JP7485145B2 - Tape cassette and tape printer - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a tape cassette and a tape printing device.

Conventionally, a tape cassette, in which a tape is stored in a cassette case, is attached to and detached from a cassette mounting section of a tape printer. A tape cassette is known that, when attached to the cassette mounting section, allows the tape printer to detect the type of tape stored in the cassette case (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

In detail, a cassette detection section is provided on a part of the underside of the tape cassette, where switch holes are formed in a pattern corresponding to the type of tape. The cassette mounting section is provided with a plurality of detection switches that protrude upward. When a tape cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting section, the cassette detection section selectively presses the plurality of detection switches according to the pattern of the switch holes. The tape printing device detects the type of tape according to a combination of pressing or not pressing the plurality of detection switches.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-133756 Japanese Patent No. 3543659

For example, if a user did not correctly load a tape cassette or did not correctly operate the tape printing device, the tape cassette could be loaded into the cassette loading section in a tilted state from the correct position. If the tape cassette was tilted inside the cassette loading section, the cassette detection section could not accurately face the multiple detection switches. In this case, there was a risk that the cassette detection section would not press a detection switch that was intended to be pressed, or would press a detection switch that was not intended to be pressed.

If multiple detection switches are pressed in an incorrect pattern, the tape printer will detect a different type of tape than the type of tape stored in the tape cassette attached to the cassette mounting section. If the tape printer detects an incorrect type of tape in this way, there is a risk that the tape printer may malfunction or produce poor printing results.

The object of the present invention is to provide a tape cassette and a tape printer that can enable the tape printer to accurately detect the type of tape.

A tape cassette according to one aspect of the present invention is a tape cassette having a cassette case that stores tape, which is a printing medium, internally, and is characterized in that it comprises a tape spool around which the tape can be wound, a first opening provided in the cassette case through which a first axis of the tape printing device can be inserted in a first direction parallel to the axial direction of the tape spool and pass through the cassette case when the tape cassette is loaded into a tape printing device, a second opening provided in the cassette case through which a second axis different from the first axis of the tape printing device can be inserted in the first direction and pass through the cassette case when the tape cassette is loaded into the tape printing device, and a first indicator portion located opposite a detection portion of the tape printing device and on a side wall parallel to the first direction, and the tape spool is located between the first opening and the second opening.
A tape cassette according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a cassette case for storing a tape as a printing medium therein, a tape spool around which the tape can be wound, a first opening and a second opening which open in a first direction parallel to the axial direction of the tape spool, and a first indicator portion provided on a side wall of the cassette case parallel to the first direction, the first area facing a first switch of a plurality of detection switches of a tape printing device and a second area facing a second switch of the plurality of detection switches, the first area being recessed further into the cassette case than the second area, and the tape spool is positioned between the first opening and the second opening.
The present invention may be a tape cassette according to yet another aspect. For example, a tape cassette according to a first aspect is characterized in that it includes a cassette case having a top wall, a bottom wall, and a side wall, and storing a tape as a printing medium therein, an ejection guide portion located at the most downstream of a tape transport path in the cassette case and guiding the tape to eject it to the outside of the cassette case, a first opening formed in the cassette case and into which a first guide shaft for guiding the tape to be mounted on a tape printer can be inserted, a second opening formed in the bottom wall and the top wall of the cassette case and into which a second guide shaft for guiding the tape to be mounted on the tape printer can be inserted, and a tape spool located on a line connecting the first opening and the second opening and around which the tape can be wound.

In the tape cassette according to the first aspect, the first opening may be formed in a left front corner of the cassette case, and the second opening may be formed in a right rear corner of the cassette case.
The tape may have a third opening into which a third guide shaft for guiding mounting on the tape printer can be inserted at a position different from the line.
In the tape cassette according to the first aspect, the second opening may be formed by a wall that continues from the top wall to the bottom wall.
In the tape cassette according to the first aspect, the second opening may have two walls extending parallel to the line.
In the tape cassette according to the first aspect, the cassette case may further include a peripheral wall capable of storing the tape, and the wall forming the second opening may be in contact with the peripheral wall.
In the tape cassette of the first aspect, the cassette case includes an upper case having the top wall and a lower case having the bottom wall, the lower case having a cylindrical portion near the second opening, and the upper case having a pin that is inserted into the cylindrical portion.

The tape cassette according to the first aspect has a side indicator portion provided on the side wall and indicating the type of tape, the side indicator portion being provided on the inside between the first opening and the second opening in the left-right direction, and the side indicator portion may include a first pressing portion that presses the opposing first detection switch and a first non-pressing portion that does not press the opposing first detection switch among a plurality of first detection switches that are movable in a first predetermined direction and that are provided on the tape printing device when the tape cassette is attached to the tape printing device.

The tape cassette according to the first aspect has a bottom indicator portion provided on the bottom wall and indicating at least one of the tape color and the print color, the bottom indicator portion being provided on the inside between the first opening and the second opening in the left-right direction, and the bottom indicator portion may include a second pressing portion that presses the opposing second detection switch and a second non-pressing portion that does not press the opposing second detection switch among a plurality of second detection switches that are movable in a second predetermined direction and that are provided on the tape printing device when the tape cassette is attached to the tape printing device.

The present invention may be a tape printer that is used with a tape cassette attached, the tape printer including a cassette attachment section into which a tape cassette can be attached, a print head that prints on the tape stored in the tape cassette attached to the cassette attachment section, a first axis and a second axis that penetrate the tape cassette in a mounting direction when the tape cassette is attached to the cassette attachment section, and a detection section that is disposed on a side surface of the cassette attachment section that is parallel to the mounting direction.
The present invention may be a tape printer according to another aspect. For example, the tape printer includes a cassette mounting section capable of mounting the tape cassette according to the first aspect, a print head that prints on the tape, the first guide shaft, and the second guide shaft.

2 is a perspective view of the tape printing device 1 with the cassette cover 6 closed. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape printing device 1 with the cassette cover 6 in an open state. FIG. 2 is a perspective view for explaining a tape cassette 30 and a cassette mounting portion 8. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8 in which a laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted when the platen holder 12 is in the standby position. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8 in which a laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position. FIG. 1 is a plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8 with a receptor-type tape cassette 30 mounted therein when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position. 1 is a plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8 in which a thermal type tape cassette 30 is mounted when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position. FIG. FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 11 . 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIG. 3 . 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the tape printer 1. FIG. FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the tape cassette 30. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape cassette 30 from above. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the cassette case 31 in a state where the components are exploded into an upper case 311 and a lower case 312. FIG. 13 is another perspective view of the cassette case 31 in a state where the components are exploded into the upper case 311 and the lower case 312. FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the lower case 312. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first cylindrical member 881B. 13 is a bottom view of the upper case 311. FIG. FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a first press-fit pin 881A. 13 is a side cross-sectional view of a first pressure-bonding portion 881. FIG. 2 is a front view of the tape cassette 30 with the arm front wall 35 and its vicinity enlarged. FIG. 13 is another front view of the tape cassette 30 with the arm front wall 35 and its vicinity enlarged. FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a separation wall 33 of a lower case 312 and a corresponding portion of an upper case 311. FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a separation unit 61 in a state where the components are spread out between an upper case 311 and a lower case 312. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape cassette 30 with the upper case 311 removed. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 15 . 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 15 . FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape cassette 30 with its components exploded. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 15 . 5 is a perspective view of a rotating member 571, a clutch spring 572, and a lower tape support portion 66B. FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VII-VII in FIG. 15 . 13 is a right side view of the tape cassette 30, showing a guide hole 47 partially in cross section. FIG. 3 is a front view of the tape cassette 30, illustrating the positional relationship of various components provided on the arm front wall 35. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a specific region R0 included in the arm front wall 35. FIG. 2 is a front view of the tape cassette 30 with the arm front wall 35 and its vicinity enlarged. FIG. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the data structure of a print information table 510. 13 is a bottom view of the tape cassette 30 with the rear recess 360 and the vicinity thereof enlarged. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the tape cassette 30 with the upper case 311 removed, showing an enlarged view of the rear recess 360 and its vicinity. FIG. 13 is a plan view of the tape cassette 30 in a comparative example, with the upper case 311 removed, showing an enlarged view of the vicinity of the rear recess 360. FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the data structure of a color information table 520. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the cassette mounting portion 8 when the tape cassette 30 is being mounted, as viewed from the right side. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of the cassette mounting portion 8 as viewed from the right side after the tape cassette 30 has been mounted. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the tape cassette 30 supported by the head holder 74 as viewed from the front side. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the tape cassette 30 supported by the head holder 74, as viewed from the left side. FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 5 . 40 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 39, showing a state in which the platen holder 12 shown in FIG. 12 faces the tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 39. 42 , showing a state in which the rear support portion 813 shown in FIG. 13 faces the tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 42 . 4 is a flowchart showing a process relating to printing by the tape printer 1. FIG. 11 is a plan view of a cassette mounting portion 8 in which a laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position in a modified example. FIG. 11 is another plan view of the cassette mounting portion 8 in which the laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted when the platen holder 12 is in the printing position in the modified example.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are used to explain the technical features that the present invention can employ, and are merely illustrative examples.

The tape printer 1 and tape cassette 30 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 52. In the description of this embodiment, the lower left, upper right, lower right, and upper left sides of Figures 1 and 2 are respectively the front, rear, right, and left sides of the tape printer 1. The lower right, upper left, upper right, and lower left sides of Figure 3 are respectively the front, rear, right, and left sides of the tape cassette 30.

In this embodiment, the various types of tapes stored in the tape cassette 30 (e.g., thermal paper tape 55, print tape 57, double-sided adhesive tape 58, film tape 59) are collectively referred to as tape. The types of tapes stored in the tape cassette 30 (e.g., tape width, print style, tape color, character color, etc.) are collectively referred to as tape types.

First, the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 14. For ease of explanation, the side walls surrounding the cassette mounting section 8 are shown in Figures 3 to 8, but since these figures are merely schematic, the side walls shown in the figures are drawn thicker than they actually are. The gear group including gears 91, 93, 94, 97, 98, and 101 shown in Figure 3 are actually covered and hidden by the bottom surface of the cavity 811. The bottom surface of the cavity 811 is not shown in Figure 3 in order to explain these gear groups. In Figures 5 to 8, the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting section 8 has its upper case 311 removed.

The following describes the general configuration of the tape printer 1. The tape printer 1 is a general-purpose tape printer that can use a variety of tape cassettes, including thermal type, receptor type, and laminate type. Thermal type tape cassettes are equipped with heat-sensitive paper tape. Receptor type tape cassettes are equipped with printing tape and an ink ribbon. Laminate type tape cassettes are equipped with double-sided adhesive tape, film tape, and an ink ribbon.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the tape printer 1 has a body cover 2 that is substantially rectangular. A keyboard 3 including character keys and function keys is provided on the front side of the top surface of the body cover 2. Behind the keyboard 3 is a display 5 that can display characters and the like inputted through the keyboard 3. Behind the display 5 is a cassette cover 6 that is opened and closed when replacing the tape cassette 30 (see Figure 3).

The cassette cover 6 is a lid that is generally rectangular in plan view. The cassette cover 6 is supported by a pivot at both left and right ends above the rear surface of the main body cover 2, and can rotate between the closed position shown in FIG. 1 and the open position shown in FIG. 2. Inside the main body cover 2, there is provided a cassette mounting section 8 that is an area where a tape cassette 30 can be attached and detached. The cassette mounting section 8 is covered when the cassette cover 6 is in the closed position (see FIG. 1), and is exposed when the cassette cover 6 is in the open position (see FIG. 2).

The underside of the cassette cover 6 is provided with a lock 413, a head pressing member 7, and peripheral pressing members 911-914. The lock 413 is a hook-shaped body that protrudes downward. A lock hole 412 corresponding to the lock 413 is provided in the front side of the cassette mounting section 8 of the main body cover 2. When the cassette cover 6 is closed, the lock 413 fits into the lock hole 412, preventing the cassette cover 6 from opening naturally (see Figure 1).

The head pressing member 7 and the peripheral pressing members 911-914 are rectangular columns that protrude downward. When the cassette cover 6 is closed, the head pressing member 7 presses from above against the presser receiving portion 393 (see FIG. 15) of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8. When the cassette cover 6 is closed, the peripheral pressing members 911-914 press from above against the peripheral edge of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8.

An ejection slit 111 is provided at the rear of the left side of the main body cover 2. The ejection slit 111 ejects the printed tape from the cassette mounting section 8. An ejection window 112 is provided on the left side of the cassette cover 6. The ejection window 112 exposes the ejection slit 111 to the outside when the cassette cover 6 is closed.

The internal structure of the main body cover 2 under the cassette cover 6 will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 8. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the cassette mounting section 8 includes a cavity 811 and a corner support section 812. The cavity 811 is a recess having a flat bottom surface that is recessed to roughly correspond to the shape of the bottom surface 302 of the cassette case 31. The corner support section 812 is a flat section that extends horizontally from the outer edge of the cavity 811. When the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the corner support section 812 supports the underside of the periphery of the tape cassette 30.

Two positioning pins 102, 103 are provided at two locations on the corner support portion 812. Specifically, the positioning pin 102 is provided on the left side of the cavity 811. The positioning pin 103 is provided on the right side of the cavity 811. When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 8, the positioning pins 102, 103 are inserted into the pin holes 62, 63 (see FIG. 16), respectively, of the cassette case 31. At this time, the positioning pins 102, 103 position the tape cassette 30 in the front-rear and left-right directions at the left and right positions of the periphery of the tape cassette 30.

A head holder 74 is provided at the front of the cassette loading section 8. The head holder 74 is equipped with a thermal head 10 equipped with a heating element (not shown). A tape drive motor 23, which is a stepping motor, is disposed outside the cassette loading section 8 (upper right side in FIG. 3). A gear 91 is fixed to the lower end of the drive shaft of the tape drive motor 23. The gear 91 meshes with a gear 93 through an opening. The gear 93 meshes with a gear 94. The gear 94 meshes with a gear 97. The gear 97 meshes with a gear 98. The gear 98 meshes with a gear 101.

A ribbon take-up shaft 95 is provided upright on the upper surface of the gear 94. The ribbon take-up shaft 95 is a shaft body that can be attached to and detached from the ribbon take-up spool 44. A plurality of cam members 95A are provided radially from the base side to the tip side of the ribbon take-up shaft 95 in a plan view (see FIG. 45). A tape drive shaft 100 is provided upright on the upper surface of the gear 101. The tape drive shaft 100 is a shaft body that can be attached to and detached from the tape drive roller 46. A plurality of cam members 100A are provided radially from the base side to the tip side of the tape drive shaft 100 in a plan view (see FIG. 45).

When the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the tape drive motor 23 drives the gear 91 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction, which drives the ribbon take-up shaft 95 to rotate in the counterclockwise direction via gears 93 and 94. The ribbon take-up shaft 95 drives the ribbon take-up spool 44 mounted on the ribbon take-up shaft 95 to rotate. Furthermore, the rotation of the gear 94 is transmitted to the tape drive shaft 100 via gears 97, 98, and 101, which drives the tape drive shaft 100 to rotate in the clockwise direction. The tape drive shaft 100 drives the tape drive roller 46 mounted on the tape drive shaft 100 to rotate.

An auxiliary shaft 110 is erected on the rear side of the gear 98. The auxiliary shaft 110 is a generally cylindrical shaft that can be inserted and removed from the first tape support hole 65. A guide shaft 120 is erected on the rear right side of the cassette mounting section 8. The guide shaft 120 is a shaft that can be inserted and removed from the guide hole 47 (see Figure 5).

Guide shaft 120 includes two shaft portions with different diameters (large diameter shaft portion 120A and small diameter shaft portion 120B) and tapered portion 120C (see FIG. 45). Large diameter shaft portion 120A is the shaft portion that constitutes the base side of guide shaft 120 and has the largest diameter in guide shaft 120. Small diameter shaft portion 120B is the shaft portion that constitutes the tip side of guide shaft 120 and has a smaller diameter than large diameter shaft portion 120A. Tapered portion 120C is the shaft portion provided between large diameter shaft portion 120A and small diameter shaft portion 120B. Tapered portion 120C has a tapered surface in which the shaft diameter gradually decreases from the large diameter shaft portion 120A side to the small diameter shaft portion 120B side.

The rear edge of the cavity 811 has a shape like two arcs lined up on the left and right in a plan view. A part of the corner support 812 located between these two arcs is the rear support 813. When the tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading section 8, the rear support 813 supports the rear recess 360 (see FIG. 16).

The rear support portion 813 is provided with a rear detection portion 300 including a plurality of detection switches 310. The switch terminals 317 (see FIG. 13) of the detection switches 310 protrude upward from the rear support portion 813. When the tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading portion 8, the switch terminals 317 face the bottom surface 302 (more specifically, the rear step wall 360A shown in FIG. 16). Below, the detection switches 310 provided in the rear detection portion 300 are referred to as rear detection switches 310. The rear detection portion 300 of this embodiment has five rear detection switches 310A to 310E.

As shown in Figures 4 to 8, a cassette hook 75 is erected on the rear side of the head holder 74. The cassette hook 75 has a protrusion 751 and a claw portion 752 (see Figure 49). The protrusion 751 is a plate-like body that protrudes upward approximately vertically from the bottom surface (not shown) of the cavity 811. The claw portion 752 is a protrusion that protrudes rearward (to the left in Figure 49) from the upper end of the protrusion 751 and has a generally triangular shape in cross section. The protrusion 751 is flexible in the front-rear direction (the up-down direction in Figure 4). When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 8, the claw portion 752 is engaged with the engagement portion 397 (see Figure 49).

An arm-shaped platen holder 12 is provided in front of the head holder 74. The platen holder 12 is pivotally supported around a pivot support 121 so that it can swing. A platen roller 15 and a movable transport roller 14 are rotatably supported at the tip of the platen holder 12. The platen roller 15 faces the thermal head 10 and can be brought into contact with and separated from the thermal head 10. The movable transport roller 14 faces the tape drive roller 46 attached to the tape drive shaft 100 and can be brought into contact with and separated from the tape drive roller 46.

A release lever (not shown) that moves left and right in conjunction with the opening and closing of the cassette cover 6 is connected to the platen holder 12. When the cassette cover 6 is opened, the release lever moves rightward, and the platen holder 12 moves toward the standby position shown in FIG. 5. In the standby position shown in FIG. 5, the platen holder 12 is separated from the cassette mounting section 8, so that a person can attach and detach the tape cassette 30 to and from the cassette mounting section 8. The platen holder 12 is always elastically biased to the standby position by a coil spring (not shown).

When the cassette cover 6 is closed, the release lever moves leftward, and the platen holder 12 moves toward the printing position shown in Figures 6 to 8. In the printing position shown in Figures 6 to 8, the platen holder 12 is close to the cassette mounting section 8. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, when a laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the platen roller 15 presses against the thermal head 10 via the film tape 59 and ink ribbon 60. At the same time, the movable transport roller 14 presses against the tape drive roller 46 via the double-sided adhesive tape 58 and film tape 59.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a receptor type tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the platen roller 15 presses the thermal head 10 through the print tape 57 and the ink ribbon 60. At the same time, the movable transport roller 14 presses the tape drive roller 46 through the print tape 57. As shown in FIG. 8, when a thermal type tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the platen roller 15 presses the thermal head 10 through the thermal paper tape 55. At the same time, the movable transport roller 14 presses the tape drive roller 46 through the thermal paper tape 55.

In the printing positions shown in Figures 6 to 8, the tape printer 1 can print using the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting section 8. Details of the thermal paper tape 55, printing tape 57, double-sided adhesive tape 58, film tape 59 and ink ribbon 60 will be described later.

A cutting mechanism 17 that cuts the printed tape 50 at a predetermined position is provided to the right of the discharge slit 111 (see Figure 2). The cutting mechanism 17 has a fixed blade 18 and a movable blade 19. The movable blade 19 is movable in the front-rear direction (the up-down direction in Figures 4 to 8) opposite the fixed blade 18.

As shown in Figures 4 to 8, an arm detection section 200 including multiple detection switches 210 is provided on the rear side of the platen holder 12, slightly to the right of the midpoint in the longitudinal direction. In the following, the rear side of the platen holder 12, i.e., the surface facing the thermal head 10, is referred to as the cassette facing surface 122. The switch terminals 222 (see Figure 12) of the detection switches 210 protrude approximately horizontally from the cassette facing surface 122 toward the cassette mounting section 8.

In other words, the switch terminal 222 protrudes in a direction that is approximately perpendicular to the direction in which the tape cassette 30 is attached to and detached from the cassette mounting portion 8 (the up and down direction in FIG. 3). When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette mounting portion 8, the switch terminal 222 faces the front surface of the tape cassette 30 (specifically, the arm front wall 35). Below, the detection switch 210 provided in the arm detection unit 200 is referred to as the arm detection switch 210. The arm detection unit 200 of this embodiment has five arm detection switches 210A to 210E.

The head holder 74 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 9 and 10. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the head holder 74 is formed from a single plate-like member and includes a base portion 743 and a head fixing portion 744. The base portion 743 is fixed below the bottom surface (not shown) of the cavity 811. The head fixing portion 744 is bent approximately vertically from the base portion 743 to extend upward and is disposed along the left-right direction.

When the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the head holder 74 is inserted into the head insertion section 39. However, when the head holder 74 is inserted into the head insertion section 39, the right end of the head holder 74 extends further to the right than the right end of the head insertion section 39. The thermal head 10 is fixed to the front surface of the head fixing section 744 (see Figures 5 to 8).

The head fixing portion 744 is provided with a first support portion 741 and a second support portion 742. The first support portion 741 and the second support portion 742 support the tape cassette 30 attached to the tape printing device 1 from below. The first support portion 741 is a step portion formed at a predetermined height position by cutting out the right end portion of the head fixing portion 744 in an L-shape when viewed from the front. The second support portion 742 is an extension piece that is rectangular in side view and bends from the left end portion of the head fixing portion 744 approximately perpendicularly to the head fixing portion 744 and extends rearward. The first support portion 741 and the second support portion 742 are provided at the same vertical position (height position).

In other words, the first support portion 741 and the second support portion 742 extend in directions that are approximately perpendicular to each other in a plan view. The first support portion 741 and the second support portion 742 support the tape cassette 30 at the same height position on the upstream and downstream sides of the tape transport direction relative to the thermal head 10, respectively. The first support portion 741 and the second support portion 742 are set at positions that are a predetermined distance away in the vertical direction from the vertical center position of the thermal head 10. Therefore, the first support portion 741 and the second support portion 742 serve as references for positioning the tape cassette 30 in the vertical direction relative to the vertical center position of the thermal head 10.

The arm detection switch 210 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 11 and 12. As shown in Figure 11, five through holes 123 are arranged in three rows in the vertical direction on the cassette-facing surface 122 of the platen holder 12. Specifically, two are arranged in the top row, two in the middle row, and one in the bottom row. The positions of the through holes 123 in the left-right direction are different.

That is, five through holes 123 are arranged in a zigzag pattern starting from the right side of the cassette facing surface 122 (left side in FIG. 11), in the order of the bottom row, the right side of the top row, the right side of the middle row, the left side of the top row, and the left side of the middle row. Five arm detection switches 210A, 210B, 210C, 210D, and 210E are provided in correspondence with these through holes 123 starting from the left side of the cassette facing surface 122 (right side in FIG. 11).

As shown in FIG. 12, the arm detection switch 210 includes a main body 221 and a switch terminal 222. The main body 221 is a cylinder that is installed horizontally inside the platen holder 12. The front end of the main body 221 (the right end in FIG. 12) is fixed to a switch support plate 220 that is installed inside the platen holder 12.

The switch terminal 222 is a rod-shaped body provided at the rear end (left end in FIG. 12) of the main body 221, and can advance and retreat approximately horizontally through the through-hole 123. The switch terminal 222 is always held in a state extending rearward (left side in FIG. 12) from the main body 221 by a spring member (not shown) provided inside the main body 221. When the switch terminal 222 is not pressed from behind, it is in a state extending from the main body 221 (off state), and when it is pressed from behind, it is in a state pressed into the main body 221 (on state).

When a tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette mounting section 8, when the platen holder 12 moves toward the standby position (see FIG. 5), the arm detection switches 210 move away from the tape cassette 30 and are all turned off. When the platen holder 12 moves toward the printing position (see FIG. 6 to FIG. 8), the arm detection switches 210 are selectively pressed by the arm indicator section 800 (see FIG. 3), which will be described later. The tape printing device 1 detects the tape type of the tape cassette 30 based on the on/off combination of the arm detection switches 210.

As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the cassette-facing surface 122 of the platen holder 12 is provided with a locking piece 225, which is a protrusion extending in the left-right direction. Specifically, the locking piece 225 is integrally molded with the platen holder 12 so as to protrude rearward (to the left in Figure 12) from the cassette-facing surface 122. In other words, like the switch terminal 222, the locking piece 225 protrudes approximately horizontally from the cassette-facing surface 122 toward the cassette mounting section 8. The protruding height of the locking piece 225 based on the cassette-facing surface 122 is slightly greater than the protruding height of the switch terminal 222 based on the cassette-facing surface 122.

The locking piece 225 has an inclined portion 226 on the lower surface that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the thickness gradually decreases toward the tip side (left side in FIG. 12). The locking piece 225 is provided at a height position that faces the locking hole 820 (see FIG. 3) when the tape cassette 30 is attached in the appropriate position in the cassette attachment section 8. In this embodiment, the locking piece 225 is located on the cassette facing surface 122 above the top row of arm detection switches 210 in the vertical direction and overlaps with the bottom row of arm detection switches 210 in the horizontal direction.

The rear detection switch 310 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 13. As shown in Figure 4, the rear support part 813 has five through holes 814 arranged in two rows in the front-rear direction. Specifically, there are four in the rear row and one in the front row. Corresponding to these through holes 814, the four rear detection switches 310A-310D are lined up in a row along the rear end of the rear support part 813 in order from the right side (left side in Figure 13), and the remaining rear detection switch 310E is lined up in front of the second rear detection switch 310C from the left.

As shown in FIG. 13, the rear detection switch 310 includes a main body 316 and a switch terminal 317. The main body 316 is a cylindrical body that is installed vertically below the rear support part 813. The lower end of the main body 316 is fixed to a switch support plate 315 that is installed inside the main body cover 2.

The switch terminal 317 is a rod-shaped body provided at the upper end of the main body 316, and can move up and down through the through hole 814. The switch terminal 317 is always held in a state in which it extends upward from the main body 316 by a spring member (not shown) provided inside the main body 316. When the switch terminal 317 is not pressed from above, it is in a state in which it extends from the main body 316 (off state), and when it is pressed from above, it is in a state in which it is pressed into the main body 316 (on state).

When the tape cassette 30 is not installed in the cassette mounting section 8, the rear detection switches 310 are separated from the tape cassette 30 and therefore all are in the OFF state. When the tape cassette 30 is installed in the correct position in the cassette mounting section 8, the rear detection switches 310 are selectively pressed by the rear indicator section 900 (see FIG. 16), which will be described later. The tape printing device 1 detects the tape type of the tape cassette 30 based on the combination of ON/OFF of the rear detection switches 310.

The positional relationship of each component installed in the cassette mounting section 8 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. The two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 indicates a division line J, which is an imaginary line connecting the tape drive shaft 100 and the guide shaft 120 in a plan view. The tape drive shaft 100, guide shaft 120, auxiliary shaft 110, ribbon take-up shaft 95, and head holder 74 are provided at positions corresponding to the roller support hole 64, guide hole 47, first tape support hole 65, take-up spool support hole 68, and head insertion section 39, respectively, when the tape cassette 30 is installed in the cassette mounting section 8 (see FIG. 45).

The tape drive shaft 100 is erected in region P1, which includes a corner located at the front left of the cassette mounting section 8. Region P1 is located to the left of the head holder 74, which is fixed to the center of the front of the cassette mounting section 8. In other words, region P1 is located downstream of the printing position of the thermal head 10 in the tape transport direction. The guide shaft 120 is erected in region P2, which includes a corner located at the rear right of the cassette mounting section 8. In other words, when the cassette mounting section 8 is viewed from above, the corner included in region P2 is located diagonally to the corner included in region P1.

When the cassette mounting section 8 is divided at the dividing line J in plan view, the area occupying the rear side of the dividing line J is region P3, and the area occupying the front side of the dividing line J is region P4. The auxiliary shaft 110 is erected in region P3, and more specifically, is located to the left rear side of the center of the cassette mounting section 8 in plan view. The ribbon take-up shaft 95 is erected in region P4, and more specifically, is located to the right front side of the center of the cassette mounting section 8 in plan view. In other words, the auxiliary shaft 110 and the ribbon take-up shaft 95 are positioned approximately symmetrically with respect to the dividing line J in plan view.

A positioning pin 102 is provided adjacent to the rear side of the tape drive shaft 100. A positioning pin 103 is provided adjacent to the front side of the guide shaft 120. The positioning pins 102 and 103 position the tape cassette 30 attached to the cassette attachment section 8 near the tape drive shaft 100 and the guide shaft 120, respectively.

The electrical configuration of the tape printer 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 14. As shown in FIG. 14, the tape printer 1 has a control circuit section 600 formed on a control board. In the control circuit section 600, a ROM 602, a CGROM 603, a RAM 604, and an input/output interface 611 are connected to a CPU 601 via a data bus 610.

The ROM 602 stores various programs executed by the CPU 601 to control the tape printer 1. The ROM 602 also stores a table (see Figures 40 and 44) for identifying the tape type of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting section 8. The CGROM 603 stores printing dot pattern data for printing characters. The RAM 604 has multiple storage areas, such as a text memory and a print buffer.

The input/output interface 611 is connected to the arm detection switches 210A-210E, rear detection switches 310A-310E, keyboard 3, liquid crystal drive circuit (LCDC) 605, drive circuits 606, 607, 608, etc. Drive circuit 606 is an electronic circuit for driving the thermal head 10. Drive circuit 607 is an electronic circuit for driving the tape drive motor 23. Drive circuit 608 is an electronic circuit for driving the cutter motor 24. The cutter motor 24 moves the moving blade 19 back and forth to cut the printed tape 50. The LCDC 605 has a video RAM (not shown) for outputting display data to the display 5.

Next, the tape cassette 30 will be described with reference to Figures 3, 5 to 8, and 15 to 44. For ease of explanation, Figures 18, 19, and 32 show the cassette case 31 disassembled into the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, with the tapes and spools stored inside removed. However, Figure 32 shows the film tape 59, ink ribbon 60, and related members. Figure 28 shows the film tape 59, ink ribbon 60, and regulating members 361 and 362 of the configuration near the separation section 61 in phantom lines. Figure 29 shows the laminate-type tape cassette 30 with the upper case 311 removed.

The following describes the general configuration of tape cassette 30. Tape cassette 30 is a general-purpose cassette that can be implemented as the aforementioned thermal type, receptor type, laminate type, etc., by appropriately changing the type of tape stored inside and the presence or absence of an ink ribbon.

As shown in Figures 3 and 15 to 17, the tape cassette 30 has a cassette case 31 which is its housing. The cassette case 31 is generally rectangular (box-shaped) with rounded corners in a plan view. The cassette case 31 includes an upper case 311 and a lower case 312. The lower case 312 includes a bottom plate 306 (see Figure 20) which forms the bottom surface 302 of the cassette case 31. The upper case 311 includes a top plate 305 (see Figure 22) which forms the top surface 301 of the cassette case 31, and is fixed to the top of the lower case 312. The distance from the bottom surface 302 to the top surface 301 is called the height of the tape cassette 30 or the cassette case 31.

In this embodiment, the entire periphery of the top plate 305 and bottom plate 306 of the cassette case 31 is surrounded by a peripheral wall that forms the side surface, but it is not necessary that the entire periphery be surrounded. For example, an opening that exposes the inside of the cassette case 31 may be provided in a part of the peripheral wall (e.g., the back surface), or a boss that connects the top plate 305 and bottom plate 306 may be provided in a position facing the opening.

The cassette case 31 has four corners 321-324 formed with the same width (same vertical length) regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. In the following, the left rear corner is called the first corner 321, the right rear corner is called the second corner 322, the right front corner is called the third corner 323, and the left front corner is called the fourth corner 324. The first to third corners 321-323 protrude outward from the side of the cassette case 31 so as to form right angles in a plan view. The fourth corner 324 does not form a right angle because the ejection guide 49 is provided at the corner. The undersides of the corners 321-324 are the areas supported by the corner support 812 when the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment section 8.

As shown in FIG. 16, pin holes 62, 63 corresponding to the positioning pins 102, 103 of the tape printing device 1 are provided at two locations on the underside of the fourth corner 324 and the second corner 322. Specifically, the recess provided on the underside of the fourth corner 324 is the pin hole 62 into which the positioning pin 102 is inserted. The recess provided on the underside of the second corner 322 is the pin hole 63 into which the positioning pin 103 is inserted.

As shown in Figures 3 and 17, the common portion 32 refers to the portion (including the corners 321-324) that is at the same position as the corners 321-324 in the vertical direction of the cassette case 31 (i.e., the height direction in which the top surface 301 and the bottom surface 302 face each other) and that surrounds the entire side of the cassette case 31 with the same width. In more detail, the common portion 32 is a portion that has a width that is symmetrical in the vertical direction with respect to the center line N in the vertical direction of the cassette case 31 (see Figure 39). The height of the tape cassette 30 varies depending on the width of the tape stored in the cassette case 31. On the other hand, the width (vertical length) T of the common portion 32 is set to the same dimension regardless of the width of the tape stored in the cassette case 31.

