Tape cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10987959-B2
Application number	US-202016738528-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2020
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Apr 27, 2021
Grant date	Apr 27, 2021

Abstract

A tape cartridge includes a platen roller, a winding up core, and a cartridge casing that accommodates a printing tape, an ink ribbon, the platen roller, and the winding up core. The cartridge casing includes an insertion hole in which a head cover on a cartridge installation portion of a tape printing apparatus is inserted when the tape cartridge is installed on the cartridge installation portion. The insertion hole includes a first concave portion and a second concave portion that face a first convex portion and a second convex portion, respectively, on the head cover when the tape cartridge is installed on the cartridge installation portion, and the first concave portion and the second concave portion are formed on an inner wall of the insertion hole.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tape cartridge for detachable installation in a tape printing apparatus having a cartridge installation portion on which the tape cartridge is installed, a tape feeding mechanism portion that feeds a printing tape from the installed tape cartridge, a ribbon feeding mechanism portion that feeds an ink ribbon in synchronization with the feeding of the printing tape, a printing head portion that performs printing on the printing tape and is configured to be movable between a printing position and a retracting position, a head cover that is provided on the cartridge installation portion in a projecting manner, covers the printing head while allowing the printing head to move, and has a plurality of corners, and a first convex portion and a second convex portion that are provided on the head cover and guide installation of the tape cartridge, the tape cartridge comprising:
a platen roller configured to receive power from the tape feeding mechanism portion and face the printing head portion in a state where the printing tape and the ink ribbon are disposed between the platen roller and the printing head at the printing position;
a winding up core configured to wind up the ink ribbon;
a cartridge casing that accommodates the printing tape, the ink ribbon, the platen roller, and the winding up core,
an insertion hole on the cartridge casing, the insertion hole being configured to have the head cover inserted therein when the tape cartridge is installed on the cartridge installation portion;
a first inner wall of the insertion hole disposed on a side of an accommodation portion of the printing tape;
a second inner wall of the insertion hole provided on a side of the winding up core;
a first concave portion on the first inner wall and configured to face the first convex portion when the tape cartridge is installed on the cartridge installation portion; and
a second concave portion on the second inner wall and configured to face the second convex portion when the tape cartridge is installed on the cartridge installation portion.

2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the second concave portion is positioned in a vicinity of a vertical line connecting the platen roller and the winding up core.

3. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the first concave portion and the second concave portion are continuous from a front side to a rear side of the cartridge casing.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sakano Hideki
• Sodeyama Hideo

Classifications

• B41J32/00 Primary

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title

• B41J17/32 Primary

  Detachable carriers or holders for impression-transfer material mechanism · CPC title

• B41J15/044 Primary

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

• B41J32/02 Primary

  for endless ribbons · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title