provided. And a light receiving element 35 corresponding to the guide wall portion 11b.
A photo interrupter type detection sensor 33 is provided, and a thermal head 36 is further provided upright, and in order to detect the presence or absence of each of the six detection holes 21 to 26,
A cassette switch 37 including six detection switches (first to sixth detection switches) is provided.

Here, the laminate type printing tape 12 is printed on the back surface of a printable thin film transparent laminate film tape, and after the printing, the double-sided tape 19 is printed on the back surface of the laminate film tape.
Is a tape for adhering the other surface of the release paper, which is not adhered, to the printing tape 12, as shown in FIG.
It is composed of a printable portion 12a capable of printing and a tape end portion 12b provided at the end of the printable portion 12a. The print portion 12a is transparent and light transmissive so that light can pass therethrough.
2b is black so as to block light, and is non-light-transmissive so that it cannot transmit light.

That is, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the detection sensor 33 is provided at a reference position upstream of the thermal head 36 by a predetermined distance in the supply path of the printing tape 13, and passes through the reference position. The end portion 12b of the printing tape 12 is detected, and when the non-light-transmitting end portion 12b is detected, an "H" level end portion detection signal ES is output.

Further, at the right end of the rear end of the main body frame 8, a tape drive motor 39 composed of a stepping motor.
Is attached to the drive gear 4 of the tape drive motor 39.
0, a gear 41 rotatably supported by the body frame 8
To 47 are sequentially meshed with each other, and a gear 48 fixed to the tape drive cam 32 is meshed with the gear 47. That is, the rotation of the tape drive motor 39 is controlled by the gears 40 to 40.
It is transmitted to the tape drive cam 32 via 48.

On the other hand, the base end of the swing arm 50 is connected to the gear 45 through a slip mechanism, and the tip end of the swing arm 50 has a planetary gear 5 that is constantly meshed with the gear 45.
1 is rotatably supported. When the gear 45 rotates in the counterclockwise direction (the rotation direction during normal printing) in FIG. 3, the swing arm 50 also rotates in the counterclockwise direction, and the planet gear 51 causes the ribbon drive cam 31 to rotate. Meshes with a ribbon drive gear 52 which is connected to the ribbon drive gear 52 through a clutch spring (not shown), and the rotation of the ribbon drive gear 52 causes the ink ribbon 13 to be wound around the ribbon take-up spool 16.

The platen holder 56, which supports the rubber platen roller 55, is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 57 provided upright on the body frame 8 and also supports a rubber pressing roller 58. The pressing holder 59 is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 60 provided upright on the body frame 8. An opening hole 56a is formed in the platen holder 56, and a rising portion 61a at a front end portion of a platen drive lever 61 arranged in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side of the main body frame 8 is engaged with the opening hole 56a. . And
The rear end portion of the platen drive lever 61 is a lower end mounting portion 6 of an interlocking lever 62 that interlocks with a cover frame (not shown).
2a is connected via a tension spring 63, and the platen roller 55 is always pressed against the thermal head 36 by the spring force of the tension spring 63 via the platen drive lever 61 and the platen holder 56. .

Similarly, an opening hole 59a is formed in the pressing holder 59, and a rising portion 64a at the front end portion of the pressing roller driving lever 64 arranged in the front-rear direction on the lower surface side of the main body frame 8 has this opening. It is engaged with the hole 59a. The rear end of the pressing roller drive lever 64 is attached to the lower end mounting portion 62a of the interlocking lever 62 by a tension spring 65.
The pressing roller 58 is always pressed against the tape feeding roller 18 by the spring force of the tension spring 65 via the pressing roller drive lever 64 and the pressing holder 59.

Here, when the platen roller 55 is in the holding position for holding the ink ribbon 13 and the printing tape 12 while pressing them as shown in FIG. 3, the platen gear 66 fixed to the lower end of the platen roller 55 is attached to the gear 47. The meshing intermediate gear 49 is meshed, and the pressing roller 58 is shown in FIG.
At the pressing position shown in, the pressing roller gear 67 fixed to the lower end of the pressing roller 58 meshes with the gear 48.