Specifically, as the tape width of the tape cassette 30 increases (e.g., 18 mm, 24 mm, 36 mm), the height of the cassette case 31 also increases accordingly. On the other hand, the width T of the common portion 32 (see FIG. 39) is constant, e.g., 12 mm, regardless of the tape width. Note that if the tape width is equal to or less than the width T of the common portion 32 (e.g., 6 mm, 12 mm), the height (i.e., width) of the cassette case 31 is constant and is equal to the width T of the common portion 32 plus a predetermined width. In this case, the height of the cassette case 31 is at its smallest.

The cassette case 31 is provided with four support holes 65-68 for rotatably supporting the spools mounted in the cassette case 31. Below, the holes provided on the left rear, right rear, and right front of the cassette case 31 are referred to as the first tape support hole 65, the second tape support hole 66, and the ribbon support hole 67, respectively. The hole provided between the first tape support hole 65 and the ribbon support hole 67 in a plan view is referred to as the take-up spool support hole 68.

The first tape support hole 65 rotatably supports the first tape spool 40 (see FIG. 5). The second tape support hole 66 rotatably supports the second tape spool 41 (see FIG. 5). The ribbon support hole 67 rotatably supports the ribbon spool 42 (see FIG. 5). The take-up spool support hole 68 rotatably supports the ribbon take-up spool 44 (see FIG. 5). A clutch spring 340 (see FIG. 16) is attached to the bottom of the ribbon take-up spool 44. The clutch spring 340 is a coil spring that prevents the wound ink ribbon 60 from loosening due to the reverse rotation of the ribbon take-up spool 44.

As shown in Figures 5 to 8, a first tape area 400, a second tape area 410, a first ribbon area 420, and a second ribbon area 440 are provided inside the cassette case 31. The first tape area 400 and the second tape area 410 are areas capable of storing tape. The first ribbon area 420 is an area capable of storing an unused ink ribbon 60. The second ribbon area 440 is an area capable of storing an ink ribbon 60 after it has been used for printing (hereinafter, used ink ribbon 60). The tape and ink ribbon 60 are stored and transported inside the cassette case 31 so that their respective width directions are parallel to the vertical direction of the tape cassette 30.

The first tape area 400 is a generally circular area in plan view, adjacent to the first corner 321, occupying approximately the left half of the cassette case 31. The second tape area 410 is a generally circular area in plan view, adjacent to the second corner 322, and provided in the right rear part of the cassette case 31. The first ribbon area 420 is a region provided in the right front part of the cassette case 31, adjacent to the third corner 323 and the head insertion part 39. The second ribbon area 440 is a region provided between the first tape area 400 and the first ribbon area 420 in the cassette case 31. The support holes 65 to 68 are provided in the approximate center of the first tape area 400, the second tape area 410, the first ribbon area 420, and the second ribbon area 440, respectively, in plan view.

In the laminated type tape cassette 30 shown in Figures 5 and 6, three types of rolls are stored in the cassette case 31: a double-sided adhesive tape 58, a film tape 59, and an ink ribbon 60. The double-sided adhesive tape 58 is a tape with adhesive applied to both sides and a release paper attached to one side. The film tape 59 is a transparent tape with a printing surface on which printing is performed using the ink ribbon 60. The ink ribbon 60 has an ink surface on which ink is applied all over.

The first tape area 400 contains double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40 with the release paper facing outward. The second tape area 410 contains film tape 59 wound around the second tape spool 41 with the print surface facing inward. The first ribbon area 420 contains unused ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon spool 42 with the ink surface facing inward. The second ribbon area 440 contains used ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon take-up spool 44.

In the laminated type tape cassette 30, as the film tape 59 is pulled out, the second tape spool 41 rotates clockwise in a plan view. The film tape 59 pulled out from the second tape spool 41 is transported toward the right front corner of the cassette case 31 (the lower right corner in Figures 5 and 6). At the right front corner of the cassette case 31, the film tape 59 is transported along the outer periphery of the ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon spool 42 and at a distance from the ink ribbon 60. This prevents contact between the film tape 59 being transported and the ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon spool 42, allowing the film tape 59 to be transported stably.

As the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out, the ribbon spool 42 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view. The ink ribbon 60 pulled out from the ribbon spool 42 is transported toward the transport pin 531. As the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is pulled out, the first tape spool 40 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view. The double-sided adhesive tape 58 pulled out from the first tape spool 40 is transported toward the tape drive roller 46 provided in the front left corner of the cassette case 31 (the lower left corner in Figures 5 and 6).

In the receptor type tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 7, two types of rolls, a print tape 57 and an ink ribbon 60, are stored in the cassette case 31. The print tape 57 has a print surface on which printing is performed using the ink ribbon 60, and is a single-sided tape with a release paper attached to the surface opposite the print surface. The first tape area 400 stores the print tape 57 wound around the first tape spool 40 with the release paper facing outward. The first ribbon area 420 stores the unused ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon spool 42. The second ribbon area 440 stores the used ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon take-up spool 44. Since nothing is stored in the second tape area 410, the second tape spool 41 is not provided.

In a receptor-type tape cassette 30, as the print tape 57 is pulled out, the first tape spool 40 rotates clockwise in a plan view. The print tape 57 pulled out from the first tape spool 40 is transported toward the right front corner of the cassette case 31. As the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out, the ribbon spool 42 rotates counterclockwise in a plan view. The ink ribbon 60 pulled out from the ribbon spool 42 is transported toward the transport pin 531.

In the thermal type tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 8, one type of roll of thermal paper tape 55 is stored in the cassette case 31. The thermal paper tape 55 is a single-sided tape with a print surface on which printing is performed by a thermal method, and a release paper is attached to the surface opposite the print surface. The first tape area 400 stores the thermal paper tape 55 wound around the first tape spool 40 with the release paper facing outward. Since nothing is stored in the second tape area 410, the first ribbon area 420, and the second ribbon area 440, the second tape spool 41, the ribbon spool 42, and the ribbon take-up spool 44 are not provided.

In a thermal type tape cassette 30, as the thermal paper tape 55 is pulled out, the first tape spool 40 rotates clockwise in a plan view. The thermal paper tape 55 pulled out from the first tape spool 40 is transported toward the right front corner of the cassette case 31.

As shown in Figures 5 to 8, a bent portion 533 is provided at the right front corner of the cassette case 31, i.e., the right front side of the first ribbon area 420. The bent portion 533 is a pin that bends the tape transport path passing through the bent portion 533 at an acute angle along the outer periphery of the first ribbon area 420. The tape transported toward the left front corner of the cassette case 31 is transported toward the left front corner of the cassette case 31 via the bent portion 533 and is guided into the arm portion 34 described below.

The bent portion 533 is inserted into an axial hole of a roller member 535, which is a cylindrical rotating body. The bent portion 533 rotatably supports the roller member 535. The roller member 535 rotates in contact with the tape passing through the bent portion 533. The rotation of the roller member 535 smoothly feeds the tape passing through the bent portion 533 toward the front left corner of the cassette case 31.

The transport pin 531 is provided on the left side of the first ribbon area 420 and on the front right side of the first cylindrical member 881B (see FIG. 18). The transport pin 531 is a pin that bends the transport path of the ink ribbon 60 toward the inside of the arm section 34. The ink ribbon 60 pulled out from the ribbon spool 42 is guided into the arm section 34 via the transport pin 531.

A restricting rib 532 is provided on the right side of the first ribbon region 420, standing from the bottom plate 306. In other words, the restricting rib 532 is a plate-like member provided upstream of the bent portion 533 in the tape transport direction. The restricting rib 532 extends leftward from the right side of the cassette case 31, and its left end is located near the tape transport path. The restricting rib 532 does not come into contact with the tape being transported, but does come into contact with the tape attempting to move toward the back side (the side opposite the printed surface). In other words, the restricting rib 532 restricts the tape from spreading near the first ribbon region 420.

As shown in Figures 3 and 17, the front surface of the cassette case 31 is provided with a semicircular groove 84, which is a groove portion that is approximately semicircular in plan view. The semicircular groove 84 is provided across the top and bottom of the cassette case 31. The semicircular groove 84 is an escape portion provided so that the shaft support portion 121 of the platen holder 12 does not interfere with the cassette case 31 when the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 8.

The portion of the front wall of the cassette case 31 that extends leftward from the semicircular groove 84 is the arm front wall 35. The wall portion that is provided in the vertical direction at a position spaced rearward from the arm front wall 35 is the arm rear wall 37. The portion that extends leftward from the right front of the tape cassette 30 and is defined in the front-to-back direction by the arm front wall 35 and the arm rear wall 37 is the arm portion 34.

The left end of the arm front wall 35 is bent backward. The gap extending in the vertical direction between the arm front wall 35 and the left end of the arm rear wall 37 is the discharge port 341. The discharge port 341 discharges the tape (and the ink ribbon 60) from the arm section 34. The left end of the arm front wall 35 adjacent to the discharge port 341 is the arm tip section 85. The portion of the arm tip section 85 where the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 come into contact with and separate from each other is the contact and separation section 86. The arm front wall 35 is provided with an arm indicator section 800 and a locking hole 820, which will be described in detail later.

As shown in Figures 5 to 8, in the arm section 34, the tape pulled out from the first tape spool 40 or the second tape spool 41 is guided along a transport path that extends approximately parallel to the arm front wall 35 and is discharged from the discharge port 341. The ink ribbon 60 pulled out from the ribbon spool 42 is guided along a transport path different from that of the tape in the arm section 34 and is discharged from the discharge port 341. However, in a laminate type tape cassette 30, the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 guided in the arm section 34 are superimposed at the discharge port 341 and discharged. In a receptor type tape cassette 30, the print tape 57 and the ink ribbon 60 guided in the arm section 34 are superimposed at the discharge port 341 and discharged.

The peripheral wall extending rearward from the right end of the arm rear wall 37 and parallel to the arm rear wall 37 is the head peripheral wall 36. The space defined by the arm rear wall 37 and the head peripheral wall 36, which is generally rectangular in plan view and penetrates the tape cassette 30 in the vertical direction, is the head insertion section 39. The head insertion section 39 is also connected to the outside on the front side of the tape cassette 30 via an exposed section 77 provided on the front side of the tape cassette 30. A head holder 74 that supports the thermal head 10 is inserted into the head insertion section 39.

In the exposed portion 77, one side (back side) of the tape discharged from the discharge port 341 is exposed forward, and the other side (printing side) faces the thermal head 10. The thermal head 10 prints on the tape located in the exposed portion 77. However, in a laminate type tape cassette 30, the printing side of the film tape 59 discharged to the exposed portion 77 faces the thermal head 10 with the ink ribbon 60 sandwiched between them. In a receptor type tape cassette 30, the printing side of the printing tape 57 discharged to the exposed portion 77 faces the thermal head 10 with the ink ribbon 60 sandwiched between them. The thermal head 10 prints on the printing tape 57 or film tape 59 located in the exposed portion 77 using the ink ribbon 60.

As shown in Figures 5 to 8 and 17, a separation section 61 is provided on the left side of the head insertion section 39. The separation section 61 is a section that separates the tape and ink ribbon 60 used for printing, downstream of the exposed section 77 in the tape transport direction. The separation section 61 includes regulating members 361, 362, ribbon guide wall 38, and isolation wall 43.

The regulating members 361, 362 are a pair of upper and lower plate-like bodies that guide the printed tape toward the discharge guide section 49. The ribbon guide wall 38 is a wall that guides the used ink ribbon 60 toward the ribbon take-up spool 44. The isolation wall 43 is a wall that prevents the used ink ribbon 60 guided along the ribbon guide wall 38 from coming into contact with the double-sided adhesive tape 58 that is pulled out toward the tape drive roller 46 in the laminated type tape cassette 30.

A separation wall 48 is provided between the ribbon guide wall 38 and the ribbon take-up spool 44. The separation wall 48 is provided on the front side of the first tape area 400 and is provided along a part of the outer periphery of the first tape area 400. The separation wall 48 is a wall portion that prevents the used ink ribbon 60 guided from the ribbon guide wall 38 toward the ribbon take-up spool 44 and the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40 from contacting each other.

A roller support hole 64 is provided on the left side of the separation section 61 (i.e., the downstream side in the tape transport direction). The tape drive roller 46 is rotatably supported on the inside of the roller support hole 64. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, when a laminate type tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14 cooperate to pull out the film tape 59 from the second tape spool 41 and pull out the double-sided adhesive tape 58 from the first tape spool 40.

The printed film tape 59 is guided downstream in the tape transport direction by the regulating members 361 and 362. When the printed film tape 59 passes between the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is adhered to the printed surface of the film tape 59. The adhered film tape 59, i.e., the printed tape 50, is transported toward the discharge guide section 49.

As shown in FIG. 7, when a receptor-type tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading section 8, the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14 work together to pull out the printed tape 57 from the first tape spool 40. The printed tape 57 after printing, i.e., the printed tape 50, is guided downstream in the tape transport direction by the regulating members 361 and 362 and transported toward the discharge guide section 49 via the gap between the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14.

As shown in FIG. 8, when a thermal type tape cassette 30 is installed, the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14 work together to pull out the thermal paper tape 55 from the first tape spool 40. The thermal paper tape 55 after printing, i.e., the printed tape 50, is guided downstream in the tape transport direction by the regulating members 361 and 362 and transported toward the discharge guide section 49 through the gap between the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14.

As shown in Figures 5 to 8, the discharge guide 49 is a plate-like member that spans the top surface 301 and bottom surface 302 and is located slightly forward from the front end of the left side of the cassette case 31. The discharge guide 49 guides the printed tape 50 that has been transported via the tape drive roller 46 into a passage formed between the discharge guide 49 and the front end of the left side of the cassette case 31. The printed tape 50 is discharged from the end of this passage to the outside of the tape cassette 30.

A guide hole 47 is provided in the rear right portion of the cassette case 31, into which the guide shaft 120 is inserted when the tape cassette 30 is removed. In this embodiment, the opening shape of the guide hole 47 is such that both sides parallel to the division line K (see FIG. 15) in a plan view are straight, and both sides perpendicular to the division line K are curved such that the distance from the center of the opening of the guide hole 47 is constant. In other words, the guide hole 47 is a long hole whose opening width is small in the direction perpendicular to the division line K and extends along the division line K.

The opening width of the guide hole 47 is larger than the diameter of the small diameter shaft portion 120B (see FIG. 45) of the guide shaft 120 in all directions passing through the opening center of the guide hole 47 in a plan view. However, the opening width of the guide hole 47 is largest at the division line K that passes through the opening center of the guide hole 47 in a plan view. The opening width of the guide hole 47 is smallest at a line (imaginary line G shown in FIG. 15) that passes through the opening center of the guide hole 47 in a plan view and is perpendicular to the division line K. The opening width of the guide hole 47 at the imaginary line G is approximately equal to the diameter of the large diameter shaft portion 120A (see FIG. 45) of the guide shaft 120.

As shown in Figures 16, 18, and 19, a rear recess 360 is provided at approximately the center of the rear of the cassette case 31 in the left-right direction. The rear recess 360 is a recess formed by recessing a part of the bottom plate 306 upward from the bottom surface 302. In other words, the rear recess 360 is a step portion formed between the first tape area 400, the second tape area 410, and the rear surface of the cassette case 31.

The rear recess 360 has a rear step wall 360A, which is a flat wall portion (bottom portion of the recess) located above the bottom surface 302. The rear step wall 360A has a shape that generally corresponds to the rear support portion 813 (see FIG. 3), i.e., a generally triangular shape when viewed from the bottom. The rear step wall 360A is formed at the same height as the lower end of the common portion 32. Therefore, the distance from the center line N of the cassette case 31 to the rear step wall 360A is constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30, similar to the common portion 32. The rear step wall 360A is provided with a rear indicator portion 900, which will be described later.

The detailed structures of the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 28. In particular, the structure for connecting the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 and the structure for regulating the widthwise position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 will be described separately for the upper case 311 and the lower case 312.

The structure of the lower case 312 will be described with reference to Figures 16 to 21, 27 and 28. As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the outer shape of the lower case 312 is formed by a bottom plate 306 and a lower peripheral wall 304. The lower peripheral wall 304 is a side wall that extends upward from the bottom plate 306 at a predetermined height along the outer edge of the bottom surface 302. Of the lower peripheral wall 304, the wall portion that constitutes the lower part of the arm front wall 35 is the lower arm front wall 35B. The wall portion that stands upright from the bottom plate 306 and spaced rearward from the lower arm front wall 35B is the lower arm rear wall 37B that constitutes the lower part of the arm rear wall 37. The peripheral wall that extends continuously from the lower arm rear wall 37B is the lower head peripheral wall 36B that constitutes the lower part of the head peripheral wall 36.

The detailed configuration of the area around the head insertion portion 39 in the lower case 312 will now be described. As shown in Figures 16 and 20, a first receiving portion 391 and a second receiving portion 392 are provided on the outer periphery of the head insertion portion 39 of the lower case 312. In other words, the first and second receiving portions 391, 392 are provided in positions facing the head insertion portion 39. The first and second receiving portions 391, 392 are used to determine the vertical positioning of the tape cassette 30 to be loaded into the cassette loading portion 8.

Specifically, a first receiving portion 391 and a second receiving portion 392 are provided at two locations, upstream and downstream in the tape transport direction, based on the insertion position (more specifically, the print position) of the thermal head 10 (see FIG. 5). The first receiving portion 391 is connected to the upstream end of the arm portion 34 in the tape transport direction and the upstream end of the head insertion portion 39. The second receiving portion 392 is connected to the downstream end of the head insertion portion 39.

The first and second receiving portions 391, 392 are both recesses formed by recessing a portion of the bottom plate 306 upward from the bottom surface 302. Furthermore, the first receiving portion 391 is recessed from the head insertion portion 39 in a direction along the arm front wall 35. The second receiving portion 392 is recessed from the head insertion portion 39 in a direction perpendicular to the arm front wall 35. In other words, the first receiving portion 391 and the second receiving portion 392 face the head insertion portion 39 in directions perpendicular to each other.

The first and second receiving portions 391, 392 each have a first lower planar portion 391B and a second lower planar portion 392B. The first and second lower planar portions 391B, 392B are the lower surfaces of a planar portion (the bottom portion of the recess) that is generally rectangular in bottom view and located above the bottom surface 302.

The distance between the height positions (i.e., vertical positions) of the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B in the lower case 312 and the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the cassette case 31 is constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30, i.e. even if the vertical height of the tape cassette 30 is different. Therefore, the greater the width of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the tape cassette 30, the greater the depth of the first receiving portion 391 based on the height position of the first lower flat surface 391B, and the greater the depth of the second receiving portion 392 based on the height position of the second lower flat surface 392B.

In this embodiment, the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B are located at the same distance in the vertical direction from the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60. In other words, the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B are located at the same height position in the lower case 312. Note that the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 coincides with the vertical center position of the cassette case 31.

The first and second lower flat surfaces 391B and 392B are reference surfaces for the lower case 312. A reference surface is a surface used as a reference when setting or measuring the dimensions of a certain part. In this embodiment, the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B and 392B are reference surfaces for various regulating parts that regulate the movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60 in the width direction. In addition, the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B and 392B also function as parts that are supported from below by the first and second support parts 741 and 742 (see FIG. 5), respectively, when the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting part 8.

As shown in Figures 16 and 20, a locking portion 397 is provided on the outer periphery of the head insertion portion 39 of the lower case 312 (i.e., at a position facing the head insertion portion 39). In detail, the locking portion 397 is provided at approximately the center position in the left-right direction of the lower head peripheral wall 36B, and faces the lower arm back wall 37B in the front-rear direction. The locking portion 397 is formed by cutting out a portion above a predetermined height from the bottom surface 302 of the lower head peripheral wall 36B. When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 8, the claw portion 752 (see Figure 49) of the cassette hook 75 is engaged with the locking portion 397 (the upper end of the cut-out lower head peripheral wall 36B).

Details of the parts constituting the vicinity of the arm section 34 in the lower case 312 will be described. As shown in Figures 17 to 20, the parts constituting the arm section 34 in the lower case 312 include the lower arm front wall 35B, the lower arm rear wall 37B, and the separation wall 33. The separation wall 33 is a wall part that is provided between the lower arm front wall 35B and the lower arm rear wall 37B and extends upward from the bottom plate 306. A mold hole 850 is provided near the left end of the lower arm front wall 35B. The mold hole 850 is a part that is cut out from the upper part of the lower arm front wall 35B in a vertically elongated rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The mold hole 850 is an escape hole for the mold used when molding the lower case 312, and forms a through hole in the arm front wall 35 when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312.

The separation wall 33 is formed to be the highest of the three walls (lower arm front wall 35B, lower arm rear wall 37B, and separation wall 33) of the arm section 34. The height of the separation wall 33 is slightly greater than the width of the tape stored in the cassette case 31. The left part of the lower arm front wall 35B of the die hole 850 has a height of about half that of the separation wall 33, and the right part of the die hole 850 has a height of about two-thirds that of the separation wall 33. The lower arm rear wall 37B is slightly lower than the separation wall 33 and has a height almost equal to the width of the ink ribbon 60. The right end of the separation wall 33, which is cylindrical in plan view, is located almost in the center of the arm section 34. The left end of the separation wall 33 is located opposite the die hole 850 provided in the lower arm front wall 35B in the front-rear direction of the lower case 312.

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the left side of the mold hole 850 in the lower arm front wall 35B is the lower tip 85B that constitutes the lower part of the arm tip 85. The upper end of the lower tip 85B is the lower contact portion 86B that constitutes the lower part of the contact portion 86. The groove portion formed on the right side of the lower arm front wall 35B in the lower case 312 is the lower semicircular groove 84B that constitutes the lower part of the semicircular groove 84.

The lower tip portion 85B is provided with a tip hole portion 687 that extends in the vertical direction. The tip hole portion 687 is a hole that penetrates the bottom plate 306 of the tape cassette 30, and is formed in a circular shape in a plan view. The tip hole portion 687 may be formed as a concave hole that does not penetrate the bottom plate 306 of the tape cassette 30. The upper portion of the tip hole portion 687 gradually widens toward the top so that the opening diameter at the upper end is maximum.

As shown in FIG. 20, in the component parts of the arm section 34 in the lower case 312, a tape transport path is formed between the lower arm front wall 35B and the separation wall 33. A transport path for the ink ribbon 60 is formed between the separation wall 33 and the lower arm rear wall 37B. Restriction pieces are provided on these transport paths to restrict the movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60 in the width direction (i.e., the up-down direction).

Regarding the tape transport path, first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B that regulate the downward movement of the tape are provided at the lower ends of the left and right ends of the separation wall 33, respectively. The first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B each protrude slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306 and extend forward to the lower arm front wall 35B. The upper end of the left end of the separation wall 33 is provided with a separation wall regulating portion 383 that regulates the upward movement of the tape. The separation wall regulating portion 383 is a protruding piece that protrudes forward from the upper end of the separation wall 33. The vertical distance between the first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B and the separation wall regulating portion 383 is the same as the width of the tape.

The detailed configuration of the left end of the separation wall 33 will be described with reference to FIG. 18 and FIG. 27. As shown in FIG. 27, a separation wall regulating portion 383 and a first tape bottom regulating portion 381B are provided at the upper and lower ends of the left end of the separation wall 33, respectively. A first print surface side regulating portion 389 is provided between the separation wall regulating portion 383 and the first tape bottom regulating portion 381B. The first print surface side regulating portion 389 is a bulging portion in which the center portion in the left-right direction is slightly raised in a plan view. Furthermore, the first print surface side regulating portion 389 has a shape like a convex lens in which the center portion in the up-down direction protrudes slightly forward (to the right in FIG. 27) in a side view. In other words, the regulating surface 389A of the first print surface side regulating portion 389 has a center portion that is slightly raised more than the peripheral portion in both the left-right direction and the up-down direction.

18, the separation wall regulating portion 383 is provided at a position higher than the lower arm front wall 35B. The first tape bottom regulating portion 381B is provided behind the mold hole 850. The separation wall regulating portion 383 and the first tape bottom regulating portion 381B are exposed in front of the lower arm front wall 35B before the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312. Furthermore, the left end of the separation wall 33, i.e., the separation wall regulating portion 383 and the first tape bottom regulating portion 381B, are adjacent to the arm indicator portion 800 described below in a front view (see FIG. 25). Therefore, the separation wall regulating portion 383 and the first tape bottom regulating portion 381B, and the arm indicator portion 800 can be simultaneously viewed by a person from the front of the lower case 312.

As shown in FIG. 20, with regard to the transport path of the ink ribbon 60, a first ribbon bottom regulating portion 387B is provided at the lower end of the right end of the separation wall 33. The first ribbon bottom regulating portion 387B regulates the downward movement of the ink ribbon 60. The first ribbon bottom regulating portion 387B protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306, and extends rearward from the right end of the separation wall 33 to the lower arm rear wall 37B.

The height positions of the first tape bottom restraining portion 381B, 382B, the separation wall restraining portion 383, and the first ribbon bottom restraining portion 387B in the lower case 312 are set using the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B, respectively, as reference planes.

In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the first tape bottom regulating portion 381B, 382B and the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B is set according to the width of the tape. The vertical distance between the lower end of the separation wall regulating portion 383 and the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B is set according to the width of the tape. The vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the first ribbon bottom regulating portion 387B and the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B is set according to the width of the ink ribbon 60. As described above, the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B are provided near the upstream end and downstream end of the head insertion portion 39, respectively. Therefore, each regulating portion provided in the arm portion 34 is close to the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B, which are the reference surfaces.

Conventionally, the reference position (e.g., the bottom of pin holes 62, 63) used when setting the dimensions of the regulating portion and measuring the dimensions after manufacture was located away from the regulating portion, so the pieces of the mold used to mold the two could be different. In this case, the farther the piece of the reference position was, the greater the risk of a dimensional error in the regulating portion of the manufactured tape cassette 30. Even if it was possible to form them with the same piece, if the reference position and the regulating portion were located far away, there was a risk of measurement errors occurring and dimensional accuracy decreasing. For this reason, in the conventional tape cassette manufacturing process, workers strictly set the dimensions of the regulating portion and measured the dimensions after manufacture.

As in this embodiment, by making the distance between the regulating portion and the reference surface closer, measurement errors are reduced and the possibility of forming both with the same piece increases. As a result, the height position of each regulating portion can be accurately determined, and the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be improved. The arm portion 34 is located upstream of the position (specifically, the exposed portion 77) where printing is performed by the thermal head 10 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10 can be improved along with the improvement in the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 within the arm portion 34. Furthermore, the burden on the operator to precisely set the dimensions of the regulating portion, as described above, is reduced.

After the lower case 312 is manufactured, the dimensions of each regulating part can be easily managed using the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B as reference surfaces. For example, when inspecting the lower case 312, the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B, which serve as reference surfaces, are placed on the mounting surface of a jig to measure the dimensions of each regulating part. At this time, since the distance between each regulating part and the reference surface is short, the inspector can accurately measure the dimensions.

The first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B are provided at a fixed distance in the vertical direction from the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the cassette case 31. Therefore, the vertical positions of the tape and ink ribbon 60 relative to the vertical positions of the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B become clearer. As a result, the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be further improved.

In this embodiment, the vertical distance between the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 and the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B is constant regardless of the width of the tape and ink ribbon 60. Therefore, the height positions of the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B can be determined based on a uniform standard for multiple types of tape cassettes 30 that contain different widths of tape and ink ribbon 60. As a result, dimensional measurement and parts management of the cassette case 31 can be facilitated.

Each regulating portion in the arm portion 34 is located between the first and second lower flat portions 391B, 392B in the left-right direction of the lower case 312, and is close to both reference surfaces. In other words, dimensions can be set or measured using either reference surface, or both reference surfaces can be used. By using both reference surfaces, the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing each regulating portion can be further improved. Therefore, the conveying accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be further improved. In addition, after manufacturing the lower case 312, dimensional management of each regulating portion can be performed more accurately and easily.

Furthermore, within the arm section 34, not only is the tape restricted in the width direction, but the movement towards the print surface side is restricted by the first print surface side restricting section 389. Since the center of the first print surface side restricting section 389 in the left-right direction protrudes forward, the tape transported within the arm section 34 is bent towards the head insertion section 39 side. Since the center of the first print surface side restricting section 389 in the up-down direction protrudes forward, the tension of the tape is concentrated in the center in the width direction. As a result, back tension is applied to the tape transported within the arm section 34, making it possible to stabilize the running of the tape.

As shown in FIG. 20, a bent portion 533 is provided near the third corner 323, which is further upstream than the arm portion 34 in the tape transport direction. A regulating portion 384B is provided at the lower end of the bent portion 533. The regulating portion 384B regulates the downward movement of the tape in the same manner as the first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B. Therefore, similar to the first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B, the dimensions of the regulating portion 384B may be set and managed using the adjacent first bottom flat portion 391B as a reference plane.

The details of the portion constituting the vicinity of the separation section 61 in the lower case 312 will be described. As shown in Figures 18 to 20 and 28, the wall portion of the lower head peripheral wall 36B that extends in the front-to-rear direction on the left side of the head insertion section 39 is the ribbon guide wall 38. In other words, the ribbon guide wall 38 is the wall portion that defines the downstream end of the head insertion section 39 in the tape transport direction. The ribbon guide wall 38 is adjacent to the left side of the second receiving section 392 in a plan view.

A partition wall 43 is erected on the left side of the ribbon guide wall 38 and on the right side of an opening 64B described below. The partition wall 43 is provided along a part of the opening 64B in a plan view so as to draw a gentle arc in the front-to-rear direction of the cassette case 31. The surface of the partition wall 43 on the opening 64B side is formed in a sawtooth shape in a plan view to prevent the double-sided adhesive tape 58 from adhering to it. A restricting member 362 is provided on the front left side of the ribbon guide wall 38 and in front of the partition wall 43, extending upward from the bottom plate 306.

As described above, the tape and ink ribbon 60 discharged from the arm portion 34 are guided into the separation portion 61 via the exposed portion 77. The vertically long gap formed between the ribbon guide wall 38 and the regulating member 362 functions as the lower portion of the inlet 61A. The inlet 61A is part of the transport path for the tape and ink ribbon 60 that communicates with the exposed portion 77. The inlet 61A guides the printed tape and used ink ribbon 60 into the separation portion 61.

The vertically long gap formed between the isolation wall 43 and the regulating member 362 functions as the lower portion of the tape guide opening 61B. The tape guide opening 61B is part of the tape transport path that is provided downstream of the inlet 61A. The tape guide opening 61B guides the printed tape toward the front of the tape drive roller 46 (see FIG. 5).

The vertical gap formed between the ribbon guide wall 38 and the isolation wall 43 functions as the ribbon guide opening 61C. The ribbon guide opening 61C is part of the transport path for the ink ribbon 60, which is provided downstream of the inlet 61A. The ribbon guide opening 61C guides the used ink ribbon 60 toward the second ribbon region 440 (see FIG. 5).

At the lower ends of the inlet 61A and the ribbon guide outlet 61C, the upper surface of the bottom plate 306 forms a continuous flat surface without any irregularities. Meanwhile, a second bottom tape regulating portion 363B is provided between the base of the isolation wall 43 and the base of the regulating member 362, protruding slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306. Therefore, the lower end of the tape guide outlet 61B (i.e., the protruding end of the second bottom tape regulating portion 363B) is located above the lower end of the inlet 61A (i.e., the upper surface of the bottom plate 306). In other words, the second bottom tape regulating portion 363B forms a step such that the lower end of the tape guide outlet 61B is higher than the lower end of the inlet 61A.

The second bottom tape regulating portion 363B regulates the downward movement of the tape through the tape guide opening 61B. Furthermore, the second bottom tape regulating portion 363B functions as a separation rib for peeling off the used ink ribbon 60 from the printed tape within the separation portion 61.

A partition wall regulating portion 364, which is a protruding piece that protrudes forward, is provided at the upper end of the front end of the partition wall 43. The partition wall regulating portion 364 regulates the upward movement of the tape passing through the tape guide opening 61B. A protrusion 398, which is a pin that protrudes upward, is provided at the top of the partition wall regulating portion 364. The vertical distance between the second tape bottom regulating portion 363B and the partition wall regulating portion 364 is the same as the width of the tape.

Second print surface side regulating portions 43A and 43B are provided on the front end surface of the isolation wall 43. The second print surface side regulating portion 43A is a stepped portion provided at the bottom of the isolation wall regulating portion 364 and protruding slightly forward from the front end surface of the isolation wall 43. The second print surface side regulating portion 43B is a stepped portion provided at the base of the isolation wall 43 and protruding slightly forward from the front end surface of the isolation wall 43.

The height positions of the second tape bottom regulating portion 363B and the partition wall regulating portion 364 in the lower case 312 are set using the adjacent second lower flat surface portion 392B as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the second tape bottom regulating portion 363B and the second lower flat surface portion 392B, and the vertical distance between the lower end of the partition wall regulating portion 364 and the second lower flat surface portion 392B are set according to the width of the tape. Therefore, the dimensional accuracy of the second tape bottom regulating portion 363B and the partition wall regulating portion 364 can be improved by using the second lower flat surface portion 392B as a reference surface. After the lower case 312 is manufactured, the dimensions of the second tape bottom regulating portion 363B and the partition wall regulating portion 364 can be easily managed.

In this embodiment, the second tape bottom regulating portion 363B and the separating wall regulating portion 364 are provided near the tape drive roller 46. Within the separation portion 61, the tape is positioned in the width direction by these regulating portions. Therefore, the tape can be transported from the separation portion 61 to the tape drive roller 46 with high precision parallel to the center line of the tape in the width direction.

