JP2011136473A - Tape printer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a tape printer capable of shortening the length of a part to be consumed necessarily, in one time printing, on the upstream side from a region of the tape in which the printing is performed. <P>SOLUTION: When the economy mode is set (S35:YES), reverse driving of a motor is firstly performed prior to the printing to the tape (film tape) (S37) and the tape is fed upstream in relation to the feed direction by a tape conservation amount α[mm] (S39). The tape conservation amount α is preset as such a length as to prevent the tape from coming out of a tape channel of a restricting member or a nip part of a tape feeding roller even when the tape is fed upstream, or as such a length as to prevent a double-sided adhesive tape for being stuck to the film tape from adhering to a restricting wall according to a design of the tape printer. After the printing (S43, S45), the tape is fed by (L3-α)[mm] (S49), thereby, the amount of the tape consumed is saved by α[mm] and, at the same time, a margin of (L3-α)[mm] is formed respectively before and after the printing region. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a tape printer that mounts a tape cassette containing a tape and performs printing on the tape.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a tape printer that mounts a tape cassette containing a tape as a print medium and prints on the tape with a print head is known. The tape is transported along the transport path in the tape cassette, printed by the print head during that time, and discharged from the discharge port. The tape discharged from the discharge port is cut and used. The portion between the tape cutting position and the print head is downstream of the print head in the tape transport path, so printing cannot be performed during the next printing, and the portion to be printed (hereinafter referred to as “printing”). It is used as a front-side (front-side) margin (hereinafter also referred to as a “front margin”) with respect to an “area”.

  When the user desires a front margin shorter than the length between the cutting position of the tape and the print head (hereinafter also referred to as “the distance between the head and the cutter”), it is printed after the tape is discharged and cut. Before using the tape, it is only necessary to cut unnecessary portions ahead of the front margin. There is also known a tape printer that can set a front margin shorter than the distance between the head and the cutter (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, printing on a printing area is started, and the tape is moved downstream of the conveyance path by a length obtained by subtracting the desired front margin length from the distance between the head and the cutter (that is, the length of the unnecessary portion). When printing is performed, printing and conveyance are temporarily stopped. Then, after cutting unnecessary portions of the tape, printing and conveyance are resumed to obtain a front margin shorter than the distance between the head and the cutter. In Patent Document 1, when the printing is resumed, the transport motor transports the tape to the upstream side of the transport path by a distance necessary for through-up and through-down so that the print result is not interrupted. Yes.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-251539

  However, in Patent Document 1, when the length set as the front margin is shorter than the distance between the head and the cutter, the total of the length of the front margin and the length of the portion cut as an unnecessary portion on the front side of the front margin Is always the distance between the head and the cutter. That is, when the set length of the front margin is shorter than the distance between the head and the cutter, regardless of the setting, the tape is always on the front side of the printing area in one printing, and the distance between the head and the cutter is always The length of minutes will be consumed. The portion that is cut as an unnecessary portion is a portion that is wasted without being used as a print area or a front margin, and a reduction in tape consumption has been desired.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and in one printing, the length of the portion of the tape that is always consumed before the area where printing is performed can be shortened. An object is to provide a printing apparatus.

  According to the present invention, a tape cassette including a cassette case having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a pair of side surfaces, and a tape as a printing medium accommodated in the cassette case, and the tape cassette is attached and detached. A cassette mounting portion; and a first roller for feeding the tape in the transport direction; a transport means for transporting the tape along the first transport path in the tape cassette; and the tape transported by the transport means A tape printing apparatus comprising a printing unit for performing printing, wherein the tape cassette is a restricting member provided at a downstream end of the first transport path, and a path through which the tape passes, and the path A discharge port for discharging the tape to the outside of the tape cassette at the downstream end of the tape, and the thickness of the tape passing through the passage among the inner surfaces of the passage A restricting member that restricts movement of the tape in the thickness direction on two surfaces arranged on both sides of the direction, and is rotatably supported upstream of the restricting member on the first conveying path, A second roller that sandwiches the tape in a nip portion between the first roller and guides the tape to the passage in cooperation with the first roller; Before starting printing, a tape printing apparatus that transports the tape to the upstream side of the first transport path by a first length shorter than the length between the discharge port and the nip portion. Provided.

  In this embodiment, the tape can be sandwiched between the nip portions of the first roller and the second roller and guided to the passage toward the discharge port of the limiting member. Therefore, if the length is equal to the first length, even if the transport means transports the tape upstream, the leading end of the tape (the downstream end in the transport direction) does not come off the nip portion. Then, by transporting the tape upstream before printing, the length of the portion that is necessarily consumed before the area where the tape is printed is transported upstream in one printing. The length can be shortened by the first length.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape printer 1 with a cassette cover 6 closed. It is a perspective view for demonstrating the tape cassette 30 and the cassette mounting part 8. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the tape printer 1. FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8 when the tape cassette 30 is mounted and the platen holder 12 is in the standby position. FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view of the vicinity of the tape feed roller 46 when the tape cassette 30 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 8 and the platen holder 12 is in the printing position. It is a flowchart of a tape conveyance program. It is a figure for demonstrating the process of the process accompanying execution of a tape conveyance program. It is a figure for demonstrating the process of the process accompanying execution of a tape conveyance program. It is a figure for demonstrating the process of the process accompanying execution of a tape conveyance program.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings to be referred to are used for explaining the technical features that can be adopted by the present invention, and the configuration of the described apparatus is not intended to be limited thereto, but is merely an illustrative example. is there.

  First, the structure of the tape printer 1 and the tape cassette 30 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. In the description of the present embodiment, in FIG. 1, the lower left side of the drawing is the front (front) side of the tape printer 1, and the lower right side is the right side. In FIG. 2, the lower right side of the drawing is the front (front) side of the tape cassette 30 and the tape printer 1, and the upper right side is the right side.

