Tape cartridge and tape printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539832-B2
Application number	US-201414777527-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 20, 2014
Priority date	Mar 21, 2013
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

Provided is a tape cartridge that prevents a print tape from becoming wrinkled while preventing the tip end of a tape-shaped member from getting in a cartridge case, or the like. The tape cartridge has a cartridge case, a label tape 101 accommodated in the cartridge case so as to be capable of being paid out, a platen roller 103 that is rotatably accommodated in the cartridge case so as to be brought into rolling-contact with the side of the release tape of the label tape 101 and moves within a prescribed range in a tape feed direction as the label tape 101 is fed out and drawn, and a drawing prevention portion 138 that contacts the side of the print tape of the label tape 101 and holds the label tape 101 between the drawing prevention portion 138 and a platen roller 103 when the platen roller moves to an upstream side in the tape feed direction as the label tape 101 is drawn, wherein the drawing prevention portion 138 does not contact one side in the tape width direction of the label tape 101.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tape cartridge to be installed in a tape printing apparatus having a print head that performs printing on a print tape, the tape cartridge comprising:
a tape-shaped member that has the print tape and a release tape affixed to a rear side of the print tape;
a platen roller that is provided so as to be brought into rolling-contact with a side of the release tape of the tape-shaped member, feeds by rotation the tape-shaped member held between the platen roller and the print head, and moves, within a prescribed range in a tape feed direction as the tape-shaped member is paid out and drawn; and
a drawing prevention portion that is provided at a position upstream of the platen roller in the tape feed direction and holds the tape-shaped member between the drawing prevention portion and the platen roller when the platen roller moves to an upstream side in the tape feed direction as the tape-shaped member is drawn, wherein
the drawing prevention portion does not hold the tape-shaped member between the drawing prevention portion and the platen roller on one side in a tape width direction of the tape-shaped member when the platen roller moves to the upstream side in the tape feed direction.

2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein
the tape cartridge has a covering wall portion that covers an end surface on the other side in the tape width direction of the tape-shaped member, and
the drawing prevention portion projects from the covering wall portion and is configured to be shorter than a tape width of the tape-shaped member.

3. A tape printing apparatus comprising:
the tape cartridge according to claim 1 ;
a cartridge installation portion in which the tape cartridge is installed;
the print head that performs printing on the tape-shaped member; and
a feed portion that rotates and drives the platen roller.

4. The tape printing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein
the tape-shaped member has a plurality of detection target portions provided along a tape length direction at an end on the one side in the tape width direction, and
the tape printing apparatus further includes a detection portion that is positioned between the drawing prevention portion and the platen roller in the tape feed direction and detects passage of the respective detection target portions.

5. A tape cartridge to be installed in a tape printing apparatus having a print head that performs printing on a print tape, the tape cartridge comprising:
a tape-shaped member that has the print tape and a release tape affixed to a rear side of the print tape;
a platen roller that is rotatably provided so as to be brought into rolling-contact with a side of the release tape of the tape-shaped member, feeds by rotation the tape-shaped member held between the platen roller and the print head, and moves within a prescribed range in a tape feed direction as the tape-shaped member is paid out and drawn; and
a drawing prevention portion that is provided at a position upstream of the platen roller in the tape feed direction, contacts a side of the print tape of the tape-shaped member, and holds the tape-shaped member between the drawing prevention portion and the platen roller when the platen roller moves to an upstream side in the tape feed direction as the tape-shaped member is drawn, wherein
the drawing prevention portion is supported on one side thereof and is configured to be capable of elastically tilting to a side opposite to the platen roller.

6. 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 that partially projects from one end in a tape width direction;
a cartridge case that has a first wall portion and a second wall portion facing each other and accommodates the tape-shaped member so as to make a side of the one end of the tape-shaped member positioned on a side of the first wall portion and make a side of the other end thereof positioned on a side of the second wall portion;
a platen roller that serves as a roller rotatably accommodated in the cartridge case and paying out the tape-shaped member by rotation and is movable to an upstream side in a paying-out direction of the tape-shaped member as the tape-shaped member is drawn; and
a drawing prevention portion that projects from the second wall portion at a position upstream of the platen roller in the paying-out direction of the tape-shaped member and holds the tape-shaped member between the drawing prevention portion and the platen roller when the platen roller moves to the upstream side in the paying-out direction of the tape-shaped member as the tape-shaped member is drawn, wherein
the drawing prevention portion does not contact the detection convex portions.

7. The tape cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein
the drawing prevention portion does not contact the first wall portion.

8. The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein
the drawing prevention portion is configured such that a tip end thereof is capable of elastically tilting in a direction away from the tape-shaped member.

9. The tape cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein
a length in the tape width direction of the drawing prevention portion is shorter than a length of the platen roller.

10. The tape cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein
the first wall portion has an exposed 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, and
a rotation shaft of the platen roller is pivotally supported by platen engagement holes of the first wall portion and the second wall portion.

11. The tape cartridge according to claim 10 , wherein
the platen engagement hole of the first wall portion is provided in the exposed area.

12. A tape printing apparatus comprising:
the tape cartridge according to claim 6 ;
a cartridge installation portion in which the tape cartridge is installed;
the print head that performs printing on the tape-shaped member; and
a feed portion that rotates and drives the platen roller.

13. The tape printing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein
the tape-shaped member has a plurality of detection target portions provided along a tape length direction at an end on the one side in the tape width direction, and
the tape printing apparatus further includes a detection portion that is positioned between the drawing prevention portion and the platen roller in the tape feed direction and detects passage of the respective detection target portions.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sasaki Taishi

Classifications

• B41J15/044 Primary

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

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J17/32

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