JP2023080733A - tape cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a tape cassette capable of maintaining high moldability of a cassette case even when distances between a plurality of holes formed by patterns formed in accordance with the type of the tape cassette are made small.SOLUTION: The tape cassette comprises: a box-like cassette case; a tape stored in the cassette case; and a hole unit 800A provided in the cassette case. The hole unit 800A has a plurality of single holes 40 including at least first and second single holes 41 and 42, similar in size in a vertical direction, and similar in size in a horizontal direction, and a first connection hole 45 that connects the first and second single holes 41 and 42 to each other. A distance Lc between the first and second single holes 41 and 42 is equal to or smaller than shorter one Lb of the vertical and the horizontal lengths of the single holes 40.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

The present invention relates to tape cassettes.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a tape cassette having a cassette detector on the wall of the housing. The cassette detector has a plurality of holes formed in a pattern corresponding to the type of tape cassette (for example, tape width, tape type, etc.). The cassette detector is read by a plurality of detection switches provided in the printer while the tape cassette is loaded in the printer.

JP 2010-149437 A

As printers become smaller, the plurality of detection switches also becomes smaller. In this case, it is also necessary to narrow the distance between each of the plurality of holes of the cassette detector. On the other hand, as the distance between the plurality of holes is narrowed, there is a problem that the moldability of the portion between the plurality of holes deteriorates during molding of the cassette case. In this case, there is a possibility that the reading accuracy when reading the cassette detection portion by the plurality of detection switches will be degraded.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a tape cassette in which good formability of the cassette case can be maintained even if the distance between a plurality of holes formed in a pattern corresponding to the type of tape cassette is narrowed. be.

A tape cassette according to the present invention is a tape cassette comprising a box-shaped cassette case, a tape housed inside the cassette case, and a hole unit provided in the cassette case, wherein the hole unit is , a plurality of single holes having at least a first single hole and a second single hole, the size of each of the single holes being the same in a first direction, and a second single hole crossing the first direction. a plurality of single holes having the same size in the direction; and a first connecting hole connecting the first single hole and the second single hole, the first single hole and the second single hole. The distance between the two single holes is equal to or less than the shorter size of the sizes in the first direction and the sizes in the second direction of each of the plurality of single holes.

A portion between the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion is connected by the first connecting hole portion. Therefore, the tape cassette can prevent the moldability of the cassette case from deteriorating in the portion between the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion. Therefore, in the tape cassette, the distance between the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion is set to be equal to or smaller than the smaller of the sizes in the first direction and the size in the second direction of each of the plurality of single holes. Even in this case, good moldability can be maintained.

In the present invention, the plurality of single hole portions have single single hole portions that are not connected to other single hole portions, and the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion are the same as the single single hole portions. It may be in shape. That is, the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion connected by the first connecting hole portion and the single single hole portion not connected to other single hole portions have the same shape. Therefore, even when a plurality of single holes are connected by a connecting hole, the shape of each single hole is maintained and does not expand. Therefore, the tape cassette can prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the cassette case through the first single hole portion, the second single hole portion, and the first connecting hole portion.

In the present invention, the plurality of single hole portions further includes a third single hole portion, and the hole unit includes a second connecting hole portion connecting the first single hole portion and the third single hole portion. a direction in which the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion extend along the first connecting hole portion; and the first single hole portion along the second connecting hole portion. The direction extending over the third single hole portion may be different. When the first connecting hole portion and the second connecting hole portion extend in the same direction, a hole in which the first to third single hole portions are integrated with the first connecting hole portion and the second connecting hole portion is formed. Large foreign matter can easily enter the inside of the cassette case through the opening. On the other hand, in the tape cassette, the first connecting hole and the second connecting hole extend in different directions. Therefore, the tape cassette makes it difficult for large foreign matter to enter the inside of the cassette case.