  In the present embodiment, after printing on the film tape 59 in the form of a transparent film, a laminate type tape cassette that can protect the printing surface by attaching the double-sided adhesive tape 58 to the printing surface side is provided. Explained as an example. The tape printer 1 is not limited to the above-mentioned laminate type tape cassette, but a tape cassette having a different tape type from the above, such as a tape cassette containing a thermal paper tape or a tape cassette containing a printing tape and an ink ribbon. However, it is configured as a general-purpose machine that can be used in common. In the present embodiment, the film tape 59, the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58, the film tape 59 bonded with the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58, etc. may be collectively referred to as “tape”.

  The appearance of the tape printer 1 will be described. A tape printer 1 shown in FIG. 1 covers and protects an internal structure with a main body cover 2 having a substantially rectangular shape in plan view. On the front side of the main body cover 2, a keyboard 3 including character keys for inputting characters such as letters, symbols, and numbers, a power key 3 </ b> A, various function keys, and the like is provided. On the rear side of the keyboard 3, a display 5 capable of displaying the input character is provided. On the rear side of the display 5, a cassette cover 6 that is opened and closed with the back side of the tape printer 1 as an axis when a tape cassette 30 (described later) is replaced is provided. The cassette cover 6 is provided corresponding to a cassette mounting portion 8 described later. Although not shown, a discharge slit for discharging the printed tape to the outside is provided on the left side surface of the main body cover 2 and the cassette cover 6 and communicates with a cassette mounting portion 8 described later.

  Next, the cassette mounting part 8 will be described. The cassette mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 2) is a portion in which a part of the main body cover 2 is formed in a concave shape. The cassette mounting portion 8 is provided behind the display 5 and covers the cassette cover 6 when the cassette cover 6 is closed. Protected. As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette mounting portion 8 is adapted to the outer shape of the box-shaped cassette case 31 constituting the outer shape of the tape cassette 30 so that the cassette cover 6 can be opened and the tape cassette 30 can be mounted from above. It has a concave shape.

  The cassette mounting unit 8 is provided with a transport mechanism that pulls out the tape from the tape cassette 30 and transports it, a printing mechanism that prints characters and the like on the surface of the tape, a cutting mechanism that cuts the tape, and the like. A head holder 74 on which a thermal head 10 including a heating element (not shown) is mounted is provided in the front center in the cassette mounting portion 8. A ribbon take-up shaft 95 that rotates and drives a ribbon take-up spool 44 (see FIG. 4), which will be described later, is provided on the right rear side of the head holder 74. A tape drive shaft 100 that rotates and drives a tape feed roller 46 of the tape cassette 30 to be described later is provided slightly to the left of the head holder 74. In addition, a tape feed motor 23 is provided outside the cassette mounting portion 8 to transmit a driving force to the ribbon take-up shaft 95 and the tape drive shaft 100 via a gear group (not shown) so as to rotate. Outside the cassette mounting portion 8, at a position on the right front side of the cassette mounting portion 8, the tape driven by the cutter motor 24 (see FIG. 3) is cut and the tape discharged from the tape discharge port 49 of the tape cassette 30 described later is cut. A cutting mechanism 17 (see FIG. 4) is provided.

  An arm-shaped platen holder 12 is provided on the front side of the head holder 74, and the tip end side is swingably supported about the shaft support portion 12A. A plurality of detection switches 210 (see FIG. 4) are provided on the rear side surface of the platen holder 12, that is, the surface 12B on the side facing the thermal head 10. Each detection switch 210 protrudes rearward so as to face the front surface 30A of the tape cassette 30 existing in the cassette mounting portion 8 (more specifically, the front surface of an arm portion 34 described later). Each detection switch 210 is in an extended state (off state) when not pressed, and in a retracted state (on state) when pressed. The front surface 30 </ b> A of the tape cassette 30 is provided with a recess corresponding to the type of tape, and each detection switch 210 is selectively pressed when the tape cassette 30 is mounted. Based on the ON / OFF combination of the detection switch 210 at this time, the presence or absence of the tape cassette 30 and the tape type are detected. If all the detection switches 210 are in the OFF state, it is detected that the tape cassette 30 is not attached.

  A platen roller 15 is rotatably supported at a position corresponding to the thermal head 10 on the front end side of the platen holder 12. Similarly, the movable conveyance roller 14 is rotatably supported at a position corresponding to the tape feed roller 46 of the tape cassette 30 fitted to the tape drive shaft 100 on the front end side of the platen holder 12. The front end side of the platen holder 12 is configured to swing in conjunction with opening and closing of the cassette cover 6 by a mechanism (not shown). Specifically, when the cassette cover 6 is closed, the front end side of the platen holder 12 is moved to the printing position in the cassette mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 5), and the platen roller 15 and the movable transport roller 14 are respectively connected to the thermal head 10. It is pressed against the tape feed roller 46 and is ready for printing. When the cassette cover 6 is opened, the tip side moves to a standby position outside the cassette mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 4), and the platen roller 15 and the movable transport roller 14 are separated from the thermal head 10 and the tape feed roller 46, respectively. The tape cassette 30 can be removed from the cassette mounting portion 8.

  Next, the electrical configuration of the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, the tape printer 1 includes a control circuit unit 400 formed on a control board. The control circuit unit 400 includes a CPU 401 that controls each device, a ROM 402, a CGROM 403, a RAM 404, an input / output interface 411, and the like connected to the CPU 401 via a data bus 410.

  The ROM 402 stores various programs for controlling the tape printer 1 including a tape transport program (see FIG. 6) described later, and the CPU 401 performs various calculations based on these various programs. The ROM 402 also stores various data and tables that are referenced from the tape transport program. The CGROM 403 stores dot pattern data for printing used for printing characters such as alphabet characters and symbols. The RAM 404 is used in executing various programs, and stores various data, flags, and the like.

  The input / output interface 411 includes a detection switch 210, a keyboard 3 including a power key 3A, a liquid crystal drive circuit (LCDC) 405 having a video RAM (not shown) for outputting display data to a display (LCD) 5, a thermal head. Are connected to a drive circuit 406 for driving 10, a drive circuit 407 for driving the tape feed motor 23, a drive circuit 408 for driving the cutter motor 24, and the like.