In addition, within the separation section 61, not only is the tape restricted in the width direction, but movement towards the print surface side is restricted by the second print surface side restricting sections 43A and 43B. Because the second print surface side restricting sections 43A and 43B protrude forward, the tape passing through the tape guide opening 61B is bent towards the tape drive roller 46. As a result, back tension is applied to the tape passing through the tape guide opening 61B, making it possible to stabilize the running of the tape.

The following describes in detail the first corner 321, the second corner 322, and the portions of the lower case 312 that form the storage area for the tape and ink ribbon 60. As shown in Figures 16, 18 to 20, the lower case 312 includes a third lower flat surface portion 321B that is the underside of the first corner portion 321, and a fourth lower flat surface portion 322B that is the underside of the second corner portion 322. The third lower flat surface portion 321B and the fourth lower flat surface portion 322B are both flat surfaces located above the bottom surface 302.

The height positions of the third and fourth lower flat surfaces 321B, 322B in the lower case 312 and the widthwise center positions of the tape and ink ribbon 60 are constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. Therefore, the greater the width of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the tape cassette 30, the greater the distance from the bottom surface 302 to the third and fourth lower flat surfaces 321B, 322B.

In this embodiment, the third and fourth lower flat surface portions 321B, 322B are located at the same vertical distance from the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 as the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B. In other words, the first to fourth lower flat surface portions 391B, 392B, 321B, 322B are all located at the same height in the lower case 312. The third and fourth lower flat surface portions 321B, 322B are used as reference surfaces for a restricting portion that restricts the downward movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60.

As shown in Figures 18 to 20, the lower case 312 includes a first lower tape area 400B, a second lower tape area 410B, a first lower ribbon area 420B, and a second lower ribbon area 440B. The first lower tape area 400B constitutes the lower portion of the first tape area 400. The second lower tape area 410B constitutes the lower portion of the second tape area 410. The first lower ribbon area 420B constitutes the lower portion of the first ribbon area 420. The second lower ribbon area 440B constitutes the lower portion of the second ribbon area 440.

As shown in FIG. 20, the first bottom tape area 400B has a protrusion that protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306. In detail, a ring-shaped protrusion is provided at the center of the first bottom tape area 400B where the first tape spool 40 (see FIG. 5) is disposed. Three linear protrusions extend radially from this ring-shaped protrusion to the periphery of the first bottom tape area 400B. These protrusions are the third bottom tape regulating portion 401B. The third bottom tape regulating portion 401B regulates the downward movement of the tape stored in the first tape area 400 (see FIG. 5 to FIG. 8).

The height position of the third bottom tape restraining portion 401B in the bottom case 312 is set using the adjacent third bottom flat surface portion 321B as a reference surface. In particular, the vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the third bottom tape restraining portion 401B and the third bottom flat surface portion 321B is set according to the tape width. Therefore, by using the third bottom flat surface portion 321B as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the third bottom tape restraining portion 401B. After manufacturing the bottom case 312, it is easy to manage the dimensions of the third bottom tape restraining portion 401B.

A second ribbon bottom regulating portion 388B is provided at the rear end of the ribbon guide wall 38. The second ribbon bottom regulating portion 388B regulates the downward movement of the ink ribbon 60 transported from the separation portion 61 to the second ribbon region 440. The second ribbon bottom regulating portion 388B protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306 and extends rearward to just before the first lower tape region 400B.

The height position of the second ribbon under regulating portion 388B in the lower case 312 is set using the adjacent second lower flat surface portion 392B as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the second ribbon under regulating portion 388B and the second lower flat surface portion 392B is set according to the width of the ink ribbon 60. Therefore, by using the second lower flat surface portion 392B as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the second ribbon under regulating portion 388B. After manufacturing the lower case 312, it is possible to easily manage the dimensions of the second ribbon under regulating portion 388B.

The second lower tape area 410B, like the first lower tape area 400B, has a protrusion that protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306. More specifically, a ring-shaped protrusion is provided at the center of the second lower tape area 410B where the second tape spool 41 (see FIG. 5) is disposed. Eight linear protrusions extend radially from this ring-shaped protrusion to the periphery of the second lower tape area 410B. These protrusions are the fourth lower tape regulating portion 411B. The fourth lower tape regulating portion 411B regulates the downward movement of the tape stored in the second tape area 410 (see FIG. 5 and FIG. 6).

The height position of the fourth bottom tape restraining portion 411B in the bottom case 312 is set using the adjacent fourth bottom flat surface portion 322B as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the fourth bottom tape restraining portion 411B and the fourth bottom flat surface portion 322B is set according to the tape width. Therefore, by using the fourth bottom flat surface portion 322B as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the fourth bottom tape restraining portion 411B. After manufacturing the bottom case 312, it is possible to easily manage the dimensions of the fourth bottom tape restraining portion 411B.

The first lower ribbon region 420B has a protrusion that protrudes slightly upward from the upper surface of the bottom plate 306. More specifically, the third lower ribbon restricting portion 421B is a protrusion that is provided in an annular shape at the center of the first lower ribbon region 420B where the ribbon spool 42 (see FIG. 5) is located. The third lower ribbon restricting portion 421B restricts the downward movement of unused ink ribbon 60 (see FIG. 5 to FIG. 7) stored in the first ribbon region 420.

The height position of the third ribbon bottom regulating portion 421B in the lower case 312 is set using the adjacent first lower flat surface portion 391B as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (upper end) of the third ribbon bottom regulating portion 421B and the first lower flat surface portion 391B is set according to the width of the ink ribbon 60. Therefore, by using the first lower flat surface portion 391B as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the third ribbon bottom regulating portion 421B. After manufacturing the lower case 312, it is possible to easily manage the dimensions of the third ribbon bottom regulating portion 421B.

In this embodiment, the protruding ends of the first to fourth tape bottom restraining sections 381B, 382B, 363B, 401B, 411B are all set at the same height position regardless of their respective placement positions. Therefore, the downward movement of the tape stored in the first tape area 400 and the tape stored in the second tape area 410 is restricted at the same height position as the tape present in the arm section 34 and the separation section 61.

Furthermore, the protruding ends of the first to third ribbon bottom restricting sections 387B, 388B, 421B are all set at the same height position regardless of their respective placement positions. Therefore, the ink ribbon 60 stored in the first ribbon area 420 is restricted from moving downward at the same height position as the ink ribbon 60 present in the arm section 34 and separation section 61.

The lower case 312 is provided with a cylindrical member and a connecting hole for joining the upper case 311 and the lower case 312.

As shown in Figures 18 to 20, a cylindrical first cylindrical member 881B is erected on the upper side of the first receiving portion 391. In other words, the first cylindrical member 881B is provided vertically above the first lower flat surface portion 391B. The first cylindrical member 881B is in contact with the lower head peripheral wall 36B but is spaced apart from the lower peripheral wall 304.

As shown in FIG. 21, the first cylindrical member 881B has a cylindrical hole 891. The cylindrical hole 891 is a recess that is circular in plan view and is formed along the axis of the first cylindrical member 881B. The diameter of the cylindrical hole 891 gradually increases upward so that it is maximum at the upper end of the cylindrical hole 891. The configurations of the second to seventh cylindrical members 882B, 883B, 884B, 885B, 886B, and 887B described below are similar to the configuration of the first cylindrical member 881B.

As shown in Figures 18 to 20, a second cylindrical member 882B is provided behind the tape drive roller 46 (more specifically, the opening 64B described below) and on the left front side of the first bottom tape area 400B. A fourth cylindrical member 884B is provided on the opposite side of the second cylindrical member 882B across the planar center of the first bottom tape area 400B (more specifically, the opening 65B described below), i.e., on the right rear side of the first bottom tape area 400B. A third cylindrical member 883B is provided on the back side of the third lower flat surface portion 321B, i.e., on the left rear side of the first bottom tape area 400B.

In other words, the second to fourth cylindrical members 882B, 883B, 884B are provided along the outer periphery of the first lower tape area 400B in the lower case 312. The third and fourth cylindrical members 883B, 884B are in contact with the first peripheral wall 70 that is erected along part of the outer periphery of the first lower tape area 400B. The second to fourth cylindrical members 882B, 883B, 884B are provided at a distance from the lower peripheral wall 304 of the lower case 312.

A fifth cylindrical member 885B is provided on the back surface of the fourth lower flat surface portion 322B, i.e., on the right rear side of the second lower tape area 410B. A sixth cylindrical member 886B is provided on the opposite side of the fifth cylindrical member 885B across the planar center of the second lower tape area 410B (more specifically, the lower tape support portion 66B described below), i.e., on the left front side of the second lower tape area 410B. A seventh cylindrical member 887B is provided on the back surface of the lower surface of the third corner portion 323, i.e., on the right front side of the first lower ribbon area 420B.

In other words, the fifth and sixth cylindrical members 885B, 886B are provided along the outer periphery of the second lower tape area 410B in the lower case 312. The fifth and sixth cylindrical members 885B, 886B are in contact with the second peripheral wall 71 that is erected along part of the outer periphery of the second lower tape area 410B. The fifth to seventh cylindrical members 885B, 886B, 887B are provided spaced apart from the lower peripheral wall 304 of the lower case 312.

A first connecting hole 871B is provided slightly below the upper end of the left part of the lower semicircular groove 84B of the lower case 312. A second connecting hole 872B (see FIG. 28) and a third connecting hole 873B (see FIG. 30) are provided on both the left and right sides of the locking portion 397 of the lower head peripheral wall 36B. The second connecting hole 872B is provided above the second lower flat portion 392B.

The wall portion on the rear side included in the lower peripheral wall 304 of the lower case 312 is the rear wall 370 that constitutes the lower portion of the rear side of the cassette case 31. The rear wall 370 is provided with a fourth connection hole 874B and a fifth connection hole 875B. The fourth connection hole 874B is provided on the left rear side of the first bottom tape area 400B. The fifth connection hole 875B is provided on the rear side of the second bottom tape area 410B. The first to fifth connection holes 871B, 872B, 873B, 874B, 875B are rectangular through holes that are long in the left-right direction when viewed from the front or rear.

A left inner wall 861 is provided on the rear side of the second cylindrical member 882B and on the left front side of the first lower tape area 400B. A right inner wall 862 is provided on the right front side of the second lower tape area 410B and on the right rear side of the first lower ribbon area 420B. The left inner wall 861 and the right inner wall 862 are wall portions that are provided slightly inside the lower peripheral wall 304 and have a rectangular frame shape in a plan view. The left inner wall 861 is provided with a sixth connecting hole 876B, which is a rectangular through hole that is long in the front-rear direction in a side view. The right inner wall 862 is provided with a seventh connecting hole 877B, which is a rectangular through hole that is long in the front-rear direction in a side view.

The structure of the upper case 311 will be described with reference to Figures 15, 17 to 19, 22, 23, 27 and 28. As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the outer shape of the upper case 311 is formed by an upper plate 305 (see Figure 22) and an upper peripheral wall 303. The upper peripheral wall 303 is a side wall that extends downward from the upper plate 305 at a predetermined height along the outer edge of the upper surface 301. Of the upper peripheral wall 303, the wall portion that constitutes the upper part of the arm front wall 35 is the upper arm front wall 35A. The wall portion that extends downward from the upper plate 305, spaced rearward from the upper arm front wall 35A, is the upper arm rear wall 37A that constitutes the upper part of the arm rear wall 37. The peripheral wall that extends continuously from the upper arm rear wall 37A is the upper head peripheral wall 36A that constitutes the upper part of the head peripheral wall 36.

The detailed configuration of the area around the head insertion section 39 in the upper case 311 will be described. As shown in Figures 15 and 22, a presser receiving section 393 is provided connected to the upstream end of the head insertion section 39 of the upper case 311 in the tape transport direction. The presser receiving section 393 overlaps the first receiving section 391 vertically when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312. The presser receiving section 393 is a recess formed by recessing a part of the upper plate 305 downward from the upper surface 301. Like the first receiving section 391, the presser receiving section 393 is recessed from the head insertion section 39 in the direction along the arm front wall 35.

The pressing support portion 393 has a first upper flat surface portion 393A. The first upper flat surface portion 393A is the upper surface of a flat surface portion (bottom portion of the recess) that is generally rectangular in plan view and located below the upper surface 301. The distance between the height position (i.e., the vertical position) of the first upper flat surface portion 393A in the upper case 311 and the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the cassette case 31 is constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. Therefore, the wider the width of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the tape cassette 30, the greater the depth of the pressing support portion 393 based on the height position of the first upper flat surface portion 393A.

The first upper flat surface 393A is a reference surface for the upper case 311. In this embodiment, the first upper flat surface 393A is provided as a reference surface for various regulating parts that regulate the upward movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60. The first upper flat surface 393A also functions as a part that is pressed from above by the head pressing member 7 (see FIG. 2) when the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment part 8 and the cassette cover 6 is closed.

The first lower flat surface portion 391B (see FIG. 16) of the lower case 312 is located directly below the first upper flat surface portion 393A. In other words, the first upper flat surface portion 393A and the first lower flat surface portion 391B face each other at least partially in the up-down direction of the tape cassette 30. A sloping portion 394 is provided behind the first upper flat surface portion 393A. The sloping portion 394 is a side surface of the pressing support portion 393 that extends from the rear end of the first upper flat surface portion 393A to the top surface 301 and is sloping upward and rearward from the rear end of the first upper flat surface portion 393A.

Details of the portion constituting the vicinity of the arm portion 34 in the upper case 311 will now be described. As shown in Figures 17 to 19 and 22, the portion constituting the arm portion 34 in the upper case 311 includes the upper arm front wall 35A and the upper arm rear wall 37A. The upper arm front wall 35A and the upper arm rear wall 37A correspond to the lower arm front wall 35B and the lower arm rear wall 37B of the lower case 312, respectively. Thus, the upper arm front wall 35A is taller than the upper arm rear wall 37A.

The upper plate 305 has a fixing groove 331 at a position corresponding to the separation wall 33 of the lower case 312. The fixing groove 331 is a groove portion having the same shape as the separation wall 33 in a plan view. When the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are assembled, the upper end portion 330 of the separation wall 33 is fitted into the fixing groove 331, and the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are fixed together (see FIG. 27).

As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the left end of the upper arm front wall 35A is the upper tip 85A that constitutes the upper portion of the arm tip 85. The lower end of the upper tip 85A is the upper contact portion 86A that constitutes the upper portion of the contact portion 86. The groove portion formed on the right side of the upper arm front wall 35A in the upper case 311 is the upper semicircular groove 84A that constitutes the upper portion of the semicircular groove 84. The left portion of the upper semicircular groove 84A is provided with a recessed portion 684 that is formed in a concave shape in a plan view. The depth of the recessed portion of the recessed portion 684 is approximately the same as the thickness of the wall that forms the lower semicircular groove 84B of the lower case 312.

The upper contact portion 86A is provided with a protrusion 689 that protrudes downward. The protrusion 689 is a generally cylindrical body that is smaller in diameter than the tip hole 687. The protrusion 689 gradually becomes thinner from a position slightly above the center in the vertical direction toward the bottom end. In other words, the shaft diameter of the protrusion 689 gradually becomes smaller toward the tip (bottom end).

As shown in FIG. 22, in the component parts of the arm section 34 in the upper case 311, a tape transport path is formed between the upper arm front wall 35A and the fixed groove 331. A transport path for the ink ribbon 60 is formed between the fixed groove 331 and the upper arm rear wall 37A. Similar to the lower case 312, restricting pieces are provided on these transport paths to restrict the upward movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60.

Regarding the tape transport path, a first top tape regulating portion 381A is provided in contact with the left end of the fixed groove 331. A first top tape regulating portion 382A is provided in contact with the right end of the fixed groove 331. The first top tape regulating portions 381A, 382A each protrude slightly downward from the lower surface of the upper plate 305 and extend forward to the upper arm front wall 35A. The first top tape regulating portions 381A, 382A each regulate the upward movement of the tape.

Regarding the transport path of the ink ribbon 60, a first ribbon upper regulating portion 387A is provided that contacts the right end of the fixed groove 331 and regulates the upward movement of the ink ribbon 60. The first ribbon upper regulating portion 387A protrudes slightly downward from the lower surface of the upper plate 305 and extends rearward to the upper arm rear wall 37A.

The height positions of the first upper tape restraining portions 381A, 382A and the first upper ribbon restraining portion 387A in the upper case 311 are set with the first upper flat surface portion 393A as the reference surface.

In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (lower end) of the first top tape restraining portion 381A, 382A and the first top flat surface portion 393A is set according to the width of the tape. The vertical distance between the protruding end of the first top ribbon restraining portion 387A and the first top flat surface portion 393A is set according to the width of the ink ribbon 60. As described above, the first top flat surface portion 393A is located near the upstream end of the head insertion portion 39. In other words, each restraining portion provided in the arm portion 34 is close to the first top flat surface portion 393A, which is the reference surface.

Therefore, by using the first upper flat surface portion 393A as a reference surface, the dimensional accuracy of each regulating portion during manufacturing can be improved, and thus the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be improved. The arm portion 34 is located upstream of the position (specifically, the exposed portion 77) where printing is performed by the thermal head 10 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, as the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 in the arm portion 34 is improved, the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10 can also be improved.

In this embodiment, a regulating portion is provided within the arm portion 34 in the upper case 311 as well as the lower case 312. This further restricts the movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60 in the width direction within the arm portion 34. This further improves the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60, and therefore the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10. In addition, after the upper case 311 is manufactured, the dimensions of each regulating portion can be easily controlled using the first upper flat surface portion 393A as a reference.

The first upper flat surface portion 393A is provided at a fixed distance in the vertical direction from the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the cassette case 31. Therefore, the widthwise position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 relative to the vertical position of the first upper flat surface portion 393A becomes clearer, and the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be further improved.

Details of the portion constituting the vicinity of the separation section 61 in the upper case 311 will be described. As shown in Figures 18-19, 22 and 28, the upper plate 305 has a fixing groove 332 at a position corresponding to the isolation wall 43 of the lower case 312. The fixing groove 332 is a groove portion having the same shape as the isolation wall 43 in a plan view. A fixing hole 399 having the same diameter as the protrusion 398 is provided at a position corresponding to the protrusion 398 provided on the isolation wall 43. When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the upper end of the isolation wall 43 fits into the fixing groove 332, and the protrusion 398 fits into the fixing hole 399, thereby fixing the upper case 311 and the lower case 312.

A regulating member 361 extending downward from the upper plate 305 is provided in front of the fixing groove 332. When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the vertically long gap formed between the ribbon guide wall 38 and the regulating member 361 functions as the upper portion of the inlet 61A. The vertically long gap formed between the isolation wall 43 and the regulating member 361 functions as the upper portion of the tape guide outlet 61B. The portion of the upper plate 305 extending to the right from the fixing groove 332 is a wall portion that forms the upper end of the ribbon guide outlet 61C.

At the upper end of the inlet 61A and the upper end of the ribbon guide outlet 61C, the lower surface of the upper plate 305 forms a continuous flat surface without any unevenness. On the other hand, a second upper tape regulating portion 363A is provided between the fixed groove 332 and the base of the regulating member 361, protruding slightly downward from the upper plate 305. In other words, the second upper tape regulating portion 363A is provided at a position corresponding to the second lower tape regulating portion 363B of the lower case 312 in the vertical direction, and functions as the upper end of the tape guide outlet 61B. The upper end of the tape guide outlet 61B (i.e., the protruding end of the second upper tape regulating portion 363A) is located lower than the upper end of the inlet 61A (i.e., the lower surface of the upper plate 305). In other words, the second upper tape regulating portion 363A forms a step such that the upper end of the tape guide outlet 61B is lower than the upper end of the inlet 61A.

When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the second top tape regulating portion 363A is aligned with the separating wall regulating portion 364 of the lower case 312 on the left and right. At this time, the protruding end (lower end) of the second top tape regulating portion 363A and the lower end of the separating wall regulating portion 364 are aligned at the same height. Therefore, the second top tape regulating portion 363A, together with the separating wall regulating portion 364, regulates the upward movement of the tape passing through the tape guide opening 61B.

In this embodiment, a regulating section is provided in the separation section 61 in the upper case 311 as well as the lower case 312. This further restricts the movement of the tape in the width direction within the separation section 61. Therefore, the tape can be transported from the separation section 61 to the tape drive roller 46 more precisely in parallel to the center line of the tape in the width direction.

The details of the first corner 321, the second corner 322, and the portion constituting the storage area for the tape and ink ribbon 60 in the upper case 311 will be described. As shown in Figs. 18, 19, and 22, the upper case 311 includes a second upper flat surface 321A which is the upper surface of the first corner 321, and a third upper flat surface 322A which is the upper surface of the second corner 322. The second upper flat surface 321A and the third upper flat surface 322A are both flat surfaces located below the upper surface 301. When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the second upper flat surface 321A and the third upper flat surface 322A face the third lower flat surface 321B and the fourth lower flat surface 322B (see Fig. 16) in the vertical direction, respectively.

The distance between the height position of the second and third upper flat surfaces 321A, 322A in the upper case 311 and the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 is constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. Therefore, the wider the width of the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored in the tape cassette 30, the greater the distance from the top surface 301 to the second and third upper flat surfaces 321A, 322A.

In this embodiment, the second and third upper flat surfaces 321A, 322A, like the first upper flat surface 393A, are located at the same vertical distance from the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 (in this embodiment, the vertical center position of the cassette case 31). In other words, the first to third upper flat surfaces 393A, 321A, 322A are all located at the same height position in the upper case 311. The second and third upper flat surfaces 321A, 322A are used as reference surfaces for a regulating portion that regulates the upward movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60.

The upper case 311 includes a first upper tape area 400A, a second upper tape area 410A, a first upper ribbon area 420A, and a second upper ribbon area 440A. The first upper tape area 400A constitutes the upper portion of the first tape area 400. The second upper tape area 410A constitutes the upper portion of the second tape area 410. The first upper ribbon area 420A constitutes the upper portion of the first ribbon area 420. The second upper ribbon area 440A constitutes the upper portion of the second ribbon area 440.

As shown in FIG. 22, the first upper tape area 400A is provided with a protrusion that protrudes slightly downward from the underside of the upper plate 305. In detail, a ring-shaped protrusion is provided at the center of the first upper tape area 400A where the first tape spool 40 (see FIG. 5) is disposed. Three linear protrusions extend radially from this ring-shaped protrusion to the periphery of the first upper tape area 400A. These protrusions are the third upper tape restraining portion 401A.

The third top tape restraining portion 401A restrains the upward movement of the tape stored in the first tape area 400 (see Figures 5 to 8). In other words, the tape stored in the first tape area 400 is positioned in the width direction by the third top tape restraining portion 401A and the third bottom tape restraining portion 401B (see Figure 20).

The height position of the third top tape restraining portion 401A in the upper case 311 is set using the adjacent second top flat surface portion 321A as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (lower end) of the third top tape restraining portion 401A and the second top flat surface portion 321A is set according to the width of the tape. Therefore, by using the second top flat surface portion 321A as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the third top tape restraining portion 401A. After manufacturing the upper case 311, it is possible to easily manage the dimensions of the third top tape restraining portion 401A.

A second upper ribbon regulating portion 388A is provided slightly to the right of the rear end of the fixing groove 332, protruding slightly downward from the lower surface of the upper plate 305. The second upper ribbon regulating portion 388A is provided at a position corresponding to the second lower ribbon regulating portion 388B of the lower case 312 in the vertical direction. The second upper ribbon regulating portion 388A regulates the upward movement of the ink ribbon 60 transported from the separation portion 61 to the second ribbon region 440. In other words, the ink ribbon 60 transported from the separation portion 61 to the second ribbon region 440 is positioned in the width direction within the cassette case 31 by the second upper ribbon regulating portion 388A and the second lower ribbon regulating portion 388B (see FIG. 20).

The second upper tape area 410A, like the first upper tape area 400A, is provided with a protrusion that protrudes slightly downward from the underside of the upper plate 305. More specifically, a ring-shaped protrusion is provided at the center of the second upper tape area 410A where the second tape spool 41 (see FIG. 5) is located. Eight linear protrusions extend radially from this ring-shaped protrusion to the periphery of the second upper tape area 410A. These protrusions are the fourth upper tape restraining portion 411A.

The fourth top tape restraining portion 411A restrains the upward movement of the tape stored in the second tape area 410 (see Figures 5 and 6). In other words, the tape stored in the second tape area 410 is positioned in the width direction by the fourth top tape restraining portion 411A and the fourth bottom tape restraining portion 411B (see Figure 20).

The height position of the fourth top tape restraining portion 411A in the upper case 311 is set using the adjacent third top flat surface portion 322A as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (lower end) of the fourth top tape restraining portion 411A and the third top flat surface portion 322A is set according to the tape width. Therefore, by using the third top flat surface portion 322A as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the fourth top tape restraining portion 411A. After manufacturing the upper case 311, it is possible to easily manage the dimensions of the fourth top tape restraining portion 411A.

The first upper ribbon region 420A has a protrusion that protrudes slightly downward from the lower surface of the upper plate 305. More specifically, the third upper ribbon restricting portion 421A is a protrusion that is provided in an annular shape at the center of the first upper ribbon region 420A where the ribbon spool 42 (see FIG. 5) is disposed. The third upper ribbon restricting portion 421A restricts the upward movement of the unused ink ribbon 60 (see FIG. 5 to FIG. 7) stored in the first ribbon region 420. In other words, the ink ribbon 60 stored in the first ribbon region 420 is positioned in the width direction by the third upper ribbon restricting portion 421A and the third lower ribbon restricting portion 421B (see FIG. 20).

The height position of the third top ribbon restraining portion 421A in the upper case 311 is set using the adjacent first top flat surface portion 393A as a reference surface. In detail, the vertical distance between the protruding end (lower end) of the third top ribbon restraining portion 421A and the first top flat surface portion 393A is set according to the width of the ink ribbon 60. Therefore, by using the first top flat surface portion 393A as a reference surface, it is possible to improve the dimensional accuracy when manufacturing the third top ribbon restraining portion 421A. After manufacturing the upper case 311, it is possible to easily manage the dimensions of the third top ribbon restraining portion 421A.

In this embodiment, the protruding ends of the first to fourth tape top restraining portions 381A, 382A, 363A, 401A, 411A and the lower ends of the separation wall restraining portion 364 and the separation wall restraining portion 383 are all set at the same height position regardless of their respective placement positions. Therefore, the upward movement of the tape stored in the first tape area 400 and the tape stored in the second tape area 410 is restricted at the same height position as the tape present in the arm portion 34 and the separation portion 61.

Furthermore, the protruding ends of the first to third ribbon top restraining sections 387A, 388A, 421A are all set at the same height position regardless of their respective placement positions. Therefore, the upward movement of the ink ribbon 60 stored in the first ribbon area 420 and the ink ribbon 60 moving from the separation section 61 toward the second ribbon area 440 is restricted at the same height position as the ink ribbon 60 present in the arm section 34.

As a result, in the receptor type tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 7, the print tape 57 can be transported precisely parallel to the widthwise centerline across the first tape area 400, the arm portion 34, and the separation portion 61. In the thermal type tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 8, the thermal paper tape 55 can be transported precisely parallel to the widthwise centerline across the first tape area 400, the arm portion 34, and the separation portion 61.

In the laminated type tape cassette 30 shown in Figures 5 and 6, the film tape 59 can be transported precisely parallel to the widthwise centerline across the second tape area 410, the arm portion 34, and the separation portion 61. At the same time, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 stored in the first tape area 400 can be transported precisely parallel to the widthwise centerline toward the tape drive roller 46. As a result, the widthwise positions of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 and the film tape 59 can be precisely aligned.

In receptor type and laminate type tape cassettes 30, the ink ribbon 60 can be transported precisely parallel to the widthwise centerline across the first ribbon region 420, arm portion 34, and second ribbon region 440. Therefore, with either type of tape cassette 30, the transport precision of the tape and ink ribbon 60, and therefore the printing precision of the thermal head 10, can be improved.

In this embodiment, the protruding ends of the first to fourth tape bottom regulating portions 381B, 382B, 363B, 401B, 411B, the lower ends of the separation wall regulating portion 364 and the separation wall regulating portion 383, and the protruding ends of the first to third ribbon bottom regulating portions 387B, 388B, 421B are all set at the same height position. In other words, the downward movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60 is regulated at the same height position by each regulating portion provided on the lower case 312.

Furthermore, the protruding ends of the first to fourth tape top restraining portions 381A, 382A, 363A, 401A, 411A and the protruding ends of the first to third ribbon top restraining portions 387A, 388A, 421A are all set at the same height position. In other words, the upward movement of the tape and ink ribbon 60 is restricted at the same height position by each restraining portion provided on the upper case 311.

Therefore, in the receptor type tape cassette 30, the print tape 57 and the ink ribbon 60 can be transported with high precision with their widthwise positions aligned. In the laminate type tape cassette 30, the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 can be transported with high precision with their widthwise positions aligned. This further improves the transport precision of the tape and ink ribbon 60, and therefore the printing precision of the thermal head 10.

The upper case 311 is provided with a press-fit pin and a connecting arm for joining the upper case 311 and the lower case 312.

As shown in Figures 18, 19, and 22, the press-fitting portion 393 is provided with a first press-fitting pin 881A that protrudes downward. In other words, the first press-fitting pin 881A is provided vertically below the first upper flat surface portion 393A. The first press-fitting pin 881A is provided in a position on the first upper flat surface portion 393A that corresponds to the first cylindrical member 881B (see Figure 20) of the lower case 312.

As shown in FIG. 23, a cylindrical portion 393B is provided on the underside of the pressing support portion 393. The cylindrical portion 393B is a cylindrical body that protrudes downward from the underside of the pressing support portion 393 (the underside of the first upper flat surface portion 393A). The first press-fit pin 881A extends downward from the center of the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 393B. The cylindrical portion 393B determines the height of the tape cassette 30 by abutting against the upper end of the first cylindrical member 881B.

The first press-fit pin 881A includes a support portion 896 and a protruding member 897. The support portion 896 is a generally cylindrical shaft extending downward from the center of the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 393B. The portion of the support portion 896 slightly below the center in the vertical direction is the support tip portion 898. The shaft diameter of the support tip portion 898 gradually decreases downward so as to be smallest at the lower end of the support tip portion 898. The shaft diameter at the lower end of the support tip portion 898 is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical hole portion 891 (see FIG. 21) of the first cylindrical member 881B.

A number of protruding members 897 are provided radially around the support portion 896. The protruding members 897 extend from the bottom surface of the cylindrical portion 393B to approximately the center of the support portion 896 in the vertical direction along the outer circumferential surface of the support portion 896. The protruding members 897 protrude from the support portion 896 in an arc shape in a plan view. The diameter of the first press-fit pin 881A including the protruding members 897 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical hole portion 891 (see FIG. 21).

The lower portion of the protruding member 897 protrudes from the support portion 896 gradually decreasing downward. This prevents the lower portion of the protruding member 897 from getting caught on the upper surface of the first cylindrical member 881B (see FIG. 21) when the first press-fit pin 881A is inserted into the cylindrical hole portion 891 (see FIG. 21). The configurations of the second to seventh press-fit pins 882A, 883A, 884A, 885A, 886A, and 887A described below are similar to the configuration of the first press-fit pin 881A.

As shown in Figures 18, 19 and 22, a second press-fit pin 882A is provided on the rear side of the tape drive roller 46 (more specifically, the opening 64A described below) and on the left front side of the first upper tape area 400A. A fourth press-fit pin 884A is provided on the opposite side of the second press-fit pin 882A across the planar center of the first upper tape area 400A (more specifically, the opening 65A described below), i.e., on the right rear side of the first upper tape area 400A. A third press-fit pin 883A is provided on the back side of the second upper flat surface portion 321A, i.e., on the left rear side of the first upper tape area 400A.

In other words, the second to fourth press-fit pins 882A, 883A, 884A are provided along part of the outer edge of the first upper tape area 400A in the upper case 311 at positions corresponding to the second to fourth cylindrical members 882B, 883B, 884B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312. The second to fourth press-fit pins 882A, 883A, 884A are provided spaced apart from the upper peripheral wall 303 of the upper case 311.

A fifth press-fit pin 885A is provided on the back surface of the third upper flat surface portion 322A, i.e., on the right rear side of the second upper tape area 410A. A sixth press-fit pin 886A is provided on the opposite side across the flat surface center of the second upper tape area 410A (more specifically, the upper tape support portion 66A described below), i.e., on the left front side of the second upper tape area 410A. A seventh press-fit pin 887A is provided on the back surface of the top surface of the third corner portion 323, i.e., on the right front side of the first upper ribbon area 420A.

That is, the fifth and sixth press-fit pins 885A, 886A are provided along part of the outer edge of the second upper tape area 410A in the upper case 311 at positions corresponding to the fifth and sixth cylindrical members 885B, 886B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312. The seventh press-fit pin 887A is provided at a position corresponding to the seventh cylindrical member 887B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312. The fifth to seventh press-fit pins 885A, 886A, 887A are provided spaced apart from the upper peripheral wall 303 of the upper case 311.

The plate-like body extending downward from the recess 684 is the first connecting arm 871A. The first connecting arm 871A is provided at a position corresponding to the first connecting hole 871B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312. The first connecting arm 871A extends from the right end of the upper arm front wall 35A in a plan view in an upper right direction. The first connecting arm 871A is flexible against external pressure from the diagonal front and rear directions. The lower end of the first connecting arm 871A is provided with a claw portion that protrudes diagonally forward and to the right. The configurations of the second to seventh connecting arms 872A, 873A, 874A, 875A, 876A, and 877A described below are similar to the configuration of the first connecting arm 871A, but the protruding direction of the claw portion is different.

