JP7200804B2 - cassette - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a cassette in which a medium is accommodated in a roll shape, and more particularly to a cassette capable of suitably transporting a medium within a case when the case has a two-layer structure.

A cassette has been proposed in which a medium wound in a roll is stored in one layer of a housing having a two-layer structure, and the medium is moved to the other layer for use. For example, the cassettes described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are such cases. In Patent Document 1, the supply reel 3 of the ribbon 4 is arranged between the lid 2 and the partition plate 6 . A take-up reel 7 of the ribbon 4 is arranged in the cassette body 1 below the partition plate 6 . When the driving roller 8 is rotated by the driving means of the printer, the elastic belt 9 stretched between the driving roller 8 and the driven roller 10 runs, and the take-up reel 7 rotates. As a result, the ribbon 4 is sandwiched between the elastic belt 9 and the take-up reel 7 and taken up. At this time, the ribbon 4 is given a constant supply tension by the tension roller 5, and then moves downward through the gap between the partition plate 6 and the cassette main body 1 in the cassette.

On the other hand, in Patent Document 2, the ribbon 21 extends from the supply reel 18 provided in the upper layer to the take-up reel 36 provided in the lower layer through a roller 50, a roller 56, a guide post 59, a bail bar 60/shoulder 74, a roller 78, and the like. A configuration is disclosed that is delivered via.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-095780 U.S. Pat. No. 4,034,935

However, in Patent Document 1, since printing is performed at the head opening before the ink ribbon, which is the medium to be conveyed, is fully lowered to the lower layer, printing is performed with the medium being slanted, and printing accuracy is reduced. could not be improved. Further, in Patent Document 2, in order to keep the ink ribbon, which is the medium, horizontal at the head opening, the medium is completely lowered from the upper layer to the lower layer at a constant angle at the upstream position of the head opening. The deflection angle of the media has become large, making it easier for media conveyance failures to occur.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been devised against the background of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to suppress the transportation failure of the medium as much as possible by changing the angle of the medium with respect to the spool axis while the medium is unloaded from the upper layer to the lower layer. and

A first invention for achieving such an object provides (a) a housing comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a head space, and (b) a head space provided in the second layer. and (c) a first guide having a first inclined portion inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to the direction from the second layer to the first layer. (d) a second guide having a second inclined portion inclined to form a second inclined angle with respect to the direction from the second layer to the first layer; and (e) provided on the first layer (f) the first inclined portion is formed so as to move away from the roll as it goes from the second layer side end to the first layer side; (g) The second inclined portion is formed so as to approach the roll as it goes from the second layer side end portion toward the first layer side, and (h) the medium includes the first guide and the second guide. , and a cassette provided in the housing so as to move from the second layer to the first layer and reach the head space by being guided in order by the third guide.

According to the first invention, the first guide has a first inclined portion inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to a direction from the second layer toward the first layer, and the second The guide has a second inclined portion inclined to form a second inclined angle with respect to the direction from the second layer to the first layer, the first layer is provided with a third guide, and the first layer is provided with a third guide. The one inclined portion is formed so as to separate from the roll as it goes from the second layer side end to the first layer side, and the second inclined portion is formed from the second layer side end to the second layer side. Since it is formed so as to approach the roll as it goes to the one layer side, the roll provided on the second layer in the housing having the first layer and the second layer and having a head space in the first layer while the medium is being conveyed between the layers from the second layer to the first layer by guiding the medium wound in the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide in that order. , it is possible to suppress medium conveyance failures by changing the medium conveyance angle.

In a second aspect based on the first aspect, the first inclination angle of the first inclination portion is larger than the second inclination angle of the second inclination portion. With this configuration, the transport path of the medium inclined toward the first layer by the first inclined portion is partially returned by the second inclined portion. That is, after passing through the second inclined portion, the transport path of the medium has an inclination between before passing through the first inclined portion and after passing through the first inclined portion. By changing the transport angle of the medium in the middle of transporting the medium, it is possible to suppress defective transport of the medium.

A third invention is based on the first or second invention, wherein the third guide is inclined to form a third inclination angle with respect to the direction from the second layer to the first layer. It has an inclined portion, and the third inclined portion is formed so as to approach the roll in the direction from the second layer to the first layer. With this configuration, the inclination of the conveying path of the medium returned by the second inclined portion is further returned by the third inclined portion, so that the medium is conveyed between the layers from the second layer to the first layer. By changing the conveying angle of the medium on the way, it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the medium.

A fourth invention is characterized in that, in the third invention, the third tilt angle of the third tilt portion is smaller than the second tilt angle of the second tilt portion. With this configuration, the inclination of the transport path of the medium returned by the third inclined portion before being transported to the head space can be made smaller than the inclination returned by the second inclined portion. Therefore, when the medium transport angle is changed while the medium is transported between the layers from the second layer to the first layer, it is possible to further suppress the transport failure of the medium.

In a fifth invention, in any one of the first to fourth inventions, the first guide is provided radially outside an outer edge of the roll with respect to the center of rotation of the roll, and A plurality of first ridges protruding away from the center are provided, and the tip of each of the plurality of first ridges has an increased amount of protrusion in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer. It is characterized by forming said 1st inclination part by inclining. With this configuration, the tips of the plurality of first protrusions forming the first guide can constitute the first inclined portion, and the medium is conveyed between the layers from the second layer to the first layer. , it is possible to suppress medium conveyance failures by changing the medium conveyance angle.

In a sixth invention, in any one of the first to fifth inventions, the second guide includes a plurality of second protrusions projecting in a direction away from the rotation center of the roll, and the plurality of second protrusions The tip of each of the two protrusions is characterized by forming the second inclined portion by being inclined so that the amount of protrusion decreases in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer. With this configuration, the tips of the plurality of second protrusions forming the second guide can constitute the second inclined portion, and the medium is transported between the layers from the second layer to the first layer. , it is possible to suppress medium conveyance failures by changing the medium conveyance angle.

In a seventh aspect based on the third or fourth aspect, the third guide includes a plurality of third ridges projecting in a direction away from the center of rotation, and each of the plurality of third ridges is inclined so that the amount of protrusion decreases in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer, thereby forming the third inclined portion. With this configuration, the tips of the plurality of third protrusions forming the third guide can constitute the third inclined portion, and the medium can move from the second layer to the first layer. By changing the transport angle of the medium while it is being transported between the layers, it is possible to suppress transport failures of the medium.

In an eighth invention, in any one of the first to seventh inventions, the housing includes a plurality of cases, the third guide is provided in one of the plurality of cases, The one case is characterized by comprising a width restricting portion that restricts the position of the medium in the width direction. With this configuration, when the medium passes through the one case, the inclination of the medium in the conveying direction is returned by the third guide, and the position of the medium in the width direction is regulated by the width regulating portion. Therefore, even if the transport angle of the medium is changed while the medium is transported between the layers from the second layer to the first layer, it is possible to further suppress the transport failure of the medium.

A ninth invention is characterized in that, in the eighth invention, the second guide is provided in the one case. With this arrangement, the inclination of the medium in the conveying direction is returned by the second guide and the third guide both provided in the one case, and the position in the width direction is regulated by the width regulating portion. Therefore, by changing the transport angle of the medium while the medium is being transported between the layers from the second layer to the first layer, it is possible to further suppress the transport failure of the medium.

A tenth invention is characterized in that, in the ninth invention, the first guide is provided in a case different from the one case among the plurality of cases. With this configuration, the medium is tilted in the conveying direction by the first guide provided in the case different from the one case, while the second guide and the second guide provided in the one case incline each other. The inclination of the medium in the conveying direction is returned by the three guides, and the position in the width direction is regulated by the width regulating portion. By changing the transport angle of the medium, it is possible to further suppress defective transport of the medium.

In an eleventh invention, in any one of the first to tenth inventions, the housing has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide each , provided at different corners of the housing corresponding to one of the sides in the direction from the second layer to the first layer of the housing, and extending from the corner where the first guide is provided to the second guide The length of the side of the housing to the corner where the guide is provided is greater than the length of the side of the housing from the corner where the second guide is provided to the corner where the third guide is provided. Characterized by In this way, the space in the corner of the housing can be utilized to dispose the first to third guides, and the distance by which the medium is conveyed in the conveying direction inclined by the first guide is Since the medium is longer than the distance conveyed in the conveying direction returned by the second guide, the conveying angle of the medium is changed while the medium is conveyed between the layers from the second layer to the first layer. Conveyance failure can be suppressed.

In a twelfth invention, in any one of the first to eleventh inventions, the first layer is provided with an ink ribbon, a supply spool for the ink ribbon, and a take-up spool for the ink ribbon. and the medium is a medium to be printed. In this way, the medium wound on the roll provided on the second layer is transported to the head space provided on the first layer by the transport path, while the ink ribbon is provided on the first layer. Even in a cassette in which the medium is supplied from the supply spool and wound up on the take-up spool, the medium is conveyed from the second layer to the first layer by changing the conveyance angle of the medium while the medium is conveyed between the layers. Conveyance failure can be suppressed.

A thirteenth invention is characterized in that in any one of the first to eleventh inventions, the first layer is provided with a roll of a cover film. In this way, the medium wound on the roll provided on the second layer is transported to the head space provided on the first layer by the transport path, while the cover film is provided on the first layer. Even in a cassette in which the medium is wound around a roll and supplied, the conveyance failure of the medium is suppressed by changing the conveyance angle of the medium while the medium is conveyed between the layers from the second layer to the first layer. be able to.

More preferably, in a fourteenth aspect of the invention, (a) a housing comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a head space and a bottom surface, and (b) a housing provided in the second layer (c) a first guide provided on the second layer; and (d) a third guide provided on the first layer. and (e) a second guide provided between the first guide and the third guide in the transport path of the medium, and (f) the medium moves between the first guide and the second guide. and between the second guide and the third guide so that the widthwise end of the medium is inclined with respect to the bottom surface, and (g) the medium is , between the third guide and the head space, the width direction end of the medium is spanned in parallel with the bottom surface; (i) the first The first conveying angle of the width direction end of the medium stretched between the guide and the second guide with respect to the bottom surface of the medium stretched between the second guide and the third guide is The cassette is characterized in that the widthwise end portion is larger than a second conveying angle with respect to the bottom surface. With this configuration, the medium is conveyed to the second guide while being inclined by the first guide so that the medium is conveyed in the first conveying angle. The sheet is tilted back to the second conveying angle and conveyed to the third guide. Then, the tilt in the transport direction is further returned to be parallel to the bottom side by the third guide, and the medium can be transported to the head space. By changing the transport angle of the medium while it is being transported, it is possible to suppress transport failures of the medium.