In the present invention, the cassette case has an injection part that is adjacent to the gate when formed by injection molding, the plurality of single holes further have a third single hole and a fourth single hole, The distance between the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion and the injection portion is longer than the distance between the second single hole portion and the third single hole portion and the injection portion. , the third single hole portion is positioned between the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion in an arrangement direction of the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion; is a second connecting hole portion that connects the first single hole portion and the third single hole portion, and a third connecting hole portion that connects the third single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion; You may have either one further. In this case, the material injected from the gate into the mold during molding of the cassette case is between the portions of the mold corresponding to the third single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion, or between the portions of the mold. Among them, it passes through the portions corresponding to the first single hole portion and the third single hole portion, and between the portions of the mold corresponding to the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion. reach. Therefore, the tape cassette can appropriately supply the material between the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion during molding of the cassette case, and can properly mold the cassette case.

1 is a perspective view of a thermal printer 1; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a tape cassette 30 and a mounting portion 8; FIG. 3 is a plan view of the mounting section 8 with the tape cassette 30 mounted when the platen holder 12 is at the printing position. FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of a cassette facing surface 12b provided with a detection unit 200; FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 4 taken along the line AA as viewed in the direction of the arrow; It is the perspective view which looked at the lower case 31b from the diagonally downward direction. 4 is an enlarged view of an arm front wall 35; FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a hole unit 800A provided in the arm front wall 35; FIG. 8 is an enlarged view of a hole unit 800B provided in the arm front wall 35; FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of resin during injection molding;

An embodiment embodying the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The drawings to be referred to are used to explain the technical features that can be employed by the present invention, and the configuration, control, etc. of the devices described are not meant to be limited to them, but are merely illustrative examples. be.

Below, the lower left side, upper right side, lower right side, upper left side, upper side, and lower side of FIG. The lower right side, upper left side, upper right side, lower left side, upper side, and lower side in FIG. 2 are the front side, rear side, right side, left side, upper side, and lower side of the tape cassette 30, respectively. In order to facilitate understanding, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the mounting portion 8 with the upper case 311 removed.

The tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 2 is used by being attached to the thermal printer 1 shown in FIG. The thermal printer 1 can print characters, figures, symbols, etc. on the thermal tape 4 accommodated in the attached tape cassette 30 . Adhesive tape 7 housed in tape cassette 30 is attached to printed thermal tape 4 . Thereby, the bonding tape 9 is produced.

<Overview of Thermal Printer 1>
As shown in FIG. 1, the thermal printer 1 has a body cover 2. As shown in FIG. The body cover 2 is box-shaped. A keyboard 3 is provided on the front portion of the upper surface of the body cover 2 . A user inputs various information to the thermal printer 1 by operating the keyboard 3 . A display 5 is provided behind the keyboard 3 . The display 5 can display various types of input information.

A cassette cover 6 is provided behind the display 5 . The cassette cover 6 covers a mounting portion 8 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, so that it can be opened and closed from above. The user opens and closes the cassette cover 6 when replacing the tape cassette 30 (see FIG. 2). A discharge slit (not shown) is provided on the rear left surface of the body cover 2 . The discharge slit discharges the bonding tape 9 to the outside of the thermal printer 1 .

As shown in FIG. 2, a mounting portion 8 is provided under the cassette cover 6 (see FIG. 1). The mounting portion 8 has a shape corresponding to the tape cassette 30 in plan view, and is recessed downward from the upper surface of the body cover 2 . A tape cassette 30 is detachably attached to the attachment portion 8 . A head holder 19 is provided in the front portion of the mounting portion 8 . The head holder 19 is plate-shaped and extends vertically and horizontally. A thermal head 10 is provided on the front surface 191 of the head holder 19 . A thermal head 10 includes a plurality of heating elements 11 . A plurality of heating elements 11 are arranged in a row in the vertical direction. The thermal head 10 heats the heat-sensitive tape 4 exposed through an opening 341 described later with the tape cassette 30 mounted in the mounting portion 8 by means of a plurality of heating elements 11 .

