Tape cartridge and tape printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016271979-A1
Application number	US-201414777657-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Provided is a tape cartridge capable of reducing false detection by a detection portion. A tape cartridge 100 installed in a tape printing apparatus includes: a label tape 101 having a plurality of detection convex portions 109 partially projecting from an end thereof in a tape width direction; a cartridge case in which the label tape 101 is accommodated; a platen roller 103 accommodated in the cartridge case and paying out the label tape 101 by rotation; and an exposed area formed in the cartridge case and serving as an area in which the plurality of detection convex portions 109 is exposed one after another as the label tape 101 is paid out by the platen roller 103 , wherein the label tape 101 is not exposed in the exposed area except for the detection convex portions.

First claim

1 . A tape cartridge to be installed in a tape printing apparatus, the tape cartridge comprising:
a tape-shaped member having a plurality of detection convex portions partially projecting from an end thereof in a tape width direction; a cartridge case in which the tape-shaped member is accommodated; a platen roller accommodated in the cartridge case and paying out the tape-shaped member; and an exposed area formed in the cartridge case and serving as an area in which the plurality of detection convex portions is exposed one after another as the tape-shaped member is paid out by the platen roller, wherein the tape-shaped member is not exposed in the exposed area except for the detection convex portions.

2 . The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
the cartridge case has a tape delivery port, through which the tape-shaped member is ejected outside the cartridge case as being paid out by the platen roller, on a downstream side of the exposed area in a paying-out direction of the tape-shaped member.

3 . The tape cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein
the cartridge case has a passage port, through which the plurality of detection convex portions passes one after another as the tape-shaped member is paid out by the platen roller, on an upstream side of the exposed area in the paying-out direction of the tape-shaped member.

4 . The tape cartridge according to claim 3 , wherein
the cartridge case has an exposed opening that connects the tape delivery port and the passage opening to each other and causes the plurality of detection convex portions to be exposed in the exposed area.

5 . The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
the cartridge case has a platen engagement hole that pivotally supports a rotation shaft of the platen roller in the exposed area.

6 . The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein,
when the tape cartridge is installed in the tape printing apparatus, a detection portion provided in the tape printing apparatus is positioned in the exposed area.

7 . The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
the cartridge case has an outside-light reduction portion that reduces light incident on the exposed area from an outside.

8 . The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein
an outside surface of the cartridge case has concave space including the exposed area, and the outside-light reduction portion is constituted by a peripheral wall of the concave space.

9 . The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein
the cartridge case further has a remaining-amount confirmation portion allowing visual confirmation of a remaining amount of the tape-shaped member, and the outside-light reduction portion and the remaining-amount confirmation portion are semi-transparent.

10 . The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein
the cartridge case further has a remaining-amount confirmation portion allowing visual confirmation of a remaining amount of the tape-shaped member, and the cartridge case has an opening as the remaining-amount confirmation portion.

11 . The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein
the cartridge case further has a remaining-amount confirmation portion allowing visual confirmation of a remaining amount of the tape-shaped member, each of the outside-light reduction portion and the remaining-amount confirmation portion is translucent, and the remaining-amount confirmation portion is higher in light transmittance than the outside-light reduction portion due to a difference in surface treatment.

12 . The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
the tape cartridge is installed in the tape printing apparatus having
a feed portion that pays out and feeds the tape-shaped member and
a light sensor that has a light-reception element on one of front and rear sides of the fed tape-shaped member and detects passage of the respective detection convex portions,
the cartridge case has the tape delivery port formed into a slit shape, and a convex-portion passage of the tape delivery port through which the respective detection convex portions pass has a translucent edge on the other one of the front and rear sides of the tape-shaped member and a C-chamfering portion at a corner of the edge on an inner-surface side of the cartridge case.

13 . A tape printing apparatus comprising:
a cartridge installation portion in which the tape cartridge according to claim 1 is installed; a light sensor that detects passage of the respective detection convex portions; a feed portion that pays out and feeds the tape-shaped member; a window portion that is provided in a wall portion covering the cartridge installation portion and allows visual confirmation of the tape-shaped member installed in the cartridge installation portion, and an outside-light reduction portion that is provided between the light sensor and the window portion and reduces light incident on the light sensor from an outside via the window portion.

14 . The tape printing apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein
the light sensor has a light-emission element and a light-reception element facing each other, and the light-reception element is provided so as to turn a back thereof to the window portion.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp
• King Jim Co Ltd

Inventors

• Sasaki Taishi

Classifications

• B41J15/044 Primary

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

• B41J11/009

  Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J15/046

  for the guidance of continuous copy material, e.g. for preventing skewed conveyance of the continuous copy material · CPC title

• B41J17/32

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