In a fifteenth aspect based on the fourteenth aspect, (j) the angle of the width direction end portion of the medium with respect to the bottom surface is 0 degree when the medium is wound, and (k ) the angle increases continuously from upstream to downstream in the direction of transport of the medium around the first guide; , is constant, (m) said angle continuously decreases around said second guide from upstream to downstream in the direction of transport of said media, (n) said angle is between said second guide and is constant between the third guide, and (o) the angle continuously decreases from upstream to downstream in the direction of transport of the media to 0 degrees around the third guide; and (p) the angle is 0 degrees between the third guide and the head space. With this configuration, when the medium is guided by each of the first to third guides, the angle of the end portion in the medium width direction with respect to the bottom surface is continuously changed, thereby reducing distortion of the medium. I can. In addition, between the first and second guides and between the second and third guides, the angle of the end portion in the medium width direction with respect to the bottom surface is constant. By changing the transport angle of the medium while the medium is being transported between the layers, it is possible to suppress defective transport of the medium.

It is a perspective view showing the upper surface side of the cassette of one embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the cassette of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the configuration and internal configuration of the case of the cassette of FIG. 1 with the first case member, the second case member, the third case member, and the fourth case member that configure the case separated; 2 is a front view showing the upper surface side of the first case member of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the lower surface side of the first case member of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a front view showing the upper surface side of the second case member of FIG. 1 together with a printing tape roll; 2 is a perspective view showing the cassette of FIG. 1 with a first case member removed; FIG. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6, showing a state in which the printing tape is stretched from the inside of the tape case to the inside of the ribbon case; FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the lower surface side of the second case member of FIG. 1; 2 is a perspective view showing the upper surface side of the third case member of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the lower surface side of the third case member of FIG. 1; FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the upper surface side of the 4th case member of FIG. It is a bottom view which shows the lower surface side of the 4th case member of FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view for explaining the configuration of a first guide; It is a figure explaining the example of the shape of the guide rib which comprises a 1st guide. It is a figure explaining the contact aspect of a guide rib and a printing tape. It is a figure explaining the example of the shape of the guide rib which comprises a 2nd guide. It is a figure explaining the example of the shape of the guide rib which comprises a 3rd guide. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining changes in the vertical position of the print tape within the housing and the transport angle with respect to the transport path; Using the view showing the lower surface of the third case member in FIG. 1, the path of the printing tape pulled out from the printing tape roll and the bonding tape pulled out from the bonding tape roll, and the path of the ink ribbon pulled out from the ink ribbon. , respectively. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a laminate of a printing tape and a lamination tape sent out from the cassette of FIG. 1; 2 is a plan view of the cassette of FIG. 1 showing relative positions of a printing tape roll, lamination tape roll, ink ribbon, and take-up spool; FIG. FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII of FIG. 6; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a cassette mounting portion of a printing apparatus to which the cassette of FIG. 1 is mounted;

An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

[Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a cassette 10 that is an embodiment of the present invention from the front side, that is, from the top. In the description of this embodiment, the upper side of FIG. The upper side is the upper side, and the lower right side is the lower side of the cassette 10 . As shown in FIG. 1, the cassette 10 comprises a first case or tape case 20 and a second case or ribbon case 21 . The tape case 20 is composed of a first case member 12 and a second case member 14 . The ribbon case 21 is composed of a third case member 16 and a fourth case member 18 .

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the cassette 10 from the back side, that is, from the bottom side. As shown in FIG. 2, the ribbon case 21 is positioned on one side of the tape case 20 in the vertical direction. In this embodiment, the ribbon case 21 is located on the lower side, which is one side of the tape case 20 in the vertical direction. The cassette 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape as a whole. As shown in FIG. 2 , the cassette 10 has a take-up spool support hole 94 , grooves 11 and roller exposure holes 98 . The take-up spool support hole 94 is provided in the bottom surface 19 of the fourth case member 18 of the cassette 10 . The winding spool support hole 94 vertically penetrates the bottom surface 19 of the fourth case member 18 . A take-up spool support hole 94 exposes the lower end of the take-up spool 76 . Specifically, a connecting hole 96 formed in the end face of the take-up spool 76 is exposed to the lower surface of the fourth case member 18 through the take-up spool support hole 94 as shown in FIG. When the cassette 10 is attached to the printing device 102 shown in FIG. 24, the take-up spool drive shaft 108 of the printing device 102 is inserted into the connecting hole 96 and connected to the take-up spool 76, and the take-up spool 76 is wound. It is rotationally driven by a spool drive shaft 108 . As shown in FIG. 2 , the groove 11 is formed on the front surfaces of the third case member 16 and the fourth case member 18 , that is, on the front surface of the ribbon case 21 . When the cassette 10 is mounted in the cassette mounting portion 104 of the printing apparatus 102 , a print head 106 , which will be described later, provided in the cassette mounting portion 104 is inserted into the concave groove 11 . The concave groove 11 corresponds to the head space of the present application. The roller exposure hole 98 is provided in the fourth case member 18 at a position corresponding to the roller support hole 82 formed in the third case member 16 . A roller exposure hole 98 exposes the shaft end of the roller 80 . Specifically, the connecting portion 80a formed at the end of the roller 80 on the side of the fourth case member 18 is exposed to the lower surface of the fourth case member 18 through the roller exposure hole 98 as shown in FIG. The structure of the cassette 10 including the tape case 20 and ribbon case 21 corresponds to the housing of the present invention. Also, the first case member 12, the second case member 14, the third case member 16, and the fourth case member 18 correspond to the plurality of cases of the present invention. The ink ribbon 72, supply pool 70, and take-up spool 76 correspond to the ink ribbon, supply spool, and take-up spool of the present invention, respectively.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of the cassette 10 with the first case member 12, the second case member 14, the third case member 16, and the fourth case member 18 of the cassette 10 separated. The tape case 20 has a printing tape roll 26 in a first space S1 formed therein. The ribbon case 21 includes an ink ribbon roll 72, a bonding tape roll 64, a take-up spool 76, a roller 80, and a sticking prevention roller 91 in a second space S2 formed inside. The first space S<b>1 is formed across the first case member 12 and the second case member 14 . A printing tape roll 26 is accommodated in the first space S1 so as to be rotatable about a first rotation center line C1 parallel to the vertical direction. The first rotation center line C1 is the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 26 and also the center of rotation of the printing tape spool 24. The printing tape roll 26 is a printing tape 22 having a cylindrical shaft core. It is configured to be wound around a spool 24 . Spacer films 38 are provided above and below the printing tape roll 26, respectively. The spacer film 38 is circular and has an outer diameter approximately the same as the outer diameter of the printing tape roll 26 . The first case member 12 and the second case member 14 are rectangular. The first rotation center line C<b>1 is located near the center in the left-right direction and near the center in the front-rear direction of the first case member 12 and the second case member 14 . As shown in FIG. 21, for example, the printing tape 22 is constructed by laminating a peeling tape 22c on the opposite side of the printing surface of the printing tape 22a with an adhesive 22b interposed therebetween. The print tape 22 shown in FIG. 3 is the print medium that is printed by the print head 106 . The print tape 22 corresponds to the medium of the present invention, and the print tape roll 26 corresponds to the roll. The first space S1 corresponds to the second layer of the invention, and the second space S2 corresponds to the first layer of the invention. The vertical direction shown in FIG. 1, in other words, the vertical direction of the cassette 10 corresponds to the direction from the second layer to the first layer of the present invention.

The ink ribbon roll 72 is configured by winding the strip-shaped ink ribbon 68 around the supply spool 70 . The supply spool 70 and the ink ribbon roll 72 are rotatable about a third rotational centerline C3 parallel to the first rotational centerline C1. Ink ribbon 68 is used for printing on printing tape 22 . The ink ribbon 68 used for printing is taken up by the take-up spool 76 . The take-up spool 76 is rotatable around a fourth rotation centerline C4 parallel to the first rotation centerline C1. As shown in FIG. 3, the other end of the supply spool 70 is fitted with a clutch spring holder 90 containing a clutch spring. Appropriate rotational resistance is applied to the ink ribbon roll 72 by a clutch spring in a clutch spring holder 90 . The roller 80 presses the printing tape 22 and the bonding tape 60 together with the rollers of the printing device 102 shown in FIG. The roller 80 is rotatable around a fifth rotation centerline C5 parallel to the first rotation centerline C1. The bonding tape roll 64 is wound around the bonding spool 62 so that the width direction of the bonding tape 60 is the vertical direction. That is, the radial direction of the bonding tape roll 64 is a direction perpendicular to the vertical direction including the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. In other words, the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the radial direction is the vertical direction. The lamination spool 62 and lamination tape roll 64 are rotatable about a second rotational centerline C2 parallel to the first rotational centerline C1. As shown in FIG. 21, the lamination tape 60 is composed of a transparent film 60a coated with an adhesive 60b on one surface in contact with the printing surface of the printing tape 22 in order to protect the printing surface. The bonding tape 60 is a band-shaped tape that is bonded to the printed printing tape 22 . As shown in FIG. 3 , the anti-sticking roller 91 prevents the sticking of the bonding tape 60 . The first case member 12, the second case member 14, the third case member 16, and the fourth case member 18 are stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction, and have a plurality of engagement members provided between their outer peripheral walls. They are fixed to each other by the engagement between the claws 27 and the fixed claws 28 and the positioning by the positioning projections 29 . In this embodiment, the upper surfaces of the case members 12 to 18 are referred to as upper surfaces or front surfaces, and the lower surfaces are referred to as lower surfaces or rear surfaces. The lamination tape 60 corresponds to the cover film of the present invention, and the lamination tape roll 64 corresponds to the roll of the cover film.

FIG. 4 is a front view showing the upper surface side of the first case member 12. FIG. As shown in FIG. 4, the first case member 12 has a substantially rectangular shape in a front view, and has a length in the vertical direction of the cassette 10 as shown in FIGS. That is, the first case member 12 has a cylindrical shape with a bottom. The first case member 12 forms a first space S1, in other words, a tape case 20 together with a second case member 14 which will be described later.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the first case member 12. FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 , a cylindrical first support projection 30 and a first circumferential wall 34 are provided on the lower surface side of the first case member 12 . The first support protrusion 30 is inserted into the printing tape spool 24 shown in FIG. 6 and rotatably supports the printing tape roll 26 . The first circumferential wall 34 has an inner diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the printing tape roll 26 shown in FIG. The first support projection 30 and the first circumferential wall 34 shown in FIG. 5 protrude downward from the lower surface side of the first case member 12 while having the same center line as the first rotation center line C1. As shown in FIG. 5, the first case member 12 includes an outer peripheral wall 44 having long side portions 44a and short side portions 44b. A printed tape gate 40 is formed by cutting out a portion of the first circumferential wall 34 on the lower surface side of the first case member 12 . The printing tape gate 40 is an exit for the printing tape 22 for drawing the printing tape 22 from the printing tape roll 26 from a fixed position.