A conveying motor 95, which is a stepping motor, is arranged outside the mounting portion 8 (on the upper right side in FIG. 2). A gear 91 is fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft of the transport motor 95 . Gear 91 is connected to gear 101 via gears 93 , 94 , 97 and 98 . A drive shaft 18 is erected on the upper surface of the gear 101 . The drive shaft 18 is a shaft that can be attached to and detached from a conveying roller 56, which will be described later. The drive shaft 18 is rotationally driven by a conveying motor 95 . As the drive shaft 18 rotates, the heat-sensitive tape 4 and the adhesive tape 7, which will be described later, are conveyed.

An auxiliary shaft 110 is erected on the rear side of the gear 98 . The auxiliary shaft 110 is a substantially cylindrical shaft that can be inserted into and removed from a support hole 66, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 3 , a cutting mechanism 16 is provided on the left side of the drive shaft 18 . A cutting mechanism 16 cuts the bonding tape 9 . A platen holder 12 is provided in front of the head holder 19 . The platen holder 12 has an arm shape and is supported by a support shaft 121 so as to be able to swing around a vertical axis. A support shaft 121 is provided at the right end of the platen holder 12 .

A platen roller 15 and a movable roller 14 are rotatably supported on the tip side of the platen holder 12 . The platen roller 15 can move toward and away from the thermal head 10 as the platen holder 12 swings. The platen roller 15 is rotationally driven together with the drive shaft 18 by a conveying motor 95 (see FIG. 2). The movable roller 14 is provided on the left side of the platen roller 15, and can move toward and away from a conveying roller 56, which will be described later, as the platen holder 12 swings.

When the cassette cover 6 is opened, the platen holder 12 swings counterclockwise in a plan view and leaves the mounting portion 8 . In this state, the user can attach/detach the tape cassette 30 to/from the attachment portion 8 . Hereinafter, the position of the platen holder 12 in this state will be referred to as "standby position". On the other hand, when the cassette cover 6 is closed, as shown in FIG. 3, the platen holder 12 swings clockwise in plan view and approaches the mounting portion 8 . In this state, the platen roller 15 presses the thermal tape 4 against the thermal head 10 , and the movable roller 14 overlaps the thermal tape 4 and the adhesive tape 7 and presses them against the conveying roller 56 . Hereinafter, the position of the platen holder 12 in this state will be referred to as "printing position".

A detector 200 is provided on the rear side surface of the platen holder 12, that is, the surface facing the thermal head 10 (hereinafter referred to as "cassette facing surface 12b"). The detection unit 200 includes multiple detection switches 210 . As shown in FIG. 5, the switch terminal 222 of each detection switch 210 protrudes substantially horizontally toward the mounting portion 8 from the cassette facing surface 12b. Each detection switch 210 is provided at a height position facing a hole unit 800 to be described later when the tape cassette 30 is attached to the attachment portion 8 .

The detailed arrangement and structure of the detection switch 210 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, four through holes 12c are arranged vertically in two rows in the cassette facing surface 12b of the platen holder 12. As shown in FIG. More specifically, two in the upper row and two in the lower row. The positions of the through holes 12c in the left-right direction are different from each other. Specifically, four through-holes 12c are arranged in a zigzag pattern from the right side of the cassette facing surface 12b in the order of the right side of the upper row, the right side of the lower row, the left side of the upper row, and the left side of the lower row. Four detection switches 210d, 210c, 210a and 210b are provided in order from the right side of the cassette facing surface 12b corresponding to the four through holes 12c.

As shown in FIG. 5, the detection switch 210 includes a substantially cylindrical main body portion 221 installed inside the platen holder 12 and a bar-shaped switch terminal 222 that can move forward and backward from one end of the main body portion 221 in the axial direction. I have. The body portion 221 of each detection switch 210 is installed inside the platen holder 12 with the other end side attached to the switch support plate 220 . At one end of each body portion 221, the switch terminal 222 can move forward and backward through a plurality of through holes 12c formed in the cassette facing surface 12b of the platen holder 12. As shown in FIG. Each switch terminal 222 is held in a state of being extended from the body portion 221 by a spring member (not shown) provided inside the body portion 221 .

