JP3981706B2 - Tape cassette - Google Patents

Description

  In the present invention, at least a film tape spool around which a print-receiving tape is wound is rotatably supported in a cassette case composed of an upper case and a lower case, and is used in a tape printer to display characters or the like on the print-receiving tape. The present invention relates to a tape cassette for creating a printed tape with letters, particularly when the tape cassette is attached to the tape printer from the lower case side (abbreviated as front loading) and attached to the tape printer from the upper case side. The present invention relates to a tape cassette that can be applied to a tape printer that employs any cassette mounting method (abbreviated as bottom loading).

  Conventionally, various types of tape cassettes have been proposed for use in tape printers to produce a tape with letters. Such a tape cassette generally includes a ribbon spool wound with an ink ribbon, a film tape spool wound with a film tape as a printing medium, and an adhesive tape spool wound with an adhesive tape in a cassette case. In the production of the tape with letters, after the ink ribbon and the film tape are conveyed, characters etc. are printed on the film tape through the ink ribbon by the thermal head attached to the tape printer, A tape with letters is prepared by sticking an adhesive tape on the character printing surface.

  The tape cassette is generally configured to correspond to the cassette mounting method employed in the tape printer. That is, with respect to the front loading type tape printer mounted from the lower case side of the tape cassette, only a tape cassette that conforms to the cassette mounting method can be used. For the bottom loading type tape printer mounted from the case side, only a tape cassette compatible with the cassette mounting method can be used. In this way, a unique tape cassette is currently used for each cassette mounting method.

  However, the conventional tape cassette has only the following problems because it can only cope with one predetermined mounting method.

  That is, in a front loading type tape printer, since the upper case side of the tape cassette is generally arranged on the upper surface side of the apparatus, the type of the tape cassette currently in use can be easily identified. The tape cassette can be easily replaced, but it is necessary to arrange a keyboard for inputting characters and a display device for displaying characters on the upper surface of the tape printing device. The ratio of the area of the cassette mounting portion provided in the upper part of the apparatus to the upper surface of the printing apparatus is relatively large. As a result, there is a problem in that a keyboard, a display device, and the like are disposed on the upper surface of the tape printer, and the entire printer must be enlarged to secure the cassette mounting portion.

  Further, in a bottom loading type tape printer, since the tape cassette is generally arranged on the lower surface side of the apparatus, it is not necessary to provide a cassette mounting portion on the upper surface of the printer, and accordingly, a keyboard and display Although there is no influence on the arrangement of the apparatus, on the other hand, there is a problem that it is difficult to determine the type of the tape cassette currently used, and the tape cassette cannot be easily replaced.

  As described above, the front loading method and the bottom loading method each have advantages and disadvantages, and the current situation is that one of them must be selected according to the use, cost, etc. of the product.

  Furthermore, for example, when a tape cassette corresponding to the front loading method is used in a bottom loading type tape printer, or vice versa, the printing mechanism and the like have the same mechanism in both methods, Since it is generally attached in the reverse direction, the discharge direction of the tape with letters created by the printing apparatus is reverse. Therefore, characters or the like are printed upside down, and the tape with characters is ejected from the end of the characters, which makes it difficult for the user to read the characters and gives a very unnatural impression.

  In order to solve the above problems, it is desired to develop a tape cassette that can be used for both front loading and bottom loading.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and in a tape printing apparatus that employs either a front loading or bottom loading system, the tape feed spool can be driven to rotate on a print-receiving tape. It is an object of the present invention to provide a tape cassette that can be produced by printing characters and the like and feeding a tape with letters in a certain direction, and thereby realizing the advantages of the front loading system and the bottom loading system.

In order to achieve the above object, a tape cassette according to claim 1 includes a cassette case composed of a lower case and an upper case joined to the upper side of the lower case, and a printing surface supported rotatably in the cassette case. A tape spool wound with a film tape having a first surface to be formed and a second surface which is the back surface of the printing surface, and is attached to and detached from the cassette mounting portion of the tape printing apparatus on which the thermal head is mounted. The tape cassette includes an insertion portion that is fed in an exposed state from a tape delivery portion of the tape cassette and into which a film tape that has been printed via the thermal head is inserted.
A first regulating member that regulates movement of the film tape in the second surface direction; and a second regulating member that regulates movement of the film tape in the first surface direction. Is a tape guide member that guides the travel of the film tape, a lower guide restriction member that is adjacent to the tape guide member, protrudes upward from the lower case, and guides and regulates the width direction lower end side of the film tape, An upper guide restricting member facing the lower guide restricting member and projecting downward from the upper case to guide and restrict the upper end side in the width direction of the film tape , the upper guide restricting member being an upper end of the tape guide member It protrudes to the lower case side from the portion, and the width direction upper end side of the film tape is regulated at a position lower than the upper end portion of the tape guide member .

  A tape printer according to a second aspect includes the tape cassette according to the first aspect, a cassette mounting portion on which the tape cassette is mounted, and a thermal head disposed on the cassette mounting portion. It is characterized by.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings based on an embodiment in which a tape cassette used in a tape printer is embodied.

  First, a schematic configuration of the tape cassette 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the tape cassette 1, and the tape cassette 1 has an upper case 2 and a lower case 3.

  On the tape cassette 1, characters and the like are printed on the film tape 17 by a support hole 4 that rotatably supports a tape spool 18 around which a film tape 17 as a print-receiving tape described later is wound, and a thermal head H described later. When the ink ribbon 19 is pulled out from the ribbon spool 20 and wound, the support hole 5 for supporting the ribbon take-up spool 21 and the tape spool 23 wound with the release paper of the double-sided adhesive tape 22 described later wound outward are rotated. A support hole 7 is formed to support it.

  In FIG. 1, only the support holes 4, 5, 7 formed in the upper case 2 are shown, but the lower case 3 is similarly supported so as to face the support holes of the upper case 2. Holes 4, 5, and 7 are formed.

  Further, on the front side (lower side in FIG. 1) of the tape cassette 1, an arm that guides the film tape 17 drawn out from the tape spool 18 and the ink ribbon 19 drawn out from the ribbon spool 20 and sends it out from the opening 8A. A portion 8 (details of which will be described later) is provided, and a head mounting portion 9 to which a thermal head H (to be described later) of the tape printer is mounted is provided behind the arm portion 8. Further, a first fitting portion 10 is formed on the wall portion 9A of the head mounting portion 9 that faces the arm portion 8 and enters the rear side of the tape cassette 1. The 2nd fitting part 11 which entered into the direction (direction along 9 A of wall parts) orthogonal to the 1 fitting part 10 is formed. As will be described later, each of the first fitting portion 10 and the second fitting portion 11 is fitted to the two protrusions 45 and 46 formed on the head holder 44 that supports the thermal head H. This is for reliably mounting the thermal head H on the head mounting portion 9 without interfering with the ink ribbons 19 and the film tape 17.