A second connecting arm 872A and a third connecting arm 873A are provided on both the left and right sides of the upper head peripheral wall 36A. The second and third connecting arms 872A, 873A protrude downward at positions corresponding to the second and third connecting holes 872B, 873B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312, respectively. The claw portions of the second and third connecting arms 872A, 873A protrude forward.

A fourth connecting arm 874A and a fifth connecting arm 875A are provided on the rear wall included in the upper peripheral wall 303 of the upper case 311. The fourth connecting arm 874A is provided on the left rear side of the first upper tape area 400A. The fifth connecting arm 875A is provided on the rear side of the second upper tape area 410A. The fourth and fifth connecting arms 874A, 875A protrude downward at positions corresponding to the fourth and fifth connecting holes 874B, 875B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312, respectively. The claw portions of the fourth and fifth connecting arms 874A, 875A protrude rearward.

A sixth connecting arm 876A is provided behind the second press-fit pin 882A and on the left front side of the first upper tape area 400A. The sixth connecting arm 876A is provided slightly inside the upper peripheral wall 303 and protrudes downward at a position corresponding to the sixth connecting hole 876B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312. A seventh connecting arm 877A is provided on the right front side of the second upper tape area 410A and on the right rear side of the first upper ribbon area 420A. The seventh connecting arm 877A is provided slightly inside the upper peripheral wall 303 and protrudes downward at a position corresponding to the seventh connecting hole 877B (see FIG. 20) of the lower case 312. The claw portion of the sixth connecting arm 876A protrudes to the right, and the claw portion of the seventh connecting arm 877A protrudes to the left.

The joining structure between the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 in the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment will be described.

The joining structure of the first to seventh crimping portions 881 to 887 will be described with reference to Figures 21, 23, and 24. Figure 24 illustrates an example of the joining between the first cylindrical member 881B and the first press-fit pin 881A, but the joining between the second to seventh cylindrical members 882B to 887B and the second to seventh press-fit pins 882A to 887A is the same.

As shown in Figures 21 and 23, when an operator assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312, the support tip 898 of the first press-fit pin 881A is first inserted into the cylindrical hole 891 of the first cylindrical member 881B. As described above, the shaft diameter of the tip (lower end) of the support tip 898 is smaller than the diameter of the cylindrical hole 891, and the diameter of the cylindrical hole 891 is largest at the upper end. This allows the support 896 to be smoothly guided into the cylindrical hole 891.

When the first press-fit pin 881A is inserted to a predetermined depth in the cylindrical hole portion 891, the protruding member 897 comes into contact with the inner wall of the cylindrical hole portion 891. As described above, the lower end of the protruding member 897 has the smallest protruding width from the support portion 896. Therefore, the protruding member 897 can be smoothly guided into the cylindrical hole portion 891 without getting caught on the upper surface of the first cylindrical member 881B.

The diameter of the first press-fit pin 881A including the protruding member 897 is larger than the diameter of the cylindrical hole portion 891. Therefore, the first press-fit pin 881A is inserted into the cylindrical hole portion 891 while the protruding member 897 is pressurized by the first cylindrical member 881B. As the first press-fit pin 881A is inserted into the cylindrical hole portion 891, the first cylindrical member 881B expands slightly outward due to the repulsive force of the protruding member 897.

When the first press-fit pin 881A is further inserted into the cylindrical hole portion 891, the upper end surface of the first cylindrical member 881B comes into contact with the columnar portion 393B of the pressing portion 393, as shown in FIG. 24. This firmly connects the first cylindrical member 881B and the first press-fit pin 881A, forming the first crimping portion 881 (see FIGS. 5 to 8).

In the same manner, when the worker assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312, the second press-fit pin 882A (see FIG. 22) is inserted into the second cylindrical member 882B (see FIG. 20) to form the second crimping portion 882. The third press-fit pin 883A (see FIG. 22) is inserted into the third cylindrical member 883B (see FIG. 20) to form the third crimping portion 883. The fourth press-fit pin 884A (see FIG. 22) is inserted into the fourth cylindrical member 884B (see FIG. 20) to form the fourth crimping portion 884.

The fifth press-fit pin 885A (see FIG. 22) is inserted into the fifth cylindrical member 885B (see FIG. 20) to form the fifth crimping portion 885. The sixth press-fit pin 886A (see FIG. 22) is inserted into the sixth cylindrical member 886B (see FIG. 20) to form the sixth crimping portion 886. The seventh press-fit pin 887A (see FIG. 22) is inserted into the seventh cylindrical member 887B (see FIG. 20) to form the seventh crimping portion 887. The lower case 312 and the upper case 311 are joined together by these first to seventh crimping portions 881 to 887.

As shown in Figs. 5 to 8, four pressure-bonding sections (i.e., second pressure-bonding section 882, third pressure-bonding section 883, fourth pressure-bonding section 884, and sixth pressure-bonding section 886) are provided around the first tape area 400, which contains the heaviest tape. The second and fourth pressure-bonding sections 882 and 884 face each other across the approximate planar center of the first tape area 400. The third and sixth pressure-bonding sections 883 and 886 face each other across the approximate planar center of the first tape area 400. Two pressure-bonding sections (i.e., fifth pressure-bonding section 885 and sixth pressure-bonding section 886) are provided around the second tape area 410, which contains the second heaviest tape. The fifth and sixth pressure-bonding sections 885 and 886 face each other across the approximate planar center of the second tape area 410.

Two crimping sections (i.e., a first crimping section 881 and a sixth crimping section 886) are provided around the second ribbon region 440. The first and sixth crimping sections 881 and 886 face each other across approximately the center of the second ribbon region 440 in the plane. Furthermore, four crimping sections (i.e., a second crimping section 882, a third crimping section 883, a fifth crimping section 885 and a seventh crimping section 887) are provided near the four corners 321 to 324 of the tape cassette 30 in a plan view.

In this way, the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 are firmly joined around the tape and ink ribbon 60 stored inside the cassette case 31 and at the four corners of the cassette case 31. For this reason, even if a large physical impact is applied to the cassette case 31, such as when the tape cassette 30 is dropped, the joined state between the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 is likely to be maintained. In other words, the occurrence of floating or gaps between the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, the sixth pressure bonding portion 886 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 around the first tape area 400, the second tape area 410, and the second ribbon area 440, and at the center position of the tape cassette 30. Of the pressure bonding portions that fix the four corners of the tape cassette 30, the fifth pressure bonding portion 885 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 around the second tape area 410. The second pressure bonding portion 882 and the third pressure bonding portion 883 fix the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 around the first tape area 400. The seventh pressure bonding portion 887 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 around the first ribbon area 420. In this way, the first to seventh pressure bonding portions 881 to 887 each have two or more fixing functions, so that the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 can be efficiently fixed.

Conventionally, if the dimensional relationship between the first cylindrical member 881B and the first press-fit pin 881A is outside the appropriate range, when the first press-fit pin 881A is inserted into the first cylindrical member 881B, there is a risk that the first cylindrical member 881B, which has been expanded in diameter by the protruding member 897, will become distorted or whitened in appearance (the same applies to the second to seventh cylindrical members 882B to 887B). For this reason, in the conventional tape cassette manufacturing process, workers strictly controlled the dimensional relationship between the first to seventh cylindrical members 881B to 887B and the first to seventh press-fit pins 881A to 887A.

In the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment, all of the first to seventh cylindrical members 881B to 887B are spaced apart from the lower peripheral wall 304. Therefore, even if the first to seventh cylindrical members 881B to 887B are deformed or whitened, this is unlikely to affect the appearance of the tape cassette 30. Furthermore, by increasing the pressure with which the first to seventh press-in pins 881A to 887A are inserted (for example, by making the first to seventh press-in pins 881A to 887A thicker), the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 can be fixed more reliably while preventing deterioration of the appearance of the tape cassette 30. This in turn reduces the burden on the worker who performs the above-mentioned dimensional management.

Conventionally, because the cylindrical member provided on the cassette case 31 contacts the lower peripheral wall 304, the contact area between the cylindrical member and the lower peripheral wall 304 on the inside of the case was prone to have a large synthetic resin thickness. As a result, so-called sink marks were prone to occur on the outer surface of the lower peripheral wall 304 when the case was molded. For this reason, the manufacturing process for conventional tape cassettes required a high level of work precision to prevent sink marks from occurring when the case was molded.

In the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment, all of the first to seventh cylindrical members 881B to 887B are spaced apart from the lower peripheral wall 304. This prevents the thickness of the lower peripheral wall 304 from increasing when the lower case 312 is molded. In other words, the occurrence of sink marks when the lower case 312 is molded is suppressed, which prevents deterioration of the appearance of the tape cassette 30. This in turn reduces the burden on the worker who molds the case with high work precision as described above.

The joining structure near the arm portion 34 will be described with reference to Figures 17, 18, and 25 to 27. As shown in Figure 18, when an operator assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312, the lower portion of the protrusion 689 is first inserted into the tip hole 687. As described above, the protrusion 689 tapers toward the tip side (lower end), and the diameter of the tip hole 687 is largest at the upper end. This allows the protrusion 689 to be smoothly guided into the tip hole 687.

When the protrusion 689 is inserted to a predetermined depth in the tip hole 687, the claw portion of the first connecting arm 871A contacts the back surface of the lower semicircular groove 84B, causing the first connecting arm 871A to bend slightly backward. As the protrusion 689 is further inserted into the tip hole 687, the claw portion of the first connecting arm 871A moves downward along the back surface of the lower semicircular groove 84B. When the claw portion of the first connecting arm 871A reaches the position of the first connecting hole 871B, it is fitted into the first connecting hole 871B by the elastic force of the first connecting arm 871A.

As a result, as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 25, the first connecting portion 871 is formed. The first connecting portion 871 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 near the end of the arm portion 34 on the upstream side in the tape transport direction. At the same time, the upper contact portion 86A and the lower contact portion 86B come into contact with each other to form the contact portion 86. Since the shaft diameter of the protrusion 689 is smaller than the diameter of the tip hole 687, the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are not fixed at the arm tip 85. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 26, the protrusion 689 inserted into the tip hole 687 can move in a direction away from the tip hole 687 (i.e., upward) in response to external pressure. In other words, the upper contact portion 86A and the lower contact portion 86B can come into contact with each other at the contact portion 86.

As shown in FIG. 27, the upper end 330 of the separation wall 33 is fitted into the fixing groove 331 of the upper case 311, and the separation wall 33 is fixed inside the arm portion 34. Inside the arm portion 34, the widthwise positions of the tape and the ink ribbon 60 are regulated by each regulating portion (i.e., first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B, separation wall regulating portion 383, first bottom ribbon regulating portion 387B, first top tape regulating portions 381A, 382A, and first top ribbon regulating portion 387A). The first print surface side regulating portion 389 regulates the movement of the tape toward the print surface side.

Of the regulating parts of the arm part 34, the regulating parts that regulate the tape near the discharge opening 341 (first bottom tape regulating part 381B, separation wall regulating part 383 and first print surface side regulating part 389) are all provided on the lower case 312. Therefore, regardless of the state of connection between the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, the movement of the tape in the width direction and towards the print surface can be appropriately regulated at the stage immediately before printing. Furthermore, the vertical center position of the printing range of the thermal head 10 can be precisely aligned with the width direction center position of the tape.

As shown in Figures 20 and 22, the first upper tape regulating parts 381A, 382A and the first lower tape regulating parts 381B, 382B are provided on the tape transport path within the arm part 34. Therefore, the widthwise position of the tape transported within the arm part 34 is regulated on the upstream and downstream sides of the transport direction (i.e., two planar positions).

Meanwhile, a first ribbon upper regulating portion 387A and a first ribbon lower regulating portion 387B are provided on the transport path of the ink ribbon 60 within the arm portion 34. Therefore, the widthwise position of the ink ribbon 60 transported within the arm portion 34 is regulated only on the upstream side of the transport direction (i.e., at one planar position). In other words, near the discharge opening 341 of the arm portion 34, the widthwise position of the tape is regulated, but the widthwise position of the ink ribbon 60 is not regulated.

The ink ribbon 60 is thinner than tape, and therefore wrinkles are likely to occur if excessive widthwise restriction is performed. In this embodiment, the ink ribbon 60 is restricted in the widthwise direction on the upstream side within the arm section 34, but is not restricted in the widthwise direction on the downstream side within the arm section 34. In other words, the ink ribbon 60 is restricted in the widthwise direction within the arm section 34, but is allowed to sway in the widthwise direction near the discharge port 341. This ensures that the widthwise position of the ink ribbon 60 is within an appropriate range, and wrinkles in the ink ribbon 60 can be suppressed.

For example, if the tape cassette 30 is dropped, a physical impact may be applied to the cassette case 31, and an external force may be applied to the arm portion 34 in the vertical direction. In this case, as shown in FIG. 26, the upper contact portion 86A and the lower contact portion 86B that constitute the contact portion 86 separate from each other. Thereafter, the upper contact portion 86A and the lower contact portion 86B come into contact again due to the elastic force of the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 that are joined by the first connecting portion 871 (see FIG. 25). In other words, even if an external force is applied to the arm portion 34 in the vertical direction, the arm tip portion 85 returns to its normal state.

When the arm tip 85 returns to its normal state, the widthwise positions of the tape and ink ribbon 60 within the arm section 34 are again appropriately regulated by the respective regulating sections. Therefore, even if a physical shock is applied to the cassette case 31, the tape and ink ribbon 60 are transported appropriately and good print quality is maintained. In this way, the upper contact/separation section 86A instantaneously separates from the lower contact/separation section 86B in response to external pressure, thereby cushioning the external pressure. This in turn improves the physical durability of the arm section 34.

As shown in FIG. 17, the first connecting portion 871 is provided in the semicircular groove 84. The semicircular groove 84 is a curved portion that is approximately semicircular in plan view, and therefore has higher strength against bending than the flat arm front wall 35. For this reason, even if a physical impact is applied to the cassette case 31, the connection between the first connecting arm 871A and the first connecting hole 871B is unlikely to be released. Therefore, even if the tape cassette 30 is dropped, for example, the first connecting portion 871 can reliably fix the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 together.

As shown in FIG. 18, when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the upper tip 85A is guided toward the lower tip 85B while the protrusion 689 is inserted into the tip hole 687. This prevents the upper tip 85A or the lower tip 85B from contacting the tape or ink ribbon 60 inside the arm portion 34. This prevents deterioration of print quality caused by scratches on the tape, etc.

As shown in Figures 19, 20, 22 and 32, the lower arm rear wall 37B of the lower case 312 has a V-shaped notch 372 cut out downward. A part of the separation wall 33 is exposed behind the lower arm rear wall 37B through the notch 372. The upper arm rear wall 37A of the upper case 311 has a protrusion 371A that protrudes downward in a V shape corresponding to the notch 372.

When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the protrusion 371A fits snugly into the cutout 372. This bonds the upper arm rear wall 37A and the lower arm rear wall 37B to form the arm rear wall 37 (see FIG. 17). Therefore, the bond of the arm rear wall 37 can be made stronger than when, for example, the upper end of the lower arm rear wall 37B and the lower end of the upper arm rear wall 37A are both straight.

Conventionally, when the gap between the separation wall 33 in the lower case 312 and the lower arm rear wall 37B is narrow, and the lower arm rear wall 37B is a wall portion having a similar height to the separation wall 33, there was a risk of problems occurring in die molding. That is, to mold two walls of similar height that are closely spaced apart, a die that fits between the two walls is required, but such a die is thin and therefore weak. For this reason, in the conventional tape cassette manufacturing process, corrective measures such as die maintenance were required.

In this embodiment, the lower arm rear wall 37B is provided with a cutout 372 that exposes the separation wall 33 in rear view. Therefore, the mold that fits into the head insertion portion 39 (see FIG. 17) and the mold that fits between the lower arm rear wall 37B and the separation wall 33 can be manufactured integrally via the mold portion that fits into the cutout 372, improving the strength of the mold. This in turn reduces the burden on the worker who performs the above-mentioned mold maintenance and other corresponding measures.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the arm rear wall 37 is a wall that extends in the left-right direction as a whole. A bent portion 373 is provided slightly to the right of the left end of the arm rear wall 37. The arm rear wall 37 is bent slightly backward at the bent portion 373. In other words, the arm rear wall 37 bulges slightly toward the head insertion portion 39 on the downstream side of the tape transport direction within the arm portion 34.

Near the bent portion 373, the distance between the arm rear wall 37 and the separation wall 33 (i.e., the length in the front-to-rear direction) becomes slightly larger (see FIG. 20). This allows a wider transport path for the ink ribbon 60 in the arm portion 34, improving the running performance of the ink ribbon 60. Furthermore, the physical strength of the arm portion 34 can be improved compared to, for example, a case in which the arm rear wall 37 is linear in a plan view.

The wall portion extending to the left front from the bent portion 373 in the arm rear wall 37 is the tip side rear wall 374. In other words, the tip side rear wall 374 is the portion of the arm rear wall 37 adjacent to the discharge port 341. Because the tip side rear wall 374 is inclined to the left front in a plan view, the front-to-rear length of the head insertion portion 39 is large near the discharge port 341. This reduces the risk that the tip side of the arm portion 34 will come into contact with the thermal head 10 when attaching or detaching the head holder 74 in the head insertion portion 39.

The joining structure of the second to seventh connecting parts 872 to 877 will be described with reference to FIG. 15. When an operator assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312, the claw portion of the second connecting arm 872A (see FIG. 22) fits into the second connecting hole 872B (see FIG. 20) to form the second connecting part 872, similar to the first connecting part 871. The claw portion of the third connecting arm 873A (see FIG. 22) fits into the third connecting hole 873B (see FIG. 20) to form the third connecting part 873. The claw portion of the fourth connecting arm 874A (see FIG. 22) fits into the fourth connecting hole 874B (see FIG. 20) to form the fourth connecting part 874.

The claw portion of the fifth connecting arm 875A (see FIG. 22) fits into the fifth connecting hole 875B (see FIG. 20) to form the fifth connecting part 875. The claw portion of the sixth connecting arm 876A (see FIG. 22) fits into the sixth connecting hole 876B (see FIG. 20) to form the sixth connecting part 876. The claw portion of the seventh connecting arm 877A (see FIG. 22) fits into the seventh connecting hole 877B (see FIG. 20) to form the seventh connecting part 877. The lower case 312 and the upper case 311 are joined together by these first to seventh connecting parts 871 to 877.

In detail, the first connecting portion 871 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 at the front of the tape cassette 30. The second connecting portion 872 and the third connecting portion 873 fix the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 near the front of the tape cassette 30. The fourth connecting portion 874 and the fifth connecting portion 875 fix the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 at the rear of the tape cassette 30. The sixth connecting portion 876 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 near the left side of the tape cassette 30. The seventh connecting portion 877 fixes the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 near the right side of the tape cassette 30. In other words, the first to seventh connecting parts 871 to 877 can reliably fasten the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 to each side of the tape cassette 30 (the outer surface formed by the upper peripheral wall 303 and the lower peripheral wall 304 shown in FIG. 18).

The second connecting portion 872 and the third connecting portion 873 fix the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 near the head peripheral wall 36 (see FIG. 30). The second connecting portion 872 is provided near the tape drive roller 46 (see FIG. 5). The third connecting portion 873 is provided near the ribbon take-up spool 44 (see FIG. 5). Therefore, the second and third connecting portions 872 and 873 suppress vibrations that occur when the tape drive roller 46 and the ribbon take-up spool 44 are rotated. This stabilizes the running of the tape and ink ribbon 60, thereby improving print quality.

The first tape area 400 contains the first tape spool 40 on which the heaviest tape is wound. For example, when the tape cassette 30 is dropped, the weight of the tape wound on the first tape spool 40 tends to cause the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 to separate near the first tape area 400. In this embodiment, the second, fourth, and sixth connecting parts 872, 874, and 876 are provided near the first tape area 400. Therefore, even if a physical impact is applied to the cassette case 31, the cassette case 31 is prevented from opening near the first tape area 400, and the physical strength of the cassette case 31 can be improved.

As described above, when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the lower part of the protrusion 689 is inserted into the tip hole 687 before the claw portion of the first connecting arm 871A contacts the lower semicircular groove 84B. Therefore, while the protrusion 689 is guided within the tip hole 687, the claw portion of the first connecting arm 871A can be accurately fitted into the first connecting hole 871B.

Furthermore, in the upper case 311 of this embodiment, the first to seventh press-fit pins 881A to 887A all extend below the first to seventh connecting arms 871A to 877A (see Figures 18 and 19). Therefore, when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the first to seventh press-fit pins 881A to 887A are inserted into the first to seventh cylindrical members 881B to 887B, respectively, before the claw portions of the first to seventh connecting arms 871A to 877A come into contact with the lower peripheral wall 304 of the lower case 312, etc.

As a result, with the first to seventh press-fit pins 881A to 887A guided within the first to seventh cylindrical members 881B to 887B, respectively, the claws of the first to seventh connecting arms 871A to 877A can be accurately fitted into the first to seventh connecting holes 871B to 877B, respectively. In other words, when an operator assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312, the upper case 311 can be accurately assembled without tilting it.

As shown in FIG. 20, guide ribs 809 extending upward to the upper end of the lower peripheral wall 304 are provided on both the left and right edges of the second to fifth connecting holes 872B to 875B. When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the second to fifth connecting arms 872A to 875A are guided toward the second to fifth connecting holes 872B to 875B while their movement in the left and right directions is restricted by the guide ribs 809.

Similarly, guide ribs 809 are provided on the front and rear edges of the sixth and seventh connecting holes 876B, 877B, respectively, extending upward to the upper ends of the left inner wall 861 and the right inner wall 862. The sixth and seventh connecting arms 876A, 877A are also guided toward the sixth and seventh connecting holes 876B, 877B, respectively, while their movement in the front and rear directions is restricted by the guide ribs 809. This allows the worker to more accurately assemble the lower case 312 and the upper case 311.

As shown in FIG. 15, the third connecting part 873 is provided on the right side of the head peripheral wall 36, and is therefore located behind the arm rear wall 37 in a front view. The arm rear wall 37 prevents fingers or foreign objects from entering the head insertion part 39. Therefore, the claw part of the third connecting arm 873A fitted into the third connecting hole 873B is unlikely to be directly pressed from the outside.

Furthermore, when the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 are joined, the sixth connecting portion 876 and the seventh connecting portion 877 are provided inside the cassette case 31. Therefore, the claw portions of the sixth and seventh connecting arms 876A and 877A fitted into the sixth and seventh connecting holes 876B and 877B are not easily pressed directly from the outside. This reduces the risk that the connected state of the third, sixth and seventh connecting portions 873, 876 and 877 will be released, for example, by the claw portions being pressed from the outside.

The relationship between the joining structure of the tape cassette 30 and the reference surface will be described with reference to Figures 5 to 8, 15, 16, 20 and 22. The first pressure-bonding portion 881 is provided between two reference surfaces (the first upper flat surface portion 393A and the first lower flat surface portion 391B) that face each other in the vertical direction at the upstream end of the head insertion portion 39. The first upper flat surface portion 393A and the first lower flat surface portion 391B are held at an appropriate height position by the first pressure-bonding portion 881.

In other words, the height position of each regulating portion provided near either the first upper flat surface portion 393A or the first lower flat surface portion 391B (specifically, the first bottom tape regulating portion 381B, 382B, the separation wall regulating portion 383, the first bottom ribbon regulating portion 387B, the third bottom ribbon regulating portion 421B, the first top tape regulating portion 381A, 382A, the first top ribbon regulating portion 387A) is appropriately maintained. This improves the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60, and ultimately the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10.

The second connecting portion 872 is provided vertically above the second lower flat surface portion 392B provided on the second receiving portion 392. The second lower flat surface portion 392B is held at an appropriate height position by the second connecting portion 872. In other words, the height positions of the regulating portions (specifically, the second lower tape regulating portion 363B, the second upper tape regulating portion 363A, the separating wall regulating portion 364, the second lower ribbon regulating portion 388B, and the second upper ribbon regulating portion 388A) provided near the second lower flat surface portion 392B are appropriately maintained. This improves the transport accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60, and therefore the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10.

The third pressure-bonding portion 883 is provided between two reference surfaces (the second upper flat surface portion 321A and the third lower flat surface portion 321B) that face each other in the vertical direction at the first corner portion 321. The second upper flat surface portion 321A and the third lower flat surface portion 321B are held at an appropriate height position by the third pressure-bonding portion 883. In other words, the height positions of the regulating portions (specifically, the third bottom tape regulating portion 401B and the third top tape regulating portion 401A) provided near either the third bottom flat surface portion 321B or the second upper flat surface portion 321A are appropriately maintained. This improves the tape transport accuracy and, ultimately, the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10.

The fifth pressure-bonding portion 885 is provided between two reference surfaces (the third upper flat surface portion 322A and the fourth lower flat surface portion 322B) that face each other in the vertical direction at the second corner portion 322. The third upper flat surface portion 322A and the fourth lower flat surface portion 322B are held at an appropriate height position by the fifth pressure-bonding portion 885. In other words, the height positions of the regulating portions (specifically, the fourth lower tape regulating portion 411B and the fourth upper tape regulating portion 411A) provided near either the third upper flat surface portion 322A or the fourth lower flat surface portion 322B are appropriately maintained. This improves the tape transport accuracy and, ultimately, the printing accuracy of the thermal head 10.

When assembling the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, the worker first supports the lower case 312 with a jig. At this time, the worker places the first to fourth lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B, 321B, and 322B, which are the reference surfaces, on the mounting surface of the jig. The worker assembles the upper case 311 from above to the lower case 312 supported by the jig. As a result, the first to seventh crimping portions 881 to 887 and the first to seventh connecting portions 871 to 877 are formed as described above, and the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are joined. It is preferable that the height position of the mounting surface of the jig accurately corresponds to the height positions of the first to fourth lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B, 321B, and 322B.

In this embodiment, the first to fourth lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B, 321B, and 322B are set at the same height position on the lower case 312. Correspondingly, the jig mounting surface is also set at the same height position. When creating the jig mounting surface, creating it at the same height position is more accurate and easier than creating it at different height positions. Therefore, the height position of the jig mounting surface can be accurately matched to the height positions of the first to fourth lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B, 321B, and 322B.

The joining structure near the separation section 61 will be described with reference to Figures 15, 18, 19, and 28 to 30. As shown in Figures 18, 19, and 28, when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the upper end of the isolation wall 43 fits into the fixing groove 332, and the protrusion 398 fits into the fixing hole 399, fixing the upper case 311 and the lower case 312. As a result, a separation section 61 is formed upstream of the tape drive roller 46, which separates the tape and ink ribbon 60 used for printing at the exposed section 77.

As shown in Figures 15 and 28 to 30, the printed tape and ink ribbon 60 enter the separation section 61 in an overlapping state and are transported to the branching port 790 via the inlet 61A, which is a common transport path. The branching port 790 is a portion where the inlet 61A is connected to the tape guide port 61B and the ribbon guide port 61C. At the branching port 790, the used ink ribbon 60 is separated from the printed tape that entered the separation section 61. After separation, the ink ribbon 60 enters the ribbon guide port 61C and is guided toward the second ribbon area 440. The tape from which the ink ribbon 60 has been separated enters the tape guide port 61B and is guided toward the front of the tape drive roller 46.

In this embodiment, the branching opening 790 is a single transport path in which the entrances of the tape guide opening 61B and the ribbon guide opening 61C are aligned in the left-right direction. However, as described above, the second top tape regulating portion 363A and the second bottom tape regulating portion 363B are provided above and below the tape guide opening 61B, respectively. Therefore, in the branching opening 790, the vertical length of the tape guide opening 61B is slightly smaller than the vertical length of the ribbon guide opening 61C.

As described above, the width direction position of the tape is restricted near the discharge port 341 of the arm section 34, but the width direction position of the ink ribbon 60 is not restricted. Therefore, after the tape discharged from the arm section 34 is printed by the thermal head 10, it easily enters the separation section 61 while maintaining the appropriate width direction position. In this case, the width direction position of the tape transported to the branching port 790 is almost the same as the up-down direction position determined by the second upper tape regulating section 363A and the second lower tape regulating section 363B. Therefore, the printed tape enters the tape guide port 61B along the pull-out direction of the tape drive roller 46 without being interfered with by the step formed between the introduction port 61A and the tape guide port 61B (i.e., the second upper tape regulating section 363A and the second lower tape regulating section 363B).

On the other hand, after the ink ribbon 60 discharged from the arm portion 34 has been used for printing with the thermal head 10, it is likely to enter the separation portion 61 in a state slightly shifted from the correct widthwise position. In this case, the widthwise position of the ink ribbon 60 transported to the branching port 790 deviates from the up-down position defined by the second upper tape regulating portion 363A and the second lower tape regulating portion 363B. Therefore, the used ink ribbon 60 is likely to be interfered with by the step formed between the introduction port 61A and the tape guide port 61B.

In particular, the ink ribbon 60 is likely to shift slightly downward from the correct widthwise position due to its own weight as it travels from the discharge port 341 to the separation section 61. Therefore, the ink ribbon 60 transported to the branch port 790 is likely to come into contact with the lower step (i.e., the second bottom tape regulating section 363B) formed between the inlet 61A and the tape guide port 61B. Therefore, the ink ribbon 60 does not enter the tape guide port 61B, but instead enters the ribbon guide port 61C, which has a longer vertical length than the tape guide port 61B, along the winding direction of the ribbon take-up spool 44.

In the process from the discharge port 341 to the separation section 61, the ink ribbon 60 may shift slightly upward from the correct widthwise position due to, for example, vibrations caused by the printing operation. In this case, the ink ribbon 60 transported to the branch port 790 comes into contact with the upper step (i.e., the second upper tape regulating section 363A) formed between the introduction port 61A and the tape guide port 61B, and enters the ribbon guide port 61C in the same manner as above.

In this way, the branch port 790 allows the ink ribbon 60 discharged from the arm portion 34 to move in the width direction, and by utilizing this, the ink ribbon 60 is guided from the introduction port 61A to the ribbon guide port 61C. Therefore, even if the vertical length (width) of the tape and the ink ribbon 60 are the same, it is possible to prevent the ink ribbon 60 from erroneously entering the tape guide port 61B due to being dragged by the tape overlapping the ink ribbon 60. Note that, even if the width of the tape is smaller than the width of the ink ribbon 60, it is possible to prevent the ink ribbon 60 from erroneously entering the tape guide port 61B, as described above.

Between the inlet 61A and the tape guide outlet 61B, two steps (i.e., the second upper tape regulating portion 363A and the second lower tape regulating portion 363B) are provided that face each other in the vertical direction. The vertical center position of the inlet 61A and the vertical center position of the tape guide outlet 61B are approximately the same as the widthwise center position of the tape. Therefore, even if the ink ribbon 60 is shifted upward or downward from the appropriate widthwise position, the ink ribbon 60 can be properly separated from the tape and can be guided to the ribbon guide outlet 61C.

Furthermore, the tape that has passed through the inlet 61A is transported downstream while its movement in the width direction is restricted by the tape guide port 61B. On the other hand, the ink ribbon 60 that has passed through the inlet 61A is transported downstream while its movement in the width direction is permitted by the ribbon guide port 61C. When the ink ribbon 60 moves in the width direction within the ribbon guide port 61C, the ink ribbon 60 being transported through the inlet 61A also tends to move in the width direction accordingly. As a result, the ink ribbon 60 that has moved in the width direction through the inlet 61A comes into contact with the step (i.e., the second upper tape restricting portion 363A and the second lower tape restricting portion 363B) provided at the end of the inlet 61A, facilitating separation from the tape.

As described above, the step prevents the ink ribbon 60 from entering the tape guide opening 61B, and promotes separation from the tape entering the tape guide opening 61B. The ink ribbon 60 that comes into contact with the step enters the ribbon guide opening 61C, which has a longer vertical length than the tape guide opening 61B. Therefore, the separation section 61 can reliably separate the tape and the ink ribbon 60, and can prevent the ink ribbon 60 from entering the tape guide opening 61B. The ink ribbon 60 separated from the tape enters the ribbon guide opening 61C, allowing the ink ribbon 60 to be transported along the appropriate path.

As described above, the tape passing through the tape guide opening 61B is restricted from moving in the width direction by the second bottom tape restricting portion 363B, the second top tape restricting portion 363A, and the separating wall restricting portion 364. The tape passing through the tape guide opening 61B is restricted from moving toward the print surface side by the second print surface side restricting portions 43A and 43B, and is bent slightly backward to apply back tension. However, the tape transport path from the discharge opening 341 through the separating portion 61 to the front of the tape drive roller 46 is a straight line extending generally to the left in a plan view. Therefore, the tape discharged from the discharge opening 341 can be smoothly transported to the front of the tape drive roller 46.

Of the regulating parts of the separation part 61, the regulating parts that regulate the tape near the tape drive roller 46 (specifically, the second tape bottom regulating part 363B, the partition wall regulating part 364, and the second print surface side regulating parts 43A and 43B) are all provided on the lower case 312. Therefore, regardless of the state of connection between the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, the movement of the tape in the width direction and toward the print surface side through the tape guide opening 61B can be appropriately regulated. Furthermore, since the second print surface side regulating parts 43A and 43B are provided only on the upper and lower ends of the front end surface of the partition wall 43, the area of contact with the printed portion of the tape can be minimized, reducing the possibility of impairing the print quality.

As described above, the ink ribbon 60 passing through the ribbon guide port 61C is guided toward the second ribbon region 440 and taken up by the ribbon take-up spool 44. The ink ribbon 60 passing through the ribbon guide port 61C is transported in a right rear direction away from the tape passing through the tape guide port 61B, and is further transported to the right, which is almost the opposite direction to the tape transport direction. Therefore, the transport path of the ink ribbon 60 from the discharge port 341 to the ribbon take-up spool 44 via the separation section 61 is bent at an acute angle in a plan view at the separation section 61. This allows the tape and the ink ribbon 60 to be reliably separated at the separation section 61. In addition, the tape and the ink ribbon 60 are prevented from being dragged by each other's travel, and the travel of the tape and the ink ribbon 60 can be stabilized.