The switch terminal 222 is in a state of being extended from the body portion 221 (OFF state) when not pressed, and is in a state of being retracted into the body portion 221 (ON state) when being pressed. For example, when the platen holder 12 is positioned at the standby position, each detection switch 210 is separated from the tape cassette 30 mounted on the mounting portion 8, so all the detection switches 210 are turned off.

<Structure of Tape Cassette 30>
As shown in FIG. 2, the tape cassette 30 has a cassette case 31. As shown in FIG. The cassette case 31 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped box shape, and is configured by combining an upper case 311 and a lower case 312 . The upper case 311 includes an upper plate 305 forming the upper surface 301 of the cassette case 31 and opens downward. The lower case 312 includes a bottom plate 306 forming the bottom surface 302 of the cassette case 31 and opens upward. The upper case 311 is fixed on top of the lower case 312 .

The cassette case 31 is provided with support holes 65 and 66 for rotatably supporting the tape spools 21 and 22 (see FIG. 3). The support hole 65 vertically penetrates the right rear portion of the cassette case 31 . The support hole 66 vertically penetrates the left rear portion of the cassette case 31 , that is, the left side of the support hole 65 . The auxiliary shaft 110 is inserted into the support hole 66 with the tape cassette 30 attached to the attachment portion 8 .

As shown in FIG. 3, the tape spool 21 is wound with a thermal tape 4, which will be described later. An adhesive tape 7 , which will be described later, is wound around the tape spool 22 . A shaft 533 is erected from the bottom plate 306 at the right front corner of the cassette case 31 . The shaft 533 is inserted into a shaft hole of a roller member 535 which is a cylindrical rotating body. A shaft 533 rotatably supports a roller member 535 .

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an arm portion 34 is provided on the front surface of the cassette case 31 . The arm portion 34 extends from the right front portion of the cassette case 31 to the left front portion. An arm front wall 35 , which is the front wall of the arm portion 34 , is formed by combining an upper arm front wall 35 A provided on the upper case 311 and a lower arm front wall 35 B provided on the lower case 312 . A hole unit 800 is provided in the arm front wall 35 . Details of the hole unit 800 will be described later. An opening 341 is provided between the left end of the arm rear wall 37 , which is the rear wall of the arm section 34 , and the left end of the arm front wall 35 . The opening 341 is formed in a slit shape extending in the vertical direction.
A peripheral wall extending rearward from the right end of the arm rear wall 37 and parallel to the arm rear wall 37 is a head peripheral wall 36 .

The arm rear wall 37 and head peripheral wall 36 define a head insertion portion 39 . The head insertion portion 39 is a substantially rectangular space extending through the tape cassette 30 in the vertical direction. The head holder 19 is inserted into the head insertion portion 39 with the tape cassette 30 attached to the attachment portion 8 .

A restriction guide portion 61 is provided on the left side of the head insertion portion 39 . The regulation guide portion 61 is positioned between the opening portion 341 and the transport roller 56 described later in the left-right direction. The regulation guide portion 61 includes regulation members 361 and 362 . The regulating member 361 is a plate-like body extending downward from the upper plate 305 . The regulating member 362 is a plate-like body extending upward from the bottom plate 306 toward the regulating member 361 .

A conveying roller 56 is provided on the left side of the regulation guide portion 61 . The conveying roller 56 is cylindrical and extends vertically. A front end portion of the transport roller 56 is exposed forward from the cassette case 31 . The conveying roller 56 contacts the adhesive tape 7 out of the heat-sensitive tape 4 and the adhesive tape 7 guided by the regulation guide portion 61 . The transport roller 56 is rotatably supported by the support hole 64 . The drive shaft 18 is inserted inside the transport roller 56 with the tape cassette 30 attached to the attachment portion 8 . The conveying roller 56 sandwiches the heat-sensitive tape 4 and the adhesive tape 7 together with the movable roller 14 in a state in which the heat-sensitive tape 4 and the adhesive tape 7 are superimposed on each other. Thereby, the bonding tape 9 is produced.