FIG. 6 is a front view showing the upper surface side of the second case member 14. FIG. 6, illustration of the printing tape 22 pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 is omitted. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the upper surface side of the second case member 14. FIG. FIG. 7 shows the cassette 10 with the first case member 12 removed. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 , a cylindrical second support projection 32 and a second circumferential wall 36 are provided on the upper surface side of the second case member 14 . The second support protrusions 32 are inserted into the cylindrical printing tape spool 24 and rotatably support the printing tape roll 26 . The second circumferential wall 36 has an inner diameter that is greater than the outer diameter of the printing tape roll 26 . The second support projection 32 and the second circumferential wall 36 protrude upward from the upper surface side of the second case member 14 while having the same center line as the first rotation center line C1. A print tape roll 26 is disposed between the first case member 12 and the second case member 14 .

As shown in FIG. 6, a printed tape gate 42 is formed by cutting out a portion of the second circumferential wall 36 on the upper surface side of the second case member 14 . The printing tape gate 42, like the printing tape gate 40 shown in FIG. 5, is an outlet for the printing tape 22 for drawing the printing tape 22 from the printing tape roll 26 from a fixed position. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a guide wall 50 extending leftward from the left end of the printing tape gate 42 is formed on the upper surface side of the second case member 14 . The guide wall 50 guides the printing tape 22 pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 in a fixed direction. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide wall 50 bends toward the long side portion 46b, ie, rearward, before reaching the short side portion 46a of the outer peripheral wall 46, and extends along the second circumferential wall 36 to extend along the long side portion. 46b.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14, a substantially L-shaped through hole extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction along the guide wall 50 and the long side portion 46b of the outer peripheral wall 46 is provided. 52 are formed. The guide wall 50 is formed on the bottom plate 14a. A first guide 130 is formed in a portion of the second circumferential wall 36 facing the guide wall 50 and a portion facing the long side portion 46b. The first guide 130 has a plurality of guide ribs 54 . A plurality of guide ribs 54 guide the printing tape 22 unwound from the printing tape roll 26 and fed through the printing tape gates 40 and 42 into the through holes 52 . The first guide 130 is provided near the corner K1 corresponding to one of the four sides parallel to the vertical direction of the cassette 10 .

The printing tape 22 unwound from the printing tape roll 26 shown in FIG. 7 passes through the through hole 52 shown in FIG. be led to The printing tape 22 passes through a through hole 52 formed in the bottom plate 14a shown in FIG. 6, which functions as a plate member that partitions the first space S1 and the second space S2, and passes through the tape case 20 and the ribbon case as shown in FIG. It is bridged between 21 and

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6, showing a state in which the printing tape 22 is stretched from the inside of the tape case 20 to the inside of the ribbon case 21. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the printing tape 22 is diagonally stretched from the inside of the tape case 20 to the inside of the ribbon case 21 through the through holes 52 shown in FIG. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 20 to be described later, the printing tape 22 is stretched over the recessed groove 11 of the ribbon case 21 .

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the second case member 14. FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, corresponding to the guide ribs 54 shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, ribs 55 continuous from the guide ribs 54 are provided on the opposite side of the guide ribs 54 via the bottom plate 14a, that is, on the lower side. is provided. A pair of guide walls 56 are erected vertically on the back surface of the bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14 . A through hole 52 is opened between the pair of guide walls 56 .

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the upper (front) surface side of the third case member 16. FIG. The ceiling plate 16a of the third case member 16 is formed with a through hole 58, a bonding tape roll support hole 66, an ink ribbon support hole 74, a take-up spool support hole 78, and a roller support hole 82. ing. The through holes 58 are formed at positions corresponding to the through holes 52 of the second case member 14 . That is, a portion of the through hole 52 and a portion of the through hole 58 overlap each other in the vertical direction. The through hole 58 allows the printing tape 22 pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 to pass through the second space S2 shown in FIG. One end of the supply spool 70 is fitted into the ink ribbon support hole 74 . The ink ribbon support hole 74 supports the ink ribbon roll 72 rotatably around the third rotation center line C3. The third rotation center line C3 is the center of rotation of the ink ribbon roll 72 and the center of rotation of the supply spool 70 as well. The bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14 shown in FIG. 9 and the ceiling plate 16a of the third case member 16 shown in FIG. It corresponds to a plate that partitions S2.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the lower (rear) side of the third case member 16. FIG. One end of the lamination spool 62 is fitted into the lamination tape roll support hole 66 . The lamination tape roll support hole 66 supports the lamination tape roll 64 so as to be rotatable around the second rotation center line C2. The second rotation center line C2 is the center of rotation of the bonding tape roll 64 and the center of rotation of the bonding tape spool 62 as well. One end of the take-up spool 76 is fitted into the take-up spool support hole 78 . The take-up spool support hole 78 supports the take-up spool 76 rotatably around the fourth rotation center line C4. The fourth rotation center line C4 is the rotation center of the take-up spool 76. As shown in FIG. One end of the roller 80 is fitted into the roller support hole 82 . The roller support hole 82 supports the roller 80 rotatably around the fifth rotation center line C5.

As shown in FIG. 11, the lower surface of the third case member 16 is formed with a lamination tape roll holding wall 84, an ink ribbon roll holding wall 86, a cylindrical protrusion 88, and an arcuate wall 92. there is The lamination tape roll holding wall 84 and the arcuate wall 92 are each formed in an arc around the lamination tape roll support hole 66 with the lamination tape roll support hole 66 as the center. Laminating tape roll retaining wall 84 and arcuate wall 92 each define the placement position of laminating tape roll 64 . The ink ribbon roll holding wall 86 is formed in an arc around the take-up spool support hole 78 with the take-up spool support hole 78 as the center. The ink ribbon roll holding wall 86 defines the arrangement position of the take-up spool 76 . The cylindrical projection 88 projects downward from the periphery of the ink ribbon support hole 74, and has unevenness arranged in the circumferential direction on the tip surface thereof. A support protrusion 93 is provided on the lower surface of the third case member 16 to rotatably support the upper end of the sticking prevention roller 91 .

As shown in FIG. 11, a guide plate 57 extending downward from the ceiling plate 16a is provided. The guide plate 57 is continuous with the guide plate 56 of the second case member 14 shown in FIG. It is provided in a position where Further, the guide plate 57 shown in FIG. 11 has a lower end portion of the guide plate 57 on the lower surface side of the third case member 16 when the third case member 16 and the fourth case member 18 are combined. , is provided so as to be in contact with the upper side (the inner surface of the housing) of the fourth case member 18 shown in FIG.

A second guide 132 is provided at a corner K2 located at the right rear portion of the housing 11 on the lower right in FIG. 11 showing the third case member 16 . The second guide 132 is composed of a plurality of guide ribs 154, like the first guide 130 described above. Here, the corner K2 is a corner adjacent to the corner K1 where the first guide 130 is provided via the long side 46b and the long side 59b of the housing 11 in the horizontal direction. In the following, when the individual guide ribs 154 are not distinguished, they will simply be referred to as guide ribs 154 . In addition, the guide rib 154 corresponds to the second protrusion of the present invention.

A third guide 134 is provided at a corner K3 located in the upper right corner of the housing 11 in FIG. The third guide 134 is composed of a plurality of guide ribs 164, like the first guide 130 and the second guide 132 described above. That is, both the second guide 132 and the third guide 134 are provided on the third case member, which is the same case member. Here, the corner K3 is a corner adjacent to the corner K2 where the second guide 132 is provided via the short side 59a that is the side of the housing 11 in the front-rear direction. In addition, the guide rib 164 corresponds to the third protrusion of the present invention.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a printing tape guide 170 is provided immediately before the printing tape 22 is supplied to the concave groove 11 in the conveying path of the printing tape 22 . The printing tape guide 170 is composed of, for example, a slit-shaped hole, and the length of the slit is approximately equal to the width of the printing tape 22 . The printing tape guide 170 suppresses displacement of the printing tape 22 in the width direction. Here, both the third guide 134 and the printing tape guide 170 are provided in the third case member 16, which is the same case member. This printing tape guide 170 corresponds to the width regulating portion of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the upper (front) side of the fourth case member 18. As shown in FIG. FIG. 13 is a bottom (back) view showing the bottom (back) side of the fourth case member 18. FIG. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the fourth case member 18 has a take-up spool support hole 94 , support projections 97 , support projections 95 and roller exposure holes 98 . The take-up spool support hole 94 is formed vertically through the fourth case member 18 . The other end of the take-up spool 76 is fitted into the take-up spool support hole 94 . The take-up spool support hole 94 rotatably supports the take-up spool 76 . Also, the other end of the supply spool 70 is fitted into the support projection 97 . The support protrusion 97 rotatably supports the supply spool 70 . Further, the support protrusion 95 is provided on the upper surface of the fourth case member 18, as shown in FIG. The support protrusion 95 supports the lower end of the application roller 91 so as to be connectable. The roller exposing hole 98 supports the axial end of the roller 80 and supports the roller 80 rotatably.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the first guide 130 including a plurality of guide ribs 54. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 14, the second support projections 32 are indicated by dotted lines in order to show the positional relationship with the second support projections 32 that support the printing tape spool 24. As shown in FIG. The first guide 130 is provided near the corner K1 of the cassette 10 . 14, only two guide ribs 54a and 54b are shown for simplification of the drawing. In the following, when the individual guide ribs 54a, 54b are not distinguished, they will simply be referred to as guide ribs 54. FIG. In addition, the guide rib 54 corresponds to the first protrusion of the present invention.

The guide rib 54 is configured in a flat plate shape. The guide rib 54 is provided so as to protrude from the second circumferential wall 36 of the second case member 14 in a direction away from the printing tape roll 26, in other words, the second support protrusion 32 to which the printing tape roll 26 is attached. That is, each of the guide ribs 54 is provided radially outside the outer edge of the printing tape roll 26 with respect to the rotation center C<b>1 of the printing tape roll 26 . 14 and 15 in the direction from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 22, the protrusion amount P1 of the guide rib 54 from the second circumferential wall 36 shown in FIG. The amount of protrusion P1 is set so that the through hole 52 provided between the bottom plate 14a and the guide wall 50 is not blocked at the end portion of the guide rib 54 on the side of the bottom plate 14a.

Each of the guide ribs 54 is formed continuously with the second circumferential wall 36 of the second case member 14 and the bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14, as shown in FIG.