When the tape drive motor 39 is driven to rotate in the clockwise direction (normal printing direction), as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 4, these gears 40 to 49 are respectively driven in predetermined rotation directions, the pressing roller 58 and the platen roller 55 are rotated counterclockwise, and the pressing roller 58 and the tape feed roller 18 are rotated. And are rotated in synchronization with each other, the printing tape 12 is sequentially fed while being printed by the thermal head 36. At the same time, the ribbon drive cam 31 is rotated by the rotation of the ribbon drive gear 52, and the ink ribbon 13 is wound around the ribbon take-up spool 16 that engages with the ribbon drive cam 31 and rotates. A double-sided tape 19 fed from a supply spool 17 is joined to the printed printing tape 12 and is ejected from the tape cassette 10 as a tape-shaped label.

Here, the thermal printing mechanism PM includes
Although the platen drive mechanism 70 is provided for moving the platen roller 55 to the release position separated from the thermal head 36, the description thereof is omitted because it is not directly related to the present invention. Incidentally, reference numeral 71 is the platen drive mechanism 7
Platen moving motor 71 for driving 0 (see FIG. 9)
Is.

By the way, this tape-shaped label producing apparatus 1
Another receptor type tape cassette applicable to
2 will be described with reference to FIG. This tape cassette 72 is the laminated type tape cassette 1 described above.
The same components are used in the same manner, and the supply spool 17 on which the receptor type printing tape 74 is wound and the ink ribbon 75 for printing are wound inside the cassette case 73 of the tape cassette 72. A mounted ribbon spool 15 and a ribbon take-up spool 16 for winding the ink ribbon 75 are rotatably provided, and a tape feed roller 18 for feeding the print tape 74 is rotatably provided. However, the tape spool 14
Has been removed because it is unnecessary.

Here, the receptor type printing tape 7
The printing unit 74a is composed of a tape in which an adhesive is applied in layers on the back surface of a printable thin film tape, and release paper is attached to the adhesive. As shown in FIG. 7, the print tape 74 is composed of a printable print portion 74a having the above-described configuration and a tape end portion 74b connected to the end thereof, and the print portion 74a cannot transmit light. The tape end portion 74b is non-light-transmissive, and is transparent and light-transmissive. That is, when the detection sensor 33 detects the light-transmissive end portion 74b, it outputs an "L" level end portion detection signal. In addition to the tape cassette 72, the receptor type may be a heat sensitive tape type. This thermal tape type is
The tape cassette 72 of the receptor type has substantially the same components as those of the tape cassette 72, and differs from the receptor type in the following points. That is, the print tape wound around the supply spool is a heat-sensitive tape in which a release paper is adhered to the back surface of the heat-sensitive paper which is a tape-shaped print portion with an adhesive, and the ink ribbon 75 That is, the wound ribbon spool 15 and the ribbon take-up spool 16 are not housed in the tape cassette. Like the receptor type printing tape 74, this heat sensitive tape type printing tape has a non-light-transmitting printing portion made of a heat sensitive tape, and an end portion connected to this printing portion is transparent and can transmit light. It is composed of transparent material.

Next, the tape cassette 1 is printed by the cooperation of the pressing roller 58 and the tape feed roller 18.
A tape cutting mechanism 80 for cutting the printing tapes 12 and 74 fed outside the 0.72 will be described with reference to FIGS. A fixed blade 81 is fixed to the rising wall portion 8b at the left end of the body frame 8, and a movable blade 83 is rotatable on a pivot shaft 82 attached to the rising wall portion 8b near the fixed blade 81. Supported by.

On the other hand, a cutting motor 84 composed of a stepping motor is fixed to the left end of the rear end of the main body frame 8, and two intermediate gears 86 meshing with the drive gear 85 of the cutting motor 84, respectively. The driven gear 88 is meshed via 87, and the rotary plate 89 is fixed to the driven gear 88. The engaging pin 90 attached to the rotary plate 89 is slidably engaged in the forked portion of the swing arm 91 extending from the base of the movable blade 83. That is, when the cutting motor 84 is rotationally driven in a predetermined rotational direction and the rotary plate 89 makes one rotation through the gears 85 to 88, the movable blade 83 is reciprocally rocked by the bifurcated rocking of the rocking arm 91. Rotates from a state in which it is opened to the fixed blade 81 by a predetermined angle (shown by a solid line in FIG. 8) to a cutting state shown by a two-dot chain line, and then reopens.

By the way, a cutout portion 98a is formed at one position of the rotary plate 98, and a detection switch 92 is provided adjacent to the rotary plate 89. When the movable blade 83 is open, that is, At the completion of the cutting operation in which the movable blade 83 moves back and forth once, the detection switch 92 is provided with the cutout portion 8.
It is turned off by 9a, and the driving of the cutting motor 84 is stopped.