  Further, on the downstream side of the head mounting portion 9 with respect to the running direction of each ink ribbon 19 and film tape 17, the tape feed roller 12 is rotatably supported by the support hole 13, and the tape feed roller 12 is opposed thereto. The film tape 17 from the tape spool 18 and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 from the tape spool 23 are pulled out from the tape spool 18 in cooperation with the pressure roller 49 (see FIG. Thus, the film tape 17 on which characters and the like are printed via the ink ribbon 19 and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 are bonded to each other and sent out of the tape cassette 1. A pair of upper and lower restricting members 14 and 15 are provided in the vicinity of the tape feed roller 12, and each of the restricting members 14 and 15 is a film on which characters or the like are printed on the downstream side of the thermal head H. The tape 17 is regulated and guided in the width direction, and is used to properly bond the film tape 17 and the double-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive tape 22 without causing a positional shift. The detailed configurations of the tape feed roller 12 and the regulating members 14 and 15 will be described later.

  A cassette detection unit 16 is formed at the right rear edge position of the tape cassette 1, and the type of the tape cassette 1 (for example, the width of each film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 is applied to the cassette detection unit 16. A plurality of switch holes 16A are formed with a predetermined pattern in order to detect the type of the tape cassette 1 specified by the color of the ink and the like. The formation pattern of the switch holes 16A is different depending on the type of each tape cassette 1, and each switch hole 16A has a plurality of detection switches 81 (see FIGS. 21 and 23) arranged on the tape printer side. ) Is detected based on the combination of on and off. This configuration will be described later.

  Note that the tape cassette 1 has either a tape printer having a cassette mounting portion X (see FIGS. 13 and 20, etc.) provided on the upper surface or a tape printer having the cassette mounting portion X provided on the lower surface. For a tape printer with a cassette mounting part X on the top surface, it can be mounted on the cassette mounting part X from the lower case 3 side by front loading. For the tape printer having the portion X provided on the lower surface, it is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X from the upper case 2 side by bottom loading. As described above, the tape cassette 1 according to the present embodiment has various characteristic configurations as described below in order to adapt to both the front loading method and the bottom loading method. The characteristic configuration will be described sequentially.

  Next, the internal configuration of the tape cassette 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the outline of the internal structure of the tape cassette 1 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the lower case 3 with the upper case 2 removed, and a tape spool 18 wound with a transparent film tape 17 at the rear portion (upper part in FIG. 2) in the lower case 3 defines the support hole 4. It is arrange | positioned so that rotation is possible. Further, a ribbon spool 20 around which the ink ribbon 19 is wound is rotatably arranged at the front portion (lower part in FIG. 2) of the lower case 3, and the ink ribbon 19 is pulled out from the ribbon spool 20 and characters and the like are drawn. A ribbon take-up spool 21 for taking up the ink ribbon 19 consumed by the printing is arranged between the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 via the support hole 5 so as to be rotatable.

  The film tape 17 is pulled out from the tape spool 18 by the cooperation of the tape feed roller 12 and the pressure contact roller 49 (provided on the tape printer side) as described above, and the head is mounted from the opening 8A of the arm portion 8. After passing through the front side (lower side in FIG. 2) of the part 9, it is bonded to the double-sided adhesive tape 22 and discharged from the tape discharge part 24 to the outside of the tape cassette 1. Further, the ink ribbon 19 is pulled out from the ribbon spool 20 via the ribbon take-up spool 21 and passes through the opening 8A of the arm portion 8 through the front side (lower side in FIG. 2) of the head mounting portion 9. 14, 15 is wound around the ribbon take-up spool 21 through the guide hole 25A of the guide portion 25 formed inwardly. A clutch spring 26 is attached to the lower part of the ribbon take-up spool 21, and this clutch spring 26 prevents the ribbon take-up spool 21 from reversing and loosening the ink ribbon 17 taken up. is there.

  Here, the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 is configured wider than the tape width of the film tape 17 as shown in FIG. This reliably separates the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 on the upstream side of the regulating members 14 and 15, and the ink on the downstream side of the regulating members 14 and 15 as the film tape 17 travels. This is to prevent the ribbon 19 from being pulled out. That is, the width (height) W set between the regulating members 14 and 15 is the same as the tape width of the film tape 17, and is therefore set smaller than the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19. Will be. As a result, when the ink ribbon 19 is traveled and guided from the opening 8A of the arm portion 8 through the guide hole 25A of the guide portion 25 according to the film tape 17, the width W between the restricting members 14 and 15 is the ribbon of the ink ribbon 19. Since the width is smaller than the width, entry between the regulating portions 14 and 15 is prevented. As a result, even if the ink ribbon 19 sticks to the film tape 17 and tries to run together with the film tape 17, the ink ribbon 19 Can be reliably prevented from traveling to the downstream side of each regulating member 14, 15. Therefore, the ink ribbon 19 is not pulled out more than necessary as the film tape 17 travels on the downstream side of the regulating members 14 and 15.

As a result, even when the ink ribbon 19 is somewhat loosened, the ink ribbon 19 attached to the film tape 17 is pulled out more than necessary due to the drawing out of the film tape 17, and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is pulled out. By bonding, it is possible to reliably prevent the ink ribbon 19 from jamming in the tape cassette 1 and making the tape cassette 1 unusable.

  Further, by making the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 larger than the tape width of the film tape 17, the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 naturally becomes larger than the printing width of characters or the like on the film tape 17, thereby making the film Even when characters and the like are continuously printed using the print width of the tape 17 to the maximum, the ink ribbon 19 is cut because unused portions remain on both sides of the print width. This can be prevented. The tape width of the film tape 17 and the tape width of the double-sided adhesive tape 22 are set to the same tape width because they are bonded to each other to form a tape with letters.

  Here, a method of attaching the end portions of the film tapes 17 and the ink ribbons 19 to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 is an exploded perspective view schematically showing a method of attaching the end portions of the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20, and FIG. 4 shows the end of the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 as the tape spool 18. 3 is a plan view showing a state where the ribbon spool 20 is attached. FIG.

