Tape cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9469140-B2
Application number	US-201615058670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 2, 2016
Priority date	Oct 31, 2013
Publication date	Oct 18, 2016
Grant date	Oct 18, 2016

Abstract

The disclosure discloses a tape cartridge including a connecting arm, a guide attaching/detaching part, and a second guide member. The connecting arm rotatably supports a first winding core and a second winding core. The guide attaching/detaching part is configured to detachably attach a first guide member. The first guide member is configured to allow a tape fed out from a first tape roll to pass and to guide the tape by regulating movement in a tape width direction through contact with both end portions of the tape in the tape width direction. The second guide member is disposed on the connecting arm. The second guide member is configured to guide the tape passes while being guided by the first guide member, by regulating movement in a second direction through contact with one side part of the tape in the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A tape cartridge comprising:
a first winding core that includes a first axis and an outer periphery around which a tape having a desired width-direction dimension is wound to form a first tape roll;
a second winding core that includes a second axis and an outer periphery around which a part of layers of said tape is to be wound, wherein the layers are peeled off from said tape fed out from said first tape roll and transported;
a connecting arm that connects said first winding core and said second winding core and that rotatably supports said first winding core on one side in a connecting direction and rotatably supports said second winding core on the other side in the connecting direction;
a guide attaching/detaching part that is disposed in the vicinity of a peeling-off part configured to peel-off said part of layers along a transport path of said tape in said connecting arm, and is configured to detachably attach a first guide member configured to allow said tape fed out from said first tape roll to pass in a tape posture so that a linear direction formed by a cross-sectional surface of the tape becomes a first direction in parallel with said first axis and said second axis and to guide said tape by regulating movement in a tape width direction through contact with both end portions of said tape in the tape width direction during the passing; and
a second guide member that is disposed on said connecting arm and is configured to guide said passing of the tape while being guided by said first guide member, by regulating movement in a second direction through contact with one side part of said tape in the second direction orthogonal to a tape surface direction of said tape.

2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
said connecting arm includes:
a pair of first bracket parts that is disposed on one side in said connecting direction and rotatably holds said first winding core by the first winding core being sandwiched by said first bracket parts from one side and an other side along said first axis;
a first connection part that extends and connects upper end parts of said pair of first bracket parts;
a pair of second bracket parts that is disposed on the other side in said connecting direction and that rotatably holds said second winding core by the second winding core being sandwiched by said second bracket parts from one side and the other side along said second axis;
a second connection part that extends and connects upper end parts of said pair of second bracket parts; and
a pair of left and right roll connecting beam parts that is arranged by connecting said first bracket part and said first connection part as well as said second bracket part and said second connection part.

3. The tape cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein
said guide attaching/detaching part is a recess part formed between said pair of left and right roll connecting beams and is opened on said one side in said second direction; and
said second guide member protrudes from one side to the other side in said connecting direction in said recess part.

4. The tape cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein
said second guide member is configured integrally with said first connection part of said connecting arm.

5. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
said second guide member is configured to guide said tape in contact with a center part of the tape in a width direction.

6. The tape cartridge according to claim 5 , wherein
said second guide member is arranged by not being in contact with both end parts of said tape in the width direction.

7. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , further comprising said first guide member attached to said guide attaching/detaching part.

8. The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein
said first guide member includes:
first guide projections that protrude to one side respectively in said second direction on both sides in said first direction on one side in said connecting direction; and
second guide projections that protrude to one side respectively in said second direction on both sides in said first direction on an other side in said connecting direction.

9. The tape cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein
each of said first guide projections and said second guide projections are configured to be in contact with both end parts of said tape in the width direction.

10. A tape cartridge comprising:
a first winding core that includes an outer periphery around which a tape is wound to form a first tape roll;
a second winding core; and
a connecting arm,
said connecting arm comprising:
a rear-right bracket;
a rear-left bracket;
a rear bracket connection part;
a front-right bracket;
a front-left bracket;
a front bracket connection part;
a slit;
a right beam; and
a left beam,
an upper end of said rear-right bracket and an upper end of said rear-left bracket being connected to said rear bracket connection part;
said rear-right bracket extending towards a downward direction from said rear bracket connection part;
said rear-left bracket extending towards said downward direction from said rear bracket connection part;
said rear-right bracket and said rear-left bracket facing each other in a right-left direction;
an upper end of said front-right bracket and an upper end of said front-left bracket being connected to said front bracket connection part;
said front-right bracket extending towards said downward direction from said front bracket connection part;
said front-left bracket extending towards said downward direction from said front bracket connection part;
said front-right bracket and said front-left bracket facing each other in said right-left direction;
said slit being disposed on a front end on an upper surface of said front bracket connection part and extending in said right-left direction;
a rear end of said right beam being connected to said rear-right bracket;
a front end of said right beam being connected to said front-right bracket;
a rear end of said left beam being connected to said rear-left bracket;
a front end of said left beam being connected to said front-left bracket;
said first winding core being rotatably held by being sandwiched in said right-left direction by a lower end of said rear-right bracket and a lower end of said rear-left bracket between said rear-right bracket and said rear-left bracket;
said second winding core being rotatably held by being sandwiched in said right-left direction by a lower end of said front-right bracket and a lower end of said front-left bracket between said front-right bracket and said front-left bracket;
said slit being configured to peel off a part of layers from said tape fed out from said tape roll and transported;
said second winding core being configured to wind the part of layers;
said right beam comprising a right semicircular groove disposed on a lower end of the right beam;
said left beam comprising a left semicircular groove disposed on a lower end of the left beam;
said right semicircular groove and said left semicircular groove being disposed in an opening;
said opening being defined by said front bracket connection part, said rear bracket connection part, said right beam, and said left beam; and
said right semicircular groove being penetrated through said right beam in said right-left direction, and
said left semicircular groove being penetrated through said left beam in said right-left direction.

11. The tape cartridge according to claim 10 , wherein
said right beam includes a right positioning part disposed on an upper end edge of the right beam; and
said left beam includes a left positioning part

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Tanaka Mitsugi

Classifications

• B41J15/044

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

• B41J15/042

  for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J32/00 Primary

  Ink-ribbon cartridges · CPC title