Tape cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11772397-B2
Application number	US-202218059403-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2022
Priority date	Nov 30, 2021
Publication date	Oct 3, 2023
Grant date	Oct 3, 2023

Abstract

A tape cassette includes a recess formed on a part of a side wall of a cassette case, an arm portion, a roller partly exposed from the tape cassette, a first protrusion including a first leading end, and a second protrusion including a second leading end. The first leading end and the second leading end protrudes toward first side. The first leading end is positioned on a first virtual line or further to the first side than the first virtual line. The first virtual line connects an exposed part of an outer peripheral surface of the roller with a connection portion between the recess and a wall comprising the arm portion. The second leading end is positioned further to the first side than a second virtual line. The second virtual line connects the exposed part of the outer peripheral surface of the roller with the first leading end.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tape cassette, comprising:
a cassette case including a bottom wall, and a side wall intersecting the bottom wall at a first side in a first direction, the cassette case having a recess recessed from a part of the side wall to a second side in the first direction, the second side in the first direction being opposite to the first side in the first direction, the part of the side wall including an opening, the recess passing through the cassette case in an up-down direction;
a tape roll housed inside the cassette case;
a print tape wound around the tape roll;
a ribbon roll housed inside the cassette case;
an ink ribbon wound around the ribbon roll;
a ribbon winding spool housed inside the cassette case;
an arm portion including a first wall and a second wall, the first wall being a part of the side wall, the second wall facing the first wall and extending upward from the bottom wall, the arm portion extending from a first side in a second direction to a second side in the second direction, the second direction being a direction intersecting the first direction and the up-down direction, the first side in the second direction being opposite to the second side in the second direction, the arm portion including a discharge port at an end, the end being positioned on the second side in the second direction with respect to the opening, the discharge port being configured to discharge the print tape and the ink ribbon conveyed between the first wall and the second wall, the recess being defined by the second wall and a peripheral wall at least;
a roller provided inside the cassette case further to the first side in the second direction than the arm portion, a part of an outer peripheral surface of the roller being exposed to the first side in the first direction of the cassette case, the roller being configured to guide the print tape discharged from the discharge port and in contact with the exposed part of the outer peripheral surface further to the first side in the second direction than the cassette case;
a first protrusion disposed, on a conveyance path of the print tape, at a position between the discharge port of the arm portion and the roller, the first protrusion including a first leading end protruding toward the first side in the first direction, the first leading end being positioned on a first virtual line or being positioned further to the first side in the first direction than the first virtual line, the first virtual line being a line connecting the exposed part of the outer peripheral surface of the roller with a connection portion between the second wall and the peripheral wall, the first protrusion being configured to guide the ink ribbon discharged along the conveyance path from the discharge port to a winding path, the winding path being a path branching from the conveyance path at the first leading end, toward the ribbon winding spool; and
a second protrusion disposed at a position between the first protrusion and the roller in the second direction, the second protrusion including a second leading end protruding toward the first side in the first direction, the second leading end being positioned further to the first side in the first direction than a second virtual line, the second virtual line being a line connecting the exposed part of the outer peripheral surface of the roller with the first leading end of the first protrusion, the second protrusion being configured to guide the print tape discharged from the discharge port to the roller via the second leading end.

2. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein
the tape cassette is configured to be mounted to and removed from a tape printer that includes a head holder including a print head,
the recess is a portion where the head holder is inserted when the tape cassette is mounted to the tape printer, and
the second leading end of the second protrusion is positioned further to the second side in the first direction than a third virtual line, the third virtual line being a line connecting the print head with the first leading end of the first protrusion when the head holder is inserted into the recess.

3. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein
the second protrusion has a rib shape extending upward from the bottom wall and defining the winding path between the second protrusion and the first protrusion, and
the second leading end is a roller member including a shaft in the up-down direction.

4. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein
the second protrusion is an urging member urged to the first side in the first direction and pressing the print tape.

5. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein
the tape cassette is configured to be mounted to and removed from a tape printer that includes a head holder including a print head,
the recess is a portion where the head holder is inserted when the tape cassette is mounted to the tape printer, and
the tape cassette further comprises:
a third protrusion positioned, in the conveyance path of the print tape, between a position of the print head when the head holder is inserted into the recess and the position of the first leading end of the first protrusion, the third protrusion including a third leading end protruding toward the second side in the first direction, the third protrusion being configured to regulate a movement of the print tape to the first side in the first direction by the third leading end coming into contact with the print tape conveyed between the discharge port and the second leading end of the second protrusion.

6. The tape cassette according to claim 5 , wherein
the third protrusion has a rib shape extending upward from the bottom wall, and
the third leading end is a roller member including a shaft extending in the up-down direction.

7. The tape cassette according to claim 5 , wherein
the third protrusion is an urging member urged to the second side in the first direction and pressing the print tape.

8. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein
the first protrusion has a rib shape extending upward from the bottom wall, and
the first leading end is a roller member including a shaft extending in the up-down direction.

9. The tape cassette according to claim 1 , wherein
the first protrusion is an urging member urged to the first side in the first direction and pressing the ink ribbon and the print tape.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Kondo Tomohiro
• Niizeki Mariko
• Mizutani Shunsuke

Classifications

• B41J32/00 Primary

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title

• B41J2/325 Primary

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J3/36

  for portability {, i.e. hand-held printers or laptop printers (B41J3/4075 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J33/26

  by rollers engaging the ribbon · CPC title