A guide portion 59 is provided on the left front corner of the cassette case 31 and on the left side of the conveying roller 56 . The guide portion 59 is formed in a slit shape extending in the vertical direction. When the bonding tape 9 is conveyed through the conveying rollers 56 , it passes through the inside of the guide portion 59 . At this time, the guide portions 59 support the bonding tape 9 from both sides in the width direction. As a result, the bonding tape 9 is ejected from the cassette case 31 while maintaining the posture of the bonding tape 9 .

The upper case 311 and lower case 312 of the cassette case 31 are molded by injection molding. As shown in FIG. 6, the lower case 312 has an injection part 300 substantially at the center of the bottom plate 306 in both the front, rear, left, and right directions. The injection part 300 slightly protrudes downward from the bottom surface 302 . The injection part 300 is formed at a connecting part with a gate through which resin is injected in the mold during molding by injection molding. Therefore, the injection part 300 is close to the gate during molding by injection molding.

<Hole unit 800>
The hole unit 800 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 9. FIG. The hole unit 800 includes holes selectively formed at predetermined positions P1 to P4 of the arm front wall 35 shown in FIG. The position where the hole is formed among the predetermined positions P1 to P4 differs according to the type of the tape cassette 30. FIG. Predetermined positions P1, P2, P3, and P4 correspond to detection switches 210a, 210b, 210c, and 210d (see FIG. 4) of the detection unit 200 when the platen holder 12 is positioned at the printing position (see FIG. 3). face each other. The area of each of the predetermined positions P1 to P4 is larger than the cross-sectional area of the detection switch 210. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the platen holder 12 moves toward the printing position, the detection switch 210 faces the arm front wall 35 of the tape cassette 30, and the detection switch 210 is selectively pressed by the hole unit 800. . More specifically, the detection switch 210 corresponding to a position where no hole is formed among the predetermined positions P1 to P4 shown in FIG. 7 is pressed to be turned on. On the other hand, the detection switch 210 corresponding to the hole-formed position among the predetermined positions P1 to P4 is not pressed and is turned off. The thermal printer 1 detects the type of the tape cassette 30 based on the ON/OFF combination of the detection switch 210 .

A specific example of the hole unit 800 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. Both the hole unit 800A in the first embodiment shown in FIG. 8 and the hole unit 800B in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9 are based on the premise that holes are formed at all of the predetermined positions P1 to P4.

<First embodiment>
As shown in FIG. 8, the hole unit 800A includes a first single hole portion 41, a second single hole portion 42, a third single hole portion 43, and a fourth single hole portion 44 (hereinafter collectively referred to as "single hole portion 40"). ), a first connecting hole portion 45 and a second connecting hole portion 46 . The single hole portion 40, the first connecting hole portion 45, and the second connecting hole portion 46 are holes penetrating the lower arm front wall 35B in the front-rear direction. The first single hole portion 41 is arranged at a predetermined position P1. The second single hole portion 42 is arranged at the predetermined position P2. The third single hole portion 43 is arranged at a predetermined position P3. The fourth single hole portion 44 is arranged at a predetermined position P4.

a
The shape of each of the first single hole portion 41, the second single hole portion 42, the third single hole portion 43, and the fourth single hole portion 44 and the orientation with respect to the arm front wall 35 are the same. The single hole portion 40 has a rectangular shape elongated in the vertical direction. Each of the four corners of single hole portion 40 is curved. When the vertical length of the single hole portion 40 is denoted as "La" and the horizontal length of the single hole portion 40 is denoted as "Lb", there is a relationship of La>Lb.

The first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 are arranged in the horizontal direction. The first single hole portion 41 is located on the left side of the fourth single hole portion 44 . In the vertical direction, the positions of the upper end portions of the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 are aligned, and the positions of the lower end portions of the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 are aligned. matches.

