Tape cartridge

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9579903-B2
Application number	US-201515121698-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Mar 24, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2017
Grant date	Feb 28, 2017

Abstract

A tape cartridge which can be positioned near a print head is provided. A tape cartridge is loaded in a tape printing device including a print head, a head support frame causing the print head to swivel, and a protrusion provided on the head support frame, and has a print tape. The tape cartridge includes a platen roller which receives a pressing force of the print head; a cartridge case having a platen support section which supports the platen roller; and a receiving section which is provided on the side of the print head, of the platen support section, and receives the protrusion.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A tape cartridge which is loaded in a tape printing device including a print head for printing on a print tape of the tape cartridge, a head moving section holding the print head and moving the print head between a printing position where printing is performed on the print tape and a retreat position retreating from the printing position, and a protrusion provided on the head moving section, and which has the print tape, the tape cartridge comprising:
a platen which receives a pressing force of the print head with the print tape provided in-between, at the printing position;
a cartridge case having a platen support section which supports the platen; and
a receiving section which is provided on the print head side of the platen support section, receives the protrusion when the print head moves to the printing position, and has a section to be pressed which is pressed by the protrusion in a loading direction in which the tape cartridge is loaded in the tape printing device.

2. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein, with respect to the protrusion with which the receiving section is engaged in a moving direction of the print head as an engaging/disengaging direction, the receiving section extends in the engaging/disengaging direction.

3. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving section has a section to be pressed which extends in the engaging/disengaging direction and which is positioned in a direction intersecting with the engaging/disengaging direction by the protrusion.

4. The tape cartridge according to claim 3 , wherein the section to be pressed includes a slope ascending in an engaging direction of the engaging/disengaging direction.

5. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the section to be pressed of the receiving section is situated below the platen.

6. The tape cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the platen is made up of a platen roller.

7. The tape cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein the platen support section rotatably supports the platen roller.

8. The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein the receiving section includes an engagement groove formed in the platen support section.

9. The tape cartridge according to claim 8 , wherein the platen support section has a bearing hole which rotatably supports the platen roller, and
a distal side of the engagement groove communicates with the bearing hole.

10. The tape cartridge according to claim 6 , wherein at least a part of the receiving section exists within a range of a diameter of the platen roller, as viewed from an axial direction of the platen roller.

11. The tape cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein the platen support section has a bearing hole which rotatably supports the platen roller, and
the bearing hole is cut out on the print head side thereof.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp
• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Sodeyama Hideo
• Sakano Hideki

Classifications

• B41J2/325 Primary

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J2/32 Primary

  using thermal heads · CPC title

• B41J3/4075

  Tape printers; Label printers · CPC title

• B41J17/36

  Alarms, indicators, or feed-disabling devices responsible to material breakage or exhaustion · CPC title

• B41J15/044

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