  Next, the tape cassette 30 will be described. The tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 2 has a double-sided adhesive in a box-shaped cassette case 31 having a top surface 30A, a bottom surface 30B, and a side surface 30C (here, four side surfaces including a front surface, a back surface, a left side surface, and a right side surface). The tape 58, the film tape 59, and the ink ribbon 52 (see FIG. 4) are accommodated. The cassette case 31 is formed by overlapping an upper case 31A and a lower case 31B in the vertical direction.

  The cassette case 31 includes a first tape spool 40, a second tape spool 41 (see FIG. 4), a ribbon take-up spool 44, and a support hole 65 for rotatably supporting the tape feed roller 46 in the cassette case 31, 66, 67, 64 are provided. A head insertion portion 39 into which the head holder 74 is inserted is provided on the front side of the cassette case 31 so as to penetrate in the vertical direction. The head insertion portion 39 is open to the front side at a position closer to the left than the center of the front surface of the cassette case 31. Hereinafter, a portion extending leftward from the right front portion of the cassette case 31 is referred to as an “arm portion” 34. The open portion of the head insertion portion 39 on the left side of the tip of the arm portion 34 is referred to as an “opening” 77. The arm portion 34 has a slit-shaped opening 34A extending in the vertical direction of the cassette case 31 at the tip, and the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 52 in the cassette case 31 are drawn out from the opening 34A.

  On the front side of the cassette case 31, at the left end of the opening 77 of the head insertion portion 39, a base for restricting the film tape 59 in the vertical direction (tape width direction), and a protrusion for preventing the film tape 59 from coming forward. And a pair of upper and lower regulating members 36 are provided. Further, a tape discharge port 49 through which the film tape 59 on which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded at the position of the tape feeding roller 46 is discharged from the tape cassette 30 is provided at the left end on the front side of the cassette case 31. The film tape 59 having the double-sided adhesive tape 58 bonded thereto and discharged from the tape discharge port 49 passes between the two blades of the cutting mechanism 17 provided outside the cassette mounting portion 8 and is guided to a discharge slit (not shown). And discharged to the outside of the tape printer 1.

  Next, the internal structure of the tape cassette 30 will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 4, the state in which the tape cassette 30 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion 8 is shown with the upper case 31 </ b> A removed for easy understanding. The first tape spool 40 around which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is wound is disposed on the left rear side in the cassette case 31 and is supported rotatably around a support hole 65. The double-sided adhesive tape 58 has release paper on one side, and is wound around the first tape spool 40 with the release paper facing outward. The second tape spool 41 around which the film tape 59 is wound is disposed on the right rear side in the cassette case 31 and is supported rotatably about a support hole 66. The ribbon spool 42 around which the ink ribbon 52 is wound is disposed on the right front side in the cassette case 31 and is rotatably supported.

  Cylindrical guide members 71 and 72 are respectively provided on the right side and the right front side of the ribbon spool 42, and guide the film tape 59 drawn from the second tape spool 41 into the arm portion 34. Further, the ink ribbon 52 wound around the ribbon spool 42 is also guided into the arm portion 34. The film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 52 are once drawn out of the cassette case 31 from the opening 34 </ b> A of the arm portion 34. The film tape 59 is guided by the regulating member 36 across the opening 77 of the head insertion portion 39. As described above, the restricting member 36 is provided at the left end of the opening 77 of the head insertion portion 39. The restricting member 36 restricts the film tape 59 in the vertical direction (tape width direction) at the base portion toward the tape feed roller 46. I will guide you. The ink ribbon 52 drawn from the opening 34A together with the film tape 59 also straddles the opening 77 and is guided to the regulating member 36 side. The film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 52 are sandwiched between the platen roller 15 and the thermal head 10 when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position at the opening 77 (see FIG. 5). When printing with the thermal head 10 is performed in this state, the ink held by the ink ribbon 52 is transferred to the film tape 59.

  A guide wall 47 is provided behind the regulating member 36. The guide wall 47 separates the ink ribbon 52 from the film tape 59 guided toward the regulating member 36 and guides it into the cassette case 31. Between the first tape spool 40 and the ribbon spool 42, a ribbon take-up spool 44 that is rotationally driven by a ribbon take-up shaft 95 is rotatably supported in a support hole 67 (see FIG. 2). The ink ribbon 52 drawn from the ribbon spool 42 by the rotational drive of the ribbon take-up spool 44 is used for printing characters and the like in the thermal head 10, is guided by the guide wall 47, and is taken up by the ribbon take-up spool 44.

  A cylindrical tape feed roller 46 is disposed in front of the first tape spool 40 and is rotatably supported in the support hole 64 (see FIG. 2) of the cassette case 31 as described above. The tape feed roller 46 is a movable conveyance roller provided on the front end side of the platen holder 12 in a state where the tape cassette 30 is mounted on the tape printer 1 and the front end side of the platen holder 12 is moved to the printing position (see FIG. 5). 14 opposite. The tape feed roller 46 uses a part of the outer peripheral surface 45 (specifically, a part from the front side to the right rear side of the outer peripheral surface 45) as a part of the conveyance path of the double-sided adhesive tape 58, and the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is provided in this part. Are guided toward the limiting member 60 described later. Here, when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position, the tape feed roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14 are in close contact with each other, but the portion between the tape feed roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14 at this time is Hereinafter, it is referred to as a “nip portion” 33 (see FIG. 5). The tape feeding roller 46 sandwiches and bonds the double-sided adhesive tape 58 and the film tape 59 between the movable conveying roller 14 at the nip portion 33. Further, in cooperation with the movable conveying roller 14, the tape feeding roller 46 conveys the film tape 59 sandwiched between the nip portions 33 and bonded with the double-sided adhesive tape 58 toward the limiting member 60. The double-sided adhesive tape 58 is pulled out from the first tape spool 40 and the film tape 59 is pulled out from the second tape spool 41 by the cooperation of the tape feeding roller 46 and the movable conveying roller 14.