  In each of these drawings, the end points 17A and 19A of the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 are placed between both end portions 27A and 27B of the adhesive tape 27 which is wound and adhered in a loop around the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20. By being bonded and fixed, the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 are attached.

  When the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 are attached to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 in this way, the force relationship when a tensile force acts on the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 is based on FIG. explain. At this time, the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 are rotated in the arrow A direction.

  In this state, when a pulling force is applied to the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 in the arrow B, the pulling force acts as a force for removing the adhesive tape 27 from the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20. The both ends 27A and 27B of the adhesive tape 27 are connected to the film tape 17 through the force that overcomes the shear resistance of the entire adhesive surface of the adhesive tape 27 with the spools 18 and 20 and the component force acting in the direction of the arrows C and D of the pulling force. , Acts as a force to peel off the end 17A, 19A of the ink ribbon 19 or a force to peel off the adhesive tape 27 from the spool 18, 20.

  At this time, the adhesive tape 27 is bonded to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 in a loop shape so that the terminal ends 17A and 19A of the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 are adhered to the adhesive tape 27. Are firmly fixed to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 via the adhesive tape 27 to such an extent that they can sufficiently resist the force to peel off the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20. It is possible to reliably prevent the film from being easily peeled off.

Further, the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 may be attached to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 by a method as shown in FIGS. FIG. 5 shows an attachment method in which one end portion 27B of the adhesive tape 27 is long and the film tape 17 and the terminal ends 17A and 19A of the ink ribbon 19 are bonded to the end portion 27B. In FIG. 6, when two adhesive tapes 27 are formed and wound around the tape spools 18 and 20, a part of each adhesive tape 27 is overlapped with each other, and an end portion 27A of each adhesive tape 27 is provided. A method of fixing the end points 17A and 19A of the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 between them is shown. FIG. 7 is basically the same as the fixing method of FIG. 6 and shows a fixing method in which a part of each adhesive tape 27 is not overlapped. FIG. 8 shows a method of fixing the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 using the adhesive tape 27 in which no adhesive is present and only the end portions 27A are present. .

  Whichever fixing method is used, the film tape 17 and the terminal ends 17A and 19A of the ink ribbon 19 can be firmly fixed to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 via the adhesive tape 27.

  Next, the configuration of the ribbon take-up spool 21 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the ribbon take-up spool 21. The ribbon take-up spool 21 is rotatably supported between the support hole 5 of the upper case 2 and the support hole 5 of the lower case 3. On the inner wall of the ribbon take-up spool 21, a plurality of engagement ribs 30 are provided at a substantially central position L (indicated by a broken line L) in the vertical direction. It is formed symmetrically.

  As will be described later, when the tape cassette 1 is set in the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer, the ribbon take-up shaft 65 disposed in the cassette mounting portion X is inserted into the ribbon take-up spool 21. Thus, when the ribbon take-up shaft 65 is inserted into the ribbon take-up spool 21, a plurality of cam members 66 formed around the ribbon take-up shaft 65 are engaged with the engagement ribs 30. At this time, since each engagement rib 30 is formed symmetrically with respect to the center position L, the cam member 66 of the ribbon take-up shaft 65 is connected to each engagement rib in both cases of front loading and bottom loading. 30 can be properly engaged.

  Further, the ribbon take-up spool 21 is rotated in the same direction in both the front loading and the bottom loading (see FIGS. 20 and 22), and each engagement rib 30 matches the rotation direction. The ribbon take-up spool 21 can normally rotate when the mounting direction of the ribbon take-up spool 21 with respect to each upper case 2 and lower case 3 of the tape cassette 1 is reversed upside down. Disappear. In order to prevent this, the diameter of the support hole 5 in the upper case 2 is set larger than the diameter of the support hole 5 in the lower case 3, and the outer diameter of the upper end portion 21A of the ribbon take-up spool 21 is set to the lower end portion 21B. The upper end 21A is set to be larger than the outer diameter, and the upper end 21A is fitted into the support hole 5 of the upper case 2 and the lower end 21B is fitted into the support hole 5 of the lower case 3. By adopting such a configuration, the ribbon take-up spool 21 is always attached to the tape cassette 1 while maintaining the positional relationship shown in FIG. 9, whereby the ribbon take-up spool 21 is erroneously attached to the tape cassette 1. Can be surely prevented.

  Next, a configuration for guiding the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 in the arm portion 8 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is an exploded perspective view showing the configuration of the arm portion 8. The arm portion 8 of the lower case 3 has an outer wall 8B and an inner wall 8C that is higher than the outer wall 8B and has the same height as the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19. It consists of and. Further, a separation wall 31 having the same height as the inner wall 8C is erected between the outer wall 8B and the inner wall 8C. A pair of guide restricting pieces 32 and 32 are formed at the lower ends of both sides of the separation wall 31. Further, a guide pin 34 having a guide regulating piece 33 formed at the lower end is provided at a position upstream of the separation wall 31 (right side in FIG. 10) in the arm portion 8 of the lower case 3. Further, a pair of guide restricting pieces 35 are formed in a portion constituting the arm portion 8 in the upper case 2 so as to correspond to the respective guide restricting pieces 32 provided at both lower ends of the separation wall 31.

When the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are joined to form the tape cassette 1, the travel of the film tape 17 is guided in the arm portion 8 by the outer wall 8 </ b> B, the separation wall 31, and the guide pins 34. The film travel path, the inner wall 8C, and the separation wall 31 form a ribbon travel path that guides the travel of the ink ribbon 19. At this time, the direction of the film tape 17 is changed by the guide pin 34 while its lower end is regulated by the guide regulating piece 33, and each guide regulating piece 32 at the lower end of the separation wall 31 and each guide regulating piece of the upper case 2. By being guided and regulated in the tape width direction in cooperation with 35, traveling guidance is provided between the outer wall 8 </ b> B and the separation wall 31 in the arm portion 8. Further, the ink ribbon 19 is guided by the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31 having the same height as the ribbon width, and is guided between the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31 in the arm portion 8. It is.