The guide rib 54 has a side 54R and an inclined surface 54i. A side 54R of the flat plate shape of the guide rib 54 is inclined with respect to the direction from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 22, that is, the vertical direction of the cassette 10. As shown in FIG. Among the surfaces of the guide rib 54 in the plate thickness direction, the surfaces defined by the pair of inclined sides 54R are inclined surfaces 54i. The thickness direction of the guide ribs 54 corresponds to the transport direction of the printing tape 22 . The inclined surface 54i corresponds to the first inclined portion of the present invention. The angle formed by the inclined side 54R and the vertical direction of the cassette 10 is the inclination angle θi1. In this embodiment, since the second circumferential wall 36 extends in the vertical direction of the cassette 10, the inclination angle θi1 corresponds to the angle formed by the inclined surface 54i and the second circumferential wall 36. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide ribs 54 may have different protrusion amounts, but the inclination angles θi1 of the guide ribs 54 are the same.

15A and 15B are diagrams illustrating examples of the shape of the guide rib 54, and three modes (a) to (c) are described. 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XV-XV of FIG. 6. FIG. FIG. 15(a) corresponds to the example of FIG. 14, and has a protrusion amount at a position aligned with the upper end of the guide rib 54, that is, the upper end of the second circumferential wall 36. FIG. Then, along the inclined surface 54i, the projecting amount P1 of the guide rib 54 gradually increases toward the lower side, and increases to the position where the through hole 52 is provided. , the projection amount P1 does not increase any more. Therefore, the guide ribs 54 do not extend above the through holes 52 . In other words, the guide rib 54 of FIG. 15(a) has a trapezoidal shape in the upper region where the inclined surface 54i is provided in the vertical direction, and a rectangular shape continuing from the trapezoidal shape in the lower region. have.

As shown in FIGS. 15(b) and (c), the guide rib 54 has a substantially triangular shape. In FIG. 15(b), the guide rib 54 has the apex of the triangular shape at the upper end of the second circumferential wall, and the projection amount P1 gradually increases downward from the apex to form an inclined surface 54i. ing. Moreover, when the inclined surface 54i reaches the bottom plate 14a, it is positioned at the boundary between the bottom plate 14a and the through hole 52. As shown in FIG. 15(c), the guide rib 54 differs from that of FIG. 15(b) in that the guide rib 54 has a substantially triangular apex not at the upper end of the second circumferential wall 36, but at a position below the upper end. . At the lower end of the guide rib 54, that is, at the position where the guide rib 54 contacts the bottom plate 14a, the projection amount P1 of the guide rib 54 is larger than that shown in FIG. It is different in that it protrudes to a part of It should be noted that the guide ribs 54 can also take other forms. For example, the shapes shown in different ones of FIGS. can also be assumed.

15A to 15C, the length of the inclined surface 54i may be the same as the width of the printing tape 22, or may be longer. Alternatively, the length of the inclined surface 54 i may be shorter than the width of the printing tape 22 at the guide rib 54 or the like at the position where a portion of the printing tape 22 in the width direction enters the through hole 52 . In short, the printing tape 22 need not contact the inclined portion 54i in its width direction. For example, different portions in the width direction of the printing tape 22 may be in contact with the second circumferential wall 36 and the inclined portion 54i. Alternatively, different portions in the width direction of the printing tape 22 may be in contact with the portion of the guide wall 50 of the case member 14 facing the second circumferential wall 36 and the inclined portion 54i.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVI--XVI in FIG. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating how one of the guide ribs 54 forming the first guide 130 contacts the print tape 22 wound around the first guide 130 . 16A to 16J show the case where the guide rib 54 has the shape shown in FIG. 15C, and FIG. 16K shows the case where the guide rib 54 has the shape shown in FIG. Each of the cases shown in (a) is shown.

FIG. 16( a ) shows a mode in which the printing tape 22 is in contact only with the lowermost portion of the inclined surface 54 i of the guide rib 54 . Also, FIG. 16(b) shows a mode in which the printing tape 22 is in contact only with the uppermost portion of the inclined surface 54i. FIG. 16(c) shows a mode in which the printing tape 22 is in surface contact with the inclined surface 54i. 16(a) and 16(b), the printing tape 22 is in contact with the inclined surface 54i only in a very short section. This means that the printing tape 22 is in contact with the inclined surface 54i in a relatively large section compared to the cases (a) and (b). In other words, surface contact in the present embodiment includes not only the case where the printing tape 22 is in contact with the inclined surface 54i over the entire width direction, but also the case where a part of the printing tape 22 in the width direction is continuously in contact with the inclined surface 54i. include.

In FIG. 16(d), the printing tape 22 is in contact with the lowermost portion of the inclined surface 54i, and is also in contact with the guide wall 50 facing the guide rib 54 via the through hole 52. In FIG. In FIG. 16(e), the printing tape 22 is in contact with the uppermost portion of the inclined surface 54i, and is also in contact with the guide wall 50 facing the inclined surface 54i through the through hole 52. In FIG. In FIG. 16(f), the printing tape 22 is in surface contact with the inclined surface 54i, and is also in contact with the guide wall 50 facing the guide rib 54 via the through hole 52. In FIG.

In FIG. 16G, the printing tape 22 does not contact the inclined surface 54i, but contacts the second circumferential surface 36 located above the inclined surface 54i in the vertical direction of the case 10. In FIG. 16(h), the printing tape 22 does not contact the inclined surface 54i, but contacts the second circumferential surface 36 and the guide wall 50. In FIG.

FIG. 16(i) shows a mode in which the printing tape 22 is in contact with a portion of the inclined surface 54i and also in contact with the second circumferential surface 36 located above the inclined surface 54i in the vertical direction of the case 10. FIG. there is In FIG. 16(i), the printing tape 22 is in contact with the lowermost portion of the inclined surface 54i. , is included in the embodiment of FIG. 16(i). In FIG. 16(j), the printing tape 22 is in contact with the lowermost portion of the inclined surface 54i, and is also in contact with the second circumferential surface 36 and the guide wall 50. In FIG.

FIG. 16(k) is an example of the contact state of the printing tape 22 when the guide rib 54 has the shape shown in FIG. 15(a). In FIG. 16(k), the printing tape 22 does not contact the inclined surfaces 54i of the guide ribs 54. In FIG. However, the printing tape 22 is in contact with the lower portion 54j of the guide rib 54 located below the inclined surface 54i in the vertical direction of the cassette 10. As shown in FIG. In the lower portion 54j, as described above, the projection amount P1 does not increase in the vertical direction of the guide ribs 54, so the printing tape 22 in contact with the lower portion 54j moves in the conveying direction shown in FIG. 16(k). Appears as a vertical line segment in a right-angled cross-section. This means that the cross section of the print tape 22 in the width direction is conveyed in parallel with the vertical direction of the cassette 10 .

When the printing tape 22 is wound around the first guide 130, the printing tape 22 is brought into contact with at least part of the inclined surface 54i by taking the mode shown in FIGS. 16(a) to (f) or (i). As a result, the widthwise lower side of the printing tape 22 is bulged out of the cassette 10 in the conveying direction. Therefore, the conveying direction of the printing tape 22 is relatively changed to the lower side of the cassette 10 .

Alternatively, as shown in FIGS. 16(g) and (h), the printing tape 22 and the inclined surface 54i may not contact each other. A plurality of guide ribs 54 are provided in the first guide 130, and even if at least one of the guide ribs 54 takes the form of FIGS. 16(a) to 16(f) or 16(i) at 54, it is possible to change the transport direction of the printing tape 22 to the lower side of the cassette 10 relatively.

16(d), (e), (h) or (j), the printing tape 22 is in contact with the guide surface 50 facing the guide rib 54. As shown in FIG. In this way, when the widthwise lower side of the printing tape 22 is expanded more than necessary, the printing tape 22 is prevented from being excessively expanded by coming into contact with the guide surface 50 .

16(k), the print tape 22 is in contact with the lower portion 54j of the guide rib 54 having a surface parallel to the vertical direction of the cassette 10, so that the cross section of the print tape 22 in the width direction of the cassette 10 , and the transport direction of the printing tape 22 is not changed to the vertical direction.

The modes shown in FIGS. 16A to 16K are examples of how the printing tape 22 and the guide ribs 54 are brought into contact with each other, and other modes may be adopted.

17A and 17B are diagrams illustrating examples of the shape of the guide rib 154. FIG. As shown in FIG. 17, the guide rib 154 is configured in a flat plate shape. The guide rib 154 is provided so as to protrude from the guide plate 57 of the third case member 16 in a direction away from the rotation center C1 of the printing tape roll 26, that is, toward the outside of the housing. Further, the guide rib 154 protrudes from the guide plate 57 by a smaller amount P2 toward the lower side of the cassette 10 in the vertical direction, that is, toward the lower side in the direction from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 22 . The amount of protrusion P2 is set so that the end portion of the guide rib 154 on the side of the ceiling plate 16a does not block the through hole 58 provided between the ceiling plate 16a and the outer walls 59a and 59b of the third case member 16. ing.

One of the sides of the flat plate shape of the guide rib 154 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction of the cassette 10 . Among the surfaces of the guide rib 154 in the plate thickness direction, the surfaces defined by the pair of inclined sides 154R are inclined surfaces 154i. The thickness direction of the guide rib 154 corresponds to the conveying direction of the printing tape 22, and the inclined surface 154i corresponds to the second inclined portion of the present invention. The angle formed by the inclined side 154R and the vertical direction of the cassette 10 is the inclination angle θi2. In this embodiment, since the guide plate 57 extends in the vertical direction of the cassette 10, the inclination angle θi2 corresponds to the angle formed by the inclined surface 154i and the guide plate 57. As shown in FIG. Although the projection amount of each guide rib 154 may be different, the inclination angle θi2 of each guide rib 154 is the same angle.

The guide rib 154 has a substantially triangular shape. The guide rib 154 has a substantially triangular base at the upper end of the guide plate 57 and is connected to the ceiling plate 16 a of the third case member 16 . Further, the protrusion amount P2 of the guide rib 154 from the guide plate 57 is the largest at the base of the substantially triangular shape. The inclined surface 154i is formed by gradually decreasing the protrusion amount P2 toward the lower side from the base of the substantially triangular shape. Further, the protrusion amount P2 of the guide plate 57 becomes zero at the intermediate position in the vertical direction of the cassette 10 . That is, the lower ends of the guide ribs 154 are provided corresponding to the lower vertices of the substantially triangular shape.

18A and 18B are diagrams illustrating an example of the shape of the guide rib 164. FIG. As shown in FIG. 18, the guide rib 164 is configured in a flat plate shape. The guide rib 164 is provided so as to protrude from the guide plate 57 of the third case member 16 in a direction away from the rotation center C1 of the printing tape roll 26, that is, toward the outside of the housing. The guide rib 164 protrudes from the guide plate 57 by a smaller amount P3 toward the lower side of the cassette 10 in the vertical direction, that is, toward the lower side in the direction from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 22 . The amount of protrusion P3 is set so that the end portion of the guide rib 164 on the side of the ceiling plate 16a does not block the through hole 58 provided between the ceiling plate 16a and the outer walls 59a and 59b of the third case member 16. ing.