As shown in Figures 17 to 19, the vertical length of the separation wall 33 and the isolation wall 43 is approximately the same as the vertical length of the cassette case 31. Therefore, when the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the separation wall 33 and the isolation wall 43 are fitted into the fixing grooves 331 and 332, respectively, as described above. This allows the worker to easily visually check whether the separation wall 33 and the isolation wall 43 are properly connected to the upper case 311 by checking the fixing grooves 331 and 332.

For example, if the tape cassette 30 is dropped and a physical impact is applied to the cassette case 31, the separation wall 33 and the isolation wall 43 are momentarily dislodged from the fixing grooves 331 and 332, respectively, but they automatically return to their original state. In other words, the separation wall 33 and the isolation wall 43 easily fit into the fixing grooves 331 and 332, respectively, and return to their original state as is. In addition, because the separation wall 33 and the isolation wall 43 are fitted into the fixing grooves 331 and 332, respectively, which are grooves corresponding to their respective shapes in a plan view, they can be fixed more stably than when they are connected by, for example, a pin and a hole.

As shown in Figures 20 and 22, the first to third corners 321 to 323 of the upper case 311 are each provided with a corner protrusion 631 that protrudes downward from the upper plate 305 along the contour shape of each. When the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the three corner protrusions 631 provided on the upper case 311 fit along the first to third corners 321 to 323 of the lower case 312, respectively. In other words, inside the cassette case 31, each corner protrusion 631 makes contact with the inner wall of the corners of the lower peripheral wall 304 that form the contours of the first to third corners 321 to 323 without any gaps.

As a result, the first to third corners 321 to 323 are each reinforced by the corner protrusions 631 inside the cassette case 31. In other words, the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are firmly joined at the first to third corners 321 to 323. The first to third corners 321 to 323 are structurally high rigidity areas of the box-shaped cassette case 31. This increases the physical strength of the cassette case 31.

For example, when the tape cassette 30 is dropped, a strong physical impact is likely to be applied to any of the first to third corners 321 to 323 of the box-shaped cassette case 31. In this embodiment, the first to third corners 321 to 323 are each reinforced by a corner protrusion 631. Therefore, even if a strong physical impact is applied to the first to third corners 321 to 323, the physical impact is cushioned by the corner protrusion 631, and damage to the cassette case 31 is suppressed.

The first corner 321 and the third corner 323 are located diagonally on the cassette case 31 in a plan view, and are each reinforced by a corner protrusion 631. Therefore, when a physical impact is applied to either the first corner 321 or the third corner 323, the physical impact can be distributed and received by the other corner. For example, when a physical impact is applied to the first corner 321, the physical impact is buffered by the corner protrusion 631 that reinforces the first corner 321 and the corner protrusion 631 that reinforces the third corner 323.

As mentioned above, the width T (see Figure 39) of the common portion 32 is constant regardless of the tape width. In other words, the height position of the upper surface of the corners 321 to 324 in the upper case 311 and the widthwise center position of the tape stored in the cassette case 31 are constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. Therefore, even if the width dimensions of the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are different, the distance from the corner protrusion 631 to the widthwise center position of the tape is always constant.

Therefore, regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30, i.e., the width dimensions of the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, the corner protrusions 631 can be provided at a common height position and protruding width. Even if the width dimensions of the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are different, the strength design of the cassette case 31 can be standardized.

The details of each part that constitutes the tape cassette 30 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17 and Figures 29 to 36. Below, a laminated type tape cassette 30 will be used as an example to explain the holes (roller support holes 64-, first tape support hole 65, second tape support hole 66, ribbon support hole 67, take-up spool support hole 68, and guide hole 47) provided in the cassette case 31, and the members associated with these holes.

The roller support hole 64 and the tape drive roller 46 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17, 29, and 30. As shown in Figures 15 to 17, and 29, the tape drive roller 46 is rotatably supported via the roller support hole 64. The roller support hole 64 includes an opening 64A provided in the top plate 305 and an opening 64B provided in the bottom plate 306. The openings 64A and 64B are through holes provided at positions corresponding to the up-down direction of the cassette case 31.

As shown in FIG. 30, the tape drive roller 46 is a cylinder having a height approximately equal to that of the cassette case 31. The outer diameter of the main body 46E of the tape drive roller 46 is larger than the diameter of the openings 64A and 64B. The outer peripheral surface of the main body 46E is the roller surface 46C that contacts the tape. The vertical length of the roller surface 46C (i.e., the tape feed width) is the same as the tape width.

The upper end 46A of the tape drive roller 46 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes upward from the center of the upper end surface of the main body 46E. The lower end 46B of the tape drive roller 46 is a cylindrical portion that protrudes downward from the center of the lower end surface of the main body 46E. The outer diameters of the upper end 46A and the lower end 46B are slightly smaller than the diameters of the openings 64A and 64B, respectively. Inside the tape drive roller 46, there is a shaft hole 46D that vertically penetrates the main body 46E, the upper end 46A, and the lower end 46B.

Inside the cassette case 31, the upper end 46A is fitted into the opening 64A of the top plate 305, and the lower end 46B is fitted into the opening 64B of the bottom plate 306. In detail, the upper end of the main body 46E abuts against a support protruding downward from the top plate 305 along the opening edge of the opening 64A. The lower end of the main body 46E abuts against a support protruding upward from the bottom plate 306 along the opening edge of the opening 64B. As a result, the tape drive roller 46 is rotatably supported by the upper end 46A and the lower end 46B, while its movement in the vertical direction is restricted by the main body 46E.

The inner peripheral surface of the tape drive roller 46 (i.e., the inner wall forming the shaft hole 46D) is provided with a number of ribs 46F extending upward from the lower end. When the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the tape drive shaft 100 (see FIG. 45) is inserted into the shaft hole 46D through the opening 64B. In the shaft hole 46D, a number of cam members 100A (see FIG. 45) mesh with the number of ribs 46F. The diameter of the shaft hole 46D is slightly larger than the shaft diameter of the tape drive shaft 100. Therefore, the tape drive shaft 100 inserted inside the shaft hole 46D has a slightly large amount of play in the circumferential direction.

Conventionally, when molding the lower case 312, a recess (so-called recessed portion) for reducing the thickness near the opening 64B was sometimes formed on the inside of the lower case 312 (i.e., the upper surface side of the bottom plate 306). In this case, when an operator attaches the tape drive roller 46 to the opening 64B of the lower case 312, the lower end 46B of the tape drive roller 46 may get caught on the recessed portion near the opening 64B, causing the tape drive roller 46 to rotate improperly. For this reason, in the conventional tape cassette manufacturing process, the operator had to be careful not to catch the tape drive roller 46 on the recessed portion.

In this embodiment, when the lower case 312 is molded, a recessed portion 990 that reduces the thickness near the opening 64B is formed on the outside of the lower case 312 (i.e., on the underside of the bottom plate 306) (see FIG. 16). This allows the area near the opening 64B on the inside of the lower case 312 to be flat, preventing poor rotation of the tape drive roller 46 due to the recessed portion. This in turn reduces the burden on the worker who must pay attention to the recessed portion.

The first tape support hole 65 and the first tape spool 40 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17, 29 and 31. As shown in Figures 17 and 29, the first tape spool 40 stored in the first tape area 400 is rotatably supported via the first tape support hole 65.

As shown in Figures 15, 16 and 31, the first tape support hole 65 includes an opening 65A provided in the top plate 305, an opening 65B provided in the bottom plate 306, and an axial hole 65C that connects the openings 65A and 65B. The openings 65A and 65B are through holes provided at corresponding positions in the up-down direction of the cassette case 31.

As shown in FIG. 31, the upper case 311 has a number of locking ribs 784 extending downward from the opening 65A. The respective tips of the locking ribs 784 are hook-shaped bodies that protrude in opposing directions inside the cassette case 31. The lower case 312 has a cylindrical tube wall portion 785 extending upward from the opening 65B.

The cylindrical wall portion 785 has a plurality of slits 787 cut in the vertical direction. The upper open end of each slit 787 is closed by a head portion 786. Inside the cassette case 31, locking ribs 784 fitted into each slit 787 are locked to the head portions 786. Inside the cylindrical wall portion 785, there is a shaft hole 65C that penetrates in the vertical direction. The openings 65A and 65B are connected by the shaft hole 65C.

The first tape spool 40 has a double-wall structure consisting of an inner wall 40A and an outer wall 40B. The inner wall 40A is a cylinder whose inner diameter is slightly larger than the outer diameter of the tube wall portion 785 and whose height is smaller than the tape width. An axial hole 40D is provided inside the inner wall 40A, penetrating in the vertical direction. The outer wall 40B is a cylinder that surrounds the entire inner wall 40A and has a height approximately equal to the tape width. A double-sided adhesive tape 58 is wound around the outer periphery of the outer wall 40B. In the receptor type tape cassette 30, the printing tape 57 is wound around the outer wall 40B (see FIG. 7). In the thermal type tape cassette 30, the thermal paper tape 55 is wound around the outer wall 40B (see FIG. 8).

The first tape spool 40 has multiple connecting bodies 40C installed between the inner wall 40A and the outer wall 40B. The first tape spool 40 is configured with multiple connecting bodies 40C in a double cylindrical shape with the inner wall 40A and the outer wall 40B coaxial with each other. The first tape spool 40 is rotatably supported by the cylindrical wall portion 785 inserted into the shaft hole 40D. The diameter of the shaft hole 65C is approximately the same as or slightly larger than the shaft diameter of the auxiliary shaft 110.

As shown in Figures 29 and 31, spacers 980 made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate resin film) are provided on both widthwise end faces of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40. The spacers 980 are disks having a diameter equal to or greater than the maximum winding diameter of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40. The spacer 980 in this embodiment has a diameter approximately the same as the first tape region 400 and a diameter slightly larger than the maximum winding diameter of the double-sided adhesive tape 58.

The spacer 980 prevents the adhesive from seeping out from the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40. This prevents, for example, the first tape spool 40 from being adhered to the top plate 305 and bottom plate 306 by the adhesive seeping out from the double-sided adhesive tape 58. This in turn prevents the smooth rotation of the first tape spool 40 from being impeded.

The second tape support hole 66 and the second tape spool 41 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17, 29, and 32 to 34. As shown in Figures 17 and 29, the second tape spool 41 stored in the second tape area 410 is rotatably supported via the second tape support hole 66.

As shown in Figures 15, 16 and 32, the second tape spool 41 is a cylinder having a height approximately equal to the tape width. A film tape 59 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the second tape spool 41. The second tape support hole 66 includes an upper tape support portion 66A provided on the lower surface side of the top plate 305 and a lower tape support portion 66B provided on the upper surface side of the bottom plate 306. The upper tape support portion 66A and the lower tape support portion 66B are provided at corresponding positions in the up-down direction of the cassette case 31 and are connected to each other.

As shown in FIG. 32, the upper tape support portion 66A includes an upper base portion 581 and a cylindrical portion 582. The upper base portion 581 is a cylindrical body that protrudes downward from the upper plate 305 and has a lower end surface. The upper base portion 581 is inserted from above into the axial hole 41A of the second tape spool 41. The cylindrical portion 582 is a small-diameter cylindrical body that protrudes downward from the center of the lower end surface of the upper base portion 581 and has an axial hole that penetrates in the vertical direction.

The lower tape support portion 66B includes a lower base portion 583, a support shaft 584, a plurality of locking projections 585, a plurality of locking grooves 586, and a diameter expansion prevention body 587 (see FIG. 34). The lower base portion 583 is a cylindrical body that protrudes upward from the bottom plate 306 and has an upper end surface. The lower base portion 583 is inserted into the shaft hole 41A of the second tape spool 41 from below. The support shaft 584 is a small-diameter shaft body erected in the center of the upper end surface of the lower base portion 583, and its upper end portion is fitted into the shaft hole of the cylindrical portion 582. The plurality of locking projections 585 are a plurality of rectangular prisms that are radially arranged around the support shaft 584 in a plan view along the periphery of the upper end surface of the lower base portion 583. The plurality of locking grooves 586 are a plurality of grooves formed between adjacent locking projections 585. The diameter expansion prevention body 587 will be described separately later.

The rotating member 571 includes a cylindrical projection 571A, a pair of ridges 571B, and a main body 571C. The main body 571C is a cylinder having approximately the same diameter as the shaft hole 41A. The pair of ridges 571B are provided on the outer circumferential surface of the main body 571C and protrude radially outward at positions facing each other. The cylindrical projection 571A is a cylinder having a smaller diameter than the main body 571C and protrudes from one end side of the main body 571C. A clutch spring 572 is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical projection 571A.

The clutch spring 572 is a coil spring including an annular portion 572A and a locking portion 572B. The annular portion 572A is a coil that is attached to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical projection 571A. The locking portion 572B is the tip of the coil that extends radially outward from the rear end (lower end in FIG. 32) of the annular portion 572A. The annular portion 572A is wound in a clockwise direction from the tip (upper end in FIG. 32) of the annular portion 572A to the rear end (i.e., the locking portion 572B). The clutch spring 572 is wound so that the diameter is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the cylindrical projection 571A.

The cylindrical projection 571A is inserted into the slightly enlarged annular portion 572A so as to penetrate from the tip end to the rear end of the annular portion 572A. As a result, the elastic force of the annular portion 572A causes it to adhere closely to the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical projection 571A, and the locking portion 572B is positioned on the tip side of the cylindrical projection 571A. The winding direction of the annular portion 572A (i.e., the clockwise direction from the tip to the rear end of the annular portion 572A) coincides with the pull-out direction of the film tape 59 in a plan view.

The rotating member 571 to which the clutch spring 572 is attached is attached in the axial hole 41A of the second tape spool 41 so that the cylindrical protrusion 571A faces the lower tape support portion 66B. A pair of sliding grooves 41B extending in the vertical direction are provided in opposing positions on the inner circumferential surface of the axial hole 41A. Inside the axial hole 41A, each of the protrusions 571B of the rotating member 571 fits into each of the sliding grooves 41B of the second tape spool 41.

As a result, the protrusion 571B and the sliding groove 41B cooperate to allow the rotating member 571 to rotate integrally with the second tape spool 41. Furthermore, the support shaft 584 of the lower tape support portion 66B is inserted into the rotating member 571 (more specifically, into the shaft hole of the cylindrical protrusion 571A) attached to the second tape spool 41. This allows the second tape spool 41 to rotate around the support shaft 584 via the rotating member 571.

33 and 34, when the support shaft 584 is inserted into the rotating member 571, the cylindrical projection 571A faces the upper end surface of the lower base 583. The clutch spring 572 is disposed between the cylindrical projection 571A, to which the annular portion 572A is in close contact, and the multiple locking projections 585. The locking portion 572B is locked to one of the multiple locking grooves 586. As described above, the winding direction of the annular portion 572A coincides with the unwinding direction (clockwise direction) of the film tape 59. Therefore, the annular portion 572A expands in diameter when a rotational force acts in the clockwise direction in a plan view, and contracts in diameter when a rotational force acts in the counterclockwise direction in a plan view.

The upper end surface of the lower base 583 is provided with a plurality of diameter expansion prevention bodies 587. Each diameter expansion prevention body 587 is a small-diameter, approximately cylindrical body that is erected along the surface of each locking protrusion 585 that faces the support shaft 584. In other words, the plurality of diameter expansion prevention bodies 587 are provided radially from the support shaft 584 as a center in a plan view, and are provided slightly inside the plurality of locking protrusions 585. The annular portion 572A is located inside the plurality of diameter expansion prevention bodies 587 in a plan view. When the annular portion 572A expands to a predetermined width, it comes into contact with the plurality of diameter expansion prevention bodies 587, so that the diameter expansion beyond the predetermined width is restricted. When the annular portion 572A expands to a size where it contacts the plurality of diameter expansion prevention bodies 587, the tight contact state between the annular portion 572A and the cylindrical protrusion 571A is released.

When the second tape spool 41 rotates in the clockwise direction by pulling out the film tape 59, a clockwise rotational force acts on the rotating member 571 via the second tape spool 41. At this time, since the locking portion 572B is locked in the locking groove 586, sliding friction occurs between the cylindrical projection 571A and the annular portion 572A, and a clockwise torque is applied to the annular portion 572A. As a result, the annular portion 572A is unwound and expanded in diameter, and the sliding friction occurring between the cylindrical projection 571A and the annular portion 572A is reduced. When the annular portion 572A expands in diameter to a predetermined width where it contacts the multiple diameter expansion prevention bodies 587, the connection between the clutch spring 572 and the second tape spool 41 is released. At this time, the rotational load applied by the clutch spring 572 to the second tape spool 41 is relatively small, so that the second tape spool 41 can rotate smoothly.

As a result, when the second tape spool 41 rotates in the direction in which the film tape 59 is pulled out, a quantitative and stable rotational load (i.e., load torque) is applied by the clutch spring 572. This allows a stable back tension to be applied to the film tape 59, stabilizing the amount of film tape 59 pulled out per unit time from the second tape spool 41. This in turn stabilizes the running of the film tape 59 during the printing operation, making it possible to suppress deterioration of print quality caused by poor running of the film tape 59.

On the other hand, when an external force is applied that rotates the second tape spool 41 in the opposite direction to the unwinding direction of the film tape 59 (i.e., counterclockwise), a counterclockwise rotational force acts on the rotating member 571 via the second tape spool 41. At this time, a counterclockwise torque is applied to the annular portion 572A due to sliding friction generated between the cylindrical protrusion 571A and the annular portion 572A. As a result, the annular portion 572A is wound and contracts in diameter, and the sliding friction generated between the cylindrical protrusion 571A and the annular portion 572A increases. In other words, the clutch spring 572 and the second tape spool 41 are connected, and a relatively large rotational load is applied to the second tape spool 41. This restricts the film tape 59 from rotating in the opposite direction to the unwinding direction.

The annular portion 572A can be expanded to a predetermined width (an expansion width that satisfies the condition that the second tape spool 41 rotates smoothly) that contacts the multiple diameter expansion prevention bodies 587. The multiple diameter expansion prevention bodies 587 regulate excessive expansion of the annular portion 572A. In this case, when the annular portion 572A returns from the expanded state to the contracted state, the degree to which the annular portion 572A reverses is reduced, and the effect of the second tape spool 41 reversing is also reduced. Therefore, when the annular portion 572A returns from the expanded state to the contracted state, the film tape 59 already pulled out from the second tape spool 41 is less likely to be pulled back into the cassette case 31.

As shown in FIG. 33, the upper base 581 of the upper tape support 66A includes a first diameter portion 581A, a second diameter portion 581B, and a tapered portion 581C. The first diameter portion 581A is a cylindrical portion that protrudes downward from the upper plate 305 and has a slightly smaller outer diameter than the axial hole of the second tape spool 41. The tapered portion 581C is a conical tube that extends downward from the first diameter portion 581A and the outer diameter gradually decreases downward. The second diameter portion 581B is a bottomed cylindrical portion that extends downward from the tapered portion 581C and has a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the first diameter portion 581A. The aforementioned cylindrical portion 582 is formed on the lower end surface of the second diameter portion 581B.

The lower base 583 of the lower tape support 66B includes a first diameter portion 583A, a second diameter portion 583B, and a tapered portion 583C. The first diameter portion 583A is a cylindrical portion that protrudes upward from the bottom plate 306 and has an outer diameter approximately the same as the shaft hole of the second tape spool 41. The tapered portion 583C is a conical tube that extends upward from the first diameter portion 583A and the outer diameter gradually decreases toward the top. The second diameter portion 583B is a bottomed cylindrical portion that extends upward from the tapered portion 583C and has a smaller diameter than the outer diameter of the first diameter portion 583A. The aforementioned support shaft 584 is formed on the upper end surface of the second diameter portion 583B.

As described above, the first diameter portion 583A of the lower base 583 is approximately the same diameter as the shaft hole of the second tape spool 41. Therefore, of the lower tape support portion 66B inserted into the shaft hole of the second tape spool 41, only the first diameter portion 583A contacts the inner wall of the second tape spool 41 to support the rotation of the lower end side. On the other hand, the first diameter portion 581A of the upper base 581 is slightly smaller in diameter than the shaft hole of the second tape spool 41. Therefore, the upper tape support portion 66A inserted into the shaft hole of the second tape spool 41 does not contact the inner wall of the second tape spool 41 in its entirety. However, when the second tape spool 41 is biased toward the outer periphery due to rotation, only the first diameter portion 581A of the upper tape support portion 66A contacts the inner wall of the second tape spool 41 to support the rotation of the upper end side of the second tape spool 41.

This minimizes the contact area between the second tape spool 41 and the upper and lower tape support portions 66A and 66B, thereby reducing the rotational load on the second tape spool 41. This eliminates the need to apply grease to reduce the rotational load on the second tape spool 41, thereby improving the recyclability of the second tape spool 41.

Since the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are separate parts, they are molded in separate dies and then assembled by an operator. At this time, due to manufacturing accuracy and assembly errors of the upper tape support portion 66A and the lower tape support portion 66B, the axis of the first diameter portion 581A and the axis of the first diameter portion 583A may not exactly coincide. In other words, the first diameter portion 581A and the first diameter portion 583A may not exactly face each other in the vertical direction within the cassette case 31.

In this case, a difference occurs between the rotational load that the first diameter portion 581A applies to the upper end side of the second tape spool 41 and the rotational load that the first diameter portion 583A applies to the lower end side of the second tape spool 41, which may cause uneven rotation of the second tape spool 41. As a countermeasure, in the conventional tape cassette manufacturing process, the manufacturing precision and assembly error of the upper tape support portion 66A and the lower tape support portion 66B are strictly controlled by the worker.

In this embodiment, the first diameter portion 581A of the upper tape support portion 66A has an outer diameter slightly smaller than the first diameter portion 583A of the lower tape support portion 66B. In other words, the first diameter portion 581A has circumferential play within the axial hole of the second tape spool 41. Even if the axis of the first diameter portion 581A and the axis of the first diameter portion 583A do not exactly coincide, the sliding load that the first diameter portion 581A imparts to the upper end side of the second tape spool 41 is small.

Therefore, even if there are manufacturing precision or assembly errors in the upper tape support portion 66A and the lower tape support portion 66B, the first diameter portion 583A can appropriately support the rotation of the second tape spool 41. As a result, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of rotational irregularities in the second tape spool 41, and to reduce the burden on the worker who manages the above-mentioned manufacturing precision and assembly errors.

The first diameter portion 583A of the lower base 583 is approximately the same diameter as the axial hole of the second tape spool 41, so the vibration of the lower tape support portion 66B that occurs when the second tape spool 41 rotates is small. On the other hand, the first diameter portion 581A of the upper base 581 is smaller than the axial hole of the second tape spool 41, so the vibration of the upper tape support portion 66A that occurs when the second tape spool 41 rotates is large. Therefore, it is preferable that the clutch spring 572 of the rotating member 571 attached to the second tape spool 41 be connected to the lower tape support portion 66B rather than the upper tape support portion 66A.

The lower base 583 of the lower tape support part 66B is provided with a support shaft 584, a locking protrusion 585, and a locking groove 586. The clutch spring 572 of the rotating member 571 attached to the second tape spool 41 is connected to the lower tape support part 66B. This also suppresses vibration of the rotating member 571 that occurs when the second tape spool 41 rotates, thereby suppressing unevenness in the rotational load applied by the clutch spring 572. This in turn stabilizes the rotation of the second tape spool 41.

The ribbon support hole 67 and ribbon spool 42 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17, 29, and 32 to 34. As shown in Figures 17 and 29, the ribbon spool 42 stored in the first ribbon area 420 is rotatably supported via the ribbon support hole 67. The ribbon spool 42 is a cylindrical body having a height approximately equal to the tape width. An unused ink ribbon 60 is wound around the outer circumferential surface of the ribbon spool 42.

As shown in Figures 15, 16 and 32, the ribbon support hole 67 includes an upper ribbon support portion 67A provided on the lower surface side of the upper plate 305 and a lower ribbon support portion 67B provided on the upper surface side of the bottom plate 306. The upper ribbon support portion 67A and the lower ribbon support portion 67B are provided at corresponding positions in the up-down direction of the cassette case 31 and are connected to each other.

32, the upper ribbon support 67A includes an upper base 591, a cylindrical portion 592, a plurality of locking projections 593, and a plurality of locking grooves 594. The upper base 591 is a cylinder that protrudes downward from the upper plate 305 and has a lower end surface. The upper base 591 is inserted from above into the axial hole 42A of the ribbon spool 42. The cylindrical portion 592 is a small-diameter cylinder that protrudes downward from the center of the lower end surface of the upper base 591 and has an axial hole that penetrates in the vertical direction. The plurality of locking projections 593 are a plurality of prismatic bodies that are radially arranged around the cylindrical portion 592 in a plan view along the periphery of the lower end surface of the upper base 591. The plurality of locking grooves 594 are a plurality of grooves that are formed between adjacent locking projections 593.

The lower ribbon support section 67B includes a lower base 595 and a support shaft 596. The lower base 595 is a cylinder that protrudes upward from the bottom plate 306 and has an upper end surface. The lower base 595 is inserted into the shaft hole 42A of the ribbon spool 42 from below. The support shaft 596 is a small-diameter shaft that stands upright in the center of the upper end surface of the lower base 595, and its upper end is fitted into the shaft hole of the cylindrical section 592.

In this embodiment, the second tape support hole 66 and the ribbon support hole 67 have almost the same connection structure. Therefore, the shaft diameter of the support shafts 584, 596, the hole diameter of the cylindrical parts 582, 592, the number, shape, positional relationship, etc. of the multiple locking protrusions 585, 593 (i.e., the locking grooves 586, 594) are common to each other. The ribbon spool 42 has almost the same configuration as the second tape spool 41. Therefore, the shape and hole diameter of the shaft holes 41A, 42A are common to each other, and the inner surface of the shaft hole 42A is also provided with a sliding groove 42B similar to the sliding groove 41B. However, the second tape support hole 66 is different in that the locking protrusions 585 and the locking grooves 586 are provided in the lower case 312, while the ribbon support hole 67 is different in that the locking protrusions 593 and the locking grooves 594 are provided in the upper case 311.

The rotating member 571 and clutch spring 572 mounted on the ribbon spool 42 are common parts to the rotating member 571 and clutch spring 572 mounted on the second tape spool 41. As with mounting on the second tape spool 41, the rotating member 571 with the clutch spring 572 mounted thereon is mounted in the axial hole 42A of the ribbon spool 42. Within the axial hole 42A, each of the protrusions 571B of the rotating member 571 fits into each of the sliding grooves 42B of the ribbon spool 42. The support shaft 596 of the lower ribbon support part 67B is inserted into the rotating member 571 mounted on the ribbon spool 42 (specifically, into the axial hole of the cylindrical protrusion 571A).

However, the rotating member 571 to which the clutch spring 572 is attached is attached in the shaft hole 42A so that the cylindrical projection 571A faces the upper ribbon support portion 67A. In other words, the rotating member 571 and the clutch spring 572 are attached to the ribbon spool 42 in the up-down direction reversed from when they are attached to the second tape spool 41. As a result, the winding direction of the annular portion 572A (i.e., the clockwise direction from the front end to the rear end of the annular portion 572A) coincides with the pull-out direction (clockwise direction) of the ink ribbon 60 in a bottom view. In other words, the winding direction of the annular portion 572A coincides with the pull-out direction (counterclockwise direction) of the ink ribbon 60 in a plan view.

When the support shaft 596 is inserted into the rotating member 571, the cylindrical projection 571A faces the lower end surface of the upper base 591. The clutch spring 572 is disposed between the cylindrical projection 571A, to which the annular portion 572A is in close contact, and the multiple locking projections 593. The locking portion 572B is locked into one of the multiple locking grooves 594. As described above, the winding direction of the annular portion 572A coincides with the pull-out direction (counterclockwise direction) of the ink ribbon 60. Therefore, the annular portion 572A expands in diameter when a rotational force acts in the counterclockwise direction in a plan view, and contracts in diameter when a rotational force acts in the clockwise direction in a plan view.

When the ribbon spool 42 rotates counterclockwise as the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out, the annular portion 572A expands in diameter, allowing the ribbon spool 42 to rotate smoothly, in the same way as when the second tape spool 41 rotates clockwise. On the other hand, when an external force is applied that rotates the ribbon spool 42 in the opposite direction to the direction in which the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out (i.e., clockwise), a large rotational load is applied to the ribbon spool 42 due to the contraction of the annular portion 572A, in the same way as when the second tape spool 41 rotates counterclockwise.

In this embodiment, the upper base 591 of the upper ribbon support 67A has a configuration similar to the upper base 581 described above, and has a first diameter portion 591A, a second diameter portion 591B, and a tapered portion 591C (see FIG. 33). The lower base 595 of the lower ribbon support 67B has a configuration similar to the lower base 583 described above, and has a first diameter portion 595A, a second diameter portion 595B, and a tapered portion 595C (see FIG. 33). However, the first diameter portion 591A of the upper base 591 is a cylindrical portion having an outer diameter approximately the same as the axial hole of the ribbon spool 42. The first diameter portion 595A of the lower base 595 is a cylindrical portion having an outer diameter slightly smaller than the axial hole of the ribbon spool 42.

Of the upper ribbon support portion 67A inserted into the axial hole of the ribbon spool 42, only the first diameter portion 591A comes into contact with the inner wall of the ribbon spool 42 to support the rotation of the upper end side. On the other hand, the lower ribbon support portion 67B inserted into the axial hole of the ribbon spool 42 does not come into contact with the inner wall of the ribbon spool 42 in its entirety. However, if the ribbon spool 42 is biased toward the outer periphery due to rotation, only the first diameter portion 595A of the lower ribbon support portion 67B comes into contact with the inner wall of the ribbon spool 42 to support the rotation of the lower end side of the ribbon spool 42.

This minimizes the contact area between the ribbon spool 42 and the upper and lower ribbon support parts 67A and 67B, reducing the rotational load of the ribbon spool 42. It is no longer necessary to apply grease to reduce the rotational load of the ribbon spool 42, which increases the recyclability of the ribbon spool 42.

Since the first diameter portion 591A of the upper base 591 is approximately the same diameter as the axial hole of the ribbon spool 42, the vibration of the upper ribbon support portion 67A that occurs when the ribbon spool 42 rotates is small. On the other hand, since the first diameter portion 595A of the lower base 595 is smaller than the axial hole of the ribbon spool 42, the vibration of the lower ribbon support portion 67B that occurs when the ribbon spool 42 rotates is large. Therefore, it is preferable that the clutch spring 572 of the rotating member 571 attached to the ribbon spool 42 be connected to the upper ribbon support portion 67A rather than the lower ribbon support portion 67B.

The upper base 591 of the upper ribbon support part 67A is provided with a cylindrical part 592, a locking protrusion 593, and a locking groove 594. The clutch spring 572 of the rotating member 571 attached to the ribbon spool 42 is connected to the upper ribbon support part 67A. This also suppresses vibration of the rotating member 571 that occurs when the ribbon spool 42 rotates, thereby suppressing unevenness in the rotational load applied by the clutch spring 572. This in turn stabilizes the rotation of the ribbon spool 42.

Referring to Figures 32 to 34, a method for assembling the second tape spool 41 and ribbon spool 42 into the cassette case 31 when manufacturing the tape cassette 30 will be described. First, the worker stores the second tape spool 41, around which the film tape 59 is wound, in the second lower tape area 410B. At this time, the worker inserts the support shaft 584 of the lower case 312 into the shaft hole 41A of the second tape spool 41.

Next, the worker installs the rotating member 571 with the clutch spring 572 attached into the shaft hole 41A of the second tape spool 41. At this time, the worker inserts each protrusion 571B into each sliding groove 41B, and also inserts the support shaft 584 into the shaft hole of the cylindrical protrusion 571A. However, the worker installs the rotating member 571 into the shaft hole 41A so that the cylindrical protrusion 571A (i.e., the clutch spring 572) faces downward. Then, the locking portion 572B is locked into one of the locking grooves 586 in the shaft hole 41A, so that back tension is applied to the film tape 59. Therefore, even before the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the film tape 59 wound around the second tape spool 41 can be prevented from expanding outward.

Meanwhile, the operator stores the ribbon spool 42 around which the ink ribbon 60 is wound in the first lower ribbon area 420B. At this time, the support shaft 596 of the lower case 312 is inserted into the shaft hole 42A of the ribbon spool 42.

Next, the worker installs the rotating member 571 with the clutch spring 572 attached into the axial hole 42A of the ribbon spool 42. At this time, the worker inserts each protrusion 571B into each sliding groove 42B, and inserts the support shaft 596 into the cylindrical protrusion 571A. However, the worker installs the rotating member 571 into the axial hole 42A so that the cylindrical protrusion 571A (i.e., the clutch spring 572) faces upward. In other words, the worker installs the rotating member 571 with the clutch spring 572 attached so that the up-down directions of the second tape spool 41 and the ribbon spool 42 are reversed.

Before the upper case 311 is assembled to the lower case 312, the locking portion 572B is not locked in the locking groove 594, and therefore no back tension is applied to the ink ribbon 60. However, the ink ribbon 60 is thinner than the film tape 59 and contains magnetic material as a material component. Therefore, the ink ribbon 60 is likely to maintain its wound state due to the influence of static electricity and the like. In other words, the ink ribbon 60 wound around the ribbon spool 42 is unlikely to bulge toward the outer periphery even without the application of back tension.