  A restriction wall 43 that restricts the double-sided adhesive tape 58 from moving outward in the radial direction of the tape feed roller 46 is provided at a portion from the right side of the tape feed roller 46 to the right front side. The restriction wall 43 is formed in an arc shape along the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46 in plan view, and is disposed away from the outer peripheral surface 45 so as to face a portion of the outer peripheral surface 45 where the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is guided. Has been. Moreover, the surface on the side facing the outer peripheral surface 45 of the regulation wall 43 is formed in a step shape (plan view, sawtooth shape) along the circumferential direction. The stepped side surface of the regulating wall 43 faces the surface of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 guided by the tape feed roller 46 that is not covered with the release paper. Even when the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 comes into contact with such a step-like regulating wall 43, the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 is easily peeled off because the contact area is small.

  On the left front side of the tape feed roller 46, a restricting member that restricts the movement in the thickness direction (front-rear direction) of the film tape 59 to which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded by the cooperation of the tape feed roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14 60 is provided. As shown in FIG. 2, the limiting member 60 is a first limiting member so that the film tape 59 is sandwiched between the columnar first limiting member 61 and the second limiting member 62 extending in the vertical direction of the cassette case 31. 61 is arranged on the rear side, and the second restriction member 62 is arranged on the front side. As shown in FIG. 5, the first surface 611 of the first restricting member 61 facing the second restricting member 62 faces the surface of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 attached to the film tape 59, and The movement of the film tape 59 toward the rear is restricted. The first surface 611 has an inclined surface that inclines in a direction away from the film tape 59 from the upstream side toward the downstream side at an end portion (that is, the tape discharge port 49) on the downstream side in the transport direction of the film tape 59. The second surface 621 of the second restricting member 62 facing the first restricting member 61 faces the surface of the film tape 59 bonded to the double-sided adhesive tape 58, and the film tape 59 facing the front of the cassette case 31. Restrict movement. The second surface 621 is disposed substantially parallel to the first surface 611, and is inclined at the end on the upstream side in the transport direction of the film tape 59 so as to incline away from the film tape 59 from the downstream side toward the upstream side. It has a surface 622. Between the first surface 611 of the first restricting member 61 and the second surface 621 of the second restricting member 62 is formed as a tape passage 63 through which the film tape 59 to which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded is conveyed.

  In the transport direction of the film tape 59, the end of the first surface 611 on the upstream side in the tape transport direction is located upstream of the end of the second surface 621 on the upstream side in the tape transport direction. In other words, in the transport direction of the film tape 59, the length of the second limiting member 62 extending from the tape discharge port 49 to the upstream side is shorter than the length of the first limiting member 61 extending from the tape discharge port 49 to the upstream side.

  In the tape cassette 30 having such a structure, the front end of the film tape 59 to which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded is exposed from the tape discharge port 49. For this reason, when the tape cassette 30 is attached or detached, stored, or when the tape printing apparatus 1 is turned off and not in use, for example, the user touches the tip (downstream end in the transport direction) of the film tape 59. And may receive external force. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the length of the tape passage 63 along the transport direction of the film tape 59 is L1, and the separation distance between the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46 and the regulating wall 43 is set. When L2 is set, the length L1 is formed longer than the separation distance L2 (L1> L2).

  When the leading edge of the film tape 59 receives an external force and is pushed back upstream in the transport direction, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 bonded to the film tape 59 is also pushed back together with the film tape 59 upstream in the transport direction. The double-sided adhesive tape 58 is separated from the film tape 59 and conveyed on a different conveyance path upstream of the nip portion 33 in the conveyance direction. Therefore, when the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction, the portion that is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46 is independent from the film tape 59 on the upstream side of the nip portion 33. It is separated from 45 and is bent toward the radially outer side of the tape feed roller 46. The deflected double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 collides with a regulating wall 43 that is arranged on the outer side in the radial direction of the outer peripheral surface 45 and away from the outer peripheral surface 45. Since the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 hitting the restriction wall 43 is restricted from moving in the direction toward the restriction wall 43, it is not pushed back upstream in the transport direction.

  Here, the length of the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 that is pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction from the state where the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 is in contact with the outer peripheral surface 45 to the restriction wall 43 is the length of the outer peripheral surface 45 and the restriction wall 43. Is substantially the same as the separation distance L2. Therefore, the maximum value of the length of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction is substantially equal to the separation distance L2. In other words, the length by which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 can be pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction is equal to or less than the separation distance L2. Since the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded to the film tape 59 at the nip portion 33, the length that the film tape 59 can be pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction is that the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is pushed back to the upstream side in the transport direction. It is equivalent to the possible length, that is, the distance L2 or less. Here, as described above, the passage length L1 of the tape passage 63 is longer than the separation distance L2. Therefore, even when the film tape 59 is pushed back upstream in the transport direction, the leading end of the film tape 59 moves further upstream in the transport direction than the end of the tape passage 63 on the upstream side in the transport direction. There is nothing. By setting L1> L2, it is possible to prevent the film tape 59 from being detached from the tape path 63.

  Further, the limiting member 60 of the tape cassette 30 is such that the upstream end of the first surface 611 in the tape transport direction is located upstream of the upstream end of the second surface 621. Since the restricting member 60 has such a structure, even when the leading end of the film tape 59 receives a larger external force and is detached from the tape passage 63, the leading end of the film tape 59 is more cassette case than the tape passage 63. Movement to the inner side of 31 (the first surface 611 side in the thickness direction) can be restricted. When the leading end of the film tape 59 has moved out of the tape path 63 to the outside of the cassette case 31 (on the second surface 621 side in the thickness direction), the leading end side of the platen holder 12 moves to the printing position. In addition, the movable conveyance roller 14 pushes the leading end of the film tape 59 back to the tape feed roller 46 side. Further, since the second surface 621 has the inclined surface 622, if the movable transport roller 14 and the tape feed roller 46 cooperate to transport the film tape 59, the leading end of the film tape 59 can be easily moved to the tape passage 63. The film tape 59 can be returned to the regular conveyance path.