  Here, as described above, the tape width of the film tape 17 and the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 are different from each other (the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 is larger than the tape width of the film tape 17). The path and the ribbon traveling path are formed as different paths separated from each other via the separation wall 31 in the arm portion 8, and accordingly, each of the fill tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 has a tape width and a ribbon width. In spite of the difference, the travel guidance can be reliably performed independently in each travel route. Further, since the ink ribbon 19 is guided to travel by the inner wall 8C provided on the arm portion 8 of the lower case 3 and the separation wall 31, the ink ribbon 19 may be set only on the lower case 3, so that the upper case 2 The ink ribbon 19 is not wrinkled, and the ink ribbon 19 is not caught between the cases 2 and 3 when the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are assembled. Further, the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31 formed higher than the outer wall 8B of the lower case 3 in consideration of the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19, only the necessary portions of the lower case 3 may be formed higher. The portion can be formed in consideration of the balance between the height of the outer wall 8B and the wall height of the upper case 2, and accordingly, the height of the entire lower case can be adjusted to the height of the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31. There is no need to make it bigger. As a result, the lower case 3 can be easily molded without any particular difficulty in molding.

  Here, returning to FIG. 2, the description of the internal configuration of the tape cassette 1 will be continued. At the left side of the lower case 3, an adhesive tape 22 with release paper is wound with the release paper side outward. The tape spool 23 is rotatably supported through the support hole 7. As described above, the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is pulled out from the tape spool 23 by the cooperation of the tape feed roller 12 and the pressure contact roller 49 provided in the tape printer, and characters and the like are printed via the thermal head H. Then, the film tape 17 is attached to the character printing surface of the film tape 17 and is then discharged from the tape discharge portion 24 to the outside of the tape cassette 1.

  Next, the configuration of the tape spool 23 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the state before the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the tape printer will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the tape spool 23 in a state where the lower case 3 of the tape cassette 1 is disposed on the lower side, and FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the tape spool 23 in a state where the lower case 3 is disposed on the upper side. .

  First, in FIG. 11, a plurality of locking ribs 36 are formed radially around the support hole 7 in the upper case 2, and the support hole 7 in the lower case 3 is formed around the support hole 7. Like the respective locking ribs 36, a plurality of locking ribs 37 are formed radially from the center thereof. The tape spool 23 has a double wall structure, and four sliding grooves 38 are formed in the inner wall 23A along the vertical direction. That is, each of the four sliding grooves 38 is formed in the vertical direction at intervals of 90 degrees on the inner wall 23A.

Further, in the tape spool 23, four sliding protrusions 39 are formed so as to be slidably fitted in the respective sliding grooves 38, and a cylindrical piece 40 which slides in the tape spool 23 in the vertical direction is formed. It is inserted. Each sliding projection 39 can be locked to the locking rib 37 of the lower case 3 or the locking rib 36 of the upper case 2 according to the arrangement state of the tape cassette 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, when the tape cassette 1 is arranged so that the lower case 3 is on the lower side, the sliding protrusions 39 of the top member 40 are engaged with the locking ribs 37 of the lower case 3. As shown in FIG. 12, when the tape cassette 1 is inverted so that the upper case 2 is on the lower side, the sliding protrusions 39 of the top member 40 are locked to the upper case 2. Locked to the rib 36. Further, when each sliding protrusion 39 of the top member 40 is not locked to either the locking rib 36 in the upper case 2 or the locking rib 37 in the lower case 3, the top member 40 is not Since the moving projection 39 is fitted in the sliding groove 38 of the tape spool 23, it is rotated in synchronization with the tape spool 23.

  In the configuration as described above, each sliding projection 39 of the top member 40 is locked to the locking rib 37 of the lower case 3 in the state shown in FIG. As a result, the tape spool 23 is held in a locked state. Similarly, in the state shown in FIG. 12, each sliding protrusion 39 of the top member 40 is locked to the locking rib 37 of the upper case 2 and is also fitted to the sliding groove 38 of the tape spool 23. As a result, the tape spool 23 is held in a locked state.

  Therefore, even when the tape cassette 1 is arranged in any of the states shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the rotation of the tape spool 23 is locked, so that the adhesive tape 22 is inadvertently removed from the tape cassette 1. It is possible to reliably prevent the tape cassette 1 from being pulled out or retracted into the tape cassette 1.

  Furthermore, a state where the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the top member 40 when the tape cassette 1 is mounted in the cassette mounting portion X. In FIG. 13, a boss 41 is erected on the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer corresponding to the support hole 7 of the tape cassette 1, and the boss 41 is placed in the support hole 7 when the tape cassette 1 is mounted. Inserted.

  When the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer, the boss 41 is inserted into the support hole 7 of the tape cassette 1, and accordingly, the top member 40 is pushed upward in the tape spool 23. As a result, the engagement between the sliding projection 39 of the top member 40 and the locking rib 37 of the lower case 3 is released, and the tape spool 23 can rotate together with the top member 40. Therefore, the double-sided adhesive tape 22 can be pulled out from the tape spool 23 via the tape feed roller 12 or the like, and a normal tape making operation can be performed. In FIG. 13, the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X with the lower case 3 facing down. However, the tape cassette 1 is turned upside down so that the upper case 2 faces down. Is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X, the top member 40 is moved upward in the tape spool 23 via a boss (not shown) formed on a lid provided in the tape printer for opening and closing the cassette mounting portion X. Thus, the engagement between the sliding projection 39 of the top member 40 and the locking rib 36 of the upper case 2 is released, and as a result, the tape spool 23 is allowed to rotate together with the top member 40. Therefore, in this case as well, as in the case shown in FIG. 13, the double-sided adhesive tape 22 can be pulled out from the tape spool 23 via the tape feed roller 12 and the like, and a normal tape making operation can be performed.

As described above, the tape spool 23 wound with the double-sided adhesive tape 22 has the sliding projection 39 of the top member 40 engaged with the upper case 2 when the tape cassette 1 is not mounted on the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer. Since the locking rib 37 or the locking rib 37 of the upper case 3 and the sliding groove 38 of the tape spool 23 are locked and fitted, the rotation of the tape spool 23 is locked and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is Inadvertent withdrawal from the tape cassette 1 or retraction into the tape cassette 1 can be reliably prevented. Further, when the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer, the sliding protrusion 39 of the top member 40 and the locking rib of the upper case 2 via the boss 41 erected on the mounting portion X. 36 or the locking rib 37 of the upper case 3 is released, so that the tape spool 23 can be freely rotated and the tape making operation can be performed without applying a rotational load to the tape spool 23. It is.

  Next, the configuration of the tape feed roller 12 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is an explanatory view showing the tape feed roller 12, FIG. 14A is a sectional view of the tape feed roller 12, and FIG. 14B is a plan view of the tape feed roller 12.