Finally, the worker assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312 and fits the upper ends of the support shafts 584, 596 of the lower case 312 into the axial holes of the cylindrical portions 582, 592 of the upper case 311, respectively. Inside the axial hole 42A, the locking portion 572B locks into one of the locking grooves 594, so that back tension is also applied to the ink ribbon 60. In this way, when the upper case 311 and the lower case 312 are assembled, the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 are less likely to come apart, improving the ease of assembly of the cassette case 31.

By making the brake members (rotating member 571 and clutch spring 572) for applying back tension to the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 respectively a common configuration, the design and manufacture of the tape cassette 30 can be facilitated. In particular, by making the brake members the same parts, parts management of the brake members can be facilitated. This can reduce assembly errors of the brake members to the second tape spool 41 and the ribbon spool 42. Because the brake members have a simple structure consisting of the rotating member 571 and the clutch spring 572, parts assembly of the brake members can be facilitated.

When the second tape spool 41 is rotated in the direction in which the film tape 59 is pulled out, the film tape 59 is pulled out smoothly. At this time, a small back tension is applied to the film tape 59 so that the film tape 59 is not pulled out excessively. When the second tape spool 41 is rotated in the direction opposite to the direction in which the film tape 59 is pulled out, a large back tension is applied to the film tape 59 so as to restrict the rotation of the second tape spool 41. Therefore, the film tape 59 can be transported stably, and the occurrence of wrinkles and slack in the film tape 59 can be suppressed.

When the ribbon spool 42 is rotated in the direction in which the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out, the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out smoothly. At this time, a small back tension is applied to the ink ribbon 60 so that the ink ribbon 60 is not pulled out excessively. When the ribbon spool 42 is rotated in the opposite direction to the direction in which the ink ribbon 60 is pulled out, a large back tension is applied to the ink ribbon 60 so as to restrict the rotation of the ribbon spool 42. Therefore, the ink ribbon 60 can be transported stably and the occurrence of wrinkles and sagging in the ink ribbon 60 can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, the roller members 535 are provided at the bent portion 533 (see Figures 5 to 8 and 29), so the load applied to the tape on the tape transport path is reduced. Therefore, the back tension caused by the brake member can be stably applied to the film tape 59. Furthermore, the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 are transported in opposite directions, and are transported separately to the printing position.

Therefore, even when the second tape region 410 and the first ribbon region 420 are adjacent to each other, the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 are unlikely to be dragged by each other's transport. The back tensions applied to the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60, respectively, can be prevented from interfering with each other, and the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 can be transported stably.

However, for example, due to an unauthorized operation by a user, the tape discharged from the discharge port 341 of the arm section 34 may be mistakenly pushed from the discharge port 341 back into the arm section 34. In this case, if the tape pushed in from the discharge port 341 exceeds the allowable amount, it may flow back inside the cassette case 31. If this happens, the tape that flows back may spread near the first ribbon area 420 or within the second tape area 410, which may cause a jam.

In this embodiment, the aforementioned restricting rib 532 (see Figures 5 to 8 and 29) is provided near the first ribbon region 420. When tape is pushed in from the discharge port 341, the restricting rib 532 prevents the reversed tape from spreading near the first ribbon region 420. As a result, the reversed tape is also prevented from entering the second tape region 410. Therefore, the occurrence of a jam caused by tape being pushed in from the discharge port 341 can be prevented.

The take-up spool support hole 68 and the ribbon take-up spool 44 will be described with reference to Figures 15 to 17, 29, and 35. As shown in Figures 17 and 29, the ribbon take-up spool 44 is rotatably supported via the take-up spool support hole 68 while stored in the second ribbon area 440. As shown in Figures 15, 16, and 35, the take-up spool support hole 68 includes an opening 68A formed in the top plate 305 and an opening 68B formed in the bottom plate 306. The openings 68A and 68B are through holes provided at positions corresponding to the up-down direction of the cassette case 31.

As shown in FIG. 35, the ribbon take-up spool 44 is a cylinder having a height approximately equal to that of the cassette case 31. The upper and lower edges of the ribbon take-up spool 44 are each provided with a flange-shaped support portion 44E that protrudes radially outward along the entire circumference. The vertical length of the upper support portion 44E and the lower support portion 44E is approximately equal to the width of the ink ribbon 60. The used ink ribbon 60 is wound around the outer periphery of the ribbon take-up spool 44, between the upper support portion 44E and the lower support portion 44E.

Inside the cassette case 31, the upper end 44A of the ribbon take-up spool 44 is fitted into the opening 68A, and the lower end 44B is fitted into the opening 68B. At the upper edge of the ribbon take-up spool 44, the support portion 44E abuts against the lower surface of the top plate 305, restricting the upward movement of the ribbon take-up spool 44. At the lower edge of the ribbon take-up spool 44, the support portion 44E abuts against the upper surface of the bottom plate 306, restricting the downward movement of the ribbon take-up spool 44. As a result, the ribbon take-up spool 44 is rotatably supported at the upper end 44A and the lower end 44B.

The ribbon take-up spool 44 has an axial hole 44C formed therein, which penetrates in the vertical direction. The inner peripheral surface of the ribbon take-up spool 44 (i.e., the inner wall forming the axial hole 44C) is provided with a plurality of ribs 44D extending upward from the lower end. When the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the ribbon take-up shaft 95 (see FIG. 45) is inserted into the axial hole 44C through the opening 68B. In the axial hole 44C, a plurality of cam members 95A (see FIG. 45) mesh with the plurality of ribs 44D. This transmits the rotation of the ribbon take-up shaft 95 to the ribbon take-up spool 44. The diameter of the axial hole 44C is slightly larger than the diameter of the ribbon take-up shaft 95. Therefore, the ribbon take-up shaft 95 inserted into the axial hole 44C has a slightly large circumferential play.

As shown in Figures 16 and 35, a clutch spring 340 is provided at the lower end of the ribbon take-up spool 44. The clutch spring 340 is wound directly below the lower support portion 44E. The tip of the coil protruding radially outward from the clutch spring 340 is the spring end 340A. The spring end 340A is fitted into the spring mounting groove 328 of the lower case 312. The spring mounting groove 328 is a groove formed in the bottom plate 306, and extends from the opening 68B to the rear right (upper left in Figure 35).

As shown in Figures 18 and 20, a spring fixing wall 329 is erected on the inside of the lower case 312, straddling the spring mounting groove 328 and extending upward from the bottom plate 306. A groove portion 329A is formed in the spring fixing wall 329, extending upward from the spring mounting groove 328. The spring fixing portion 345 is a triangular area in a plan view that is surrounded by the spring fixing wall 329, a wall portion extending rearward from the right end of the spring fixing wall 329, and a wall portion extending rightward from the left end of the spring fixing wall 329.

When the ribbon take-up spool 44 is attached, the spring end 340A is attached from above into the spring attachment groove 328 via the groove 329A. The tip of the spring end 340A is bent upward. The bent tip of the spring end 340A is fixed within the spring fixing portion 345. When an external force is applied to rotate the ribbon take-up spool 44 in the direction opposite to the winding direction of the ink ribbon 60 (clockwise), the clutch spring 340 applies a large rotational load to the ribbon take-up spool 44.

The spring fixing part 345 is provided on the rear side of the first lower ribbon area 420B and on the rear right side of the second lower ribbon area 440B. In other words, the spring fixing part 345 is provided at a position different from the transport path of the ink ribbon 60 pulled out from the ribbon spool 42 (i.e., the left direction of the first lower ribbon area 420B) and the transport path of the ink ribbon 60 wound on the ribbon take-up spool 44 (i.e., the lower left direction of the second lower ribbon area 440B). This reduces the risk that the spring end 340A will come into contact with and damage the ink ribbon 60 when an operator attaches or detaches the ribbon take-up spool 44 to the lower case 312.

When the ribbon take-up spool 44 is attached to the lower case 312, the tip of the spring end 340A is fixed by the spring fixing portion 345. This makes it possible to stabilize the upright state of the ribbon take-up spool 44 attached to the lower case 312 even when the upper case 311 is not assembled. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the ribbon take-up spool 44 attached to the second lower ribbon region 440B from falling over before the upper case 311 is assembled.

Furthermore, as shown in Figs. 18 to 20 and 29, an installation guide wall 335 is erected continuous with the right end of the separation wall 48. The installation guide wall 335 extends upward from the bottom plate 306 adjacent to the left side of the second lower ribbon region 440B. The installation guide wall 335 extends to a height position where it contacts the upper plate 305 when the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 are joined. The installation guide wall 335 runs along a part of the outer periphery of the ribbon take-up spool 44 (more specifically, a part of the support portion 44E) when the ribbon take-up spool 44 is attached to the second ribbon region 440.

When an operator attaches the ribbon take-up spool 44 to the lower case 312, the ribbon take-up spool 44 is guided into the second lower ribbon area 440B along the attachment guide wall 335. The ribbon take-up spool 44 attached to the second lower ribbon area 440B is stabilized in an upright position by the attachment guide wall 335 even when the upper case 311 is not attached. This further prevents the ribbon take-up spool 44 attached to the second lower ribbon area 440B from falling over before the upper case 311 is attached.

Furthermore, the mounting guide wall 335 is provided adjacent to the right front side of the first lower tape area 400B. The above-mentioned spacer 980 is attached to both end faces of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40. In the first tape area 400, the mounting guide wall 335 is adjacent to the periphery of the spacer 980. When the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40 moves in the front-rear and left-right directions within the first tape area 400, the mounting guide wall 335 comes into contact with the periphery of the spacer 980.

As a result, even if the tape cassette 30 is vibrated or tilted, for example, the spacer 980 attached to the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is prevented from shifting out of position. The spacer 980 is prevented from entering other areas (specifically, the second ribbon area 440, the second tape area 410, etc.). In other words, the spacer 980 is prevented from contacting other spools (specifically, the ribbon take-up spool 44, the second tape spool 41, etc.). As a result, poor rotation of the ribbon take-up spool 44 and the like can be prevented.

The aforementioned first peripheral wall 70 is provided on the opposite side of the mounting guide wall 335 across the planar center of the first lower tape area 400B (specifically, the opening 65B), i.e., on the left rear side of the first lower tape area 400B. The first peripheral wall 70 is provided along a part of the outer periphery of the first lower tape area 400B, and extends to a height position where it contacts the upper plate 305 when the lower case 312 and the upper case 311 are joined. When the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40 moves in the front-rear and left-right directions within the first tape area 400, the first peripheral wall 70 also contacts the periphery of the spacer 980.

In other words, in the first tape area 400, the mounting guide wall 335 and the first peripheral wall 70 prevent the spacer 980 attached to the double-sided adhesive tape 58 from shifting out of position. This makes it possible to more reliably prevent rotation problems such as the ribbon take-up spool 44. Furthermore, the operator can position the first tape spool 40 around which the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is wound in the correct position in the first tape area 400 simply by moving the spacer 980 attached to the double-sided adhesive tape 58 along the mounting guide wall 335 and the first peripheral wall 70.

The guide hole 47 will be described with reference to Figures 15, 16 and 36. As shown in Figures 15, 16 and 36, the guide hole 47 is a hole provided in the second corner portion 322 of the cassette case 31 and penetrates the cassette case 31 in the up-down direction. The guide hole 47 includes an opening 47A, an opening 47B and an axial hole 47C. The openings 47A and 47B are through holes provided at positions corresponding to the up-down direction of the cassette case 31.

As shown in FIG. 36, the opening 47A is formed on the upper surface of the second corner 322 (i.e., the upper plate 305 at the second corner 322). The opening 47B is formed on the lower surface of the second corner 322 (i.e., the bottom plate 306 at the second corner 322). The lower case 312 is provided with a cylindrical tube wall portion 589 that extends upward from the opening 47B. Inside the cassette case 31, the upper end of the tube wall portion 589 is connected to the opening 47A. The shaft hole 47C extends vertically inside the tube wall portion 589, connecting the openings 47A and 47B.

As described above, the guide hole 47 in this embodiment is an elongated hole whose major axis is the opening width along the division line K and whose minor axis is the opening width along the imaginary line G in a plan view (see FIG. 15). However, the guide hole 47 may be configured with any opening shape, such as a round hole, an elliptical hole, or an elongated hole.

The positional relationship of each part provided in the tape cassette 30 will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 17. The diagonal two-dot chain line in Figure 15 indicates the division line K described below. The roller support hole 64, guide hole 47, first tape support hole 65, take-up spool support hole 68, and head insertion part 39 described above are provided in positions facing the tape drive shaft 100, guide shaft 120, auxiliary shaft 110, ribbon take-up shaft 95, and head holder 74 of the cassette mounting part 8, respectively.

In detail, the roller support hole 64 is formed in an area Q1 including the fourth corner 324 of the tape cassette 30. Area Q1 is adjacent to the left side of the head insertion portion 39 provided in the center of the front of the tape cassette 30. In other words, area Q1 is located downstream of the head insertion portion 39 in the tape transport direction. When the tape cassette 30 is installed in the appropriate position in the cassette mounting portion 8, the fourth corner 324 faces area P1 (see FIG. 4) of the cassette mounting portion 8.

The guide hole 47 is formed in region Q2, which includes the second corner 322 of the tape cassette 30. When the tape cassette 30 is viewed in a plan view, the second corner 322 included in region Q2 is located diagonally to the fourth corner 324 included in region Q1. When the tape cassette 30 is installed in the correct position in the cassette mounting section 8, the second corner 322 faces region P2 of the cassette mounting section 8 (see FIG. 4).

When the tape cassette 30 is divided in a plan view based on a dividing line K that connects the roller support hole 64 and the guide hole 47 in a plan view, the area Q3 occupies the rear side of the dividing line K, and the area Q4 occupies the front side of the dividing line K. The first tape support hole 65 is formed at or near the center of gravity of the area Q3 that is triangular in a plan view (i.e., the intersection of the midlines of the three sides that form the area Q3). The take-up spool support hole 68 is formed at or near the center of gravity of the area Q4 that is triangular in a plan view (i.e., the intersection of the midlines of the three sides that form the area Q4). The first tape support hole 65 and the take-up spool support hole 68 are located approximately symmetrically with respect to the dividing line K in a plan view.

The second tape support hole 66 is formed on the dividing line K in a plan view, and more specifically, is located approximately halfway between the center of the tape cassette 30 in a plan view and the guide hole 47. The ribbon support hole 67 is formed in the region Q4, and more specifically, is located to the right front side of the tape cassette 30 relative to the take-up spool support hole 68.

The above positional relationship results in the weight distribution of the laminated type tape cassette 30 (see Figures 5 and 6) as follows: The first tape spool 40 is supported for rotation inside the cassette case 31 at the first tape support hole 65. This means that the center of rotation of the first tape spool 40 (i.e., the shaft hole 40D) is located within the range of area Q3 in a plan view. In other words, the center of gravity of the double-sided adhesive tape 58 wound around the first tape spool 40 is located within the range of area Q3 in a plan view.

The ribbon support hole 67 supports for rotation the ribbon spool 42 around which the unused ink ribbon 60 is wound. The take-up spool support hole 68 supports for rotation the ribbon take-up spool 44 around which the used ink ribbon 60 is wound. Therefore, the center of gravity of the ink ribbon 60 is located within the range of region Q4 in plan view. The second tape support hole 66 supports for rotation the second tape spool 41 around which the film tape 59 is wound. Therefore, the center of gravity of the film tape 59 is located on the division line K in plan view.

As a result of the above, in the laminated type tape cassette 30, the weight of area Q3 and the weight of area Q4 based on the dividing line K are similar. Furthermore, the center of gravity of the entire tape cassette 30 is located on or near the dividing line K in a plan view. This weight distribution improves the handleability of the tape cassette 30, allowing the user to accurately position the tape cassette 30.

For example, a user holds the left and right ends of the cassette case 31 with his or her fingers and pushes the tape cassette 30 having the weight distribution described above vertically into the cassette mounting section 8 while keeping the top surface 301 and bottom surface 302 approximately horizontal. At this time, the tape cassette 30 is not biased in weight, and the center of gravity of the tape cassette 30 is located on or near the dividing line K, so that the tape cassette 30 is prevented from tilting around the dividing line K as the center of rotation. Furthermore, even if the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is heavier than the ink ribbon 60, the weight of the ribbon take-up spool 44 further reduces the weight difference between areas Q3 and Q4 (i.e., the weight bias of the tape cassette 30 is reduced).

The weight distribution of the receptor type tape cassette 30 (see Figure 7) is as follows. The first tape support hole 65 supports the rotation of the first tape spool 40 around which the print tape 57 is wound. Therefore, the center of gravity of the print tape 57 is located within the range of area Q3 in a plan view. On the other hand, the center of gravity of the ink ribbon 60 is located within the range of area Q4 in a plan view, similar to the laminate type tape cassette 30 (see Figures 5 and 6).

Therefore, in the receptor type tape cassette 30, the weights of areas Q3 and Q4 based on the dividing line K are similar. Furthermore, even if the printing tape 57 is heavier than the ink ribbon 60, the weight of the ribbon take-up spool 44 further reduces the weight difference between areas Q3 and Q4. Therefore, like the laminate type described above, the handleability of the tape cassette 30 can be improved.

Furthermore, when the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting section 8, the guide shaft of the tape printer 1 is inserted into the cavity of the tape cassette 30. The guide shaft is a shaft portion provided in the cassette mounting section 8, and when inserted into the cavity of the tape cassette 30, it guides the tape cassette 30 in the mounting/removal direction (in the present embodiment, the up-down direction). The cavity is any of an opening, hole, or recess provided in the cassette case 31, and when the guide shaft of the tape printer 1 is inserted, it guides the tape cassette 30 in the mounting/removal direction.

In this embodiment, the tape drive shaft 100, the guide shaft 120, and the auxiliary shaft 110 are exemplified as guide shafts. The roller support hole 64, the guide hole 47, and the first tape support hole 65 are exemplified as cavities. By inserting at least one of the multiple guide shafts into the corresponding cavity, the tape cassette 30 is guided to the appropriate position in the cassette mounting section 8, as will be described in detail later.

The arm front wall 35 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 37 to 40. In the following description, a tape cassette 30 whose tape width is equal to or greater than a predetermined width (e.g., 18 mm) is referred to as a wide cassette 30. A tape cassette 30 whose tape width is less than the predetermined width is referred to as a narrow cassette 30. As shown in Figures 37 to 39, the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment is a wide cassette 30.

As shown in FIG. 37, the arm front wall 35 includes an arm indicator portion 800 and a locking hole 820. The arm indicator portion 800 includes at least one hole portion and indicates the tape type of the tape cassette 30. A person can identify the tape type by visually checking the arm indicator portion 800. When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 8, the arm detection portion 200 detects the information indicated by the arm indicator portion 800, thereby allowing the tape printing device 1 to identify the tape type.

In this embodiment, the arm indicator portion 800 and the locking hole 820 are provided in the lower arm front wall 35B of the arm front wall 35. The tape type identified by the arm indicator portion 800 is information (printing information) required for proper printing by the tape printer 1. The area of the arm front wall 35 and the configuration within that area are described below.

The arm front wall 35 includes a specific region R0 located upstream of the discharge outlet 341 in the tape transport direction. The left-right length of the specific region R0 is equal to or less than the distance L0 between the discharge outlet 341 and the discharge guide section 49. Between the discharge outlet 341 and the discharge guide section 49, the tape discharged from the discharge outlet 341 is transported toward the discharge guide section 49 while exposing the surface opposite the printed surface to the front. In other words, the distance L0 is synonymous with the exposed tape length, which is the length of the exposed tape. In this embodiment, the entire arm front wall 35 between the discharge outlet 341 and the left end of the semicircular groove 84 is the specific region R0.

The specific region R0 has a first region R1 in which the locking hole 820 is formed, and a second region R2 other than the first region R1 that includes the arm index portion 800. Each region will be described below in the order of the second region R2 and the first region R1.

As shown in FIG. 38, the second region R2 includes a vertical information section X and a horizontal information section Y. The vertical information section X is a plurality of strip-shaped sections extending in a direction perpendicular to the tape feed direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 38). The horizontal information section Y is a plurality of strip-shaped sections extending parallel to the tape feed direction (the left-right direction in FIG. 38).

The vertical information section X in this embodiment includes five vertical information sections X1 to X5. The vertical information sections X1 to X5 are spaced apart from the discharge port 341 and are equally spaced from left to right in a front view. The vertical information section X1 is located on the most downstream side (i.e., the leftmost side) of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 in the tape transport direction. Vertical information sections X2, X3, X4, and X5 are provided in this order from the vertical information section X1 to the upstream side (i.e., the right side) in the tape transport direction. The width lengths (i.e., the left-right length) of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 are approximately equal, and adjacent vertical information sections among the vertical information sections X1 to X5 are adjacent to each other at equal intervals.

The lateral information section Y in this embodiment includes three lateral information sections Y1 to Y3. The lateral information sections Y1 to Y3 are arranged side by side from top to bottom in a front view. The lateral information section Y1, which is the uppermost of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3, is provided at a position where its vertical center is approximately the center of the height of the arm front wall 35. The lateral information sections Y2 and Y3 are provided in order from the lateral information section Y1 downward. The width lengths (i.e., the vertical lengths) of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3 are approximately equal, and adjacent lateral information sections among the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3 are adjacent to each other at approximately equal intervals.

As shown in FIG. 39, of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3 in this embodiment, the upper lateral information sections Y1 and Y2 are provided within a range of a predetermined height dimension (hereinafter, the predetermined height) T1 on the arm front wall 35. Hereinafter, the area within the range of the predetermined height T1 is referred to as the common indicator portion 831. More preferably, the common indicator portion 831 is an area that is symmetrical in the vertical direction about the center line N in the vertical direction (i.e., the height direction) of the cassette case 31. The predetermined height T1 is equal to the smallest height among the heights of multiple tape cassettes 30 with different tape widths. Meanwhile, the area within the range of the predetermined height T2 (T2>T1) other than the common indicator portion 831 is referred to as the extension portion 832.

The lateral information section Y3, which is located at the bottom of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3, is positioned differently between the wide cassette 30 and the narrow cassette 30. In the wide cassette 30, the lateral information section Y3 is positioned across the common indicator portion 831 and the lower extension portion 832. In the narrow cassette 30, the height of the tape cassette 30 is equal to the specified height T1, so the extension portion 832 does not exist. Therefore, in the narrow cassette 30, the lateral information section Y3 is positioned along the bottom end of the common indicator portion 831, i.e., the bottom end of the arm front wall 35.

The second region R2 is an area that faces the arm detection switch 210 when the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment section 8. An arm indicator section 800 including vertical information sections X1 to X5 is provided in the second region R2. A hole is formed in at least one of the vertical information sections X1 to X5. Whether or not a hole is formed in each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 is determined in advance according to the printing information. The arm indicator section 800 identifies the printing information based on a combination of whether or not a hole is formed in each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5. A person can recognize the printing information by visually checking the combination of holes formed in the vertical information sections X1 to X5.

When the vertical information sections X1 to X5 are arranged at equal intervals as in this embodiment, even if there is an area among the vertical information sections X1 to X5 where no holes are formed, a person can easily identify that area. In other words, a person can visually and accurately identify the areas among the vertical information sections X1 to X5 where holes are formed and the areas where no holes are formed.

The position where the hole is formed in the up-down direction of the vertical information sections X1-X5 may be determined for each of the vertical information sections X1-X5. For example, of the multiple areas where the vertical information sections X1-X5 and the horizontal information sections Y1-Y3 intersect and overlap (hereinafter referred to as overlapping areas), one overlapping area is determined as an indicator area for each of the vertical information sections X1-X5. The arm indicator section 800 may identify the printing information based on a combination of whether or not a hole is formed in this indicator section. In this case, if the position corresponding to the arm detection switch 210 (see FIG. 11) is determined as the indicator section, the tape printer 1 can also identify the printing information.

In this embodiment, when the tape cassette 30 is inserted into the cassette mounting portion 8, the five overlapping areas facing the five arm detection switches 210A-210E (see FIG. 11) function as indicator portions 800A-800E. In particular, as shown in FIG. 38, the area where the vertical information section X1 and the horizontal information section Y2 intersect and overlap functions as indicator portion 800A facing arm detection switch 210A.

The area where the vertical information section X2 and the horizontal information section Y1 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 800B facing arm detection switch 210B. The area where the vertical information section X3 and the horizontal information section Y2 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 800C facing arm detection switch 210C. The area where the vertical information section X4 and the horizontal information section Y1 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 800D facing arm detection switch 210D. The area where the vertical information section X5 and the horizontal information section Y3 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 800E facing arm detection switch 210E.

In this way, one indicator portion is arranged in each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5. Furthermore, the indicator portions of adjacent vertical information sections are not lined up in the left-right direction. In other words, the indicator portions 800A to 800E are arranged in a zigzag pattern. When such an arrangement is adopted, it is possible to more easily distinguish between the indicator portion of one vertical information section and the indicator portion of an adjacent vertical information section, even if the indicator portions of adjacent vertical information sections are both formed as holes.

In the example shown in FIG. 38, indicator portions 800A, 800C, and 800D have holes formed therein. Indicator portions 800B and 800E are part of a surface portion included in the arm front wall 35, where no holes are formed. In this way, indicator portions 800A-800E are each composed of a hole portion or a surface portion that can be identified by human eyes. Furthermore, these hole portions and surface portions function as a non-pressing portion 801 and a pressing portion 802, respectively, which will be described later. The relationship between indicator portions 800A-800E and the arm detection switch 210 will be described in detail later.

The first region R1 is an area that faces the locking piece 225 (see FIG. 11) when the tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading section 8 and the platen holder 12 is moved to the print position (see FIG. 6 to FIG. 8). As shown in FIG. 39, the first region R1 is provided within the common indicator portion 831. The first region R1 is formed with a locking hole 820 into which the locking piece 225 is inserted. The first region R1 is at least larger than the area that corresponds to the shape of the locking piece 225 when viewed from behind.

The first region R1 is disposed at a distance from the discharge port 341 of the arm portion 34, and its right end is located upstream (i.e., to the right) of at least the vertical information section X1 in the tape transport direction. In the example of FIG. 38, the right end of vertical information section X5, which is located most upstream in the tape transport direction among the vertical information sections X1 to X5, is located approximately on the center line in the left-right direction of the first region R1. Therefore, the right end of the engagement hole 820 is located upstream (i.e., to the right) in the tape transport direction of all of the vertical information sections X1 to X5. The left-right length of the first region R1 is approximately twice the width of the vertical information sections X1 to X5.

The first region R1 is located adjacent to and above the lateral information section Y1, which is the uppermost of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3. In other words, the upper end of the locking hole 820 is located above all of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3. In the example of FIG. 38, the vertical length of the first region R1 is approximately 2/3 the width of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3.

The locking hole 820 is a slit-shaped through hole extending in the left-right direction. When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment section 8, the locking piece 225 is inserted into and removed from the locking hole 820 as the platen holder 12 moves between the standby position (see FIG. 5) and the printing position (see FIG. 6 to FIG. 8). The locking hole 820 may be a hole having the same shape as the first region R1, or may be a hole having a size that includes the first region R1. The locking hole 820 may be formed as a recess rather than a through hole. The lower wall of the locking hole 820 is an inclined portion 821 that is inclined with respect to the horizontal direction (see FIG. 50). The opening width of the locking hole 820 in the up-down direction is gradually reduced toward the rear by the inclined portion 821.

The positional relationship of various components on the arm front wall 35 will be described with reference to Figure 37. In Figure 37, center line C is the center line of the cassette case 31 in the left-right direction. The arm index portion 800 of this embodiment is provided at the center position of the cassette case 31 in the left-right direction, that is, on center line C. Distance L0 indicates the distance between the discharge opening 341 and the discharge guide portion 49 (exposed tape length). Distance L1 indicates the distance from center line C to the left-right reference line C1.

The horizontal reference line C1 is a virtual line that specifies the horizontal position where the locking hole 820 is provided. The horizontal reference line C1 can be any line on which the locking hole 820 is necessarily located, for example, the horizontal center line of the first region R1. The vertical reference line C2 is a virtual line that specifies the vertical position where the locking hole 820 is provided. The vertical reference line C2 can be any line on which the locking hole 820 is necessarily located, for example, the vertical center line of the first region R1.

The range LW1 indicates a range of 14 to 20% of the exposed tape length L0 from the center line C toward the downstream side in the tape transport direction (to the left in FIG. 37). The range LW2 indicates a range of 30 to 36% of the exposed tape length L0 from the discharge port 341 of the arm portion 34 toward the upstream side in the tape transport direction.

As shown in Figure 37, the left-right length of the specific area R0 is less than the exposed tape length L0. Distance L1 is within a range of 18 to 24% of the exposed tape length L0 toward the upstream side in the tape transport direction (to the right in Figure 37). The top and bottom reference lines C2 are within the common indicator portion 831. At least a portion of the vertical information section X1 is within the range LW1. At least a portion of the vertical information section X1 is within the range LW2. The distance between the left-right center lines of adjacent vertical information sections is within a range of 7 to 10% of the exposed tape length L0.

The positional relationships of the various components on the arm front wall 35 are specified as described above for the following reasons.

First, it is preferable that the distance L1 is within the range of 18-24% of the exposed tape length L0. If the distance L1 is greater than the range of 18-24% of the exposed tape length L0, there is a risk that the locking hole 820 will be located outside the range of the specific region R0. Conversely, if the distance L1 is less than the range of 18-24% of the exposed tape length L0, the left-right range of the specific region R0 will be too short, and it may not be possible to arrange, for example, five columns of vertical information sections.

For example, consider a case where a person visually inspects the lower case 312 alone to identify the tape that should be stored in the cassette case 31. In this case, even when no tape is attached to the lower case 312, the person can visually identify the length of exposed tape length L0 and the position of center line C. Furthermore, the person can identify the position of the locking hole 820 based on the exposed tape length L0 and center line C.

Second, it is preferable that at least a portion of the vertical information area X1 is within the range LW1. Third, it is preferable that at least a portion of the vertical information area X1 is within the range LW2. If the vertical information area X1 is outside the ranges LW1 and LW2, the vertical information area X1 may be too close to the discharge port 341, which may cause a short shot when the lower case 312 is molded. Conversely, it is preferable that the vertical information area X1 is too far from the discharge port 341, which may make it impossible to arrange, for example, five rows of vertical information areas within the range of the specific region R0.

In this case, a person can identify the position of the vertical information area X1 using the ranges LW1 and LW2 as reference points. In particular, the position of the vertical information area X1 can be more easily and accurately identified using the center line C and the outlet 341 as reference points, which are areas that are easily identified by a person's visual inspection. Furthermore, when identifying the position of the vertical information area X1, it is only necessary to visually inspect a certain limited range, which reduces the burden on the user.

Fourth, it is preferable that the vertical information sections X1 to X5 are positioned in the left-right direction so that the distance between the left-right center lines of adjacent vertical information sections is within the range of 7 to 10% of the exposed tape length L0. This is because if the distance between the left-right center lines of adjacent vertical information sections is shorter than this, it becomes difficult to distinguish between adjacent vertical information sections. Conversely, if the distance between the left-right center lines of adjacent vertical information sections is longer than this, it becomes impossible to position, for example, five columns of vertical information sections within the range of the specific region R0. This allows a person to identify the positions of the other vertical information sections X2 to X5 using vertical information section X1 as a reference.

By defining the various positional relationships of the arm front wall 35 as described above, it becomes possible for a person to easily visually recognize the positions of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 and the indicator portions 800A to 800E. The reason for this is explained below.

If a person is aware of the left-right positions of all vertical information sections X1-X5, they can identify the printing information simply by checking whether or not a hole is formed in each of the vertical information sections X1-X5. On the other hand, if a person is not aware of the left-right positions of the vertical information sections X1-X5, they can identify the positions visually as follows.

First, a person can use the locking hole 820 as an indicator to narrow down the placement positions of the vertical information sections X1 to X5. As described above, the right end of the locking hole 820 is located at least upstream in the tape feed direction (i.e., to the right) of the vertical information section X1. A person can narrow down the range of the arm front wall 35 in which the vertical information section X1 may be placed to downstream in the tape feed direction (i.e., to the left) of the right end of the locking hole 820. Furthermore, the right end of the locking hole 820 is located upstream in the tape feed direction of all of the vertical information sections X1 to X5. A person can narrow down the range in which the vertical information sections X1 to X5 may be placed to the left of the right end of the locking hole 820.

A person can identify the position of the vertical information section X1 as follows. First, the vertical information sections X1 to X5 are positioned at a distance from the outlet 341 of the arm section 34. If a person knows in advance the distance from the outlet 341 to the vertical information section X1, they can identify the left-right position of the vertical information section X1 using the outlet 341 as a reference. Second, at least a portion of the vertical information section X1 is within the range LW1. Third, at least a portion of the vertical information section X1 is within the range LW2. In this way, the left-right position of the vertical information section X1 can be identified using the outlet 341 or the center line C, which are parts that can be easily identified visually, as a reference.

The vertical information sections X1 to X5 are arranged at equal intervals from left to right in a front view on the arm front wall 35. If a person knows in advance that the arrangement interval between adjacent vertical information sections among the vertical information sections X1 to X5, or the interval between the left-right center lines of adjacent vertical information sections, is within a range of 7 to 10% of the exposed tape length L0, the person can identify the left-right positions of the other vertical information sections X2 to X5 using vertical information section X1 as a reference.

Furthermore, as in the example of Figure 38, when the printing information is identified based on whether or not holes are formed in the indicator portions 800A-800E, it is also necessary to identify the positions of the indicator portions 800A-800E. If a person knows all of the vertical positions where the horizontal information sections Y1-Y3 are located, they can identify the vertical positions of the indicator portions 800A-800E in the vertical information sections X1-X5 using the horizontal information sections Y1-Y3 as a reference. In other words, a person can visually identify the specified positions (left-right and vertical positions) of the indicator portions 800A-800E that are provided in the overlapping areas of the vertical information sections X1-X5 and the horizontal information sections Y1-Y3.