  In the transport direction of the film tape 59, the length between the cutting position of the film tape 59 by the cutting mechanism 17 and the printing position on the film tape 59 by the thermal head 10 is L3. In the present embodiment, the length L3 is, for example, 25 mm. Note that the length L3 includes a distance required for printing, such as a distance required for through-up and through-down of the tape feed motor 23, in addition to a physical distance between the cutting position and the printing position. May be.

  Next, an outline of tape printing by the tape printer 1 will be described. Hereinafter, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 and the film tape 59 are collectively referred to as “tape”. In the tape printer 1, when performing printing on a tape, the user previously has a length N of a front margin (a margin on the front side with respect to the print area) with respect to a print area (a portion where the tape is printed; see FIG. 7). [Mm] can be set arbitrarily. The length N is set by operating the keyboard 3 and stored in the RAM 404. When the length N is not set by the user, 25 mm corresponding to the length L3 is read from the ROM 402 as a default value and set to the length N. In the present embodiment, in order to simplify the explanation, when the user sets the length N as the front margin to less than 25 mm (less than the length L3), the length N of the front margin is set to 25 mm. Set and print.

  Further, in the tape printer 1, the user can arbitrarily set whether or not to save the tape consumption consumed in one printing. By default, a mode for saving (saving mode) is set. If the user sets a mode that does not save (normal mode), a flag indicating that the current mode is the normal mode is stored in the RAM 404. In the saving mode, the length N of the front margin is shortened by the tape saving amount α [mm], and printing on the tape is performed. The saving amount α depends on the length L1 of the tape passage 63 of the limiting member 60 and the separation distance L2 between the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46 and the restriction wall 43, as shown in FIG. The length L4 between the tape discharge port 49 and the nip portion 33 is set based on one of the lengths L4. The length L1, the separation distance L2, and the length L4 are interchanged in magnitude depending on the design of the tape printer, and the shortest of L1, L2, and L4 is used as a criterion for the saving amount α. A length shorter than the reference length (a length not exceeding the reference length) is set as the saving amount α.

  The reason why the saving amount α is set to a length that does not exceed the reference length is to reliably prevent problems that may occur when the tape feed motor 23 is driven in reverse. Specifically, the leading end of the film tape 59 to which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded is detached from the tape passage 63 and the nip portion 33 and cannot be returned to the normal conveying path, or the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is not attached to the regulation wall 43. It prevents them from sticking together and causing jamming. In order to secure the saving amount α as long as possible, it is preferable to make the saving amount α close to the reference length. The tape printing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is designed so that the separation distance L2 is the shortest of L1, L2, and L4. The separation distance L2 is a reference length, and the saving amount α is shorter than the separation distance L2. (For example, 2.5 mm) is set and stored in the ROM 402. Therefore, in the saving mode, if the length N of the front margin set by the user is less than L3 (25 mm), the length of the portion consumed on the front side of the print area of the tape is the same as that per printing. 22.5 mm, saving 2.5 mm over the length consumed in normal mode.

  The tape printer 1 does not save the tape consumption even when the saving mode is set when the power is turned on or when the tape cassette 30 is attached or detached. After the power is turned on or after the tape cassette 30 is replaced, the leading end of the tape is not necessarily at the cutting position of the cutting mechanism 17 and is in a state of being pushed to the upstream side in the tape conveying direction by receiving external force. There may be. When such a situation can occur, by not saving the tape consumption, the front end of the film tape 59 to which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is bonded is detached from the tape path 63 or the nip portion 33, or the double-sided adhesive tape. This reliably prevents 58 from coming into contact with the regulating wall 43. In order to perform such processing that does not save the tape consumption, in the tape printer 1, the power key 3A of the keyboard 3 is operated to turn on the power, and the power supplied to the tape printer 1 is turned off. When the state is changed to the on state, a flag indicating power-on is stored in the RAM 404 in the established state. Similarly, when the tape cassette 30 is attached or detached and a change occurs between the ON state and the OFF state of the detection switch 210, a flag indicating cassette attachment / detachment is stored in the RAM 404 in the established state. In the tape conveyance program described later, it is determined whether or not to save the tape consumption by referring to these flags.

  Hereinafter, specific examples of the operation of the tape printer 1 during printing will be described with reference to FIGS. In the present embodiment, the tape transport program shown in FIG. 6 is a program called as a subroutine from the main program of the tape printer 1, and controls processing related to tape transport and the like. Of course, such a form of the program is merely an example. For example, the program may be processed in parallel with other programs as an independent program.

  When the CPU 401 starts processing for a print instruction on a tape, the CPU 401 executes a tape transport program. As shown in FIG. 6, first, the setting value is read from the RAM 404 (S1), and the length N of the front margin, the saving amount α, the current mode, the state of various flags, and the like are read. The status of the flag indicating power-on and the status of the flag indicating cassette attachment / detachment are confirmed, and if either flag is established (S3: YES), printing on the tape is performed for the first time after power-on. Assuming that printing on the tape is performed for the first time after the tape cassette 30 is attached or detached, the process proceeds to S5. Regardless of the mode setting, the transport of the tape when the tape consumption is not saved is performed by the processes of S5 to S29.

  In S5, it is confirmed whether or not the length set as the length N of the front margin is L3 (25 mm) or more. If it is less than L3, S7 to S15 are executed, and if it is L3 or more, S21 to S21 are executed. S29 is executed. First, when the length N of the front margin is set to less than L3 (S5: NO), the length N is overwritten and reset to L3 (25 mm) (S7). A specific example of the processing of S7 to S15 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 7, the cutting position of the cutting mechanism 17 is indicated by C, the printing position of the thermal head 10 is indicated by H, the left and right direction is the tape transport direction, the left direction is the downstream side of the transport direction, and C and H are the references. The tape transport state in each process of tape transport is shown (the same applies to FIGS. 8 and 9). In S7, as shown in Process 1 of Pattern 1, 25 mm corresponding to the length (L3) between the cutting mechanism 17 and the thermal head 10 is set as the length N of the front margin.

