JPH07101133A - Cassette detection device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a cassette detection device wherein it is possible to surely discriminate kinds of tape cassettes, the power consumption is small and it is stable against disturbance. CONSTITUTION:A casette detection device is comprises an actuator 8 of which tip portion 15 is separated to a plural sections and a mechanical switch 6 disposed under the tip portion 15. A contact 7 of the mechanical switch 6 is pressed via the tip portion 15 of the actuator 8 by a projection section formed in a recessed section of a tape cassette so that a signal is outputted. A kind of the tape cassette is discriminated based on the signal.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape printer capable of printing characters such as characters on a tape-shaped printing medium, and more particularly to a tape cassette mounted in the tape printer. The present invention relates to a discriminating device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a tape printer using a tape cassette of this type, a tape cassette containing a tape and an ink ribbon having different tape widths and colors of characters to be printed so as to suit various uses of users. Are prepared. Further, the tape cassette is provided with parts for detecting the width of the accommodated tape and the type of ink of the ink ribbon.

When these tape cassettes are mounted and used in the tape printer, the type of the mounted tape cassette is discriminated by an optical sensor, and the tape cassettes are stored in the individual tape cassettes according to the discrimination result. It was necessary to determine the number of print lines, the size of the characters to be printed, and change and adjust the printing energy so that the optimum printing could be performed depending on the width of the tape and the type of ink. If this setting is not made, there will be problems such as printing characters protruding out of the tape width during printing, characters being faint, or bleeding conversely.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the conventional tape detection device in the conventional tape printer is provided with four photosensors 20 as a cassette type determination sensor in the tape cassette housing 1 of the printer. . The photo sensor 20 has a U-shape, and one side of the U-shaped inner wall emits light and the other side inner wall receives the light. Further, the photo sensor 20 is a bottom surface of the tape cassette storage unit 1,
It is placed in the recess, and it is designed to prevent light from entering from the outside. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2, the concave portion 4 on the bottom surface side of the tape cassette 3 is provided with a shield plate and a convex portion 5 as detection parts at a position corresponding to this sensor. When the tape cassette 3 is attached to the tape cassette storage unit 1, as shown in FIG.
Enter the U-shaped portion of the photosensor 20 and prevent light transmission and reception between the inner walls.

With the above structure, the conventional tape detecting apparatus is configured such that each of the four photosensors 20 is used as the photosensor 20.
It was possible to read the presence / absence of the convex portion 5 at the position corresponding to, and to determine the width of the tape and the type of ink stored in the mounted tape cassette 3 based on the combination of the presence / absence of the convex portion 5 at each position. Then, the number of print lines and the size of the print character corresponding to the tape width are determined, and the print energy corresponding to the ink type is read from the data table stored in the ROM to set the conditions.

[0006]

However, in the conventional tape printer, since the photosensor 20 is used as the sensor for discrimination, the shield plate must be kept movable during discrimination because of its nature. Presence / absence of (convex portion 5) cannot be detected. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that power consumption increases. For example, if a photo interrupter type sensor is used, a current of about 10 mA will always flow. Therefore, in the case of driving a dry battery, it becomes a factor that promotes the shortening of the battery life.

Further, the sensitivity of the photo sensor 20 is delicate, and there is a possibility that the photo sensor 20 is easily affected by the ambient light at the time of reading and malfunctions. Therefore, high accuracy is required for the assembly, and it is necessary to provide a member that blocks light entering from the outside. At the same time, it is necessary to minimize the dimensional error of the convex portion 5 provided on the tape cassette 3 and the rattling of the tape cassette 3 when mounted in the tape storage unit 1. However, in reality, it is difficult to satisfy all the conditions.

Further, since this type of optical sensor is generally high in cost, there are many discrimination items such as the tape width, the type of tape, the type of ink ribbon, the presence or absence of a tape cassette, and therefore many sensors are required. In this case, the tape printer main body becomes expensive.

The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, is strong against external disturbances, can perform a reliable identification operation of a cassette type, is inexpensive, consumes less power, and has a battery life even when driven by a battery. An object of the present invention is to provide a cassette detection device that does not reduce the noise.