Next, the control system of the label producing apparatus 1 is shown in FIG.
The block diagram of FIG. Control device C
The keyboard 2 is connected to the input / output interface 95 of D.
A cassette switch 37, a detection sensor 33, a display controller (LCDC) 110 having a video RAM 111 for outputting display data to the liquid crystal display (LCD) 3, a drive circuit 113 for a warning buzzer 112, A drive circuit 114 for driving the thermal head 36 and a drive circuit 1 for the tape drive motor 39.
15 and a drive circuit 116 for the platen movement motor 71
And a drive circuit 117 for the disconnecting motor 84 are connected respectively.

The control device CD has a CPU 97 and this CP.
I / O interface 95 connected to U97 via a bus 96 such as a data bus, and a font ROM 98
And a ROM 99 and a RAM 100. The font ROM 98 stores display dot pattern data for each of a large number of characters such as alphabetic characters and symbols, and print dot pattern data for a plurality of print character sizes.

In the ROM 99, a display drive control program for controlling the display controller 110 corresponding to code data of characters such as characters, symbols and numbers input from the keyboard 2, and characters and symbols stored in a text memory. A print control program for creating dot pattern data to be used for printing, and a print drive for sequentially outputting dot pattern data for each dot row of the created dot pattern data to the thermal head 36 or tape drive motor 39 for printing. A control program, a control program for a tape end detection control, which will be described later, peculiar to the present application, and the like are stored.

In the ROM 99, as shown in FIG. 10, combinations of ON or OFF of each of the first to sixth detection switches of the cassette switch 37 according to the presence or absence of each of the detection holes 21 to 26 are shown. Based on the ink color, the tape width, and the tape type, the cassette type determination table T
B is stored.

The RAM 100 has a text memory for storing keyboard code data input from the keyboard 2 as document data, and print data for expanding and storing dot pattern data corresponding to a character code stored in the text memory. In addition to the buffer, C
A memory or the like for temporarily storing the calculation result calculated by the PU 97 is provided.

Next, the tape end detection control routine executed by the controller CD of the label producing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. still,
Reference numeral Si (i = 10, 11, 12, ...) In the drawing represents each step.

When the print control program is executed and the print processing control is started, this control is also started at the same time. First, the detection signals from the first to sixth detection switches of the cassette switch 37 and the cassette type discrimination table are set. Based on the TB data, the installed tape cassette 10
It is determined whether or not the printing portions 12a and 74a of the 72 printing tapes 12 and 74 are light transmissive (S10). Then, for example, when the detection signal of the fifth detection switch is “ON” and the detection signal of the sixth detection switch is “OFF”, the laminate type printing tape 12 shown in FIG.
When 2a is a light-transmissive tape (S10: Yes), in the printing process control, when printing of one dot row is completed (S11: Yes), and when the printing process is not completed (S11: Yes).
12: No), end detection signal ES from detection sensor 33
Is at the "L" level and the non-light-transmissive end portion 12b is not detected (S13: No), S11 to S13 are repeatedly executed.

The end portion 12b of the printing tape 12
When the printing process is completed before the detection of (S1
2: Yes), the tape drive motor 39 is driven to feed the print tape 12 and the ink ribbon 13 by a predetermined amount (S19), the cutting motor 84 is driven, and the movable blade 83 makes one reciprocating movement. The printing tape 12 is cut to form a tape-shaped label (S20), and this control is ended.
Return to the main routine.

By the way, when the printing process is executed in S11 to S13, the end portion detection signal ES from the detection sensor 33 is at the "H" level and the non-light-transmitting end portion 1 is provided.
When 2b is detected (S13: Yes), the print processing control is instructed to stop the print processing (S14), and the tape end error message indicating that the print portion 12a of the print tape 12 is the end is displayed on the display 3. Is displayed (S1
5) End this control and return to the main routine.

On the other hand, the attached tape cassette 10
.72 printing tapes 12 and 74 printing portions 12a and 74a
When it is determined whether or not it is light transmissive (S10), for example, the detection signal of the fifth detection switch is “ON” and the detection signal of the sixth detection switch is also “ON”, and the receptor shown in FIG. Type printing tape 74, the printing section 74
When a is a non-light-transmitting tape (S10: No), in the print processing control, when printing of one dot row is completed (S16: Yes), and when the print processing is not completed (S16: Yes).
17: No), and when the end detection signal ES from the detection sensor 33 is at "H" level and the light-transmissive end 74b is not detected (S18: No), S16 to S18 are repeated. .