  Returning to FIG. 6, the tape feed motor 23 is driven to rotate forward (S9), and printing on the printing area is started (S11). The details of the printing process are well known and will not be described. Printing is performed while transporting the tape. When the tape is transported by the length of the print area set according to the print data, printing is stopped (S13). The tape transport state at this time is shown in process 2 of FIG. Further, the drive of the tape feed motor 23 is continued, and the tape is conveyed by the length N in order to secure a rear margin of the same length as the length N of the front margin as a rear margin with respect to the printing area (S15). ). The tape transport state at this time is shown in process 3 of FIG. Then, the process proceeds to S61, where the tape feed motor 23 is continuously driven and the tape is further conveyed L3 (25 mm), and then the drive of the tape feed motor 23 is stopped (S61), and the process returns to the main program. In this state, when the cutting mechanism 17 is driven by another program and the tape is cut, as shown in Step 4 of FIG. 7, the front side with respect to the printing area has a front margin of length N, and the rear side A good-looking tape with a trailing margin of length N is produced.

  In S5 of FIG. 6, when L3 (25 mm) or more is set as the length N of the front margin (S5: YES), the process proceeds to S21, and the tape feed motor 23 is driven forward (S21). ). A specific example of the processing of S21 to S29 described below is shown in FIG. When the tape is transported NL3 by driving the tape feed motor 23, the leading end of the printing area reaches the position of the thermal head 10 (S23). The state of tape transport at this time is shown in process 1 of FIG. As described above, printing is performed while transporting the tape (S25), and printing is stopped when the tape is transported by the length of the print area set according to the print data (S27). The state of tape transport at this time is shown in process 2 of FIG. Further, the drive of the tape feed motor 23 is continued, and the tape is transported for a length N in order to secure a rear margin (S29). The tape transport state at this time is shown in process 3 of FIG. Then, the process proceeds to S61, and after the tape is further conveyed by L3, the drive of the tape feed motor 23 is stopped (S61), and the process returns to the main program. When the tape is cut by the cutting mechanism 17, as shown in the process 4 of FIG. 8, a front margin having a length N equal to or greater than L3 is formed on the front side with respect to the print region, and a length equal to or greater than L3 is disposed on the rear side. A good-looking tape with a trailing margin with N is formed.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6, in S3 described above, the state of the flag indicating power-on and the state of the flag indicating cassette attachment / detachment are confirmed. If both flags are not established (S3: NO), it is assumed that the printing on the tape this time is a printing process that is performed for the second time and after the power is turned on, and that the tape cassette 30 is not attached or detached between the previous printing process and the current printing process. The process proceeds to S31. Depending on the mode setting, the tape is transported when the tape consumption is saved by the processes of S31 to S59.

  In S31, as in S5 described above, it is confirmed whether or not the length set as the length N of the front margin is equal to or greater than L3 (25 mm). If it is less than L3, S33 to S49 or S59 is executed. In the case of L3 or more, S51 to S59 are executed. When the length N of the front margin is set to L3 or more (S31: YES), the portion of the tape remaining between the cutting mechanism 17 and the thermal head 10 after the previous printing is the front margin in the current printing. As it is used without waste. Therefore, the processing of S51, S53, S55, S57, and S59 executed in this case is the same as the processing of S21, S23, S25, S27, and S29 described above regardless of the mode setting. . Therefore, the description of S51 to S59 when the length N of the front margin is set to L3 or more is omitted as applying the description of S21 to S29.

  In S31, when the length N of the front margin is set to less than L3 (25 mm) (S31: NO), S33 to S49 (or S59) are executed. Here, when the mode setting is set to the normal mode, the determination process of S35 and S47 proceeds to NO, and as a result, S33, (S35: NO), S41, S43, S45, (S47: NO) and S59 are the same as S7, S9, S11, S13, and S15 described above. Therefore, the description of S33 to S59 executed in the normal mode is omitted as applying the description of S7 to S15, and the processing of S33 to S49 executed in the saving mode will be described below. . A specific example of the processing of S33 to S49 described below is shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the length N of the front margin is set to be less than L3 (S31: NO), and when proceeding to S33, the length N is overwritten to L3 (25 mm) as in S7. It is reset (S33). The state of tape transport at this time is shown in process 1 of FIG. Next, since the mode setting is the saving mode (S35: YES), the tape feeding motor 23 is driven in reverse (S37), and the tape is conveyed upstream in the conveying direction by the saving amount α [mm]. The drive of the tape feed motor 23 is stopped (S39). The state of tape transport at this time is shown in process 2 of FIG. The leading end of the tape is disposed at a position that is returned by α mm upstream from the cutting position (C), and the tape feed motor 23 is driven forward from this position (S41) to perform printing while transporting the tape. (S43). Thereby, the length N of the front margin is substantially L3-α [mm], and the tape consumption is saved by the saving amount α [mm]. When the tape is conveyed by the length of the print area set according to the print data, printing is stopped (S45). The tape transport state at this time is shown in process 3 of FIG. Since the mode setting is the saving mode, the process proceeds to S49 (S47: YES), and the tape is conveyed by the length L3-α to secure the trailing margin (S49). The state of tape transport at this time is shown in process 4 of FIG. Then, the process proceeds to S61, and after the tape is further conveyed by L3, the drive of the tape feed motor 23 is stopped (S61), and the process returns to the main program. In this state, when the cutting mechanism 17 is driven by another program and the tape is cut, as shown in the process 5 of FIG. 9, the front side with respect to the printing area has a front margin of length L3-α, A good-looking tape having a trailing margin of the length L3-α is similarly produced on the rear side.

  As described above, according to the tape printer 1 of the present embodiment, the film tape 59 is sandwiched between the nip portion 33 between the movable conveyance roller 14 and the tape feed roller 46 and then to the tape discharge port 49 of the restriction member 60. It is possible to guide to the tape path 63 that is headed. Therefore, if the saving amount α is set shorter than the length L4 between the tape discharge port 49 and the nip portion 33, the tape feed motor 23 is driven in reverse to transport the film tape 59 upstream in the transport direction. Even in this case, the leading end (downstream end in the transport direction) of the film tape 59 does not come off from the nip 33. Then, by transporting the film tape 59 upstream before printing, the length of the portion that is necessarily consumed before the printing area of the film tape 59 is transported upstream in one printing. The saving amount α can be shortened.