The second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 are positioned below the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 in the vertical direction. The second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 are arranged in the horizontal direction. The second single hole portion 42 is located on the left side of the third single hole portion 43 . In the vertical direction, the positions of the upper end portions of the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 are aligned, and the positions of the lower end portions of the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 are aligned. matches.

The distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 and the distance between the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 are the same. The first single hole portion 41 is located between the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 in the left-right direction. The third single hole portion 43 is located between the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 in the left-right direction.

The first single hole portion 41 is positioned diagonally above the second single hole portion 42 to the right, and is positioned diagonally above the third single hole portion 43 to the left. The shortest distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42 corresponds to the distance between the lower left corner of the first single hole portion 41 and the upper right corner of the second single hole portion 42. do. The shortest distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion 43 is the distance between the lower right corner of the first single hole portion 41 and the upper left corner of the third single hole portion 43. handle. The fourth single hole portion 44 is positioned obliquely to the upper right with respect to the third single hole portion 43 . The shortest distance between the third single hole portion 43 and the fourth single hole portion 44 corresponds to the distance between the upper right corner of the third single hole portion 43 and the lower left corner of the fourth single hole portion 44. do.

The shortest distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42, the shortest distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion 43, and the shortest distance between the third single hole portion 43 and the third single hole portion 43 The shortest distances between the four single holes 44 are the same. Hereinafter, these distances are written as "Lc". Lc is smaller than Lb (Lc<Lb).

The first connecting hole portion 45 extends between the lower left corner of the first single hole portion 41 and the upper right corner of the second single hole portion 42, and is connected to the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion. 42. The first connecting hole portion 45 extends obliquely downward to the left from the first single hole portion 41 side toward the second single hole portion 42 side. The second connecting hole portion 46 extends between the lower right corner of the first single hole portion 41 and the upper left corner of the third single hole portion 43, The part 43 is connected. The second connecting hole portion 46 extends obliquely downward to the right from the first single hole portion 41 side toward the third single hole portion 43 side.

Hereinafter, the direction extending along the first connecting hole portion 45 between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42 is referred to as the "extending direction of the first connecting hole portion 45". The direction extending between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42 along the second connecting hole portion 46 is referred to as the "extending direction of the second connecting hole portion 46". The extending direction of the first connecting hole portion 45 and the extending direction of the second connecting hole portion 46 are different. The length in the extending direction of the first connecting hole portion 45 and the length in the extending direction of the second connecting hole portion 46 are the same. Hereinafter, the length in the extending direction of each of the first connecting hole portion 45 and the second connecting hole portion 46 is denoted as "Ld". Ld is slightly larger than Lc (Ld>Lc).

The first single hole portion 41, the second single hole portion 42, the third single hole portion 43, the first connecting hole portion 45, and the second connecting hole portion 46 are integrated to form one hole 4A. The fourth single hole portion 44 is independent without being connected to the hole 4A.

<Second embodiment>
A hole unit 800B shown in FIG. 9 differs from the hole unit 800A shown in FIG. Constituent parts of the hole unit 800B that are the same as those of the hole unit 800A are denoted by the same reference numerals as those of the hole unit 800A, and description thereof is omitted.

The third connecting hole portion 47 extends between the upper right corner of the third single hole portion 43 and the lower left corner of the fourth single hole portion 44, and connects the third single hole portion 43 and the fourth single hole portion. 44. The third connecting hole portion 47 extends obliquely upward to the right from the third single hole portion 43 side toward the fourth single hole portion 44 side. Hereinafter, the direction extending along the third connecting hole portion 47 between the third single hole portion 43 and the fourth single hole portion 44 will be referred to as the "extending direction of the third connecting hole portion 47". The extending direction of the third connecting hole portion 47 and the extending direction of the first connecting hole portion 45 match. The length in the extending direction of the first connecting hole portion 45 and the length in the extending direction of the third connecting hole portion 47 are the same as Ld.

The first single hole portion 41, the second single hole portion 42, and the first connecting hole portion 45 are integrated to form one hole 4B. The third single hole portion 43, the fourth single hole portion 44, and the third connecting hole portion 47 are integrated to form one hole 4C.

