Tape Cassette

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016361918-A1
Application number	US-201615226188-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Aug 2, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2009
Publication date	Dec 15, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A tape cassette that includes a generally rectangular box-like housing having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall defining a periphery of the housing, a first and second cavities extending from the bottom wall and disposed between a tape containing area and the periphery at opposite ends of a diagonal of the generally rectangular box-like housing, at least one tape wound and mounted within the housing in the tape containing area, the at least one tape including a first tape disposed in a first area, the first tape having a hole at a center of winding, and the first area being one of two areas formed by dividing the housing with respect to a line connecting the first and second cavities, and a third cavity that extends in the hole of the first tape from the bottom wall.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A tape cassette comprising:
a housing comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, a pair of side walls, and a rear wall, the front wall having a tape exit; a tape at least partly contained within the housing; a tape feed roller at least partly disposed between the top wall and the bottom wall, the tape feed roller being disposed in a vicinity of or at a first corner portion of the housing, the tape feed roller being disposed downstream of the tape exit in a tape feed direction; a first opening provided in the bottom wall and disposed in a vicinity of or at the first corner portion of the housing; and a second opening disposed in a vicinity of or at a second corner portion of the housing, the second corner portion being at a diagonal position with respect to the first corner portion, the second opening being concaved from the rear wall toward the front wall, a length of the second opening in a first direction being larger than a width of the second opening in a second direction, the first direction extending between the front wall and the rear wall, the second direction extending between the pair of side walls, the second opening being defined by a first wall and a second wall, the first wall extending from the top wall to the bottom wall, the second wall extending from the top wall to the bottom wall, the first wall and the second wall opposing each other.

3 . The tape cassette according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first wall is disposed between the second wall and a first side wall in the second direction, the first side wall being one of the pair of side walls and connecting to the second corner portion, the top wall includes a first upper surface and a second upper surface disposed in a vicinity of or at the second corner portion, the second upper surface being disposed in a position between the first upper surface and the bottom wall in a third direction, the third direction extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, at least a portion of the first wall extends from the second upper surface downwardly toward the bottom wall, and at least a portion of the second wall extends from the first upper surface downwardly toward the bottom wall.

4 . The tape cassette according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first wall includes a first opposing surface facing the second opening, the second wall includes a second opposing surface facing the second opening, and at least a portion of the first opposing surface extends generally parallel to the at least a portion of the second opposing surface.

5 . The tape cassette according to claim 4 , wherein the direction in which the at least a portion of the first opposing surface extends is generally parallel to the first direction.

6 . The tape cassette according to claim 3 , wherein at least a part of an edge of the second upper surface being straight and connecting to the rear wall, the part of an edge of the second upper surface being generally perpendicular to the rear wall.

7 . The tape cassette according to claim 2 , wherein:
the first wall is disposed between the second wall and a first side wall in the second direction, the first side wall being one of the pair of side walls and connecting to the second corner portion, the top wall includes a first upper surface and a second upper surface disposed in a vicinity of or at the second corner portion, the second upper surface being disposed closer to the bottom wall than the first upper surface, and at least a portion of the first wall extends from a side edge of the second upper surface toward an inward side of the housing, the side edge of the second upper surface being disposed between the second opening and the first side wall.

8 . The tape cassette according to claim 7 , wherein at least a part of an edge of the second upper surface being straight and connecting to the rear wall, the part of an edge of the second upper surface being generally perpendicular to the rear wall.

9 . The tape cassette according to claim 2 , further comprising a support portion configured to rotatably support the tape contained within the housing, the support portion including a support hole formed in at least one of the top wall and the bottom wall, wherein:
an axis of the tape feed roller extends in a third direction, the third direction extending between the top wall and the bottom wall, and a virtual straight line passing through the axis of the tape feed roller and the support hole contacts at least one of the first wall and the second wall when viewed in the third direction.

10 . The tape cassette according to claim 3 , wherein:
the first side wall connects to a third corner portion of the housing, the third corner portion being an edge portion of the front wall opposite of the tape feed roller with respect to the tape exit in the tape feed direction, and the top wall includes a third upper surface disposed in a vicinity of or at the third corner portion, the second upper surface and the third upper surface being disposed in a same height position each other, the height position being a position in the third direction.

11 . The tape cassette according to claim 3 , wherein:
the first side wall connects to a third corner portion of the housing, the third corner portion being an edge portion of the front wall opposite of the tape feed roller with respect to the tape exit in the tape feed direction, a second side wall connects to a fourth corner portion of the housing, the second side wall being the other of the pair of side walls, the fourth corner portion being at a diagonal position with respect to the third corner portion, and the top wall includes a fourth upper surface disposed in a vicinity of or at the fourth corner portion, the second upper surface and the fourth upper surface being disposed in a same height position each other, the height position being a position in the third direction.

12 . The tape cassette according to claim 3 , wherein:
the first side wall connects to a third corner portion of the housing, the third corner portion being an edge portion of the front wall opposite of the tape feed roller with respect to the tape exit in the tape feed direction, a second side wall connects to a fourth corner portion of the housing, the second side wall being the other of the pair of side walls, the fourth corner portion being at a diagonal position with respect to the third corner portion, and the housing includes an indentation formed by indenting the top wall downwardly, the indentation being disposed in a vicinity of the tape feed roller, the indentation being positioned between the first corner portion and the fourth corner portion in the first direction, and the top wall includes a fifth upper surface disposed in the indentation, the fifth upper surface being a upper surface in a bottom of the indentation, the second upper surface and the fifth upper surface being disposed in a same height position each other, the height position being a position in the third direction.

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Koshiro
• Sago Akira

Classifications

• B41J15/044 Primary

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

• B41J2/0057 Primary

  where an intermediate transfer member receives the ink before transferring it on the printing material · CPC title

• B41J32/00

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title

• B41J11/008

  Controlling printhead for accurately positioning print image on printing material, e.g. with the intention to control the width of margins · CPC title

• B41J15/02

  Web rolls or spindles; Attaching webs to cores or spindles · CPC title