One of the sides of the flat plate shape of the guide rib 164 is inclined with respect to the vertical direction of the cassette 10 . Among the surfaces of the guide rib 164 in the plate thickness direction, the surfaces defined by the pair of inclined sides 164R are inclined surfaces 164i. The thickness direction of the guide rib 164 corresponds to the conveying direction of the printing tape 22, and the inclined surface 164i corresponds to the third inclined portion of the present invention. The angle formed by the inclined side 164R and the vertical direction of the cassette 10 is the inclination angle θi3. In this embodiment, since the guide plate 57 extends in the vertical direction of the cassette 10, the inclination angle θi3 corresponds to the angle formed by the inclined surface 164i and the guide plate 57. As shown in FIG. Although the projection amount of each guide rib 164 may be different, the inclination angle θi3 of each guide rib 164 is the same angle.

The guide rib 164 has a substantially triangular shape. The guide rib 164 has a substantially triangular base at the upper end of the guide plate 57 and is connected to the ceiling plate 16 a of the third case member 16 . Further, the protrusion amount P3 of the guide rib 164 from the guide plate 57 is the largest at the base of the substantially triangular shape. The inclined surface 154i is formed by gradually decreasing the amount of protrusion P3 downward from the base of the substantially triangular shape. At the lower end of the guide plate 57 in the vertical direction of the cassette 10, the protrusion amount P3 is zero. That is, the lower ends of the guide ribs 154 are provided corresponding to the lower vertices of the substantially triangular shape.

17 and 18, the length of the inclined surfaces 154i and 164i may be the same as the width of the printing tape 22, or may be longer. Alternatively, the length of the inclined surface 154 i may be shorter than the width of the printing tape 22 at the guide rib 154 or the like at the position where a portion of the printing tape 22 in the width direction enters the through hole 58 . In short, the printing tape 22 does not need to contact the inclined portions 154i and 164i in the width direction. There may be. Alternatively, different portions in the width direction of the printing tape 22 are in contact with the inner surfaces of the outer walls 59a and 59b of the case member 16 that face the second and third guides 132 and 134 and the inclined portions 154i and 164i. good too.

Here, the first inclination angle θi1 of the guide rib 54 of the first guide 130 is set to a larger value than the second inclination angle θi2 of the guide rib 154 of the second guide 132 . That is, θi1>θi2. Also, the second inclination angle θi2 of the guide rib 154 of the second guide 132 is set larger than the third inclination angle θi3 of the guide rib 164 of the third guide 134 . That is, θi2>θi3.

19 shows the vertical position of the transport path of the printing tape 22 in the cassette 10 and the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 when the printing tape 22 is transported from the printing tape roll 26 to the recessed groove 11, respectively. It is the figure shown on the upper stage and the lower stage so that comparison is possible. The horizontal axis indicates the positions of the print tape transport path developed in the circumferential direction of the cassette 10 . The transport angle θT is the angle of the end of the print tape 22 in the width direction with respect to the bottom surface 19 of the cassette 10 . The bottom surface 19 is a plane portion of the fourth case member 18 as shown in FIGS. 12, 13, and the like. The bottom surface 19 corresponds to the bottom surface of the present invention.

In the section up to (A) of FIG. 19 , that is, before being wound around the first guide 130, the printing tape 22 pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 is the same as the printing tape 22 wound around the printing tape roll 26. It advances in parallel, in other words, on the plane of the bottom plate 14 a of the second case member 14 . That is, the conveying direction (in other words, advancing direction) of the printing tape 22 is parallel to the bottom plate 14a. In the present embodiment, since it is parallel to the bottom surface 19 of the housing, the conveying angle at this time, that is, the angle of the width direction end of the printing tape 22 with respect to the bottom surface of the housing (in other words, the fourth case member 18). A certain transport angle θT (rad) is 0, in other words, the widthwise end of the printing tape 22 and the bottom surface of the housing are parallel.

Subsequently, in FIG. 19A, for example, the printing tape 22 is wound around the first guide 130 provided at the corner K1. Then, in the section up to (B), it is brought into slidable contact with, for example, a plurality of guide ribs 54 . As a result, the printing tape 22 is bulged from the inside to the outside of the cassette 10 toward the width direction lower side, and the conveying direction of the printing tape 22 has a downward component, and the conveying direction changes obliquely downward. Let me. In particular, in the first guide 130, the inclination angle θi1 of the guide rib 54 is set larger than the inclination angle θi2 of the guide rib 154 of the second guide 132 and the inclination angle θi3 of the guide rib 164 of the third guide 134. Therefore, the transport angle θT greatly changes downward. Note that the transport angle θT shown in the lower part of FIG. 19 corresponds to the fact that the transport angle θT includes a downward component toward the bottom of the vertical axis.

Here, as shown in FIG. 19, the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 is set to It is gradually changed from 0 before to θT1 after passing. The amount of change θT1 of the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 as it passes through the first guide 130 is determined based on the inclination angle θi1 of the guide ribs 54 in the first guide 130 . Note that the change amount θT1 of the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 after passing through the sections (A) to (B) corresponds to the first transport angle of the present invention.

Sections (B) to (C) of FIG. 19 are sections in which the printing tape 22 is conveyed along the long sides 46b and 59b of the cassette 10. FIG. The printing tape 22, whose conveying angle θT is changed downward by a relatively large amount θT1 by the first guide 130, is moved along the long sides 46b and 59b having relatively long distances, so that the printing tape 22 is largely moved downward from the case 10 from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21 . The length LB of the long sides 46b and 59b corresponding to the section (B) to (C), that is, from the corner K1 to the corner K2, corresponds to the section (D) to (E) described later. That is, it is longer than the length LA of the short side 59a corresponding to the corners K2 to K3.

Subsequently, in FIG. 19C, for example, the printing tape 22 is wound around the second guide 132 provided at the corner K2. Then, in the section up to (D), it is brought into slidable contact with, for example, a plurality of guide ribs 154 . As a result, the printing tape 22 is bulged from the inside to the outside of the cassette 10 toward the upper side in the width direction, and the conveying direction of the printing tape 22 is relatively changed upward. However, especially since the inclination angle θi1 of the guide ribs 54 in the first guide 130 is larger than the inclination angle θi2 of the guide ribs 154 in the second guide 132, the conveying direction of the printing tape 22 after passing through the second guide 132 does not change. is still obliquely downward, the magnitude of the transport angle .theta.T changes from .theta.T1 before passing the second guide 132 to .theta.T2, which is a smaller value. In other words, the angle formed by the conveying direction of the printing tape 22 with respect to the fourth case member 18, which is the bottom surface of the cassette 10, becomes smaller. Note that the change amount θT2 of the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 after passing through the sections (C) to (D) corresponds to the second transport angle of the invention.

In the sections (C) to (D), as in the sections (A) to (B), the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 is changed gradually, that is, continuously. The amount of change θT2−θT1 in the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 as it passes through the second guide 132 is determined based on the inclination angle θi2 of the guide rib 154 in the second guide 132 .

Sections (D) to (E) of FIG. 19 are sections in which the printing tape 22 is conveyed along the short side 59a of the cassette 10. FIG. The printing tape 22 whose conveying angle θT is changed to θT2 by the second guide 130 is moved along the short side 59a, whereby the printing tape 22 is moved downward in the case 10, and the conveying angle θT is a relatively small value.

Subsequently, in FIG. 19E, for example, the printing tape 22 is wound around the third guide 134 provided at the corner K3. Then, in the section up to (F), it is brought into slidable contact with, for example, a plurality of guide ribs 164 . In the sections (E) to (F), similarly to the sections (C) to (D) described above, the printing tape 22 is bulged from the inside to the outside of the cassette 10 toward the upper side in the width direction. The conveying direction of the tape 22 is continuously changed relatively upward. Here, the inclination angle θi3 of the guide rib 164 of the third guide 134 is designed so that the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 that has passed through the third guide is 0. The transport direction of the tape 22 is the same as before passing through the first guide 130, that is, the transport angle θT is zero.

The inclination angle θi3 of the guide rib 164 of the third guide is smaller than the inclination angle θi2 of the guide rib 154 of the second guide. A certain θT2 is made smaller than θT1−θT2, which is the amount of change in the transport angle θT in the sections (C) to (D). Therefore, the amount of change in the conveying angle θT in the section (E) to (F) where the conveying angle θT is changed to 0 toward the concave groove 11 can be made relatively smaller than the amount of change in the section (C) to (D). Therefore, twisting of the printing tape 22 when the printing tape 22 passes through the third guide 134 can be reduced.

(G) of FIG. 19 is a position corresponding to the print tape guide 170, and the print tape is transported parallel to the bottom surface of the cassette 10, in which the transport angle θT is set to 0 in the sections (E) to (F). 22 is passed through the printing tape guide 170 to finely adjust its widthwise position.

FIG. 20 is a diagram showing the bottom surface of the third case member 16 when the cassette 10 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 104 of the printing apparatus 102. FIG. The printing tape 22 is unwound from a printing tape roll 26 shown in FIG. The printing tape 22 passes through the through hole 52 and the through hole 58 shown in FIG. 20 from the first space S1 in the tape case 20 shown in FIG. 3 to the second space S2 in the ribbon case 21 as shown in FIG. bridged over. Therefore, in FIG. 20, the printing tape 22 is drawn from the through hole 58 behind the third case member 16. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 20, the printing tape 22 and the lamination tape 60 are pressed between a roller 80 and a pressure roller 118 of the printing device 102, and the roller 80 is driven to drive the printing tape roll 26 shown in FIG. It is drawn from lamination tape roll 64 shown at 20 . The ink ribbon 68 is pulled out from the ink ribbon roll 72 by driving the winding spool 76 and wound on the winding spool 76 . The printing tape 22 is shown in dashed lines, the lamination tape 60 is shown in dashed lines, and the ink ribbon 68 is shown in dashed lines.

As shown in FIG. 20, the printing tape 22 is pressed against the print head 106 via the ink ribbon 68 at a print location P between the print head 106 and the platen roller 116 . In this state, a plurality of heating elements arranged on the surface of the print head 106 are selectively driven to locally generate heat. As a result, part of the ink 68a provided on one surface of the ink ribbon 68 is transferred to the printing tape 22, and characters, symbols, etc. are printed on the printing tape 22. FIG. The used ink ribbon 68 that has passed through the printing place P is taken up by the take-up spool 76 . The printing surface of the printing tape 22 that has passed through the printing place P is pressed against the transparent bonding tape 60 by the roller 80 and the pressing roller 118 of the printing device 102 and adhered. Thereby, the printing surface of the printing tape 22 is protected by the bonding tape 60 .