The upper end of the locking hole 820 is located above any of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3, within the range of the height dimension of the arm front wall 35. Even if a person does not know the vertical positions of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3, they can narrow down the range in which the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3 may be located to below the upper end of the locking hole 820.

The lateral information sections Y1 and Y2 are disposed within the common indicator portion 831. The predetermined height T1 of the common indicator portion 831 is slightly greater than the width T of the common portion 32. A person can identify the range of the common indicator portion 831 using the common portion 32 as a reference. In the wide cassette 30, the lateral information section Y3 extends in the left-right direction, straddling the common indicator portion 831 and the lower extension portion 832. In the narrow cassette 30, it extends along the lower end of the arm front wall 35. Thus, a person can easily identify the position of the lateral information section Y3.

The lateral information sections Y1 to Y3 are arranged at approximately equal intervals in the vertical direction in the second region R2. Even if a person does not know the vertical positions of all of the lateral information sections Y1 to Y3, the positions of the lateral information sections Y1 and Y2 can be identified based on the center line N of the cassette case 31 and the common section 32, which are easily grasped visually.

In this way, the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment is configured so that a person can visually identify the vertical information sections X1 to X5 of the arm indicator portion 800 and the specified positions of the indicator portions 800A to 800E by visually checking the arm front wall 35.

Next, we will explain how to specify the printing information based on a combination of whether or not a hole is formed in each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 of the arm indicator portion 800, or each of the indicator portions 800A to 800E. There are various elements to the printing information, but in this embodiment, we will explain an example of specifying three of these elements: tape width, printing mode, and color table.

The elements of printing information that each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 specifies are determined in advance. In this embodiment, vertical information sections X1, X2, and X5 are determined as sections indicating information that specifies the tape width. Vertical information section X3 is determined as a section indicating information that specifies the printing mode. Vertical information section X4 is determined as a section indicating information that specifies the color table.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 38, when specific overlapping areas within the vertical information sections X1-X5 function as indicator sections 800A-800E, the elements of the printing information that are identified by the indicator sections 800A-800E are determined according to the vertical information sections X1-X5 in which the indicator sections 800A-800E are provided. In this embodiment, the indicator sections 800A, 800B, and 800E are indicator sections that identify the tape width. The indicator section 800C is an indicator section that identifies the printing mode. The indicator section 800D is an indicator section that identifies the color table.

The vertical information sections X1, X2, X5 and the indicator sections 800A, 800B, 800E each function as a tape width specification section. The vertical information section X3 and the indicator section 800C each function as a print mode specification section. The vertical information section X4 and the indicator section 800D each function as a color table specification section. The tape cassette 30 is capable of specifying the corresponding element of the printing information using only each specification section, regardless of the configuration of the other specification sections. Below, a method of specifying the printing information using the indicator sections 800A to 800E is explained as an example.

The printing information (tape width, printing mode, and color table) specified by each specifying portion will be described with reference to Tables 1 to 3. For convenience, in the tables, the case where a hole is formed in the indicator portions 800A to 800E is indicated by "0." The case where no hole is formed in the indicator portions 800A to 800E (i.e., the indicator portions are surface portions) is indicated by "1." Note that, when the printing information is specified based on whether or not a hole is formed in each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5, the printing information can be specified in the same manner as described below by replacing the indicator portions 800A to 800E in Tables 1 to 3 with the vertical information sections X1 to X5, respectively.

As shown in Table 1, seven different tape widths ranging from 3.5 mm to 36 mm are defined according to the combination of whether the indicator portions 800A, 800B, and 800E that make up the tape width specification portion are holes or surfaces. A person can recognize the tape width of the tape cassette 30 simply by visually checking the indicator portions 800A, 800B, and 800E that are present in the vertical information sections X1, X2, and X5 of the arm indicator portion 800.

As shown in Table 1, the indicator portion 800E is defined as a surface portion when the tape width is equal to or greater than the specified width (18 mm). When the tape width is less than the specified width, the indicator portion 800E is defined as a hole portion. A person can determine whether the tape width is equal to or greater than the specified width (18 mm) simply by visually identifying the position of the indicator portion 800E and checking whether or not a hole portion is provided there.

Furthermore, based on the indicators 800A and 800B, a person can determine the relationship between the size of the tape width and whether the tape width is greater than or equal to a predetermined width (18 mm) or less than a predetermined value. In detail, when the indicators 800A and 800B are holes and surfaces (combinations of "0, 1" in Table 1), respectively, the maximum tape width (36 mm or 12 mm in Table 1) is indicated within the range of tape widths greater than or equal to a predetermined width or less than a predetermined value.

When indicator portions 800A and 800B are surface portions and holes, respectively (combination of "1, 0" in Table 1), the second largest tape width (24 mm or 9 mm in Table 1) is indicated within the range of tape widths equal to or greater than the specified width or less than the specified value. When indicator portions 800A and 800B are both holes (combination of "0, 0" in the table), the third largest tape width (6 mm or 18 mm in Table 1) is indicated within the range of tape widths equal to or greater than the specified width or less than the specified value. Note that when indicator portions 800A and 800B are both surface portions (combination of "1, 1" in the table), the smallest tape width (3.5 mm in Table 1) is indicated.

A person can visually determine the positions of indicator portions 800A, 800B, and 800E, and can determine whether the tape width is greater than or equal to the predetermined width or less than the predetermined width by checking whether a hole is formed in indicator portion 800E. Furthermore, a person can determine the tape width in more detail by checking whether a hole is formed in each of indicator portions 800A and 800B. For example, in the wide cassette 30 shown in Figures 37 to 39, indicator portion 800E is a surface portion, indicator portion 800A is a hole portion, and indicator portion 800B is a surface portion. In this case, a person can visually determine that the tape width is greater than or equal to 18 mm, which is the predetermined width, and is the maximum width, that is, "36 mm."

If a person knows the numerical value of the predetermined width, he or she can determine whether the tape width of the tape cassette 30 is less than the predetermined width simply by visually inspecting the entire tape cassette 30. Therefore, the vertical information sections X1 and X2 may be specified as the tape width specifying section included in the arm indicator section 800, or two indicator sections 800A and 800B may be arranged. In this case, a person can simultaneously visually inspect the width of the tape discharged from the discharge outlet 341 to the exposed section 77 and the vertical information sections X1 and X2 adjacent to the discharge outlet 341. A person can accurately compare the width of the tape exposed at the exposed section 77 with the tape width indicated by the tape width specifying section.

On the other hand, when the tape width specification section includes a vertical information section other than the vertical information sections X1 and X2, it is preferable that the vertical information section indicates whether the tape width is less than the predetermined width. In this embodiment, the vertical information section X5 includes either a hole or a surface section, depending on whether the tape width is less than the predetermined width. A person can specify whether the tape width is less than the predetermined width by checking whether the vertical information section X5 is a hole or a surface section. Furthermore, the vertical information section X5 is provided at a position separated from the vertical information sections X1 and X2. A person can accurately determine whether the tape width is less than the predetermined width or equal to or greater than the predetermined width without confusing the vertical information section X5 with the vertical information sections X1 and X2.

As shown in Table 2, depending on whether the indicator portion 800C constituting the print mode specification portion is a hole portion or a surface portion, the print mode is determined to be either mirror image printing (laminate) or normal image printing (receptor). In particular, when the indicator portion 800C is a hole portion ("0" in the table), the print mode is determined to be laminate. When the indicator portion 800C is a surface portion ("1" in the table), the print mode is determined to be receptor.

A person can recognize the printing mode of the tape cassette 30 simply by visually checking the indicator portion 800C of the arm indicator portion 800, which is present in the vertical information section X3. In detail, a person can determine whether the printing mode is laminate or receptor simply by visually identifying the position of the indicator portion 800C and checking whether a hole is formed there. For example, in the wide cassette 30 shown in Figures 37 to 39, the indicator portion 800C is a hole. In this case, a person can visually check the arm indicator portion 800 and identify that the printing mode is "laminate."

The "receptor" printing mode includes receptor types that transfer ink from an ink ribbon to tape, thermal types that do not use an ink ribbon and use heat-sensitive tape to develop color, and all printing types that do not perform mirror image printing. Therefore, by identifying the printing mode, a person can identify whether it is a tape cassette 30 for normal image printing (or a cassette case 31 prepared for normal image printing during the manufacturing process) or a tape cassette 30 for mirror image printing (or a cassette case 31 prepared for mirror image printing during the manufacturing process).

As shown in Table 3, the color information table 520 (see FIG. 44) used by the tape printer 1 when identifying color information is determined according to whether the indicator portion 800D constituting the color table identification portion is a hole portion or a surface portion. In detail, it is determined that the second color table is used when the indicator portion 800D is a surface portion ("1" in the table). It is determined that the first color table is used when the indicator portion 800D is a hole portion ("0" in the table).

A person can recognize the color table to be used when identifying color information simply by visually checking the indicator portion 800D of the arm indicator portion 800 that is present in the vertical information area X4. In more detail, a person can determine whether the first color table or the second color table is to be used simply by visually checking the position of the indicator portion 800D and whether a hole is formed there. For example, in the wide cassette 30 shown in Figures 37 to 39, the indicator portion 800D is a hole. In this case, a person can visually check the arm indicator portion 800 and identify that the "first color table" is to be used when identifying color information. Details of the color information table 520 will be described later.

The tape width and print mode are important information for performing proper printing with the tape printer 1. Therefore, the arm indicator unit 800 may have a tape width specifying unit or a print mode specifying unit alone, or may have both a tape width specifying unit and a print mode specifying unit. On the other hand, the arm indicator unit 800 does not need to have a color table specifying unit. Also, the vertical information section X4 or the indicator unit 800D may specify other elements of the tape type (for example, whether the character color is black or non-black) rather than a color table.

The tape width, print mode, and color table contents identified by the arm indicator unit 800 are not limited to those in Tables 1 to 3, and can be changed as appropriate. The total number of combinations of tape width, print mode, and color table defined in Tables 1 to 3 is 28, but it is not necessary to use all of them. For example, as described below, if the tape printer 1 detects an improper installation state of the tape cassette 30, the combination corresponding to that improper installation state is not used.

So far, we have described the configuration of the arm indicator unit 800 for identifying the printing information, and the method by which a person identifies the printing information by visually inspecting the arm indicator unit 800. Below, we will explain the configuration of the arm indicator unit 800 in relation to the arm detection switch 210, and the manner in which the printing information is identified by the tape printer 1.

First, the configuration of the arm indicator portion 800 in relation to the arm detection switch 210 will be described. As described above, the tape printer 1 of this embodiment has five arm detection switches 210A-210E (see FIG. 11). In the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8, the overlapping areas facing each of the arm detection switches 210A-210E are the indicator portions 800A-800E (see FIG. 38). In the example of the wide cassette 30 shown in FIG. 38, the indicator portions 800A, 800C, and 800D are holes, and the indicator portions 800B and 800E are surfaces.

When the hole portion faces the arm detection switch 210, it functions as a non-pressing portion 801 that does not press the switch terminal 222 (see FIG. 12). The non-pressing portion 801 has an opening shape that is a vertically long rectangle when viewed from the front, corresponding to the shape of the indicator portion (overlapping area). The non-pressing portion 801 is, for example, a hole that penetrates the arm front wall 35 substantially perpendicularly to the arm front wall 35 (i.e., parallel to the top surface 301 and bottom surface 302). The direction in which the non-pressing portion 801 is formed is substantially perpendicular to the tape running path in the arm portion 34. The arm detection switch 210 facing the non-pressing portion 801 is turned off when the switch terminal 222 is inserted into the non-pressing portion 801.

When the surface portion faces the arm detection switch 210, it functions as a pressing portion 802 that presses the switch terminal 222. The pressing portion 802 is part of the arm front wall 35, and has a surface shape that is a vertically long rectangle when viewed from the front, corresponding to the shape of the indicator portion (overlapping area). The arm detection switch 210 facing the pressing portion 802 turns on when the switch terminal 222 comes into contact with the pressing portion 802. In the example of the wide cassette 30 shown in Figure 38, the indicator portions 800A, 800C, and 800D are non-pressing portions 801, and the indicator portions 800B and 800E are pressing portions 802.

The indicator portion 800E is provided within the lateral information section Y3. As described above, in the wide cassette 30, the lateral information section Y3 is provided across the common indicator portion 831 and the lower extension portion 832. In the narrow cassette 30, the lateral information section Y3 is provided along the lower end of the arm front wall 35. The vertical length of the indicator portion 800E in the narrow cassette 30 is approximately 1/3 of the vertical length of the indicator portion 800E in the wide cassette 30 (see FIG. 39).

In this embodiment, in the case of a wide cassette 30, the indicator portion 800E is a surface portion, i.e., a pressing portion 802. In the case of a narrow cassette 30, the indicator portion 800E is a hole portion, i.e., a non-pressing portion 801. This is for the following reason. If the tape printer 1 is a dedicated machine that uses only the narrow cassette 30, the arm detection switch 210E is not required at a position opposite the indicator portion 800E. On the other hand, if the tape printer 1 is a general-purpose machine that can use both the narrow cassette 30 and the wide cassette 30, the arm detection switch 210E opposite the indicator portion 800E is required. Therefore, the indicator portion 800E of the narrow cassette 30 functions as a relief hole to prevent the arm detection switch 210E from being pressed when the narrow cassette 30 is attached to a general-purpose machine.

As described above, the indicator portions 800A to 800E are formed with either holes (non-pressed portions 801) or surfaces (pressed portions 802) in a specified pattern according to the printing information (see Tables 1 to 3). The tape printer 1 can identify the printing information based on the combination of on/off states of the arm detection switch 210 that is selectively pressed by the arm indicator portion 800.

In detail, the tape printer 1 refers to a table to identify printing information that corresponds to the on/off combinations of the five arm detection switches 210A-210E. In this table, the predetermined patterns (combinations of holes and surfaces) for the indicator portions 800A-800E are replaced with the detection patterns (combinations of off and on states) of the corresponding arm detection switches 210A-210E, and are associated with the printing information.

The print information table 510 shown in Figure 40 is an example of a table used by the tape printer 1 to identify print information. The print information table 510 is stored in the ROM 602 (see Figure 14). In the example shown in Figure 40, the arm detection switches 210A to 210E correspond to the switches "SW1" to "SW5", respectively. The off state (OFF) and on state (ON) of each arm detection switch 210 correspond to "0" and "1", respectively.

When a total of five arm detection switches 210A-210E are used, a maximum of 32 pieces of print information can be specified corresponding to a maximum of 32 detection patterns, which is the total number of combinations of on/off states. In the example shown in FIG. 40, print information corresponding to 24 of the maximum 32 detection patterns is set. Of the remaining eight detection patterns, three detection patterns indicating "error" are used to detect a state in which the tape cassette 30 is not installed in the correct position in the cassette installation section 8. The other five detection patterns are set to "spare", indicating a blank space. The installation state of the tape cassette 30 when an error is detected will be described later.

The printing information table 510 used in the tape printer 1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 40. For example, a printing information table 510 can be used in which any other tape type is added to the detection pattern corresponding to "spare." A printing information table 510 in which a registered tape type is deleted, the correspondence between each detection pattern and tape type is changed, or the contents of the tape type corresponding to each detection pattern are changed can be used. In this case, the prescribed pattern determined for visually identifying the tape type as described above is also changed as appropriate.

As mentioned above, for example, if indicator parts 800E and 800D are not provided, the corresponding arm detection switches 210E (SW5) and 210D (SW4) are not used. In this case, only the printing information corresponding to the arm detection switches 210A to 210C (SW1 to SW3) needs to be defined in the printing information table 510.

As described above, the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment is configured so that a person and the tape printer 1 can identify the tape type (more specifically, the printing information) based on the arm indicator portion 800. By allowing a person to visually recognize the tape type by looking at the arm indicator portion 800, the following effects are achieved.

In conventional tape cassette manufacturing methods, workers typically store tapes in cassette cases whose height (so-called case size) corresponds to the tape width. In response to this, a tape cassette manufacturing method has been proposed in which multiple types of tapes with different tape widths are stored in cassette cases with a standardized case size. This method of manufacturing tape cassettes with a standardized case size is expected to have the following effects:

First, in the past, when cassette cases of different case sizes corresponding to various tape widths were transported from the parts manufacturing plant to the assembly plant, different transport containers were used for each case size. By standardizing the case size, the transport containers used for transporting the cassette cases can also be standardized, reducing the transportation costs of the cassette cases.

Secondly, if case sizes differ for each tape width, different packaging boxes must be used for each case size when shipping products from the assembly plant. By standardizing case sizes, the packaging boxes for product shipping and the packaging format at the time of product shipping can also be standardized, which can lead to cost reductions.

Thirdly, because ink ribbons have weaker physical durability than tape, if an ink ribbon of the same width is used for a tape with a smaller width, there is a risk that the ink ribbon will break during printing. By standardizing the case size to ensure a ribbon width that provides sufficient strength, it is possible to ensure a ribbon width that is strong enough even when the tape width is small. Therefore, even when the tape width is small, it is possible to prevent the ink ribbon from breaking during printing.

Conventionally, when tapes of different widths were stored in a cassette case of a common size, there was a risk that a tape of the wrong width would be stored in the cassette case. For example, a cassette case with a standardized case size for 12 mm tapes has a rib height set so that it can store 12 mm tapes, so it can also store tapes less than 12 mm. In this case, there was a risk that an operator would mistakenly store a 6 mm or 9 mm tape in a cassette case that was intended to store a 12 mm tape.

As mentioned above, there are two types of printing modes for tape cassettes: receptor type and laminate type. If the case size is standardized, the external shape of the cassette case will be similar. Therefore, in the past, there was a risk that a tape that does not correspond to the expected printing mode would be stored in the cassette case. For example, this would happen if an operator placed the wrong thermal paper tape in a cassette case that was intended to be a laminate type.

For this reason, the conventional manufacturing process for tape cassettes included an inspection process to check whether the tape and ink ribbon stored in the manufactured tape cassette corresponded to the planned tape width, printing format, etc.

According to the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment, a person can recognize the type of tape in the tape cassette 30 simply by visually checking the arm indicator portion 800. In other words, the tape width of the tape to be stored in the cassette case 31 and the intended printing style on the cassette case 31 can be ascertained. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the tape cassette 30, workers can work while checking the contents to be installed in the cassette case 31, thereby reducing manufacturing errors of the tape cassette 30. This in turn reduces the burden on workers who perform the inspection process as described above.

Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the tape cassette 30, an operator stores the tape in the lower case 312 and inserts a portion of the tape into the arm portion 34. The operator attaches the portion of the tape inserted into the arm portion 34 to a position where it is properly regulated by the regulating portion (separation wall regulating portion 383, first bottom tape regulating portion 381B, etc.) in the arm portion 34.

As described above, the separation wall regulating portion 383, the first bottom tape regulating portion 381B, and the arm indicator portion 800 can be simultaneously viewed by a person from the front of the lower case 312. Therefore, by viewing the lower arm front wall 35B from the front, an operator can confirm whether the tape regulated in the width direction within the arm portion 34 corresponds to the tape type indicated by the arm indicator portion 800. Therefore, an operator can easily discover that the wrong type of tape is stored in the tape cassette 30. This in turn reduces manufacturing errors in the tape cassette 30.

When the tape cassette 30 is shipped, an inspector can visually check whether the contents installed in the cassette case 31 are correct by looking at the arm indicator portion 800. Specifically, it can be inspected whether the tape exposed from the exposed portion 77 of the manufactured tape cassette 30 matches the tape type that can be read from the arm indicator portion 800.

In particular, the arm indicator portion 800 in this embodiment is provided on the arm front wall 35 adjacent to the exposed portion 77 where the tape is exposed. Therefore, a person can visually check the arm indicator portion 800 and the tape from the same direction (specifically, from the front of the tape cassette 30). An inspector can compare the tape type indicated by the arm indicator portion 800 with the tape exposed in the exposed portion 77. This improves the workability of product inspection of the tape cassette 30.

The arm indicator portion 800 has a simple configuration, which is a combination of holes and surfaces (i.e., a combination of a non-pressing portion 801 and a pressing portion 802) provided in each of the vertical information sections X1 to X5 (indicator portions 800A to 800E). When manufacturing the tape cassette 30, it is easy to form the arm indicator portion 800 on the cassette case 31. Therefore, there is no need to print on the cassette case 31 an indication of the contents to be mounted, or to attach a label indicating the contents to be mounted. This makes it possible to reduce manufacturing errors in the tape cassette 30 at low cost.

In this embodiment, the first region R1 is provided with a hole portion that functions as the locking hole 820. In the overlapping regions of the second region R2 that function as the indicator portions 800A-800E, a hole portion (i.e., the non-pressing portion 801) or a surface portion (i.e., the pressing portion 802) corresponding to the tape type is provided. However, in the specific region R0, the hole portion and the surface portion can be freely formed within a range that ensures the functions of the locking hole 820 and the indicator portions 800A-800E.

Specifically, in the tape cassette 30 described above (see Figures 37 to 39), all of the areas in the specific region R0 that do not function as the locking holes 820 and the indicator portions 800A to 800E are on the same plane as the pressing portion 802. Therefore, all of the holes (non-pressing portions 801 and locking holes 820) provided in the specific region R0 are independent, but it is not necessary that all of the holes be independent.

For example, in the specific region R0, a single hole portion (groove portion) having a size and shape that includes at least two of the multiple non-pressing portions 801 may be formed. A single groove portion may be formed that includes the locking hole 820 and the non-pressing portion 801. A single groove portion may be formed that includes at least two of the multiple non-pressing portions 801 and the locking hole 820. When forming a single groove portion, it is preferable that it does not include a portion that functions as the pressing portion 802.

In this embodiment, the arm indicator portion 800 and the locking hole 820 are provided in the lower arm front wall 35B of the arm front wall 35. This allows the positional relationship between the arm indicator portion 800 and the locking hole 820 to be more accurately determined compared to when the arm indicator portion 800 and the locking hole 820 are provided in separate members (e.g., the upper arm front wall 35A and the lower arm front wall 35B). As a result, the tape type can be more accurately identified whether a person visually identifies the tape type or the tape printer 1 identifies the tape type using the arm detection portion 200.

The detailed configuration and function of the rear step wall 360A of the rear recess 360 will be described below with reference to Figures 41 to 44.

As shown in Figures 41 and 42, the rear step wall 360A includes a rear indicator portion 900. The rear indicator portion 900 includes at least one hole portion and indicates the tape type of the tape cassette 30. A person can identify the tape type by visually checking the rear indicator portion 900. When the tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading portion 8, the tape printer 1 can identify the tape type by detecting the information indicated by the rear indicator portion 900 with the rear detection portion 300.

In this embodiment, the tape type identified by the rear indicator portion 900 is color information related to the tape stored in the tape cassette 30. The area of the rear step wall 360A and the configuration within that area are described below.

The rear step wall 360A includes a specific area F0 that extends forward from the rear wall 370. In other words, the specific area F0 is an area of the rear step wall 360A adjacent to the rear wall 370. In this embodiment, the entire rear step wall 360A is the specific area F0. The specific area F0 includes a vertical information area V and a horizontal information area W. The vertical information area V is a plurality of strip-shaped areas that extend along the front-rear direction (up-down direction in FIG. 41), which is the short side direction of the cassette case 31. The horizontal information area W is a plurality of strip-shaped areas that extend along the left-right direction (left-right direction in FIG. 41), which is the longitudinal direction of the cassette case 31.

The vertical information section V in this embodiment includes four vertical information sections V1 to V4. The vertical information sections V1 to V4 are arranged side by side at equal intervals in the left-right direction of the cassette case 31. The vertical information section V1 is located on the rightmost side (left side in FIG. 41) of the vertical information sections V1 to V4. Vertical information sections V2, V3, and V4 are arranged in this order from the vertical information section V1 to the left side (right side in FIG. 41). The widths (i.e., the left-right lengths) of the vertical information sections V1 to V4 are approximately equal, and adjacent vertical information sections among the vertical information sections V1 to V4 are adjacent and spaced apart at equal intervals.

The vertical information section V3 includes the area where the outer edges of the first bottom tape area 400B and the second bottom tape area 410B are adjacent in a plan view (contact point P shown in FIG. 20). In other words, the vertical information section V3 includes an imaginary line (hereinafter referred to as the reference line Z) along the front-to-rear direction that passes through the contact point P. In this embodiment, the reference line Z is located slightly to the left (to the right in FIG. 41) of approximately the center position in the left-right direction of the vertical information section V3.

The lateral information section W in this embodiment includes two lateral information sections W1 and W2. The lateral information sections W1 and W2 are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction (the up-to-down direction in FIG. 41) of the cassette case 31. The lateral information section W1 is provided adjacent to the rear wall 370 in the specific area F0. The lateral information section W2 is provided forward of the lateral information section W1 in the specific area F0 (below in FIG. 41). The width lengths (i.e., the front-to-rear length) of the lateral information sections W1 and W2 are approximately equal to each other.

The specific area F0 is an area that faces the rear detection switch 310 when the tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading section 8. A rear indicator section 900 including lateral information sections W1, W2 is provided in the specific area F0. A hole is formed in at least one of the lateral information sections W1, W2. Whether a hole is formed in each of the lateral information sections W1, W is determined in advance according to the color information. The rear indicator section 900 identifies the color information by a combination of whether or not a hole is formed in each of the lateral information sections W1, W2. A person can recognize the color information by visually checking the combination of holes formed in the lateral information sections W1, W2.

The position where the hole is formed in the left-right direction of the lateral information sections W1, W2 may be determined for each of the lateral information sections W1, W2. For example, of the multiple areas where the lateral information sections W1, W2 and the vertical information sections V1-V4 intersect and overlap (hereinafter referred to as overlapping areas), at least one overlapping area is determined as an indicator area for each of the lateral information sections W1, W2. The rear indicator section 900 may identify color information based on a combination of whether or not a hole is formed in this indicator section. In this case, if the position corresponding to the rear detection switch 310 (see FIG. 13) is determined as the indicator section, the tape printer 1 can also identify color information.

In this embodiment, when the tape cassette 30 is inserted into the cassette mounting portion 8, the five overlapping regions facing the five rear detection switches 310A-310E (see FIG. 13) function as indicator portions 900A-900E. In particular, as shown in FIG. 41, the region where the horizontal information section W1 and the vertical information section V1 intersect and overlap functions as indicator portion 900A facing rear detection switch 310A.

The area where the lateral information section W1 and the vertical information section V2 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 900B facing the rear detection switch 310B. The area where the lateral information section W1 and the vertical information section V3 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 900C facing the rear detection switch 310C. The area where the lateral information section W1 and the vertical information section V4 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 900D facing the rear detection switch 310D. The area where the lateral information section W2 and the vertical information section V3 intersect and overlap functions as indicator section 900E facing the rear detection switch 310E.

In the example shown in FIG. 41, indicator portions 900A and 900E have holes formed therein. Indicator portions 900B, 900C, and 900D are part of a surface portion included in rear step wall 360A where no holes are formed. In this manner, indicator portions 900A-900E are each composed of a hole portion or surface portion that can be identified by human eyes. Furthermore, these hole portions and surface portions function as non-pressing portion 901 and pressing portion 902, respectively, which will be described later. The relationship between indicator portions 900A-900E and rear detection switch 310 will be described in detail later.

In this embodiment, the specific area F0 (i.e., the rear step wall 360A) is approximately triangular in plan view and has the longest front-to-rear length at the reference line Z. In other words, of the vertical information areas V1 to V4, the vertical information area V3, which includes the reference line Z, has the longest front-to-rear length in the specific area F0. Therefore, one indicator portion is provided in each of the vertical information areas V1, V2, and V4, and multiple indicator portions are provided in the vertical information area V3. In this way, when multiple indicator portions are arranged in the front-to-rear direction in the specific area F0, it is preferable to place them in the vertical information area that has the longest front-to-rear length in the specific area F0.

With the above-described configuration, a person can easily recognize the identification elements (holes or surfaces) formed in the lateral information sections W1, W2 or the indicator sections 900A-900E by visually inspecting the rear step wall 360A. The reason for this will be explained below with reference to Figures 41-43. Figures 41 and 42 show the rear step wall 360A (specific area F0) of this embodiment. Figure 43 shows a comparative example in which the hole formation pattern in the rear step wall 360A (specific area F0) is changed.

The following two patterns are assumed as ways in which a person can visually view the rear indicator portion 900. First, a person can visually view the rear step wall 360A from inside the lower case 312. In this way, the person can visually view the lower case 312 from above before the upper case 311 is assembled. This allows the person to visually view the rear indicator portion 900 from the upper surface side of the rear step wall 360A.

Secondly, a person can visually view the rear indicator portion 900 from outside the lower case 312. In this mode, the person can visually view the lower case 312 from below. In this case, the lower case 312 may or may not have the upper case 311 attached thereto. This allows the person to visually view the rear indicator portion 900 from the underside of the rear step wall 360A.

When a person is aware of the forward and backward positions of the lateral information sections W1 and W2, the person can visually identify the distinguishing elements of the lateral information sections W1 and W2. On the other hand, when a person is not aware of the forward and backward positions of the lateral information sections W1 and W2, the person can identify the distinguishing elements of the lateral information sections W1 and W2 as follows, depending on the manner in which the person visually views the rear indicator portion 900.

First, the identification of elements in the lateral information section W1 will be described. As shown in FIG. 42, when the rear indicator portion 900 is viewed from inside the lower case 312, a person can identify the area adjacent to the rear wall 370 and extending in the left-right direction as the lateral information section W1. Furthermore, the hole formed adjacent to the rear wall 370 can be identified as a hole provided in the lateral information section W1. The portion of the area adjacent to the rear wall 370 where no hole is formed can be identified as a surface provided in the lateral information section W1.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 41, when viewing the rear indicator portion 900 from outside the lower case 312, a person cannot directly view the rear wall 370. However, because the thickness (front-to-rear length) of the rear wall 370 is small, a person can regard the rear edge of the lower case 312 as the rear wall 370 when viewed from the bottom. Therefore, a person can identify the area extending in the left-right direction adjacent to the contour line on the rear side of the tape cassette 30 as the lateral information section W1. Also, as described above, the holes and surfaces provided in the lateral information section W1 can be identified.

Next, the identification of elements in the lateral information section W2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 42, when the rear indicator portion 900 is viewed from inside the lower case 312, a person can recognize the first lower tape area 400B and the second lower tape area 410B. Using the first lower tape area 400B and the second lower tape area 410B as references, a person can recognize the reference line Z that passes through the contact point P (see FIG. 20). Using the reference line Z as a reference, the elements of the lateral information section W2 can be identified as follows.

First, the person identifies the hole closest to the reference line Z among the holes formed adjacent to the rear wall 370 (i.e., the holes provided in the horizontal information section W1) as the reference hole. However, if there is a hole that overlaps with the reference line Z in a planar view (a hole provided in the vertical information section V3 shown in FIG. 41), the person identifies the hole closest to the reference line Z, excluding the hole on the reference line Z, as the reference hole. The person identifies the end of the reference hole that is furthest from the reference line Z as the reference end. The person identifies the left-right length between the reference line Z and the reference end as the distance D1.

In the example shown in FIG. 42, the hole formed in the indicator portion 900A located at the rightmost end of the indicator portions in the horizontal information section W1 corresponds to the reference hole. The right end of the hole formed in the indicator portion 900A corresponds to the reference end. Therefore, the left-right length from the right end of the hole formed in the indicator portion 900A to the reference line Z is calculated as the distance D1.

Distance D0 (see FIG. 41) indicates the length in the front-rear direction between the rear wall 370 and the lateral information section W2. The front-rear direction position of the lateral information section W2 is defined so that distance D0 is less than twice distance D1 (see FIG. 42). In other words, at least a portion of the lateral information section W2 is included within a range in the rear step wall 360A that extends forward from the rear wall 370 to twice distance D1 (within the range of distance D2 in FIG. 42; D2 = D1 * 2).

From the above, a person can determine that at least a portion of the lateral information section W2, which is located in front of the lateral information section W1, is within the range of distance D2. If a hole that is spaced apart from the rear wall 370 (i.e., a hole that is provided outside the range of the lateral information section W1) is formed within the range of distance D2, a person can identify that hole as a hole provided in the lateral information section W2. In particular, if only one indicator section is provided in the lateral information section W2, a person can determine whether or not a hole is provided in the lateral information section W2 even if they do not clearly understand the position of that indicator section.

According to the above method, distance D1, and therefore distance D2, will vary depending on the position where the reference hole is formed. When a hole is provided in the indicator part located farthest from the reference line Z (indicator part 900A in FIG. 42) and that hole is identified as the reference hole, distances D1 and D2 will be the largest. When a hole is provided in the indicator part located closest to the reference line Z (indicator part 900D in FIG. 43) and that hole is identified as the reference hole, distances D1 and D2 will be the smallest.

As in the example shown in FIG. 43, when multiple holes are formed in the lateral information section W1, the hole closest to the reference line Z (i.e., the hole in the indicator section 900D) corresponds to the reference hole. In this case, distances D1 and D2 are smaller than when the hole farther from the reference line Z (i.e., the hole in the indicator section 900A) is used as the reference hole. In this way, when at least one hole is provided in the lateral information section W1, a person can determine the range of distance D2 regardless of the number and positions of the holes provided in the lateral information section W1.

On the other hand, when viewing the rear indicator portion 900 from outside the lower case 312 (see FIG. 41), a person cannot directly view the first lower tape area 400B and the second lower tape area 410B. Therefore, it may be difficult for a person to recognize the contact point P (see FIG. 20) and the reference line Z. In this case, the elements of the lateral information section W2 can be identified by the following method.