  In each of these drawings, the tape feeding roller 12 includes a cylindrical portion 42 formed in a cylindrical shape from a plastic material and a plurality of drive ribs 43 formed radially from the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 42 toward the center. Yes. Here, a plurality of drive ribs 43 are provided on both sides of the center position M so as to be vertically symmetric with respect to the center position in the vertical direction of the cylindrical portion 42 (indicated by the broken line M in FIG. 14A). Is formed. Each drive rib 43 is engaged with a cam member 69 of a tape drive cam 70 (described later) disposed in the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer, and the tape feed roller 12 is rotated by the tape drive cam 70. The cam member 69 and the drive ribs 43 are rotated by the cooperation of the drive member 43 according to the movement. As a result, the tape feeding roller 12 adheres the double-sided adhesive tape 22 to the film tape 17 by the cooperative action with the pressure contact roller 49, and moves the tapes 22 and 17 from the tape discharge portion 24 to the outside of the tape cassette 1. It performs the feed operation. Since each drive rib 43 is provided vertically symmetrically on both sides of the center position M, in the case of front loading in which the tape drive cam 70 is inserted from below the tape feed roller 12, and the tape feed roller 12 In any case of bottom loading in which the tape drive cam 70 is inserted from above, the cam member 69 of the tape drive cam 70 can be engaged with each drive rib 43.

  Next, the relationship between the head holder of the thermal head H and the head mounting portion 9 and the relationship between the tape feed roller 12 and the regulating members 14 and 15 in the vicinity of the upstream side will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the relationship between the head holder of the thermal head H and the head mounting portion 9 will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an enlarged relationship between the head holder of the thermal head H and the head mounting portion 9 when the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer. In the head mounting portion 9, as described above (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the wall portion 9A of the head mounting portion 9 is formed with the first fitting portion 10 (entering the upper side in FIG. 15), A second fitting portion 11 is formed on the left side wall of the head mounting portion 9 so as to enter the direction perpendicular to the first fitting portion 10. The thermal head H is mounted on a head holder 44 fixed to the cassette mounting portion X. The head holder 44 has a first protrusion 45 and a second protrusion 45 inserted into the first fitting portion 10. A second protrusion 46 that is inserted into the fitting portion 11 is provided.

In such a configuration, when the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X, first, the first fitting portion 10 of the head mounting portion 9 in the tape cassette 1 is positioned on the first protrusion 45 of the head holder 44. Then, the second fitting portion 11 of the head mounting portion 9 is positioned on the second protrusion 46 of the head holder 44, and then the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X from above. When the tape cassette 1 is mounted, the tape cassette 1 is positioned in the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 15) of the cassette mounting portion X by the first fitting portion 10 and the first protrusion 45, The positioning of the cassette mounting portion X in the front-rear direction (vertical direction in FIG. 15) is performed by the two fitting portions 11 and the second protrusions 46. As described above, the tape cassette 1 is arranged in the front-rear and left-right directions of the cassette mounting portion X via the first fitting portions 10 and the first protruding portions 45, and the second fitting portions 11 and the second protruding portions 46. Since it cannot be properly mounted on the cassette mounting portion X unless the positioning is performed, the tape cassette 1 can be mounted while always maintaining a certain relationship with the cassette mounting portion X. Become. Therefore, the tape cassette 1 and the ink ribbon 19 exposed at the head mounting portion 9 are securely and easily mounted on the cassette mounting portion X without contacting the thermal head H or the head holder 44. It is possible to do.

  In FIG. 15, a cassette holder X of the tape printer is provided with a roller holder 48 that is opposed to the tape cassette 1 and supported so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 47. This roller holder 48, when a character or the like is printed on the film tape 17 via the ink ribbon 19 by the thermal head H, the tape feed operation is performed in cooperation with the tape feed roller 12 while being pressed against the tape feed roller 12. A pressure roller 49 and a platen roller 50 pressed against the thermal head H are rotatably supported.

  Next, the relationship between the tape feed roller 12 and the regulating members 14 and 15 in the vicinity of the upstream side will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 16 is an exploded perspective view showing a configuration in the vicinity of the tape feed roller 12, and FIG. 17 is a side sectional view of the tape feed roller 12 portion.

  In each of these drawings, a regulating member 14 is formed in the vicinity of the support hole 13 of the tape feed roller 12 formed in the upper case 2, and the support hole 13 of the tape feed roller 12 formed in the lower case 3. A restricting wall 51 is erected in the vicinity of, and a restricting member 15 is formed below the restricting wall 51. When the tape cassette 1 is assembled by joining the upper case 2 and the lower case 3, the width W (see FIG. 1) between the lower end of the upper restriction member 14 and the upper end of the lower restriction member 15 is As described above, the tape width of the film tape 17 is set to be the same, and the tape feed width of the tape feed roller 12 is set to the same width as the width W between the regulating members 14 and 15. A guide wall 25 is erected adjacent to the regulation wall 51, and a guide groove 25 </ b> A is provided between the regulation wall 51 and the guide wall 25.

  In the above configuration, after characters or the like are printed on the film tape 17 via the ink ribbon 19 by the thermal head H, the ink ribbon 19 consumed by the printing is wound on the ribbon spool 21 and the film tape 17 is The tape is fed in the discharge direction by the tape feed roller 12 and the pressure roller 49. At this time, as described above, the ink ribbon 19 has a tape width larger than the tape width of the film tape 17, and therefore, the ink ribbon 19 is not fed between the regulating members 14, 15 and is guided to the regulating wall 51. It is wound around the ribbon spool 21 via a guide groove 25A between the wall 25 and the wall 25. On the other hand, the tape width of the film tape 17 is equal to the width W between the regulating members 14 and 15, and the film tape 17 is fed to the tape feed roller 12 while being regulated and guided by the regulating members 14 and 15 in the tape width direction. At the same time, the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is fed to the film tape 17 while being matched with the tape feed width W of the tape feed roller 12 equal to the tape width. As a result, the film tape 17 and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 having the same tape width can be properly bonded without causing a positional shift between the two tapes by the cooperation of the tape feed roller 12 and the pressure roller 49. Is.

Subsequently, a characteristic configuration that enables the tape cassette 1 to be used for both the front loading and the bottom loading with respect to the tape printer will be described. In the above description, the configuration in which the engagement ribs 30 in the ribbon take-up spool 2 are formed symmetrically in the vertical direction (see FIG. 9) and the tape so as to be usable in both front loading and bottom loading. The configuration (see FIG. 14) in which the drive ribs 43 of the feed roller 12 are symmetrically formed has been described. However, the tape cassette 1 according to the present embodiment has the following characteristic features in addition to these configurations. It has a configuration. 18 is a side view of the tape cassette 1. The tape cassette 1 is composed of two upper cases 2 and an upper case 3 (the upper case 3 is higher than the lower case 2) having different heights. However, the tape cassette 1 is provided with a common portion 52 that is formed symmetrically in the vertical direction and has a height T with respect to the center line N in the height (width) direction of the tape cassette 1. The height T of the common portion 52 is set to the same dimension regardless of the tape width of the film tape 17 or the like.