FIG. 21 schematically shows a laminate of the printing tape 22 and the bonding tape 60 fed out from the cassette 10. As shown in FIG. As described above, as shown in FIG. 21, the printing tape 22 is formed by laminating the peeling tape 22c on the opposite side of the printing surface of the printing tape 22a via the adhesive 22b. It is. 20, pressure between the roller 80 and the pressure roller 118 of the printing device 102 causes the adhesive 60b to be applied to one side of the printing tape 22 on the printed tape 22a side, ie, the printing surface side, as shown in FIG. A lamination tape 60 composed of a transparent film 60a is adhered. As a result, the ink 68a transferred to the printing surface of the printing tape 22 is protected.

22 is a diagram showing the bottom surface of the third case member 16. FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the ribbon case 21 is arranged to overlap the tape case 20 downward. In FIG. 22, when the printing tape roll 26 and the spacer film 38 housed in the tape case 20 are vertically projected onto a projection plane extending in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction in the second space S2, the printing tape roll 26 and the projected position of the spacer film 38 are indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. Since the spacer film 38 has approximately the same diameter as the printing tape roll 26 when not in use, FIG. As shown in FIG. 22, the bonding tape roll 64, the ink ribbon roll 72, and the take-up spool 76 are arranged to overlap the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction. At least a portion of the lamination tape roll 64 and at least a portion of the lamination spool 62 vertically overlap the printing tape roll 26 . More specifically, a portion of the lamination tape roll 64 and a portion of the lamination spool 62 vertically overlap the printing tape spool 24 and the printing tape 22 wound on the printing tape spool 24, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 22, the diameter of the printing tape roll 26 is larger than the diameter of the lamination tape roll 64, the diameter of the lamination tape roll 64 is larger than the diameter of the ink ribbon roll 72, and the diameter of the ink ribbon roll 72 is is larger than the diameter of the take-up spool 76 . The size (diameter dimension d) of the printing tape roll 26 in the front-back direction and the left-right direction, that is, the diameter of the printing tape roll 26 is larger than half the size of the cassette 10 in each of the front-back direction and the left-right direction. In other words, the lateral dimension of the printing tape roll 26 is greater than the dimension L, which is half the lateral dimension of the cassette 10 , and the longitudinal dimension of the printing tape roll 26 is half the longitudinal dimension of the cassette 10 . larger than the dimensions of

In addition, the printing tape roll 26 is aligned with the second rotation center line C2 of the lamination tape roll 64, the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72, and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 in the vertical direction, that is, the cassette. 10 are overlapped in the vertical direction. In other words, the second centerline of rotation C2 of the lamination tape roll 64, the third centerline of rotation C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72, and the take-up spool 76 are in the plane of projection of the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction. A fourth rotation centerline C4 is located. Also, a portion of the lamination tape roll 64 and the lamination spool 62 vertically overlap the printing tape roll 26 and the spacer film 38 . At least a portion of the supply spool 70 , at least a portion of the ink ribbon roll 72 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 76 vertically overlap the printing tape roll 26 and the spacer film 38 . That is, at least a portion of each of lamination tape roll 64, lamination spool 62, supply spool 70, and ink ribbon roll 72 lie within the plane of projection of printing tape roll 26 and spacer film 38 in the vertical direction. .

Also, the distance between the second rotation center line C2 of the lamination tape roll 64 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72 is the same as the second rotation center line C2 of the lamination tape roll 64 and the take-up spool 76. and the distance between the third rotational center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72 and the fourth rotational center line C4 of the take-up spool 76. The distance between the second rotational center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64 and the fourth rotational center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 is the distance between the third rotational center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72 and the fourth rotational center line C4 of the take-up spool 76. It is larger than between the center line of rotation C4.

In FIG. 22, the first rotational center line C1 of the printing tape roll 26 is the midpoint of a straight line connecting the second rotational center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64 and the third rotational center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72. located nearby. The first rotation center line C1 overlaps the bonding tape roll 64 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. That is, the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 26 vertically overlaps the bonding tape roll 64 . The fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 is located on the opposite side of the straight groove 11. As shown in FIG. The distance between the fourth rotation centerline C4 and the first centerline C1 is shorter than the distance between the third rotation centerline C3 and the first centerline C1, and the distance between the second rotation centerline C2 and the first centerline C1 shorter than the distance between lines C1.

Further, as shown in FIG. 22, in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, a center position M that is the center of the cassette 10 in the front-rear direction and the center in the left-right direction, and a first position M that is the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 26 . The distance between the rotation center line C1 is smaller than the distance between the center position M and the second rotation center line C2, which is the rotation center of the lamination tape roll 64. FIG. In addition, in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, the distance between the center position M and the first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 26 is the distance between the center position M and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72. and shorter than the distance between the center position M and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76. That is, the first rotation center line C1 is located closer to the center of the cassette 10 than any of the second to fourth rotation center lines C2 to C4 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

23 is a sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII of FIG. 6. FIG. In the vertical direction, the distance D between the one (lower) end of the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction and the other (upper) end of the bonding tape roll 64 in the vertical direction is 64 in one direction (the width dimension W1 of the bonding tape 60). Since the printing tape 22 and the bonding tape 60 have substantially the same width, the distance D is smaller than the width of the printing tape roll 26 .

Then, in the front-rear direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and in the left-right direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-rear direction, from the center position M, which is the center of the cassette in the front-back direction and the center in the left-right direction, to the rotation center of the printing tape roll 26. The distance to a certain first rotation center line C1 is smaller than the distance from the center position M to the second rotation center line C2, which is the rotation center of the bonding tape roll 64. FIG. The diameter of the printing tape roll 26 is larger than that of the laminating tape roll 64 . The size (area) of a convex envelope (line) H formed by connecting the outer peripheral circles of the printing tape roll 26, the take-up spool 76, and the supply spool 70 around which the ink ribbon 68 is wound with tangential lines is is set to be larger than half the area of the tape case 20 and the ribbon case 21 in a plane including the front-rear direction and the left-right direction perpendicular to the .

FIG. 24 is a diagram for explaining the cassette mounting section 104 provided in a part of the printing apparatus 102 to which the cassette 10 is mounted. FIG. 24 is a view seen from the top side. The cassette mounting portion 104 is provided with a rectangular mounting hole 112 for positioning the fitted cassette 10 , and a take-up spool drive shaft 108 and a roller drive shaft 110 erected on the bottom surface of the mounting hole 112 . . The mounting hole 112 functions as an accommodation portion that accommodates a portion of the ribbon case 21 that is the lower case of the cassette 10 . The take-up spool drive shaft 108 and roller drive shaft 110 are rotated in the same direction by a step motor (not shown) via a gear mechanism. A head holding plate 114 to which a thermal print head 106 is fixed is erected on the bottom surface of the mounting hole 112 of the cassette mounting portion 104. A platen roller 116 and a pressure roller 118 rotate. A platen holding member 120 is provided at its distal end and is rotatable about its proximal end. The head holding plate 114 is a metal plate made of aluminum, for example, and also serves as a heat sink for the print head.

When the cassette 10 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 104 of the printing apparatus 102, the take-up spool drive shaft 108 and the roller drive shaft 110 erected on the cassette attachment portion 104 are driven by the take-up spool 76 and the rollers 80, respectively. It is connected to the connecting portion 80a. Next, when the cover (not shown) of the printing apparatus 102 is closed with the cassette 10 attached to the cassette attachment portion 104, the platen holding member 120 is rotated around its base end portion, and the platen roller 116 and the pressure roller are rotated. 118 are adapted to be pressed against the print head 106 and the rollers 80 of the cassette 10 . The printing device 102 and the cassette 10 constitute a printing system 122 .

According to the cassette 10 of the above-described embodiment, the tape case 20 and the ribbon case 21 are vertically overlapped, the printing tape roll 26 provided in the tape case 20 and configured by winding the printing tape 22 thereon, and the tape case. 20 toward the ribbon case 21, i.e., the vertical direction of the cassette 10; A second guide 132 having an inclined surface 154i inclined to form an angle The inclined surface 154i moves away from the printing tape roll 26 toward the ribbon case 21 side in the vertical direction of the cassette 10, and the inclined surface 154i approaches the printing tape roll 26 toward the ribbon case 21 side in the vertical direction of the cassette 10. Since the printing tape 22 is guided in the order of the first guide 130, the second guide 132, and the third guide 134, the printing tape 22 is conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21. By changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22, the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 can be suppressed.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since the inclination angle θi1 of the inclined surface 54i of the first guide 130 is larger than the inclination angle θi2 of the inclined surface 154i of the second guide 132, the inclined surface 54i of the first guide 130 The conveying path of the printing tape 22 inclined toward the ink ribbon case 21 side is partially returned by the inclined surface 154 i of the second guide 132 . That is, after passing through the inclined surface 154 i of the second guide 132 , the conveying path of the printing tape 22 has an inclination between before and after passing through the first guide 130 , so that the printing tape 22 is separated from the tape case 20 . By changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 while it is being conveyed to the ribbon case 21 between the layers, it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 .

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the third guide 134 has the inclined surface 164i inclined at the inclination angle θi3 with respect to the vertical direction of the cassette 10, and the inclined surface 164i extends from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21. , so that the printing tape roll 26 is approached along the vertical direction of the cassette 10 toward the . When the printing tape 22 is conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21, by changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22, the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 can be suppressed.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the inclination angle θi3 of the inclined surface 164i of the third guide 134 is smaller than the inclination angle θi2 of the inclined surface 154i of the second guide 132. The magnitude θT2 of the inclination θT of the conveying path of the printing tape 22 returned by the third guide 134 before being conveyed to the second guide 134 can be made smaller than the magnitude of the inclination (θT1−θT2) returned by the second guide 132. Therefore, by changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 while the printing tape 22 is being conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21, it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the printing tape 22.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the first guide 130 is provided radially outside of the outer edge of the printing tape roll 26 with respect to the rotation center C1 of the printing tape roll 26, and moves away from the rotation center C1. A plurality of projecting guide ribs 54 are provided, and the tip of each of the plurality of guide ribs 54 is inclined so that the amount of protrusion P1 increases in the vertical direction of the cassette 10, thereby forming an inclined surface 54i. Therefore, the tip of the guide rib 54 can form an inclined surface 54i. By changing it, it is possible to suppress the transport failure of the printing tape 22 .

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the second guide 132 includes a plurality of guide ribs 154 projecting in a direction away from the rotation center C1. Since the inclined surface 154i is formed by inclining so that the protrusion amount P2 is reduced, the tip of the guide rib 154 can form the inclined surface 154i, and the printing tape 22 can move from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21. By changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 while it is being conveyed between the layers, it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 .

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the third guide includes a plurality of guide ribs 164 projecting in a direction away from the rotation center C1, and the tip of each of the plurality of guide ribs 164 projects in the vertical direction of the cassette 10. Since the inclined surface 164i is formed by inclining so that the amount P3 decreases, the inclined surface 164i can be formed by the tip of the guide rib 164, and the printing tape 22 can be transferred from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21 between the layers. By changing the transport angle .theta.T of the printing tape 22 during transport of the printing tape 22, it is possible to suppress transport failure of the printing tape 22. FIG.