[0010]

In order to achieve this object, the cassette detecting device of the present invention is equipped with a tape cassette having a convex portion having a different arrangement according to the type of tape and ink ribbon contained therein. However, provided in a tape printing device for printing desired characters and figures on various tapes, and further, a cassette storage portion for detachably storing a tape cassette, and when the tape cassette is stored in the cassette storage portion, A plurality of contact-contact type switches, each of which is provided at a position corresponding to the convex portion provided on the tape cassette and has a contact which is pressed by the convex portion and responds, and its tip is separated into plural pieces. Extending nose portions are formed, and each of the nose portions is composed of an elastic piece arranged so as to cover the contact of the switch.

The elastic piece is provided with a plurality of nose portions arranged in a comb shape, and the width of the nose portion is sufficiently larger than the width of the convex portion of the tape cassette and the diameter of the contact of the switch. It may have been done.

[0012]

In the cassette detecting device of the present invention having the above-mentioned structure, when the tape cassette is stored in the cassette storage portion, the nose portion of the elastic piece is pushed down on the convex portion of the tape cassette.
The nose portion receives the force and bends downward, and the nose portion depresses the contactor provided therebelow. Then, the type of cassette is determined from the ON / OFF signal of each switch.

[0013]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

An adhesive tape, a transparent film tape and an ink ribbon are spooled and housed in a tape cassette 3 mounted in the tape printer. A large number of tape cassettes 3 having different widths of the accommodated tapes, colors of ink ribbons, etc. are prepared. As shown in FIG. 2, the tape cassette 3 has a concave portion 4 formed on the back surface thereof, and a convex portion 5 that is arranged differently according to the type of the tape cassette 3 is provided inside the concave portion 4. The convex portion 5 pushes the tip portion 15 of the actuator 8 described later.

The tape printing apparatus of this embodiment is provided with a tape cassette housing section 1 to which various tape cassettes 3 can be removably attached. Although not shown here, the ribbon take-up spool of the tape cassette 3 is engaged in the tape cassette housing portion 1 and the ribbon take-up spool is rotated by the rotation drive of the pulse motor to wind the ink ribbon. A ribbon winding shaft and a tape drive shaft that engages with the tape drive roller and drives the tape drive roller to rotate via a motor and a gear transmission mechanism, which will be described later, are provided upright.

Further, the thermal print head and the platen roller are vertically arranged so as to face each other, and further, the tape feed roller for feeding the bonding tape T in cooperation with the tape drive roller is arranged. Although not described in detail, the platen roller and the tape feed roller are supported by a roller holder described later and can be switched between a print position and a release position by a manual switching mechanism (not shown). Since the switching mechanism is described in detail in the specification and drawings disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-92650,
The description here is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, four small mechanical switches 6 are fixed in a line in a row on a substrate 9 in the cassette housing portion 1. The cover 10 that constitutes the tape cassette storage unit 1 is provided with pins 11 and lock claws 12, and the substrate 9 is attached to the cover 10 by these two members. The mechanical switch 6 has 1 mm
A contactor 7 having a small diameter is provided so as to project upward. The mechanical switch 6 is a contact-contact type switch and is normally OF
The F state is maintained, and the contactor 7 is also urged upward. By depressing the contact 7, the two contacts provided inside are short-circuited and an ON operation is performed. The mechanical switch 6
Corresponds to the switch of the present invention.

An actuator 8 is arranged directly above the mechanical switch 6, and the actuator 8 has a pin 1
It is fixed by being press-fitted into the root step portion 16 of No. 1.
Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the tip portion 15 of the actuator 8 has four nose shapes arranged in a comb tooth shape. Further, each of the tip portions 15 covers the contactor 7 and is in contact with the contactor 7 without pushing down the mechanical switch 6.

In this embodiment, the actuator 8 is made of a thin elastic resin material. Then, even when the tape cassette is pressed by the convex portion, the tip portion 15 of the tape cassette is faithfully and properly bent without being twisted or twisted.
Further, if the pressing force is removed, the elastic force returns to the original shape, and the ON / OFF operation of the mechanical switch 6 is not impaired. The actuator 8 corresponds to the elastic piece of the present invention.