  Therefore, the double-sided position of the common portion 52 exists at the same position with respect to the center line N from any of the upward and downward directions of the tape cassette 1. Can be used in both front loading and bottom loading cases. Further, positioning in the height direction can be performed using both the upper and lower surfaces of the common portion 52, and a pressing member provided on a lid for opening and closing the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer is brought into contact with the common portion 52. By doing so, it is possible to easily design the lid even when the lid is disposed on either the upper side or the lower side of the tape printer.

  Further, the tape cassette 1 stands up from the cassette mounting portion X when the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X, as shown in the plan view of FIG. 19A and the rear view of FIG. Pin holes 53 and 54 into which two positioning pins 72 and 73 (described later) are provided are provided so as to be vertically symmetrical from both sides of the tape cassette 1. Thus, the tape cassette 1 can be properly positioned in the cassette mounting portion X via the positioning pins 72 and 73 and the pin holes 53 and 54 in both cases of front loading and bottom loading. It is.

  Next, a case where front loading of the tape cassette 1 configured as described above is performed with respect to the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer will be described with reference to FIGS. 20, 21, and 24. FIG. 20 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the tape cassette 1 is front-loaded onto the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer, and FIG. 21 is a relationship between the cassette detection unit 16 and the detection switch when the tape cassette 1 is front-loaded. FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the case of front loading and the case of bottom loading.

  First, the configuration of the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer P will be described with reference to FIG. A head holder 44 is fixed on the front side of the cassette mounting portion X, and a thermal head H is mounted on the head holder 44. A drive motor 60 is disposed outside the cassette mounting portion X (on the right side in FIG. 20), and a drive gear 61 is fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft of the drive motor 60. The drive gear 61 is meshed with a gear 63 rotatably supported on the bottom surface of the cassette mounting portion X through an opening 62 provided in the cassette mounting portion X, and the gear 63 is further meshed with a gear 64. ing. A ribbon take-up shaft 65 for rotating the ribbon take-up spool 21 is erected on the upper surface of the gear 64, and is formed on the inner wall of the ribbon take-up spool 21 around the ribbon take-up shaft 65. A cam member 66 that engages with the engagement rib 30 (see FIG. 9) is provided.

  A gear 67 is engaged with the gear 64, and a gear 68 is engaged with the gear 67. The gear 68 meshes with a gear 71 provided with a tape drive cam 70 having a cam member 69 that engages with the drive rib 43 (see FIG. 14) of the tape feed roller 12.

When the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X from the state shown in FIGS. 20 and 24 (center view, lower view), when the drive motor 60 is driven to rotate counterclockwise in the tape drive system, The ribbon take-up shaft 65 is driven to rotate counterclockwise via the drive gear 61, the gear 63, and the gear 64. As a result, due to the cooperation of the cam member 66 and the engagement rib 30 of the ribbon take-up shaft 65, The ribbon take-up spool 21 is rotated in the direction of arrow E to take up the ink ribbon 19. Further, the rotation of the gear 64 is transmitted to the tape drive cam 70 through the gear 67, the gear 68, and the gear 71, whereby the cam member 69 of the tape drive cam 70 and the drive rib 43 of the tape feed roller 12 are transmitted. The tape feed roller 12 is driven to rotate in the clockwise direction and is discharged from the tape discharge portion 24 to the outside of the tape cassette 1 while adhering the film tape 17 and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 in cooperation with the pressure contact roller 49.

  In addition, a boss 41 (see FIG. 13) 41 is disposed between the gear 67 and the gear 68 in the cassette mounting portion X. As described above, the boss 41 pushes the top member 40 in the tape spool 23 upward when the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X, and the sliding projection 39 of the top member 40 and the lower case 3 The locking with the locking rib 37 is released. Thereby, the tape spool 23 becomes a rotation free state and can be rotated together with the top member 40.

  Further, two positioning pins 72 and 73 are provided in the periphery of the cassette mounting portion X. These positioning pins 72 and 73 are provided in the pin holes 53 and 54 (FIGS. 19A and 19B). The tape cassette 1 is properly positioned in the cassette mounting portion X.

  Next, the relationship between the cassette detector 16 and the detection switch when the tape cassette 1 is front-loaded will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 21, a switch support member 80 is disposed at a rear position of the cassette mounting portion X, and four detection switches 81 are arranged in parallel on the switch support member 80. Each detection switch 81 has a switch terminal 81A, and each detection switch 81 is in an OFF state when each switch end 81A enters a switch hole 16A formed in a predetermined pattern in the switch detection unit 16 of the tape cassette 1. On the other hand, the switch terminal 81A is pressed in a portion where the switch hole 16A does not exist, and the switch terminal 81A is turned on. The type of the tape cassette 1 is detected based on such a combination of ON / OFF of the detection switches 81.

  When the tape cassette 1 is loaded in the cassette loading section X as described above, in the example of FIG. 21, two switches 81 on both sides are turned on except for the middle two switches 81 among the four detection switches 81. Therefore, since the on / off pattern is “on / off / off / on” from the left side, the type of the tape cassette 1 is detected based on such a combination.

  Next, a case where bottom loading of the tape cassette 1 is performed with respect to the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer will be described with reference to FIGS. 22, 23, and 24. FIG. 22 is an explanatory view showing a state in which the tape cassette 1 is bottom-loaded onto the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer, and FIG. 23 is a relationship between the cassette detector 16 and the detection switch when the tape cassette 1 is bottom-loaded. It is explanatory drawing which shows.

  In the bottom loading type tape printer P, the cassette mounting portion X is provided on the upper side unlike the case of FIG. 20, and the cassette mounting portion X is described with reference to FIG. The same tape drive system and head holder 44 are disposed downward. Since these tape drive systems, the head holder 44, and the like have the same configuration, description thereof is omitted here.