  Further, if a saving amount α shorter than L1 is set on the basis of the length L1 of the tape passage 63 of the limiting member 60, the film tape 59 can be transported upstream by the reverse drive of the tape feed motor 23, and the film It is possible to prevent the tip end (downstream end portion in the transport direction) of the tape 59 from coming off the tape path 63. Alternatively, if a saving amount α shorter than L2 is set on the basis of the separation distance L2 between the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46 and the regulating wall 43, the tape feed motor can be used when the laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted. Even when the film tape 59 is transported upstream by the reverse drive of 23, it is possible to prevent the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 58 bonded to the film tape 59 from colliding with the regulating wall 43 and causing jamming. The reference L1, L2, and L4 are interchanged in magnitude depending on the design of the tape printer, and the saving amount α is preferably based on the shortest of L1, L2, and L4. . In addition, if the saving amount α is close to the reference length, the saving amount α can be secured as long as possible. In the tape printer 1 according to the present embodiment, the relationship L4> L1> L2 is established, and the saving amount α shorter than L2 is set on the basis of L2. Therefore, the film tape 59 is moved by the reverse drive of the tape feed motor 23. Even if the film is transported upstream, the leading end of the film tape 59 does not come off from the tape passage 63 or the nip portion 33, and the double-sided adhesive tape 58 does not hit and adhere to the regulation wall 43.

  Further, when the length N set as the front margin is not less than the length L3 between the cutting position of the cutting mechanism 17 and the printing position of the thermal head 10, the length from the leading end of the film tape 59 to the printing position is Printing is started after the film tape 59 is fed so as to have the length of the front margin. For this reason, before printing, the part remaining between the cutting position of the film tape 59 and the printing position can be used as it is as the front margin, and no waste occurs. On the other hand, when the length N of the front margin is less than L3, printing is started by returning the film tape 59 so that the length from the leading end of the film tape 59 to the printing position becomes the length of the front margin. For this reason, it is possible to reduce the length of the portion that remains between the cutting position of the film tape 59 and the printing position before printing and that protrudes from the portion that can be used as the front margin. In other words, the portion that remains between the cutting position and the printing position of the film tape 59 is a portion that is necessarily consumed in one printing, but the film tape 59 is fed as it is and the portion that protrudes from the front margin is simply cut off. Instead, it is possible to reduce waste of tape consumption by reversing the film tape 59 and incorporating it into the printing area for effective use.

  In the tape printer 1, the end of the film tape 59 is normally at the cutting position of the cutting mechanism 17 when the previous printing is completed. When the power of the tape printer 1 is turned off or the tape cassette 30 is detached from the previous printing to the current printing, for example, when the user carelessly touches the front end of the film tape 59, the film The tape 59 may move upstream. Therefore, in such a situation, by not transporting the film tape 59 before printing to the upstream side, the leading end of the film tape 59 is disengaged from the tape path 63 and the nip portion 33, and the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is restricted. It is possible to prevent the wall 43 from being hit and bonded.

  In the present embodiment, if the length of the front margin is L3-α in the saving mode, the length of the rear margin is also L3-α, and the length of the front margin is L3 in the normal mode. For example, since the length of the back margin can be set to L3, the size of the margin formed before and after the print area of the tape to be created can be made uniform to improve the appearance.

  In the above embodiment, the film tape 59 corresponds to the “tape” of the present invention, and the path through which the film tape 59 is conveyed from the second tape spool 41 to the tape discharge port 49 is the “first” of the present invention. Corresponding to the “first transport path”, the path along which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is transported from the first tape spool 40 to the tape discharge port 49 corresponds to the “second transport path” of the present invention. The movable conveyance roller 14 and the tape feed roller 46 correspond to the “first roller” and the “second roller” of the present invention, respectively. The tape drive shaft 100 that rotationally drives the tape feed roller 46 and the tape feed motor 23 that transmits the drive force to the tape drive shaft 100 via a gear group correspond to the “conveying means” of the present invention. The thermal head 10 corresponds to the “printing unit” of the present invention. The tape passage 63 and the tape discharge port 49 correspond to the “passage” and “discharge port” of the present invention. The cutting mechanism 17 corresponds to the “cutting means” of the present invention. The CPU 401 that reads the length N of the previous margin set by the user in S1 and uses it for the subsequent processing corresponds to the “margin setting means” of the present invention. The CPU 401 that reads the mode setting (saving mode or normal mode) set by the user in S1 and uses it for the subsequent processing corresponds to the “saving setting means” of the present invention. The saving amount α set shorter than L4 with reference to L4, the saving amount α set shorter than L1 with reference to L1, and the saving amount α set shorter than L2 with reference to L2, respectively. Corresponds to “first length”, “second length”, and “fourth length”. L2, L3, and L3-α correspond to the “third length”, “fifth length”, and “sixth length” of the present invention, respectively. The CPU 401 that establishes a power-on flag in response to the operation of the power key 3A corresponds to the “first monitoring means” of the present invention, and a change occurs between the ON state and the OFF state of the detection switch 210. The CPU 401 that establishes the flag indicating cassette attachment / detachment corresponds to the “second monitoring means” of the present invention. The regulating wall 43 corresponds to the “regulating member” of the present invention.

  The tape printer 1 of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the length L1 of the tape passage 63 is longer than the distance L2 between the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46 and the regulating wall 43 (L1> L2), but L1 is shorter than L2. It may be formed. For example, this can be realized by reducing the outer diameter of the tape feed roller 46 or by arranging the position of the regulation wall 43 further away from the outer peripheral surface 45 of the tape feed roller 46. When L2> L1, the reference length for setting the saving amount α may be L1. The same applies to the length L4 between the tape discharge port 49 and the nip portion 33. As described in the present embodiment, if the saving amount α is appropriately set according to the design of the tape printer. Good.