The end portion 74b of the printing tape 74
When the printing process is completed before the detection of (S1
7: Yes), S19 and S20 are executed, the control is terminated, and the process returns to the main routine. By the way, S
When the end portion detection signal ES from the detection sensor 33 is at the “L” level and the light-transmitting end portion 74b is detected while the printing process is being executed in 16 to S18 (S
18: Yes), S14 and S15 are executed, and the printing tape 74
A tape end error message terminating at the printing section 74a is displayed on the display 3, the control is terminated, and the process returns to the main routine.

Next, the operation of the tape end detection control will be described. If the print portion 12a of the print tape 12 is light-transmissive at the end of the print tape 12 that is the object to be printed, the end portion 12b for identifying the end is configured to be non-light-transmittable.
If the printing portion 74a of the printing tape 74 is non-light transmissive, the end portion 74 for light-transmitting end identification is provided.
b, and a selection sensor 33 including a photo interrupter
Then, the print tape 1 is inserted through the end portions 12b and 74b.
Since the end of 2 ・ 74 is detected, the end portion 12b ・ 74
Whether b is light transmissive or non-light transmissive,
By switching based on the light transmission state of the printing tapes 12 and 74, it is possible to detect easily and surely.

It should be noted that, based on the combination of ON or OFF of each of the first to sixth detection switches of the cassette switch 37, the printing tape is configured to detect the light transmissive property or the non-light transmissive property, or the laminated type. In the range of the technical idea of the present invention, such as a structure in which the light-transmissive or non-light-transmissive end portion is provided at the end of various printing tapes other than the receptor type Regarding this, various modifications may be made based on existing technology or technology obvious to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the present invention can be applied to various tape-shaped label producing devices provided with a dot-type printing mechanism for printing on a heat-sensitive printing tape without using an ink ribbon and heat-sensitive tape-shaped label producing tapes. Of course.

[0042]

According to the tape-shaped label producing apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the tape which is the object to be printed is made non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting, and the tape is non-light-transmitting. If the end portion is provided with a light-transmitting property, the end portion for identifying the end is provided, and the end of the tape is detected by the photo-interrupter through the end portion. It is possible to easily and surely detect whether or not it is light-transmitting by switching based on the light transmission state of the tape without printing a barcode-like identification mark or the like.

According to the tape-shaped label producing tape of the second aspect, the end portion for identifying the end provided at the end of the tape is non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting. If the tape is non-light-transmitting, it is configured to be light-transmitting. Therefore, when the end of the tape is detected through this end portion by the photo interrupter, the end portion is light-transmitting or non-light-transmitting. It is possible to easily and surely detect whether or not there is a property based on the light transmission state of the tape without printing a bar code identification mark or the like, and further improve the production efficiency.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a label producing apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a laminate type tape cassette.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of a thermal printing mechanism.

FIG. 4 is a view corresponding to FIG. 3 when a print tape is fed.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a receptor type tape cassette.

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a laminate type printing tape.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a receptor type printing tape.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the thermal printing mechanism showing the cutting mechanism.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram of a control system of the label producing apparatus.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the setting contents of a cassette type determination table.

FIG. 11 is a schematic flowchart of a tape end detection control routine.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tape-shaped label producing device 12 Laminate type printing tape 12a Light-transmitting printing part 12b Non-light-transmitting end part 18 Tape feeding roller 33 Detection sensor 36 Thermal head 39 Tape drive motor 55 Platen roller 58 Pressing roller 74 Receptor type Printing tape 74a Non-light-transmissive printing part 74b Light-transmissive end part PM Thermal printing mechanism CD control device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tape-shaped label comprising a printing means including a print head for printing on a tape which is an object to be printed, a tape feeding means for feeding the tape, and a printing control means for controlling the printing means and the tape feeding means. In the creating apparatus, an end portion for identifying the end provided at the end of the tape, which is non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting, and light-transmitting if the tape is non-light-transmitting. And a photointerrupter for detecting the end of the tape via the end portion. 2. A printing means including a print head for printing on a tape which is an object to be printed, a tape feeding means for feeding the tape, a printing control means for controlling the printing means and the tape feeding means, and detecting the end of the tape. A tape-shaped label producing tape that is applied to a tape-like label producing apparatus equipped with a photointerrupter, which is configured to be non-light-transmitting if the tape is light-transmitting, and light-transmitting if the tape is non-light-transmitting. A tape-shaped label producing tape, characterized in that it is a transparent end portion for identifying the end, and the end portion detected by the photo interrupter is provided at the end.