  As shown in FIGS. 22 and 24 (upper and middle views), in the case of bottom loading, the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X upward. At this time, in the tape cassette 1 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the engagement ribs 30 are formed vertically symmetrically in the ribbon take-up spool 21 (see FIG. 9), and the tape feed roller 12 The drive ribs 43 are formed vertically symmetrically (see FIG. 14), and a common portion 52 is provided symmetrically vertically along the height direction of the tape cassette 1 (see FIG. 18). Therefore, when the tape cassette 1 is bottom-loaded from the state shown in FIGS. 22 and 24 upward with respect to the cassette mounting portion X, the tape cassette 1 is loaded into the cassette mounting portion X in the same manner as in the front loading. It is mounted with a relationship (relation between each member in the tape cassette 1 and the tape drive system in the cassette mounting portion X). In the case of such bottom loading, the top member 40 disposed in the tape spool 23 is moved upward via a boss provided on the lid for opening and closing the cassette mounting portion X provided in the tape printer P, As a result, the tape spool 23 is brought into a rotation free state together with the frame member 40.

  Next, the relationship between the cassette detector 16 and the detection switch when the tape cassette 1 is bottom loaded will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 23, a switch support member 80 is disposed at a rear position of the cassette mounting portion X, and the switch support member 80 is disposed above the tape cassette 1. Four detection switches 81 are juxtaposed on the switch support member 80 downward. Each detection switch 81 has a switch terminal 81A, and each detection switch 81 is in an OFF state when each switch end 81A enters a switch hole 16A formed in a predetermined pattern in the switch detection unit 16 of the tape cassette 1. On the other hand, in the portion where the switch hole 16A does not exist, the switch terminal 81A is pressed down, and the switch is turned on. The type of the tape cassette 1 is detected based on such a combination of ON / OFF of the detection switches 81.

  When the tape cassette 1 is loaded in the cassette loading section X as described above, in the example of FIG. 23, two switches 81 on both sides are turned on except for the middle two switches 81 among the four detection switches 81. Therefore, since the on / off pattern is “on / off / off / on” from the left side, the type of the tape cassette 1 is detected based on such a combination.

  As described in detail above, in the tape cassette 1 according to the present embodiment, the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 is configured to be wider than the tape width of the film tape 17, and the pair of regulating members 14 are positioned near the tape roller 12. 15 and the width W between the restricting members 14 and 15 are set to be substantially the same as the tape width of the film tape 17, so that the restricting members 14 and 15 are printed after the thermal head H prints characters or the like. Thus, the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 are reliably separated from each other, so that the ink ribbon 19 can be reliably prevented from traveling to the downstream side of the regulating members 14 and 15. Further, the ink ribbon 19 is not pulled out more than necessary as the film tape 17 travels on the downstream side of the regulating members 14 and 15.

  As a result, even when the ink ribbon 19 is somewhat loosened, the ink ribbon 19 attached to the film tape 17 is pulled out more than necessary due to the drawing out of the film tape 17, and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is pulled out. By bonding, it is possible to reliably prevent the ink ribbon 19 from jamming in the tape cassette 1 and making the tape cassette 1 unusable.

  Further, by making the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 larger than the tape width of the film tape 17, the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19 naturally becomes larger than the printing width of characters or the like on the film tape 17, thereby making the film Even when characters and the like are continuously printed using the print width of the tape 17 to the maximum, the ink ribbon 19 is cut because unused portions remain on both sides of the print width. This can be prevented.

  Further, when the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 are attached to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20, respectively, the end 17A of the film tape 17 and the end 19A of the ink ribbon 19 are connected to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20, respectively. The two ends 27A of the adhesive tape 27 are bonded in a loop shape around the periphery. Therefore, the terminal ends 17A and 19A of the film tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 are connected to the adhesive tape 27 by the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool. The tape tape 18 and the ribbon spool 20 are firmly fixed to the tape spool 18 and the ribbon spool 20 via the adhesive tape 27 to such an extent that they can sufficiently counteract the force to be peeled off from the film 20. Ensure that it will easily peel off from 20 It is possible to stop.

  Further, in the tape cassette 1 of this embodiment, the separation wall 31 is formed in the arm portion 8 to guide the film tape 17 between the outer wall 8B and the separation wall 31 and to guide the ink ribbon 19 to the ribbon width. The inner wall 8C having substantially the same height as the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31 are configured to travel and guide, so that each of the fill tape 17 and the ink ribbon 19 has different tape widths and ribbon widths. In each traveling route, it is possible to reliably guide traveling independently. Further, since the ink ribbon 19 is guided to travel by the inner wall 8C provided on the arm portion 8 of the lower case 3 and the separation wall 31, the ink ribbon 19 may be set only on the lower case 3, so that the upper case 2 It is possible to prevent the ink ribbon 19 from becoming wrinkled between them and the ink ribbon 19 from being caught between the cases 2 and 3 when the upper case 2 and the lower case 3 are assembled. Further, the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31 formed higher than the outer wall 8B of the lower case 3 in consideration of the ribbon width of the ink ribbon 19, only the necessary portions of the lower case 3 may be formed higher. The portion can be formed in consideration of the balance between the height of the outer wall 8B and the wall height of the upper case 2, and accordingly, the height of the entire lower case can be adjusted to the height of the inner wall 8C and the separation wall 31. There is no need to make it bigger. As a result, the lower case 3 can be easily molded without any difficulty in molding.

  Further, four sliding grooves 38 are formed on the inner wall 23A of the tape spool 23 around which the double-sided adhesive tape 22 is wound, and the top member 40 having the sliding protrusions 39 fitted to the respective sliding grooves 38 is replaced with the tape spool 23. In the state where the tape cassette 1 is stored, the sliding protrusions 39 of the top member 40 are respectively engaged with the locking ribs 36 formed around the support hole 7 of the upper case or the lower case 3. Since the rotation of the tape spool 23 is held in a locked state by being engaged with the engagement ribs 37 formed around the support hole 7, the adhesive tape 22 is inadvertently removed from the tape cassette 1. It can be reliably prevented from being pulled out or pulled into the tape cassette 1.

  Further, in the relationship between the head holder 44 on which the thermal head H is mounted and the head mounting portion 9, the first fitting portion 10 is provided on the wall portion 9 </ b> A of the head mounting portion 9, and the first fitting portion 10 is provided on the side wall of the head mounting portion 9. The second fitting portion 11 is formed so as to enter the direction orthogonal to the first fitting portion 45, and the first fitting portion 45 and the second fitting portion 11 are inserted into the head holder 44. When the tape cassette 1 is mounted on the cassette mounting portion X, the tape cassette 1 is always mounted while maintaining a certain relationship with the cassette mounting portion X. Thus, the tape cassette 1 and the ink ribbon 19 exposed at the head mounting portion 9 are reliably and easily attached to the cassette mounting portion X without contacting the thermal head H or the head holder 44. It can be mounted.

