Tape cassette and printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10828918-B2
Application number	US-201816020634-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2018
Priority date	Jul 4, 2017
Publication date	Nov 10, 2020
Grant date	Nov 10, 2020

Abstract

A tape cassette stores a first medium having: a first base having a print surface for printing; and a first separator removably attached to a surface of the first base on an opposite side of the print surface; and a second medium having: a second base; and a second separator removably attached to the second base. The tape cassette includes a pressing member that is movable in a direction intersecting with a direction of a plane of the print surface, and the pressing member is disposed at a position of, when a pressing force is externally applied to perform bonding of the first medium and the second medium mutually, receiving the pressing force.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tape cassette to store:
a first medium comprising a first base having a print surface for printing, and a first separator removably attached to a surface of the first base on an opposite side of the print surface; and
a second medium comprising a second base, and a second separator removably attached to the second base,
wherein the tape cassette includes a pressing member that is movable in a direction intersecting with a direction of a plane of the print surface, and
wherein the pressing member is disposed at a position of, when a pressing force is externally applied to perform mutual bonding of the first medium and the second medium, receiving the pressing force.

2. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first base has a transmissive property allowing a user to see the printing on the print surface through the first base,
the first separator has a transmissive property allowing the user to see the printing on the print surface through the first separator, and
the bonding bonds the second base of the second medium to the print surface of the first base of the first medium.

3. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the first base is different in hardness in a direction of thickness of the first base, and a side of the print surface has hardness larger than hardness of a side on the opposite of the print surface.

4. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the first separator is made of a material that is harder than the first base and the second base.

5. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the pressing member is disposed above the first medium and the second medium at a position where the first medium and the second medium are overlapped, and is a plate-shaped member that, when the pressing force is externally applied, receives the pressing force to mutually bond the print surface of the first base and the second base.

6. The tape cassette according to claim 5 , further comprising:
a bonding roller that is opposed to the plate-shaped member via the first medium and the second medium, and feeds the second medium.

7. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the first base and the second base are made of a material having a stretch property such that, after the second base is bonded to the print surface of the first base and a side of the second base on an opposite side of a surface bonded to the print surface is attached to protrusions of an uneven attachment surface of an object, when a pressing force is applied to the first base and the second base toward the attachment surface, the first base and the second base stretch along the unevenness and come in close contact with the attachment surface.

8. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein the second separator is made of a material that is harder than the second base.

9. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first base is a tape made of urethane resin having a transmissive property,
the second base is a tape made of urethane resin,
the first separator is a tape made of PET resin having a transmissive property, and
the second separator is a tape made of PET resin or paper.

10. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first separator includes a first adhesive applied on a side in contact with the first base,
the second base includes a second adhesive surface including a second adhesive applied on a side in contact with the second separator and a third adhesive on an opposite side of the second adhesive surface, and
the first adhesive has adherence lower than adherence of the second adhesive and of the third adhesive.

11. A printer comprising:
a cassette container to house a tape cassette configured to store (i) a first medium comprising a first base having a print surface for printing, and a first separator removably attached to a surface of the first base on an opposite side of the print surface, and (ii) a second medium comprising a second base, and a second separator removably attached to the second base, the tape cassette including a pressing member that is movable in a direction intersecting with a direction of a plane of the print surface, and the pressing member being disposed at a position of, when a pressing force is externally applied to mutually bond the first medium and the second medium, receiving the pressing force;
a feed roller configured to feed the first medium discharged from the tape cassette;
a print head configured to print on the print surface of the first base of the first medium; and
a lifting unit configured to move the feed roller up and down, wherein when the feed roller is brought closer to the print head, the lifting unit applies the pressing force to the first medium while feeding the first medium with the feed roller so that the second base is bonded to the print surface of the first base.

12. A tape cassette comprising:
a first medium housed in the tape cassette and comprising a first base having a print surface for printing, and a first separator removably attached to a surface of the first base on an opposite side of the print surface; and
a second medium housed in the tape cassette and comprising a second base, and a second separator removably attached to the second base; and
a pressing member that is movable in a direction intersecting with a direction of a plane of the print surface,
wherein the pressing member is disposed at a position of, when a pressing force is externally applied to perform mutual bonding of the first medium and the second medium, receiving the pressing force.

Assignees

• Casio Computer Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kanamura Toshiaki
• Midorogi Satomi
• Ogawa Naoki
• Murai Yasushi

Classifications

• B41J3/4075 Primary

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J33/00 Primary

  Apparatus or arrangements for feeding ink ribbons or like character-size impression-transfer material · CPC title

• B41J11/703 Primary

  Cutting of tape · CPC title

• B41J15/044

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