Also according to the above-described embodiment, the cassette 10 comprises a plurality of cases 12, 14, 16, 18, the third guide 134 being provided in one case 16 of the plurality of cases, the case 16 being Since the printing tape guide 170 is provided to regulate the position of the printing tape 22 in the width direction, when the printing tape 22 passes through the case 16, the inclination of the printing tape 22 in the conveying direction is returned by the third guide 134. Since the angle θT becomes 0 and the position of the printing tape 22 in the width direction is regulated by the printing tape guide 170, the printing tape 22 is transported from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21 between the layers. By changing the conveying angle .theta.T of the tape 22, it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the printing tape 22. FIG.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the second guide 132 is provided on the one case 16, so that the second guide 132 and the third guide 134, which are both provided on the one case 16, move the printing tape 22 in the conveying direction. Since the inclination of the printing tape 22 is corrected and the width of the printing tape 22 is regulated by the printing tape guide 170, the printing tape 22 is transported from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21 between the layers. By changing the angle θT, the printing tape 22 can be prevented from being transported poorly.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the first guide is provided in the other case 14 different from the one case 16, so that the first guide provided in the other case 14 different from the one case 16 While the inclination of the printing tape 22 in the conveying direction is inclined by the guide 130, the inclination of the printing tape 22 in the conveying direction is returned by the second guide 132 and the third guide 134 provided in the first case 16, and the printing tape 22 is inclined. Since the position of the printing tape 22 in the width direction is regulated by the guide 170, printing can be performed by changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 while the printing tape 22 is conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21. The transport failure of the tape 22 can be suppressed.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the cassette 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and the first guide 130, the second guide 132, and the third guide 134 each correspond to one of the vertical sides of the cassette 10. The length of the side of the cassette 10 from the corner K1 where the first guide 130 is provided to the corner K2 where the second guide 132 is provided at each of the corners K1, K2, and K3, which are the corners of the different housings. The length LB is greater than the side length LA of the cassette 10 from the corner K2 where the second guide 132 is provided to the corner K3 where the third guide 134 is provided. First through third guides 130 , 132 , 134 may be provided such that the distance LB over which the printing tape 22 is transported in the transport direction skewed by the first guide 130 is returned by the second guide 132 . Since it is longer than the distance LA conveyed in the conveying direction, while the printing tape 22 is conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21, by changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22, the printing tape 22 It is possible to suppress the transportation failure of

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the ink ribbon case 21 is provided with an ink ribbon 68, a supply spool 70 for the ink ribbon 68, and a take-up spool 76 for the ink ribbon 68, and the printing tape 22 is used for printing. Since it is a medium, the printing tape 22 wound around the printing tape roll 26 provided in the tape case 20 is conveyed by the conveying path to the concave groove 11 provided in the ink ribbon case 21, while the ink ribbon 68 is conveyed. Even in the cassette 10 in which the printing tape 22 is supplied from the supply spool 70 provided in the ink ribbon case 21 and wound on the take-up spool 76, while the printing tape 22 is conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21, By changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22, the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 can be suppressed.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the ink ribbon case 21 is provided with the bonding tape roll 64 around which the bonding tape 60 is wound. The printing tape 22 is conveyed by the conveying path to the concave groove 11 provided in the ink ribbon case 21, while the bonding tape 60 is wound around a bonding tape roll 64 provided in the ribbon case 21 and supplied. Also in the cassette 10 of the aspect, by changing the transport angle θT of the printing tape 22 while the printing tape 22 is being transported between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21, it is possible to suppress transport failure of the printing tape 22. can.

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the cassette 10 includes the tape case 20 and the ribbon case 21 in multiple layers, the ribbon case 21 having the concave groove 11 and the fourth case member 18 serving as the bottom surface; A printing tape roll 26 provided in the tape case 20, the printing tape roll 26 configured by winding the printing tape 22, a first guide 130 provided on the side of the tape case 20, and the ribbon case 21. a third guide 134 provided and a second guide 132 provided between the first guide 130 and the third guide 134 in the transport path of the printing tape 22; and the second guide 132, and between the second guide 132 and the third guide 134, the widthwise end of the printing tape 22 is inclined with respect to the fourth case member 18 as the bottom surface. The printing tape 22 is stretched between the third guide 134 and the concave groove 11 so that the width direction end of the printing tape 22 is parallel to the fourth case member 18, and the printing tape 22 is stretched 22 is provided so as to move from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21 and reach the recessed groove 11 by being guided in order between the first guide 130, the second guide 132, and the third guide 134. The conveying angle θT1 of the widthwise end of the printing tape 22 stretched between the first guide 130 and the second guide 132 with respect to the fourth case member 18 is set between the second guide 132 and the third guide 134. Since the widthwise end of the printing tape 22 is larger than the conveying angle θT2 with respect to the fourth case member 18, the printing tape 22 is inclined by the first guide 130 so that the conveying direction becomes the conveying angle θT1, and the second guide 132 , the inclination is returned by the second guide 132 so that the conveying angle becomes θT 2 , and the sheet is conveyed to the third guide 134 . Then, the third guide 134 further sets the conveying angle θT to 0 so that the printing tape 22 is parallel to the fourth case member 18, and conveys the printing tape 22 to the groove 11. By changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 while it is being conveyed, it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 .

Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the conveying angle θT, which is the angle of the widthwise end of the printing tape 22 with respect to the fourth case member 18, is 0 degree when the printing tape 22 is wound. θT continuously increases from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the printing tape 22 around the first guide 130, and the transport angle θT is constant between the first guide 130 and the second guide 132. , the transport angle θT continuously decreases from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the printing tape 22 around the second guide 132, and the transport angle θT is between the second guide 132 and the third guide 134. , and the transport angle θT continuously decreases from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the printing tape 22 around the third guide 134 until it reaches 0 degrees. 134 and the recessed groove 11 is 0 degrees, so the transport angle θT is continuously changed when the printing tape 22 is guided by each of the first to third guides 130, 132, and 134. Therefore, the distortion of the medium can be reduced. Further, since the conveying angle θT is constant between the first and second guides 130, 132 and between the second and third guides 132, 134, the printing tape 22 can be stably conveyed. Therefore, by changing the conveying angle θT of the printing tape 22 while the printing tape 22 is being conveyed between the layers from the tape case 20 to the ribbon case 21 , it is possible to suppress the conveying failure of the printing tape 22 .

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is also applicable to other aspects.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, a thermal transfer method is adopted in which the ink 68a of the ink ribbon 68 is transferred to the print tape 22 by the heat of the head, but the present invention is not limited to this aspect. That is, by applying a so-called thermal ink that develops color when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature on the surface of the printing tape 22, it is possible to configure the cassette 10 that employs a thermal printing method that does not require the ink ribbon 68. can. In this case, it is not necessary to provide the supply spool 70 for supplying the ink ribbon 68 and the take-up spool 76 for winding the used ink ribbon 68, and the bottom area of the cassette 10 can be further reduced. The storage capacity of the printing tape 22 and the lamination tape 60 can be increased while maintaining the area. Also, the configuration inside the cassette 10 can be made simpler.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the bonding tape 60 is bonded to the surface of the printing tape 22 after printing, but the present invention is not limited to this aspect. That is, the bonding tape 60 is not an essential requirement, and the print tape 22 after printing may be discharged as it is. In this case, the bonding tape roll 64 around which the bonding tape 60 is wound does not need to be provided in the cassette 10, and the bottom area of the cassette 10 can be further reduced, or printing can be performed while maintaining the bottom area of the cassette. The storage capacity of the tape 22 can be increased. Also, the configuration inside the cassette 10 can be made simpler. Further, even when the above-described thermal printing method is employed, a configuration that does not use the bonding tape 60 can be similarly applied.

Moreover, although the cassette 10 of the above embodiment has the rollers 80, the rollers 80 may not be provided. Also, the printing tape roll 26, the bonding tape roll 64, the ink ribbon roll 72, and the take-up spool 76 do not have to be provided horizontally in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction. For example, when the lamination tape roll 64 is not provided horizontally with respect to the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, the width direction of the lamination tape 60 is a direction different from the vertical direction in the above embodiment. The direction perpendicular to the radial direction is also different from the vertical direction in the above embodiment.

Further, the conveying route of the bonding tape 60 and the ink ribbon 68 is not limited to the route shown in FIG. 20, and various routes can be adopted as appropriate. Also, for example, the lamination tape roll 64 may be arranged on the right side of the take-up spool 76 . Also, the arrangement of the bonding tape roll 64, the ink ribbon roll 72 and the take-up spool 76 is not limited to the positions shown in the above embodiment. At least an ink ribbon roll 72 as a third medium roll is accommodated in the ribbon case 21, one of the printing tape roll 26 and the bonding tape roll 64 is accommodated in the tape case 20 as a first medium roll, and the other is a second roll. It suffices if it is housed in the ribbon case 21 as a medium roll. Even in this case, the one roll housed in the tape case 20 is arranged so as to vertically overlap at least one of the other roll housed in the ribbon case 21 and the ink ribbon roll 72 . As a result, the size of the cassette 10 can be reduced in the radial direction of the bonding tape roll 64 or the printing tape roll 26 . In the above embodiment, the bonding tape roll 64, the ink ribbon roll 72, and the take-up spool 76 were all arranged at positions overlapping the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction. and the take-up spool 76 may be arranged at a position overlapping the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction.

In the above-described embodiment, the cassette 10 is configured by vertically stacking four case members, namely, the first case member 12, the second case member 14, the third case member 16, and the fourth case member 18. The cassette 10 is not limited to this configuration. For example, the second case member 14 and the third case member 16 can be integrally constructed, and in such a case the cassette 10 is composed of three case members. In short, the structure of the case constituting the cassette 10 is not limited as long as the structure of the cassette 10 is such that the tape case 20 and the ribbon case 21 are layered.

In the above-described embodiment, the printing tape roll 26 is configured by winding the printing tape 22 around the printing tape spool 24 which is a cylindrical core material. Instead, the printing tape roll 26 may be configured by being wound around the first support protrusions 30 and the second support protrusions 32 . Similarly, the lamination tape 60 is wound without being wound around the lamination spool 62, and is arranged with the periphery of the lamination tape 60 defined by the lamination tape roll support wall 84 and the arcuate wall 92. good too.

In the above embodiment, the bonding tape roll 64 overlaps both the printing tape spool 24 and the printing tape 22 wound around the printing tape spool 24 in the vertical direction. It may overlap only the printing tape 22 wound on the spool 24 in the vertical direction. In addition, the printing tape roll 26 overlapped both the lamination spool 62 and the lamination tape 60 wound around the lamination spool 62 in the vertical direction. It may overlap only with 60 in the vertical direction.