Further, a plurality of engaging ribs 30 are formed on the inner wall of the ribbon take-up spool 21 so as to be vertically symmetrical, and a plurality of driving ribs 43 are formed radially symmetrically from the inner wall of the cylindrical portion 42 of the tape feed roller 12. Therefore, the cam member 66 of the ribbon take-up shaft 65 and the cam member 71 of the tape drive cam 70 are used for both front loading and bottom loading of the tape cassette 1 with respect to the cassette mounting portion X of the tape printer P. Can be engaged with both.

  Further, since the tape feed width W of the tape feed roller 12 is set to be the same as the width between the regulating members 14 and 15 and the tape width of the film tape 17, it is larger than the tape width of the film tape 17. The ink ribbon 19 having a ribbon width is separated from the film tape 17 through the regulating members 14 and 15, and the film tape 17 is regulated and guided between the regulating members 14 and 15. While the film tape 17 and the double-sided adhesive tape 22 are matched with the tape feed width W of the tape feed roller 12, the tape feed roller 17 and the pressure contact roller 49 cooperate with each other without causing a positional shift. Can be glued.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the said Example, Of course, various improvement and deformation | transformation are possible within the range which does not deviate from the summary of this invention.

  The tape cassette 1 of the above embodiment does not include only the ink ribbon 19, the ribbon spool 20, the ribbon take-up spool 21, the double-sided adhesive tape 22 and the tape spool 23, and the film tape in the above embodiment with respect to the tape spool 18. In place of the thermal head H, a thermal color-developing tape in which a thermal color-developing paper that is colored by heating with a thermal head H is wound in a tape shape is wound, and the thermal color development tape is fed by the tape feed roller 12 and the pressure roller 49 while the thermal head is fed. The present invention can also be applied to a tape cassette that prints characters or the like with H.

  Further, the tape cassette 1 of the above embodiment does not include only the double-sided adhesive tape 22 and the tape spool 23, and the tape spool 18 has a printing surface on one side instead of the film tape 17 in the above embodiment. Then, a tape to be printed having a release paper is wound around the other side with an adhesive layer interposed therebetween, and a tape feed roller 12 and a pressure roller while printing characters or the like on the surface to be printed of the tape to be printed via the ink ribbon 19 49, the present invention can also be applied to a tape cassette that feeds a print-receiving tape.

It is a perspective view of a tape cassette. It is a top view of the lower case which removes and shows an upper case. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically the method of attaching the terminal part of a film tape and an ink ribbon to a tape spool and a ribbon spool, respectively. It is a top view which shows the state which attached the end of the film tape and the ink ribbon to the tape spool and the ribbon spool. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically the other method of attaching the terminal part of a film tape and an ink ribbon to a tape spool and a ribbon spool, respectively. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically another method of attaching the terminal part of a film tape and an ink ribbon to a tape spool and a ribbon spool, respectively. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically another method of attaching the terminal part of a film tape and an ink ribbon to a tape spool and a ribbon spool, respectively. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows typically another method of attaching the terminal part of a film tape and an ink ribbon to a tape spool and a ribbon spool, respectively. It is sectional drawing of a ribbon winding spool. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure of an arm part. It is sectional drawing which shows the tape spool of the state which has arrange | positioned the lower case of a tape cassette on the lower side. It is sectional drawing of the tape spool of the state which has arrange | positioned the lower case on the upper side. It is sectional drawing which shows the state of the top member at the time of mounting | wearing with a tape cassette in a cassette mounting part. It is explanatory drawing which shows a tape feeding roller, FIG. 14 (A) is sectional drawing of a tape feeding roller, FIG.14 (B) is a top view of a tape feeding roller. It is explanatory drawing which expands and shows the relationship between the head holder of a thermal head, and a head mounting part when a tape cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting part of a tape printer. It is a disassembled perspective view which shows the structure in the vicinity position of a tape feed roller. It is a sectional side view of a tape feed roller part. It is a side view of a tape cassette. FIG. 19A is a plan view of the tape cassette, and FIG. 19B is a back surface 1 of the tape cassette. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which carries out the front loading of the tape cassette to the cassette mounting part of a tape printer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between a cassette detection part at the time of carrying out the front loading of a tape cassette, and a detection switch. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which carries out the bottom loading of the tape cassette to the cassette mounting part of a tape printer. It is explanatory drawing which shows the relationship between a cassette detection part at the time of bottom loading of a tape cassette and a detection switch. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the case of front loading and the case of bottom loading.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tape cassette 2 Upper case 3 Lower case 12 Tape feed roller 17 Film tape 18 Tape spool 19 Ink ribbon 20 Ribbon spool 21 Ribbon take-up spool 22 Double-sided adhesive tape 23 Tape spool 30 Engagement rib 42 Cylindrical part 43 Drive rib 65 Ribbon winding Shaft 66 Cam member 70 Tape drive cam 71 Cam member

Claims (2)

A cassette case composed of a lower case and an upper case joined to the upper side of the lower case, a first surface which is rotatably supported in the cassette case and forms a printing surface, and a second surface which is the back surface of the printing surface In a tape cassette that includes a tape spool wound with a film tape having a thermal head, and is attached to and detached from a cassette mounting portion of a tape printer equipped with a thermal head in a vertical direction.
It is sent out in an exposed state from a tape delivery part of the tape cassette, and includes an insertion part into which a film tape on which printing has been performed via the thermal head is inserted,
In the tape delivery section,
A first regulating member that regulates movement of the film tape in the second surface direction;
A second restricting member for restricting movement of the film tape in the first surface direction;
In the vicinity of the upstream side of the tape delivery section,
A tape guide member for guiding the travel of the film tape;
A lower guide regulating member that is adjacent to the tape guide member and projects upward from the lower case to guide and regulate the lower end side in the width direction of the film tape;
An upper guide restricting member facing the lower guide restricting member and projecting downward from the upper case to restrict the upper end of the film tape in the width direction ;
The upper cassette restricting member protrudes to the lower case side from the upper end of the tape guiding member, and restricts the upper end in the width direction of the film tape at a position lower than the upper end of the tape guiding member. . A tape cassette according to claim 1;
A cassette mounting portion to which the tape cassette is mounted;
A printing apparatus comprising: a thermal head disposed in the cassette mounting portion.

Images