Tape cassette and tape cassette unit

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10543703-B2
Application number	US-201816043807-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 24, 2018
Priority date	Jul 31, 2017
Publication date	Jan 28, 2020
Grant date	Jan 28, 2020

Abstract

A tape cassette having a box-like case having first through sixth outer walls. The first and second outer walls extend in parallel and arranged in a first direction perpendicular to the first and second outer walls, the third and fourth outer walls extend in parallel and arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the third and fourth outer walls, the fifth and sixth outer walls extend in parallel and arranged in a third direction perpendicular to the fifth and sixth outer walls, and the first, second and third directions are perpendicular to each other. A discharging port is provided on the fourth outer wall, and a substrate having a storage storing electronically-retrievable information regarding the tape cassette. The substrate is provided to the third outer wall, and at least a part of the substrate overlaps at least a part of the discharge port in the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tape cassette, comprising:
a box-like cassette case having a first outer wall, a second outer wall, a third outer wall, a fourth outer wall, a fifth outer wall and a sixth outer wall,
the first outer wall and the second outer wall extending in parallel and being arranged in a first direction perpendicular to both the first outer wall and the second outer wall,
the third outer wall and the fourth outer wall extending in parallel and being arranged in a second direction perpendicular to both the third outer wall and the fourth outer wall,
the fifth outer wall and the sixth outer wall extending in parallel and being arranged in a third direction perpendicular to both the fifth outer wall and the sixth outer wall,
the first direction, the second direction and the third direction being perpendicular to each other;

a tape configured to be accommodated in the cassette case;
a discharging port provided on the fourth outer wall to allow the tape to be discharged; and
a substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, at least one conductive electrode being provided to the first surface, a storage electrically connected to the at least one conductive electrode being provided to the second surface,
wherein the substrate is provided to the third outer wall with the first surface being directed in a direction from the fourth outer wall to the third outer wall, and
wherein at least a part of the substrate overlaps at least a part of the discharge port in the second direction.

2. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least a part of the at least one conductive electrode overlaps at least a part of the discharge port in the second direction.

3. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one conductive electrodes has two conductive electrodes, at least parts of the two conductive electrodes are aligned in the third direction.

4. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein the at least one conductive electrode is made of metal.

5. The tape cassette according to claim 4 ,
further comprising an information indicating part configured to indicate a code readable by an optical reading device,
wherein the information indicating part is provided to one of the first outer wall, the second outer wall, the fourth outer wall, the fifth outer wall and the sixth outer wall.

6. The tape cassette according to claim 5 ,
wherein the information indicating part is provided to one of the first outer wall, the second outer wall, the fifth outer wall and the sixth outer wall.

7. The tape cassette according to claim 6 ,
further comprising a type indicating part configured to indicate a type of the tape cassette,
wherein a first distance between the fifth outer wall and the sixth outer wall is larger than a second distance between the first outer wall and the second outer wall, and
wherein a third distance between the third outer wall and the fourth outer wall is larger than the first distance,
wherein the type indicating part is arranged on one of the first outer wall and the second outer wall, and
wherein the information indicating part is arranged on another one of the first outer wall and the second outer wall.

8. The tape cassette according to claim 5 ,
further comprising a label having a third surface and a fourth surface opposite to the third surface, adhesive agent being applied on the fourth surface, the code being indicated on the third surface, the label being adhered on the information indicating part with the adhesive agent.

9. The tape cassette according to claim 8 ,
wherein the label is configured that a hologram image is provided on a portion of the third surface.

10. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein, given that the third outer wall and the fourth outer wall are equally divided into three areas of a first area, a second area and a third area along one-way direction of the third direction in this order, the discharge port and the substrate are arranged one of the first area and the third area.

11. The tape cassette according to the claim 1 ,
further comprising first protruded parts protruding outward from the cassette case at positions shifted from the substrate in the third direction on the third outer wall and the fourth outer wall, respectively.

12. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
further comprising a first recess on the third outer wall, the first recess being recessed toward the fourth outer wall, the first recess overlapping the discharge port in the second direction.

13. The tape cassette according to claim 12 ,
wherein the first recess is arranged at a position next to the fifth outer wall, a connection part connecting the fifth wall and the first recess being arc-shaped.

14. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein a second protruded part is provided to the third outer wall, the second protruded part protruding to a position opposite to the third outer wall with respect to the substrate.

15. The tape cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cassette case has a first case and a second case arranged in the first direction, the first case including at least a part of the first outer wall and a part of the sixth outer wall, the second case including at least a part of the second outer wall and a part of the sixth outer wall,
wherein a hook is provided to one of the part of the sixth outer wall of the first case and the part of the sixth outer wall of the second case,
wherein a hole is provided to another one of the part of the sixth outer wall of the first case and the part of the sixth outer wall of the second case,
wherein a second recess recessed toward the fifth outer wall is formed on the sixth outer wall, and
wherein the hole and the second recess are arranged next to each other in the second direction.

16. The tape cassette according to claim 15 ,
wherein the second recess includes:
a first facing wall;
a second facing wall facing the first facing wall, a distance between the second facing wall and each of the hook and the hole being larger than a distance between the second facing wall and the first facing wall; and
a connection wall connecting the first facing wall and the second facing wall, and

wherein a length of the first facing wall in the first direction is larger than a length of the second facing wall in the first direction.

17. The tape cassette according to claim 15 ,
wherein the second recess includes:
a first facing wall;
a second facing wall facing the first facing wall, a distance between the second facing wall and each of the hook and the hole being larger than a distance between the second facing wall and the first facing wall; and
a connection wall connecting the first facing wall and the second facing wall,

wherein the sixth outer wall is provided with a first rib, the first rib protruding from the first facing wall toward the fifth outer wall, and
wherein the connection wall is arranged between the second facing wall and the first rib in the second direction.

18. The tape cassette according to claim 17 ,
further comprising a second rib provided to the cassette case, the second rib extending in the first direction between the first outer wall and the second outer wall, the second rib surrounding at least a part of a tape roll configured by winding the tape,
wherein the first rib is connected to the second rib.

19. The tape cassette according to claim 15 ,
wherein the tape is accommodated in the cassette case such

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Nishihara Keisuke
• Mori Tatsuaki
• Takahashi Toshihiro
• Ota Yoshihiro

Classifications

• B41J32/00 Primary

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title

• B41J32/02 Primary

  for endless ribbons · CPC title

• B41J15/044 Primary

  Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices · CPC title