When the tape cassette 3 is mounted in the cassette housing portion 1, the type of the tape cassette 3 is discriminated by the tape detecting device having the above construction. On the tape cassette 3 side, as shown in FIG. 2, a protrusion 5 for pushing down corresponding to the position of the switch 6 is provided at the bottom of the tape cassette 3, and this protrusion 5 operates the switch 6.

The thickness of the convex portion 5 is the contact 7 of the mechanical switch 6.
Is about the same as or less than the diameter. Then, due to the dimensional error of the convex portion 5 and the rattling of the tape cassette 3 when the tape accommodating portion 1 is mounted, the pressing point of the convex portion 5 may be displaced and the contactor 7 may not be pushed. Comes out. However, in the cassette detecting device of the present embodiment, the actuator 8 is provided on the mechanical switch 6, and the width is sufficient in the arrangement direction of the mechanical switches 6 so that the actuator 8 does not come into contact with the tip portion 15 adjacent to the tip portion 15. It has. Therefore, even if there is a gap between the contactor 7 and the convex portion 5, the tip portion 15 receives the depression of the convex portion 5 and moves downward, and the contactor 7 is depressed to turn on the mechanical switch 6.
To operate. In this way, the tip portion 15 corrects the positional deviation between the convex portion 5 and the contactor 7, and the mechanical switch 6 is reliably turned on.

When the tape cassette has a convex portion 5, the convex portion 5 is the tip portion 1 of the actuator 8 as shown in FIG.
Press 5. The tip portion 15 receives the pushing force, bends downward, and pushes down the contact 7 of the mechanical switch 6. Then, the contacts of the mechanical switch 6 are short-circuited and turned on. When the tape cassette 3 is mounted as it is, the mechanical switch 6 is held in the ON state.

When the tape cassette 3 is removed, the tip end portion 15 is restored by the restoring force of the actuator 8 itself, the contactor 7 of the mechanical switch 6 is also restored accordingly, and all four are turned off. Then, it returns to the initial state in which the tape cassette is not mounted.

A plurality of switches 6 for ON / OFF operation
From the signal output from the
The type of the tape cassette 3 is determined by searching the determination table in the OM. Then, the print width and print energy suitable for the tape cassette 3 are set.

As described above, the cassette type can be reliably detected by the simple assembly and the inexpensive mechanical switch. In the present embodiment, four switches are used for detection, but it goes without saying that the number of switches may be selected according to the number of types to be discriminated.

[0026]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the cassette detecting device of the present invention, the cassette detecting device is strong against external disturbances and operates reliably without being concerned with the assembling accuracy and the dimensional accuracy of the convex portion of the cassette. The type of ink ribbon or tape stored in the tape cassette can be discriminated, and at the same time, power consumption can be saved during the tape detection operation. or,
The structure therefor is simple and can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cassette detection device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape cassette as viewed from the bottom side.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a cassette detection device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention when a switch is in an OFF state.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view when a switch that can be placed in the cassette detection device is in an ON state.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a tape cassette housing portion of the tape printer.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged view of a conventional photo sensor.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a conventional cassette detection device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Tape cassette storage section 3 Tape cassette 4 Recessed section 5 Convex section 6 Mechanical switch 7 Contact 8 Actuator 9 Board

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A tape printer provided with a tape cassette having a convex portion having a different arrangement according to the type of tape and ink ribbon housed inside, and provided on a tape printer for printing desired characters or figures on various tapes. In the cassette detecting device, a cassette housing portion for detachably housing the tape cassette and a position corresponding to the convex portion provided on the tape cassette in a one-to-one correspondence when the tape cassette is housed in the cassette housing portion. A plurality of contact-contact type switches, each of which is provided with a contactor that is pressed by the convex portion and responds to the switch, and a nose portion whose tip is divided into a plurality of parts and extends, are formed. A cassette detecting device comprising: elastic pieces arranged so as to respectively cover the contactors of the switch. 2. The elastic piece includes a plurality of nose portions arranged in a comb tooth shape, and the width of the nose portions is sufficiently larger than the width of the convex portion of the tape cassette and the diameter of the contact of the switch. A cassette detection device characterized by being provided.