<Actions and effects of the present embodiment>
In both hole units 800A and 800B, the portion between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42 is connected by the first connecting hole portion 45 . Moreover, in the case of the hole unit 800A, the portion between the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion 43 is connected by the second connecting hole portion 46 . Moreover, in the case of the hole unit 800B, the portion between the third single hole portion 43 and the fourth single hole portion 44 is connected by the third connecting hole portion 47 . Therefore, the tape cassette 30 has a portion between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42, a portion between the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion 43, and a third single hole portion. In the portion between 43 and the fourth single hole portion 44, deterioration in moldability of the cassette case 31 can be suppressed. Therefore, even if the shortest distance Lc between the single holes 40 is smaller than the shorter length Lb of the length La in the vertical direction and the length Lb in the horizontal direction of the single holes 40, the tape cassette 30 can Good moldability can be maintained.

In the hole unit 800A, the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42 are connected by the first connecting hole portion 45, and the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion are connected by the second connecting hole portion 46. The single hole portion 43 has the same shape as the fourth single hole portion 44 that is not connected to the hole 4A. Therefore, even when the first single hole portion 41, the second single hole portion 42, and the third single hole portion 43 are connected to other single hole portions 40, the shape of each single hole portion 40 is maintained. , do not expand. Therefore, the tape cassette 30 can prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the cassette case 31 through the first single hole portion 41 , the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 .

In order to maintain the reading accuracy of the detection unit 200 even when the distance between the single holes 40 is narrowed, for example, it is conceivable to form a large hole in the arm front wall 35 that includes all the single holes 40 . be done. However, when a large hole is formed in the arm front wall 35, foreign matter can easily enter the inside of the cassette case 31 through the large hole. On the other hand, in the tape cassette 30, even when the first single hole portion 41, the second single hole portion 42, and the third single hole portion 43 are connected to the other single hole portions 40, the first single hole portion 41, the second single hole portion 42, and the third single hole portion 43 maintain their respective shapes. Therefore, the tape cassette 30 can prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the cassette case 31 while maintaining good moldability of the cassette case 31 .

In the hole unit 800A, for example, if the first connecting hole portion 45 and the second connecting hole portion 46 extend in the same direction and are aligned in a straight line, a large foreign object can easily enter the inside of the cassette case 31 through the hole 4A. . On the other hand, in the tape cassette 30, since the extending directions of the first connecting hole portion 45 and the second connecting hole portion 46 are different in the hole unit 800A, they are not arranged in the same straight line. Therefore, the tape cassette 30 can make it difficult for large foreign matter to enter the inside of the cassette case 31 .

The shortest distance between the single hole portion 40 and the injection portion 300 and along the surface of the cassette case 31 is called the "surface distance". Here, the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 are located above the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 in the vertical direction. An injection part 300 is provided in the lower case 312 and is adjacent to a gate through which resin is injected into the mold during the process of molding the cassette case 31 by injection molding. Therefore, the surface distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 and the injection portion 300 is greater than the distance between the second single hole portion 42 and the third single hole portion 43 and the injection portion 300. longer than the surface distance of

FIG. 10 shows the route of the resin injected from the gate passing through the mold when the cassette case 31 is molded by injection molding. The resin injected from the gate passes through the portion of the mold corresponding to the bottom plate 306 of the lower case 312 and flows upward through the portion of the mold corresponding to the arm front wall 35 from the lower end. When the hole unit 800A (first embodiment) shown in FIG. It passes through and reaches between the portions of the mold corresponding to the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 (arrow Y1). Further, when the hole unit 800B (second embodiment) shown in FIG. It passes through and reaches between the portions of the mold corresponding to the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 (arrow Y2).

Therefore, in the tape cassette 30, the resin is appropriately supplied between the first single hole portion 41 and the fourth single hole portion 44 when the cassette case 31 is molded, so that the cassette case 31 can be properly molded.

