Medium cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12179477-B2
Application number	US-202117207855-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2021
Priority date	Mar 31, 2020
Publication date	Dec 31, 2024
Grant date	Dec 31, 2024

Abstract

A roll medium is accommodated in a medium cassette. The roll medium has a configuration where a continuous medium is rolled in a roll shape. The medium cassette has a supporter including two sets of support roller pairs which rotatably support the roll medium. The two sets of the support roller pairs are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of a lower part of the roll medium at each of end positions, where a lower end of the roll medium is sandwiched between the support roller pair, of the roll medium in a direction of a rotation axis of the roll medium, and are not in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the roll medium at a central portion of the roll medium in the direction of the rotation axis.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A medium cassette, in which a roll medium having a configuration where a continuous medium is rolled in a roll shape is accommodated, the medium cassette comprising:
a supporter including two sets of support roller pairs configured to rotatably support the roll medium,
wherein the two sets of the support roller pairs are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of a lower part of the roll medium at each of end positions, where a lower end of the roll medium is sandwiched between the support roller pair, of the roll medium in a direction of a rotation axis of the roll medium, and are not in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the roll medium at a central portion of the roll medium in the direction of the rotation axis,
wherein the supporter further includes two sets of inner support roller pairs arranged on an inner side of the two sets of the support roller pairs in the direction of the rotation axis and having upper ends arranged in lower positions than upper ends of the two sets of the support roller pairs,
the two sets of the inner support roller pairs are configured to rotatably support a separate roll medium having a length shorter than the roll medium in the direction of the rotation axis, and
the two sets of the inner support roller pairs are in contact with an outer peripheral surface of a lower part of the separate roll medium at each of end positions, where a lower end of the separate roll medium is sandwiched between the inner support roller pair, of the separate roll medium in a direction of a rotation axis of the separate roll medium, and are not in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the lower part of the separate roll medium at a central portion of the separate roll medium in the direction of the rotation axis, and
wherein each roller included in the two sets of the inner support roller pairs have a rotation axis being located at a position lower than a position of a rotation axis of each roller included in the two sets of the support roller pairs.

2. The medium cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein each support roller of the two sets of the support roller pairs and the two sets of the inner support roller pairs is configured by an individual roller having an individual shaft part.

3. The medium cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein a common shaft part is provided with support rollers of the two sets of the support roller pairs and the two sets of the inner support roller pairs, the support rollers arranged on each of both sides between which the lower ends of the roll medium and the separate roll medium are sandwiched.

4. The medium cassette according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one support roller pair of the two sets of the support roller pairs is configured to be movable in the direction of the rotation axis.

5. The medium cassette according to claim 4 , further comprising a pair of side guides configured to guide both end faces, in the direction of the rotation axis, of the roll medium supported on the supporter.

6. The medium cassette according to claim 5 ,
wherein at least one side guide of the pair of the side guides is configured to be movable in the direction of the rotation axis, and
the one support roller pair is configured to be movable together with the one side guide.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Masatomo

Classifications

• B65H16/028

  on its outer circumference (B65H16/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B65H2801/12

  Single-function printing machines, typically table-top machines · CPC title

• B65H2511/214

  Inclination · CPC title

• B65H2511/12

  Width · CPC title

• B65H2301/41376

  arranged in a non-stationary manner, i.e. changing according to actual roll diameter · CPC title