  Further, in the tape transport program, the reverse of the tape feed motor 23 according to various conditions such as the mode setting state, the power on / off state, whether or not the tape cassette 30 is attached / detached, and the setting value of the length N of the front margin. The presence / absence of driving is processed, but the presence / absence and combination of these conditions are arbitrary. For example, if the length N of the front margin is less than L3, the tape consumption may be always saved (that is, the tape is transported upstream before printing).

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the tape-type printing apparatus 1 is mounted with the laminate-type tape cassette 30 storing the double-sided adhesive tape 58, the film tape 59, and the ink ribbon has been described. May be a tape cassette in which a double-sided adhesive tape is wound around a first tape spool and a thermal paper tape made of a transparent or opaque film is wound around a second tape spool. Alternatively, use a tape cassette that does not have a double-sided adhesive tape and stores thermal paper tape that is integrated with the adhesive tape in advance, or a tape cassette that stores printing tape and ink ribbon that is integrated with the adhesive tape in advance. Also good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tape printer 3A Power key 8 Cassette mounting part 10 Thermal head 14 Movable conveyance roller 17 Cutting mechanism 23 Tape feed motor 30 Tape cassette 30A Top surface 30B Bottom surface 30C Side surface 31 Cassette case 33 Nip part 43 Restriction wall 45 Outer surface 46 Tape feed roller 49 Tape outlet 58 Double-sided adhesive tape 59 Film tape 60 Restriction member 61 First restriction member 62 Second restriction member 63 Tape passage 100 Tape drive shaft 210 Detection switch 401 CPU
611 First surface 621 Second surface 622 Inclined surface

Claims (10)

A tape cassette including a cassette case having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a pair of side surfaces; and a tape as a printing medium accommodated in the cassette case;
A cassette mounting portion to which the tape cassette is attached and detached;
A first roller for feeding the tape in a conveying direction; and conveying means for conveying the tape along a first conveying path in the tape cassette;
A tape printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit that performs printing on the tape conveyed by the conveyance unit;
The tape cassette is
A restricting member provided at a downstream end of the first transport path, and a passage through which the tape passes, and a discharge port for discharging the tape to the outside of the tape cassette at a downstream end of the passage. A limiting member that restricts movement of the tape in the thickness direction on two surfaces arranged on both sides in the thickness direction of the tape passing through the passage among the inner surfaces of the passage;
The tape is supported in a rotatable manner on the upstream side of the first conveying path with respect to the limiting member, and the tape is sandwiched between the first roller and the tape in cooperation with the first roller. A second roller for guiding to the passage,
The transporting unit may transport the tape by a first length shorter than a length between the discharge port and the nip portion before the printing unit starts printing on the tape. A tape printer for conveying to the upstream side of a path.   2. The tape printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport unit transports the tape to the upstream side of the first transport path by a second length shorter than the length of the passage. The tape cassette is
A part of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller is a part of the path, and is conveyed along the second conveyance path that merges with the first conveyance path in the nip portion, and is bonded to the tape in the nip portion. Double-sided adhesive tape
The second roller is disposed so as to face a part of the outer peripheral surface of the second roller serving as the second transport path and to be separated from the outer peripheral surface by a third length radially outward of the second roller. A regulating member that regulates movement of the adhesive tape to the outside in the radial direction, and
The transport means transports the tape to the upstream side of the first transport path by a shorter length of the fourth length shorter than the third length and the second length. The tape printer according to claim 2, wherein: The third length is shorter than the length of the passage;
4. The tape printer according to claim 3, wherein the transport unit transports the tape to the upstream side of the first transport path by the fourth length. 5. A cutting means disposed on the downstream side of the first transport path of the tape from the discharge port, and cutting the tape;
Further comprising a margin setting means for setting a length of a margin provided before and after a portion for printing on the tape in the transport direction of the tape;
When the length of the margin set in the margin setting unit is less than a fifth length between the cutting unit and the printing unit, the conveying unit is configured to start printing on the tape. Transporting to the upstream side of the first transport path in
The transport means does not perform transport to the upstream side of the first transport path before the start of printing on the tape when the length of the margin is not less than the fifth length. The tape printer according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Further comprising first monitoring means for monitoring a change between an on state and an off state of the supplied power supply;
When the conveyance means starts printing on the tape for the first time after the first monitoring means detects that the power is turned off, the length of the margin is 6. The tape printer according to claim 5, wherein even if the length is less than the fifth length, transport to the upstream side of the first transport path before starting printing on the tape is not performed. A second monitoring means for monitoring a change between a state in which the tape cassette is mounted on the cassette mounting portion and a state in which the tape cassette is removed;
When the printing on the tape is started for the first time after the second monitoring means detects that the transport means has changed from the state in which the tape cassette is removed to the mounted state, The transport to the upstream side of the first transport path before the start of printing on the tape is not performed even if the length is less than the fifth length. Tape printer. A saving setting means for setting whether or not to save the consumption of the tape in one printing;
In the case where the length of the margin is less than the fifth length and the setting for saving the consumption amount of the tape is made, the conveying means, before starting printing on the tape, The tape is transported to the upstream side of the first transport path, and after printing on the tape, the tape is moved from the fifth length to the tape before the start of printing. The sixth length minus the length conveyed upstream is conveyed downstream of the first conveyance path,
If the length of the margin is less than the fifth length and the setting for conserving the consumption of the tape is not made, the transport means may perform the first before printing on the tape. The tape is transported to the downstream side of the first transport path by the fifth length after printing on the tape without transporting to the upstream side of one transport path. A tape printer according to any one of claims 5 to 7. The limiting member is
A first limiting member having a first surface that is one of the two surfaces;
A second restricting member having a second surface which is the other of the two surfaces,
The first restricting member is disposed on the inner side of the cassette case than the second restricting member,
The upstream end portion of the first surface in the transport direction is located upstream of the upstream end portion of the second surface in the transport direction. A tape printer according to claim 1.   In the second surface of the second restricting member, an end surface on the upstream side in the transport direction is provided with an inclined surface that is inclined in a direction away from the tape from the downstream side toward the upstream side. 10. The tape printer according to claim 9, wherein

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