<Modification>
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible. The tape cassette 30 may be a tape cassette used in a thermal transfer printer. In this case, the tape cassette 30 may contain an ink ribbon.
They may be the same.

The position where the hole unit 800 is provided is not limited to the arm front wall 35 of the cassette case 31 . For example, the hole unit 800 may be provided on the top plate 305 or bottom plate 306 of the cassette case 31 . The number of single holes 40 included in the hole unit 800 is not limited to four, and may be five or more.

It is sufficient that the first to fourth single hole portions 41 to 44 have the same vertical length and the same horizontal length. Therefore, as long as this condition is satisfied, the shapes of the first single hole portion 41 to the fourth single hole portion 44 may not be the same. The length La in the vertical direction and the length Lb in the horizontal direction of the single hole portion 40 may be the same. The shortest distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the second single hole portion 42, the distance between the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion 43, and the distance between the third single hole portion 43 and the fourth single hole portion 44 The distance Lc and the lateral length Lb of the single hole portion 40 may be the same (Lb=Lc).

In the hole unit 800, for example, four single holes may be aligned in the left-right direction. Also, three connecting holes that connect laterally adjacent single holes may extend in the same direction (horizontal direction). Also, the vertical positions of the three connecting holes may be different. That is, the three connecting holes do not have to be arranged on the same straight line. In this case, even if the three connecting holes extend in the same direction, it is possible to reduce the possibility of large foreign objects entering the cassette case 31 through the four single holes and the three connecting holes.

A connecting hole portion that connects the third single hole portion 43 and the fourth single hole portion 44 may be provided in the hole unit 800A. Similarly, in the hole unit 800B, a connecting hole portion connecting the first single hole portion 41 and the third single hole portion 43 may be provided. That is, the four single hole portions 40 may all be connected by the connecting hole portion.

<Others>
One of the up-down direction and the left-right direction is an example of the "first direction" in the present invention. The other of the up-down direction and the left-right direction is an example of the "second direction" in the present invention. In the hole unit 800A, the fourth single hole portion 44 is an example of the "single single hole portion" of the present invention.

1 : Thermal printer 4 : Thermal tape 7 : Adhesive tape 30 : Tape cassette 31 : Cassette case 40 : Single hole 41 : First single hole 42 : Second single hole 43 : Third single hole 44 : Fourth Single hole portion 45 : First connecting hole portion 46 : Second connecting hole portion 47 : Third connecting hole portion 300 : Injection portion

Claims (4)

a box-shaped cassette case,
a tape stored inside the cassette case;
a hole unit provided in the cassette case;
A tape cassette comprising
The hole unit is
A plurality of single hole portions having at least a first single hole portion and a second single hole portion, each of which has the same size in a first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction. a plurality of single holes having the same size of
a first connecting hole connecting the first single hole and the second single hole;
The distance between the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion is equal to or smaller than the smaller size of the size in the first direction and the size in the second direction of each of the plurality of single hole portions. A tape cassette characterized by The plurality of single holes have single single holes that are not connected to other single holes,
2. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein said first single hole portion and said second single hole portion have the same shape as said single single hole portion. The plurality of single holes further have a third single hole,
The hole unit further has a second connecting hole portion connecting the first single hole portion and the third single hole portion,
A direction in which the first single hole portion and the second single hole portion extend along the first connecting hole portion, and a direction in which the first single hole portion and the third single hole portion extend along the second connecting hole portion. 3. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the direction extending across the hole is different. The cassette case has an injection part that is adjacent to the gate during molding by injection molding,
The plurality of single holes further have a third single hole and a fourth single hole,
The distance between the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion and the injection portion is longer than the distance between the second single hole portion and the third single hole portion and the injection portion. long,
the third single hole portion is positioned between the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion in the arrangement direction of the first single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion;
The hole unit includes a second connecting hole portion connecting the first single hole portion and the third single hole portion, and a third connecting hole portion connecting the third single hole portion and the fourth single hole portion. 3. The tape cassette according to claim 1, further comprising either one of the holes.

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