Also, the number of guide ribs 54, 154, 164 in the above-described embodiment is an example, and may be different. That is, in the above embodiment, the seven guide ribs 54 constitute the first guide, the four guide ribs 154 constitute the second guide 132, and the four guide ribs constitute the third guide 134, respectively. Yes, but not limited to.

14, each of the guide ribs 54 is formed continuously with the second circumferential wall 36 of the second case member 14 and the bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14, respectively. The guide rib 54, the second circumferential wall 36, and/or the bottom plate 14a may be formed integrally, or may be adhered with an adhesive, solvent, or the like. Also, the guide rib 54 may be continuous with at least one of the second circumferential wall 36 and the bottom plate 14 a of the second case member 14 .

In addition, the edge 54R of the guide rib 54, the edge 154R of the guide rib 154, and the edge 164R of the guide rib 164 are designed to reduce the sliding resistance generated when the printing tape 22 being conveyed is brought into contact with each other. The part may be processed such as chamfering. In particular, when the tip portions of the sides 54R, 154R, 164R on both surfaces of the guide ribs 54, 154, 164 having planar shapes are chamfered, the inclined surfaces 54i may have curved shapes instead of flat surfaces.

In the above-described embodiment, each of the plurality of guide ribs 54 bulges to the vicinity of the through hole 52 at the end of the guide rib 54 on the side of the bottom plate 14a. Absent. That is, some of the plurality of guide ribs 54 may be provided in areas where the through holes 52 are not provided in the bottom plate 14a. In other words, the guide ribs 54 can be provided even at a position where the transport path is not lowered to such an extent that the printing tape 22 reaches the through holes 52 .

Further, in the above-described embodiment, some of the plurality of guide ribs 154 may be provided in areas where the through holes 58 are not provided in the ceiling plate 16a, and at least some of the plurality of guide ribs 164 may be provided in a region where the through hole 58 is not provided in the ceiling plate 16a. In other words, the guide rib 164 may be provided even at a position where the conveying path of the printing tape 22 reaches completely below the through hole 58 in the vertical direction of the cassette 10 and the through hole 58 is closed.

Also, the shape of the guide ribs 154, 164 is not limited to the examples shown in FIGS. For example, the shapes of the guide ribs 54 shown in FIGS. Alternatively, the shape of the lower end of the guide rib 54 shown in any one of FIGS. 15(a) to 15(c) may be combined with the shape of the upper end.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the shape of the printing tape guide 170 was slit-like, but the shape is not limited as long as the position in the width direction of the printing tape 22 can be regulated. It can be a guide.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, both the second guide 132 and the third guide 134 are provided on the third case member 16, which is the same case member, but the configuration is not limited to this. For example, the second guide 132 may be provided on the second case member 14 and the third guide 134 may be provided on the third case member 16 . The second guide 132 and the third guide 134 are provided in different case members.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, the manner of contact between the guide rib 54 of the first guide 130 and the printing tape 22 has been described with reference to FIG. This description applies in substantially the same manner to the manner of contact between the guide rib 154 of the second guide 132 or the guide rib 156 of the third guide 134 and the printing tape 22 . 16 is replaced with the guide rib 154 of the second guide 132 or the guide rib 156 of the third guide 134, and the second circular plate 36 in FIG. The manner of contact between the guide rib 154 or the guide rib 156 and the printing tape 22 will be explained by replacing the readings, ie, replacing the bottom plate 14a with the ceiling plate 16a.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, each of the guide ribs 54 has a common inclination angle θ1, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the inclination angles θ1 of the guide ribs 54 may differ from each other. The same applies to the guide ribs 154,164.

In the above-described embodiment, the guide ribs 54 have a common shape, but the present invention is not limited to this, and each guide rib 54 may have a different shape. For example, some of the guide ribs 54 have the shape shown in FIG. 15(a), some of the other guide ribs 54 have the shape shown in FIG. It may have the shape shown in 15(c). The same applies to the guide ribs 154,164.

In addition, the present invention may be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention.

10: Cassette 12: First case member 14: Second case member 16: Third case member 18: Fourth case member 19: Bottom (of cassette 10) 20: Tape case (first case, upper case)
21: Ribbon case (second case, lower case)
22: Printing tape (printing medium, first medium)
22a: Tape to be printed 22b: Adhesive 22c: Release tape 24: Printing tape spool (first rotating body)
26: Printing tape roll (first media roll)
27: Locking claw 28: Fixed claw 29: Positioning projection 30: First supporting projection 32: Second supporting projection 34: First circumferential wall 36: Second circumferential wall 38: Spacer film 40: Printing tape Gate 42: Printing tape Gate 44: outer peripheral wall 46 of first case member: outer peripheral wall 46a of second case member: short side portion 46b: long side portion 50: guide wall 52: through hole 54: guide rib 54i: inclined surface 54R: inclined side 54a: rib tip edge 55: rib 56: guide wall 57: guide wall 58: through hole 60: bonding tape (second medium)
60a: transparent film (transparent medium)
60b: Adhesive 62: Lamination spool (second rotating body)
64: Lamination tape roll (second medium roll)
66: Bonding tape roll support hole 68: Ink ribbon 68a: Ink 70: Supply spool (third rotating body)
72: Ink ribbon roll 74: Ink ribbon support hole 76: Winding spool (fourth rotor)
78: Winding spool support hole 80: Roller 82: Roller support hole 84: Bonding tape roll holding wall 86: Ink ribbon roll holding wall 88: Cylindrical projection 90: Clutch spring holder 92: Rotating member 94: Winding spool Support hole 96: Connection hole 98: Roller exposure hole 100: Connection part 102: Printing device 104: Cassette mounting part 106: Print head 108: Winding spool drive shaft 110: Roller drive shaft 112: Positioning hole 114: Head holding plate 116 : Platen roller 118: Pressure roller 120: Platen holding member 122: Printing system 130: First guide 132: Second guide 134: Third guide 154: Guide rib 154i: Inclined surface 154R: Inclined side 164: Guide rib 164i: Inclined surface 164R: Inclined side 170: Printing tape guide S1: First space S2: Second space C1: First rotation centerline C2: Second rotation centerline C3: Third rotation centerline C4: Fourth rotation centerline C5: Fifth rotation center line θi1 to θi3: Tilt angle of inclined surface θT: Conveying angle θT1: First conveying angle θT2: Second conveying angle LA: Length of short side LB: Length of long side K1 to K3: corner

Claims (15)

a housing comprising a first layer and a second layer and having a head space in the first layer;
a roll provided on the second layer and configured by winding a medium;
a first guide having a first inclined portion inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to a direction from the second layer to the first layer;
a second guide having a second inclined portion inclined at a second inclination angle with respect to the direction from the second layer to the first layer;
and a third guide provided on the first layer,
The first inclined portion is formed so as to move away from the roll as it goes from the second layer side end toward the first layer side,
The second inclined portion is formed so as to approach the roll as it goes from the second layer side end toward the first layer side,
The medium is guided by the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide in this order, so that the medium moves from the second layer to the first layer and reaches the head space. A cassette, characterized in that it is provided on the body. 2. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein said first inclination angle of said first inclination portion is greater than said second inclination angle of said second inclination portion. The third guide has a third inclined portion inclined at a third inclination angle with respect to the direction from the second layer to the first layer,
3. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein said third tilt angle is formed so as to approach said roll in a direction from said second layer toward said first layer. 4. The cassette according to claim 3, wherein said third tilt angle of said third tilt portion is smaller than said second tilt angle of said second tilt portion. The first guide includes a plurality of first ridges that are provided radially outward from the outer edge of the roll with respect to the rotation center of the roll and protrude in a direction away from the rotation center,
The tip of each of the plurality of first ridges forms the first inclined portion by being inclined such that the amount of protrusion increases in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer. Cassette according to any one of claims 1-4. The second guide has a plurality of second ridges projecting in a direction away from the center of rotation of the roll ,
The tip of each of the plurality of second ridges forms the second inclined portion by being inclined such that the amount of protrusion decreases in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer. Cassette according to any one of claims 1-5. The third guide has a plurality of third ridges projecting in a direction away from the center of rotation,
The tip of each of the plurality of third ridges forms the third inclined portion by being inclined such that the amount of protrusion decreases in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer. 5. Cassette according to claim 3 or 4. the housing comprises a plurality of cases,
The third guide is provided in one of the plurality of cases,
8. The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said one case has a width regulating portion that regulates the position of said medium in the width direction. 9. The cassette according to claim 8, wherein said second guide is provided on said one case. 10. The cassette according to claim 9, wherein said first guide is provided in another case different from said one case among said plurality of cases. The housing has a rectangular parallelepiped shape,
Each of the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide is a different corner of the housing corresponding to one of the sides of the housing in the direction from the second layer toward the first layer. provided in
The length of the side of the housing from the corner where the first guide is provided to the corner where the second guide is provided is from the corner where the second guide is provided to the corner where the third guide is provided. 11. The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the length of the side of the housing is greater than that of the housing. The first layer is provided with an ink ribbon, a supply spool for the ink ribbon, and a take-up spool for the ink ribbon,
The cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the medium is a medium to be printed. A cassette according to any preceding claim, wherein the first layer is provided with a roll of cover film. a housing comprising a first layer and a second layer, the first layer having a head space and a bottom surface;
a roll provided in the second layer, the roll configured by winding a medium;
a first guide provided in the second layer;
a third guide provided in the first layer;
a second guide provided between the first guide and the third guide in the medium transport path;
Between the first guide and the second guide, and between the second guide and the third guide, the width direction end of the medium is inclined with respect to the bottom surface. is bridged so that
the medium is bridged between the third guide and the head space such that the widthwise end of the medium is parallel to the bottom surface;
The medium is guided by the first guide, the second guide, and the third guide in this order, so that the medium moves from the second layer to the first layer and reaches the head space. provided on the body,
A first conveying angle with respect to the bottom surface of the width direction end of the medium spanned between the first guide and the second guide is defined by a first conveying angle spanned between the second guide and the third guide. A cassette, wherein the widthwise end of the medium is larger than a second conveying angle with respect to the bottom surface. an angle of the width direction end portion of the medium with respect to the bottom surface is 0 degrees in the wound state of the medium;
the angle continuously increases from upstream to downstream in the medium transport direction around the first guide;
the angle is constant between the first guide and the second guide;
the angle continuously decreases from upstream to downstream in the transport direction of the medium around the second guide;
the angle is constant between the second guide and the third guide;
the angle continuously decreases from upstream to downstream in the medium transport direction around the third guide until it reaches 0 degrees;
15. The cassette of claim 14, wherein said angle is 0 degrees between said third guide and said headspace.

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