When the rear indicator portion 900 of this embodiment corresponds to color information relating to a major tape that is largely stored in the tape cassette 30 (e.g., tape color: Clear, character color: Black, etc.), of the two indicator portions provided in the lateral information sections W1 and W2, respectively, and aligned in the front-to-rear direction, the front indicator portion has a hole portion and the rear indicator portion has a surface portion. Specifically, the two indicator portions 900C and 900E through which the reference line Z passes are each composed of a combination of a surface portion and a hole portion.

As a result, in many tape cassettes 30, an indicator portion consisting of a surface portion close to the rear wall 370 and an indicator portion consisting of a hole portion spaced from the rear wall 370 are aligned in the front-to-rear direction. When a person visually views the rear indicator portion 900 from below, the person can identify the hole portion spaced from the rear wall 370 as a hole portion provided in the lateral information section W2. The person can identify the surface portion provided behind this hole as a surface portion provided in the lateral information section W1. Furthermore, the person can identify the positions of the lateral information sections W1 and W2 based on the identified surface portion and hole portion.

Conversely, of the two indicators arranged in the front-rear direction in the lateral information sections W1 and W2, the rear indicator may be a hole and the front indicator may be a surface. For example, although not shown, the two indicators (e.g., indicators 900C and 900E) through which the reference line Z passes may be configured as holes and surfaces, respectively. In this case, an indicator configured as a hole close to the rear wall 370 and an indicator configured as a surface away from the rear wall 370 are arranged in the front-rear direction. When a person visually views the rear indicator section 900 from below, the person can identify the hole close to the rear wall 370 as the hole provided in the lateral information section W1. The surface provided in front of this hole can be identified as the surface provided in the lateral information section W2. Furthermore, the person can identify the positions of the lateral information sections W1 and W2 based on the identified holes and surfaces.

In this embodiment, the rear indicator portion 900 has a pattern of holes and surfaces that can be recognized from above. Therefore, even when the rear indicator portion 900 is viewed from above (see FIG. 42), the holes or surfaces of the lateral information section W2 can be identified in the same manner as described above.

Furthermore, as in the examples of Figures 41 and 42, when color information is identified based on whether or not holes are formed in the indicator portions 900A-900E, it is also necessary to identify the positions of the indicator portions 900A-900E. If a person knows all of the left-right positions where the vertical information sections V1-V4 are located, they can identify the left-right positions of the indicator portions 900A-900E in the horizontal information sections W1, W2 using the vertical information sections V1-V4 as a reference. In other words, a person can visually identify the specified positions (left-right positions and front-back positions) of the indicator portions 900A-900E that are provided in the overlapping areas between the horizontal information sections W1, W2 and the vertical information sections V1-V4.

The left-right positions of the vertical information sections V1 to V4 can be identified by a person visually viewing the rear indicator section 900 as follows. As described above, the reference line Z is included in the vertical information section V3. Therefore, when viewing the rear indicator section 900 from above (see FIG. 42), a person can identify the left-right position of the vertical information section V3 using the reference line Z as a reference. The vertical information sections V1 to V4 are lined up at approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction in the specific area F0. Therefore, using the vertical information section V3 as a reference, a person can identify the vertical information sections V2 and V1 that are lined up in order at equal intervals to the right, and the vertical information section V4 that is lined up at equal intervals to the left. In this way, even if a person does not know the left-right positions of the vertical information sections V1 to V4, the person can identify the positions of the vertical information sections V1 to V4 using the reference line Z, which can be easily grasped by visual inspection, as a reference.

As described above, the indicator portions 900C, 900E are configured with a combination of holes and surfaces aligned in the front-rear direction. Therefore, when the rear indicator portion 900 is viewed from below (see FIG. 41), the left-right position of the vertical information section V3 including the indicator portions 900C, 900E can be identified based on the combination of holes and surfaces aligned in the front-rear direction. Therefore, similar to the above, the vertical information sections V1 to V4 aligned at approximately equal intervals in the left-right direction in the specific area F0 can be identified. In this way, even if a person does not know the left-right positions of the vertical information sections V1 to V4, they can identify the positions of the vertical information sections V1 to V4 based on the indicator portions (combinations of holes and surfaces) aligned in the front-rear direction.

As a result, depending on whether a hole provided in the lateral information section W1 is provided in any of the vertical information sections V1 to V4, it can be determined in which of the indicator sections 900A to 900D the hole is provided in. Depending on whether a hole provided in the lateral information section W2 is provided in the vertical information section V3, it can be determined whether the hole is provided in the indicator section 900E or not. In this way, the rear indicator section 900 of this embodiment allows a person to visually identify the combination of holes and surfaces provided in each of the indicator sections 900A to 900E.

Next, the specification of color information based on a combination of whether or not holes are formed in each of the horizontal information sections W1 and W2, or each of the indicator sections 900A to 900E, will be described. Color information can include various elements, but in this embodiment, an example will be described in which two of these elements, tape color and character color, are specified. The tape color included in the color information indicates the base color of the tape (thermal paper tape 55, printing tape 57, double-sided adhesive tape 58). The character color included in the color information indicates the ink color of the ink ribbon 60 if a thermal transfer method using the ink ribbon 60 is used. If a thermal method is used in which the thermal paper tape 55 develops color, it indicates the color developed by the thermal paper tape 55.

The color information elements that each of the horizontal information sections W1 and W2 specifies are determined in advance. In this embodiment, the horizontal information section W1 is determined as a section that indicates information that specifies the tape color. The horizontal information section W2 is determined as a section that indicates information that specifies the character color. Furthermore, when a specific overlapping area in the horizontal information sections W1 and W2 functions as indicator sections 900A-900E, the color information elements that the indicator sections 900A-900E specify are determined depending on whether the overlapping area corresponds to the horizontal information section W1 or W2. In this embodiment, the indicator sections 900A-900D are indicator sections that specify the tape color. The indicator section 900E is an indicator section that specifies the character color.

The horizontal information section W1 and indicator sections 900A-900D each function as a tape color specification section. The horizontal information section W2 and indicator section 900E each function as a character color specification section. The tape cassette 30 is capable of specifying the corresponding color information element using only each specification section, regardless of the configuration of the other specification sections. Below, a method of specifying color information using indicator sections 900A-900E is explained as an example.

The color information elements (tape color and character color) identified by each identification portion will be described with reference to Tables 4 to 6. For convenience, in the tables, the case where a hole is formed in the indicator portion 900A to 900E is indicated by "0." The case where the indicator portion 900A to 900E does not have a hole and is a surface portion is indicated by "1."

In addition, when color information is specified by a combination of holes and surfaces formed in the lateral information sections W1 and W2, the main tape color can be specified in the same manner as described below by replacing indicator sections 900B-900D in Table 4 with a combination of three holes and surfaces provided in the lateral information section W1. A special tape color can be specified in the same manner as described below by replacing indicator sections 900A-900D in Table 5 with a combination of four holes and surfaces provided in the lateral information section W1. A character color can be specified in the same manner as described below by replacing indicator section 900E in Table 6 with one hole or surface provided in the lateral information section W2.

First, a method for a person to visually identify the tape color of the tape cassette 30 will be described. In this embodiment, the indicator portions 900A-900D (indicator portions on the horizontal information section W1) indicate the tape color by a combination of holes and surfaces. In particular, the main tape colors that are frequently implemented in the tape cassette 30 can be identified by visually inspecting only the three indicator portions 900B-900D. Also, some of the special tape colors that are rarely implemented in the tape cassette 30 can be identified by visually inspecting the four indicator portions 900A-900D.

As shown in Table 4, three main tape colors, "Clear," "Blue," and "Black," are defined according to the combination of whether the indicator parts 900B to 900D constituting part of the tape color specification part are holes or surfaces. In detail, when the indicator parts 900B to 900D are surfaces, surfaces, and holes (combinations of "1, 1, 0" in Table 4), the tape color is "Clear." When the indicator parts 900B to 900D are holes, surfaces, and surfaces (combinations of "0, 1, 1" in Table 4), the tape color is "Blue." When the indicator parts 900B to 900D are holes, holes, and surfaces (combinations of "0, 0, 1" in Table 4), the tape color is "Black."

A person can recognize the main tape color of the tape cassette 30 simply by visually checking the indicator portions 900B-900D of the rear indicator portion 900 that are present in the lateral information section W1. In more detail, a person can determine whether or not it is the main tape color and the details of that tape color simply by visually identifying the positions of the indicator portions 900B-900D and checking whether or not a hole is formed there. For example, in the tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 43, the indicator portions 900B-900D are a surface portion, a surface portion, and a hole portion, respectively. In this case, a person can visually check the rear indicator portion 900 and identify that the tape color is "Clear."

Indicator portion 900C is provided in vertical information section V3, which can be identified using reference line Z as a reference. Therefore, indicator portion 900C is the easiest to identify by human visual inspection among indicator portions 900A-900D in horizontal information section W1. Indicator portions 900B and 900D provided in vertical information sections V2 and V4, which are located to the left and right of vertical information section V3, can also be easily identified by human visual inspection. In other words, the main tape color can be identified by simply checking indicator portions 900B-900D, which are the easiest to recognize by human visual inspection, among indicator portions 900A-900D in horizontal information section W1.

As shown in Table 5, three special tape colors, "White," "Yellow," and "Red," are defined according to the combination of whether the indicators 900A to 900D constituting the tape color specification section are holes or surfaces. In detail, when the indicators 900A to 900D are holes, surfaces, surfaces, surfaces (combinations of "0, 1, 1, 1" in Table 5), the tape color is "White." When the indicators 900A to 900D are surfaces, holes, surfaces, holes (combinations of "1, 0, 1, 0" in Table 5), the tape color is "Yellow." When the indicators 900A to 900D are holes, surfaces, holes, surfaces (combinations of "0, 1, 0, 1" in Table 5), the tape color is "Red."

A person can recognize the special tape color of the tape cassette 30 simply by visually checking the indicator portions 900A-900D of the rear indicator portion 900 that are present in the lateral information section W1. In more detail, a person can determine whether the tape color is special and the details of the tape color simply by visually identifying the positions of the indicator portions 900A-900D and checking whether holes are formed there. For example, in the tape cassette 30 shown in Figures 41 and 42, the indicator portions 900A-900D are a hole portion, a surface portion, a surface portion, and a surface portion, respectively, so the tape color can be identified as "White."

As shown in Table 6, the character color is set to "Black" or "Other than Black" depending on whether the indicator portion 900E constituting the character color specification portion is a hole portion or a surface portion. In detail, when the indicator portion 900E is a hole portion ("0" in Table 6), it indicates that the character color is "Black." When the indicator portion 900E is a surface portion ("1" in Table 6), it indicates that the character color is "other than Black."

A person can recognize the character color of the tape cassette 30 simply by visually checking the indicator portion 900E of the rear indicator portion 900 that is present in the horizontal information section W2. In more detail, a person can determine whether the character color is black or non-black simply by visually identifying the position of the indicator portion 900E and checking whether a hole is formed there. For example, in the tape cassettes 30 shown in Figures 41 to 43, the indicator portion 900E is a hole. In this case, a person can visually check the rear indicator portion 900 and identify that the character color is "Black."

In this way, in the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment, regardless of whether the indicator portion 900E is a hole or a surface portion, a person can recognize the tape color simply by looking at the indicator portions 900B-900D or the indicator portions 900A-900D. Regardless of whether the indicator portions 900A-900D are a hole or a surface portion, a person can recognize the character color simply by looking at the indicator portion 900E.

As shown in FIG. 29, the first tape area 400 and the second tape area 410 are biased toward the rear side of the cassette case 31. The first ribbon area 420 and the second ribbon area 440 are biased toward the front side of the cassette case 31. In a tape cassette 30 that uses an ink ribbon 60, the tape and ink ribbon 60 are aligned in the front-to-rear direction within the cassette case 31 in accordance with the order in which the lateral information sections W1, W2 are aligned in the front-to-rear direction.

Therefore, by visually inspecting the lateral information section W1, which indicates the tape color behind the lateral information section W2, the base color of the tape located behind the ink ribbon 60 can be identified. By visually inspecting the lateral information section W2, which indicates the character color ahead of the lateral information section W1, the ink color of the ink ribbon 60 located ahead of the tape can be identified. This allows a person to accurately match the elements of color information shown in the lateral information sections W1 and W2 along the arrangement of the tape and ink ribbon 60 inside the cassette case 31.

The color information (tape color and character color) specified by each specifying section is not limited to those shown in Tables 4 to 6, and can be changed as appropriate. The total number of combinations of color information specified in Tables 4 to 6 is 28, but it is not necessary to use all of them. However, it is preferable that the combinations of holes and surfaces to which the color information corresponds are defined according to at least the following rules.

First, it is preferable that the indicator portions 900A, 900B, and 900D, excluding the indicator portion 900C which is easy to identify using the reference line Z as an indicator, are a combination in which at least one is composed of a hole portion and at least one is composed of a surface portion. This can improve the visibility of the combination of holes and surfaces provided in each of the indicator portions 900A to 900D. When a person visually views the indicator portions 900A to 900D, they can accurately identify the color information.

Secondly, it is preferable not to adopt a combination in which all of the indicator portions 900A-900D present in the lateral information section W1 are surface portions, and a combination in which all of the indicator portions 900A-900E present in the specific area F0 are surface portions. This is because in such combinations, the rear step wall 360A becomes a surface portion without any holes, or a surface portion with only one hole formed in a position away from the rear wall 370. In this case, it becomes difficult for a person to grasp that the rear indicator portion 900 is provided on the rear step wall 360A. By providing at least one hole in a position adjacent to the rear wall 370, it is possible to clearly indicate that the rear indicator portion 900 is provided on the rear step wall 360A.

Thirdly, it is preferable that color information of tapes that are frequently stored in the tape cassette 30 is indicated by a combination of indicator portions 900C, 900E arranged in front and behind the rear step wall 360A, one of which is a hole portion and the other is a surface portion. This is to enable a person to identify the elements of the lateral information section W2 by visually inspecting the rear step wall 360A, as described above.

Fourth, when a person visually identifies the tape color, it is necessary to confirm whether the indicator portions 900B to 900D are holes or surfaces, regardless of whether the tape color is a primary or special color. Therefore, it is preferable that the detection pattern of the rear detection portion 300 corresponding to the special tape color (see Table 5) does not include the detection pattern of the rear detection portion 300 corresponding to the primary tape color (see Table 4). This makes it possible for a person to visually identify the tape color by clearly distinguishing the primary tape color from other tape colors when looking at the rear indicator portion 900.

So far, we have described the configuration of the rear indicator unit 900 for identifying color information and the method by which a person identifies color information by visually inspecting the rear indicator unit 900. Below, we will explain the configuration of the rear indicator unit 900 in relation to the rear detection switch 310 and how the rear detection switch 310 identifies color information.

First, the configuration of the rear indicator portion 900 in relation to the rear detection switch 310 will be described. As described above, the tape printer 1 of this embodiment has five rear detection switches 310A-310E (see FIG. 13). In the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8, the overlapping areas facing each of the rear detection switches 310A-310E are the indicator portions 900A-900E (see FIG. 41). In the example of the tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 41, the indicator portions 900A and 900E are holes, and the indicator portions 900B-900D are surfaces.

When the hole portion faces the rear detection switch 310, it functions as a non-pressing portion 901 that does not press the switch terminal 317 (see FIG. 13). The non-pressing portion 901 has a circular opening shape in a plan view that is inscribed in the shape of the indicator portion (overlapping area). The rear detection switch 310 facing the non-pressing portion 901 is turned off when the switch terminal 317 is inserted into the non-pressing portion 901.

When the surface portion faces the rear detection switch 310, it functions as a pressing portion 902 that presses the switch terminal 317. The pressing portion 902 is part of the rear step wall 360A, and has a circular surface shape inscribed in the shape of the indicator portion (overlapping area) in a plan view. The rear detection switch 310 facing the pressing portion 902 turns on when the switch terminal 317 comes into contact with the pressing portion 902. In the example of the tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 41, the indicator portions 900A and 900E are non-pressing portions 901, and the indicator portions 900B to 900D are pressing portions 902.

As described above, the indicator portions 900A to 900E of the rear indicator portion 900 are formed with either holes (non-pressed portions 901) or surfaces (pressed portions 902) in a prescribed pattern according to the color information (see Tables 4 to 6). The tape printer 1 can identify the color information based on the combination of on/off states of the rear detection switches 310 that are selectively pressed by the rear indicator portion 900.

In detail, the tape printer 1 refers to a table to identify color information corresponding to the on/off combinations of the five rear detection switches 310A-310E. In this table, the predetermined patterns (combinations of holes and surfaces) for the indicator portions 900A-900E are replaced with the detection patterns (combinations of off and on states) of the corresponding rear detection switches 310A-310E, and are associated with the color information.

The color information table 520 shown in Figure 44 is an example of a table used by the tape printer 1 to identify color information. The color information table 520 is stored in the ROM 602 (see Figure 14). In the example shown in Figure 44, the rear detection switches 310A to 310E correspond to the switches "ST1" to "ST5", respectively. The off state (OFF) and on state (ON) of each rear detection switch 310 correspond to "0" and "1", respectively.

The color information table 520 of this embodiment includes multiple color tables in which different color information is defined for each detection pattern of the rear detection switches 310A to 310E. In the example shown in FIG. 44, the color information table 520 includes a first color table 521 and a second color table 522.

The first color table 521 is a standard color table in which a first set of color information is defined according to the detection pattern of the rear detection switches 310A-310E. The second color table 522 is a special color table in which a second set of color information is defined according to the detection pattern of the rear detection switches 310A-310E. The first set of color information is used more frequently than the second set of color information. The tape printing device 1 selectively uses the first color table 521 and the second color table 522 to identify color information (the first set of color information or the second set of color information) according to the detection pattern of the rear detection switches 310A-310E, as will be described in detail below.

The color information table 520 used in the tape printing device 1 is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 44. For example, a color information table 520 can be used in which any other color information is added to the detection pattern corresponding to "spare". It is also possible to use a color information table 520 in which registered color information has been deleted, the correspondence between each detection pattern and color information has been changed, or the content of the color information corresponding to each detection pattern has been changed. In this case, the hole formation pattern determined for identifying color information by visual inspection as described above is also changed as appropriate.

As described above, the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment is configured so that a person and the tape printer 1 can identify the tape type (specifically, color information) based on the rear indicator portion 900. By allowing a person to visually recognize the tape type by looking at the rear indicator portion 900, the following effects are achieved.

In conventional tape cassette manufacturing methods, tapes and other materials were typically stored in a cassette case according to the type of tape to be installed in the tape cassette. For example, depending on the color information (combination of tape color and character color) to be installed in the tape cassette, a worker would store in the cassette case a tape with a base color that matches the tape color and an ink ribbon with an ink color that matches the character color.

However, there are many different combinations of tape colors and character colors. When manufacturing tape cassettes, there was a risk that workers would mistakenly place a tape or ink ribbon that differed from the color information intended in advance into the cassette case. For this reason, the conventional tape cassette manufacturing process included an inspection process to check whether the tape or ink ribbon placed in a manufactured tape cassette corresponded to the expected color.

In this embodiment, for example, in the manufacturing process of the tape cassette 30, before an operator assembles the upper case 311 to the lower case 312, the operator visually checks the rear indicator portion 900 from inside the lower case 312. Alternatively, before storing tape or the like in the lower case 312, the operator turns the lower case 312 upside down and visually checks the rear indicator portion 900. By identifying the color information indicated by the rear indicator portion 900, the operator can ascertain the tape color and character color to be stored in the cassette case 31. In this way, the operator can work while checking the contents to be installed in the cassette case 31, thereby reducing manufacturing errors of the tape cassette 30. This in turn reduces the burden on the operator who performs the inspection process as described above.

After the tape cassette 30 is shipped, even if the user is unable to read the label indicating the tape type, etc. for some reason, the user can recognize the color information based on the rear indicator portion 900 by viewing the bottom of the tape cassette 30. Therefore, the user can easily select the tape cassette 30 having the desired color information from among multiple tape cassettes 30.

The rear indicator portion 900 has a simple configuration, which is a combination of holes and surfaces (i.e., a combination of a non-pressing portion 901 and a pressing portion 902) provided in each of the lateral information sections W1 and W2 (indicator portions 900A to 900E). When manufacturing the tape cassette 30, it is easy to form the rear indicator portion 900 on the cassette case 31. Therefore, there is no need to print on the cassette case 31 an indication of the contents to be mounted, or to attach a label indicating the contents to be mounted. This makes it possible to reduce manufacturing errors in the tape cassette 30 at low cost.

In this embodiment, the overlapping area that functions as the indicator parts 900A to 900E is provided with either a hole part (i.e., the non-pressed part 901) or a surface part (i.e., the pressed part 902) that corresponds to the color information. However, in the specific area F0, the hole part and the surface part can be freely formed within a range that ensures the function as the indicator parts 900A to 900E.

Specifically, in the tape cassette 30 described above (see Figures 41 and 42), all of the areas of the specific region F0 that do not function as indicator portions 900A-900E are on the same plane as the pressing portion 902. Therefore, all of the holes (non-pressing portions 901) provided in the specific region F0 are independent, but it is not necessary that all of the holes be independent. For example, a single hole (groove) having a size and shape that includes at least two of the multiple non-pressing portions 901 may be formed in the specific region F0. When a single groove is formed, it is preferable that it does not include a portion that functions as a pressing portion 902.

The manner in which the tape cassette 30 is attached to and detached from the cassette mounting section 8 will be described with reference to Figures 45 and 46. In Figures 45 and 46, for ease of understanding, holes related to the attachment and detachment of the tape cassette 30 are shown with virtual lines (two-dot chain lines). The components related to the attachment and detachment of the tape cassette 30 in the cassette mounting section 8 are shown. Figure 46 shows the guide hole 47 and its vicinity in a cross-sectional view from the right side.

First, the height relationship of each component erected on the cassette mounting section 8 will be described. In this embodiment, the head holder 74, tape drive shaft 100, ribbon take-up shaft 95, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120 have an axial length (vertical length) that is at least greater than the width T of the common section 32. Of these, the three guide shafts (i.e., the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120) have approximately equal axial lengths that are greater than the axial length of the ribbon take-up shaft 95 and the vertical length of the head holder 74. Therefore, the height positions of the upper ends of the tape drive shaft 100 and auxiliary shaft 110 are greater than the height positions of the upper ends of the head holder 74 and ribbon take-up shaft 95, based on the bottom surface of the cavity 811.

As described above, the guide shaft 120 is erected on the corner support portion 812, which is located above the cavity 811. The upper end of the guide shaft 120 is located higher than the upper ends of the head holder 74, tape drive shaft 100, ribbon take-up shaft 95, and auxiliary shaft 110. In other words, the guide shaft 120 extends higher than the tape drive shaft 100 and auxiliary shaft 110.

When the user loads the tape cassette 30 into the cassette loading section 8, the top plate 305 (see FIG. 20) and bottom plate 306 (see FIG. 22) of the cassette case 31 are pushed downward while being kept substantially horizontal. At this time, the user aligns the roller support hole 64, the first tape support hole 65, and the guide hole 47 so that their relative positions in a plan view are substantially aligned with the tape drive shaft 100, the auxiliary shaft 110, and the guide shaft 120, respectively.

When the tape cassette 30 moves downward toward the cassette mounting section 8, as shown in FIG. 45, the upper ends of the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120 enter the openings 64B, 65B, and 47B, respectively, provided in the bottom plate 306. At this time, the head holder 74 and ribbon take-up shaft 95 do not enter the interior of the tape cassette 30 because their upper ends are located below the bottom plate 306.

When the tape cassette 30 moves further downward from the state shown in FIG. 45, the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120 are inserted from below into shaft holes 46D, 65C, and 47C through openings 64B, 65B, and 47B, respectively. At this time, the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120 come into contact with the inner walls of shaft holes 46D, 65C, and 47C, respectively, restricting the circumferential movement of the tape cassette 30. As a result, the tape cassette 30 moves downward under the action of its own weight while being guided along the vertical direction of the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120 inserted into shaft holes 46D, 65C, and 47C, respectively.

In this embodiment, the upper edges of the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120 are tapered so that the shaft diameter decreases toward the tip. Therefore, even if there is a slight misalignment in the relative positions in plan view with respect to the roller support hole 64, first tape support hole 65, and guide hole 47, the user can properly and smoothly insert the tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120. In addition, the shaft diameter of the tape drive shaft 100 is slightly smaller than the diameter of the shaft hole 46D. Therefore, even if the planar position of the tape drive roller 46 in the roller support hole 64 changes slightly due to vibration, tilt, etc., the user can insert the tape drive shaft 100 into the roller support hole 64.

As described above, the guide hole 47 has an opening width larger than the shaft diameter of the tip of the guide shaft 120 (i.e., the small diameter shaft portion 120B), and the opening width is particularly large in the direction of the dividing line K (see FIG. 15). In other words, the allowable range of the positioning accuracy of the guide hole 47 relative to the planar position of the guide shaft 120 is large along the dividing line K. When the tape cassette 30 is installed, the user can insert the guide shaft 120 into the guide hole 47 even if the relative position of the guide hole 47 to the guide shaft 120 in a plan view is slightly shifted in the direction of the dividing line K.

As a result, the user does not need to accurately position each of the corresponding cavities of the tape cassette 30 (i.e., the roller support hole 64, the guide hole 47, and the first tape support hole 65) with respect to all three guide shafts provided in the cassette mounting section 8. This reduces the burden on the user to position the tape cassette 30 when mounting the tape cassette 30. Also, in order to completely match the dimensional widths of the roller support hole 64 and the guide hole 47 with the dimensional widths of the tape drive shaft 100 and the guide shaft 120, the worker is required to have a high level of manufacturing precision.

By providing the guide hole 47 with play in the direction of the parting line K as described above, slight errors in the dimensional accuracy of the guide hole 47 are tolerated. This reduces the burden on the worker to accurately form the guide hole 47 when manufacturing the tape cassette 30.

As the tape cassette 30 is guided downward, the head holder 74 equipped with the thermal head 10 is inserted from below into the head insertion section 39. The ribbon take-up shaft 95 is inserted from below into the shaft hole 44C through the opening 68B. At this time, the lower head peripheral wall 36B (see FIG. 49) of the cassette case 31 abuts against the upper part of the claw portion 752 (see FIG. 49) of the cassette hook 75, and the flexible protrusion 751 bends forward (to the right in FIG. 49).

When the tape cassette 30 is pushed downward to the appropriate position in the cassette mounting section 8, the position of the tape cassette 30 is fixed as follows:

As shown in FIG. 46, the base side of the guide shaft 120 (i.e., the large diameter shaft portion 120A) is fitted into the guide hole 47. As described above, the shaft diameter of the large diameter shaft portion 120A is approximately equal to the opening width of the guide hole 47 at the imaginary line G (see FIG. 15). Therefore, the large diameter shaft portion 120A inserted into the guide hole 47 is tightly locked in the imaginary line G direction by the tube wall portion 589 (see FIG. 36). Although not shown in FIG. 45 and FIG. 46, the positioning pins 102, 103 (see FIG. 4) are inserted into the pin holes 62, 63 (see FIG. 16), respectively. As a result, the movement of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8 in the front-rear and left-right directions is restricted.

As shown in Figures 47 and 48, the first lower flat surface 391B of the first receiving portion 391 abuts against the first support portion 741 of the head holder 74. The second lower flat surface 392B of the second receiving portion 392 abuts against the second support portion 742 of the head holder 74. In other words, the first and second support portions 741 and 742, which are the reference for the vertical center position of the thermal head 10, abut against the first and second lower flat surface portions 391B and 392B, which are the reference surfaces, respectively, to support the tape cassette 30 from below. At this time, the corner support portion 812 of the cassette mounting portion 8 also abuts against the lower surfaces of the corners 321 to 324 of the cassette case 31 to support the tape cassette 30 from below. As a result, the downward movement of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8 is restricted.

As shown in FIG. 49, the claw portion 752 of the cassette hook 75 is engaged with the engagement portion 397 by the elastic force of the protrusion 751. Furthermore, when the cassette cover 6 is closed for printing, as shown in FIG. 47, the head pressing member 7 abuts against the first upper flat surface portion 393A of the presser receiving portion 393, pressing the tape cassette 30 from above. The peripheral pressing members 911, 912 (see FIG. 2) abut against the second and third upper flat surfaces 321A, 322A (see FIG. 15) of the first and second corner portions 321, 322, respectively, pressing the tape cassette 30 from above. As a result, the tape cassette 30 attached to the cassette attachment portion 8 is restricted from moving in the direction of floating up, that is, upward.

As shown in FIG. 49, an inclined portion 375 is provided at a part of the lower end corner that connects the lower head peripheral wall 36B and the bottom plate 306 of the cassette case 31. The inclined portion 375 is a chamfered portion provided directly below the locking portion 397, and is inclined from the upper front side (upper right side in FIG. 49) to the lower rear side (lower left side in FIG. 49). When the tape cassette 30 is attached, the inclined portion 375 comes into contact with the claw portion 752 of the cassette hook 75 from above.

As described above, the claw portion 752 is a protrusion that is generally triangular in cross section, and its upper end surface is inclined from the upper front side toward the lower rear side. When the tape cassette 30 is attached, the inclined portion 375 slides downward along the upper end surface of the claw portion 752. This prevents the cassette hook 75 from interfering with the cassette case 31, and guides the claw portion 752 smoothly toward the engagement portion 397. The user can smoothly push the tape cassette 30 into the cassette attachment portion 8.

The cassette cover 6 is supported on both the left and right ends above the rear surface of the tape printer 1. When the cassette cover 6 is closed, the tip of the head pressing member 7 does not approach the top surface 301 of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting section 8 in a vertical direction, but approaches at an acute angle from the rear to the front. The inclined portion 394 (see FIG. 15) provided behind the first upper flat surface portion 393A functions as an escape portion to eliminate interference when the head pressing member 7 approaches the first upper flat surface portion 393A.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the tape cassette 30 is guided to the appropriate position in the cassette mounting section 8 by three guide shafts (tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, guide shaft 120). The tape cassette 30 is positioned in the appropriate planar position by the guide shaft 120 etc., and is positioned in the appropriate height position by the first and second support parts 741, 742 etc. The tape cassette 30 mounted in the appropriate position in the cassette mounting section 8 is held by the cassette hook 75 and head holding member 7 etc.

In other words, the tape cassette 30 is guided in the attachment/detachment direction (i.e., the up-down direction) by a guide shaft inserted into at least one of the three cavities (roller support hole 64, guide hole 47, first tape support hole 65), and movement in directions other than the attachment/detachment direction (i.e., front-back and left-right directions) is restricted. This makes it easy to position the tape cassette 30 relative to the cassette mounting section 8.

For example, when the tape cassette 30 is mounted in the cassette mounting portion 8, the head holder 74 is prevented from coming into contact with the outer edge of the head insertion portion 39. This allows the user to smoothly insert the head holder 74 into the head insertion portion 39. Furthermore, the user can accurately position the first and second receiving portions 391, 392 on the first and second support portions 741, 742, respectively. This allows the first and second receiving portions 391, 392 to be reliably supported by the first and second support portions 741, 742.

As shown in Figure 46, when the tape cassette 30 is installed in the correct position, the cam member 100A of the tape drive shaft 100 properly engages with the rib 46F (see Figure 30) of the tape drive roller 46. The cam member 95A of the ribbon take-up shaft 95 properly engages with the rib 44D (see Figure 35) of the ribbon take-up spool 44. The thermal head 10 provided in the head holder 74 is positioned in the correct printing position of the head insertion section 39. This allows the tape and ink ribbon 60 to run stably in the tape printing device 1, thereby enabling proper printing to be performed.

In this embodiment, the first and second support parts 741, 742 provided on the head holder 74 accurately position the tape cassette 30 in the vertical direction near the thermal head 10. The vertical center position of the printing range of the thermal head 10 can be precisely aligned with the widthwise center positions of the tape and ink ribbon 60. This improves the printing quality on the tape.

In particular, the tape cassette 30 is supported near the insertion position of the thermal head 10, specifically on both the upstream and downstream sides of the tape transport direction relative to the printing position. The transport direction of the tape and ink ribbon 60 is precisely maintained perpendicular to the arrangement direction (vertical direction) of the thermal head 10. As a result, the running of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be stabilized. The vertical printing center position by the thermal head 10 and the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be aligned with even greater precision.

Furthermore, the first and second receiving portions 391, 392 and some of the regulating portions provided on the arm portion 34 (i.e., the separation wall regulating portion 383, the first tape bottom regulating portions 381B, 382B, and the first print surface side regulating portion 389) are all provided on the lower case 312. As a result, regardless of the press-fit state between the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, the positional relationship between the first and second receiving portions 391, 392 and the separation wall regulating portion 383, the first tape bottom regulating portions 381B, 382B, and the first print surface side regulating portion 389 remains constant.

As a result, as the first and second receiving portions 391, 392 are supported at the appropriate height by the first and second support portions 741, 742, respectively, the separation wall regulating portion 383, the first bottom tape regulating portions 381B, 382B, and the first print surface side regulating portion 389 are also held at the appropriate height. As a result, the widthwise center position of the tape transported within the arm portion 34 can be more accurately aligned with the vertical printing center position by the thermal head 10, further improving the print quality.

When the tape cassette 30 is loaded into the cassette loading section 8, the corners 321-324 are supported from below by the corner support section 812. That is, in addition to the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B, the third and fourth lower flat surfaces 321B, 322B, which are also reference surfaces, are supported. Therefore, even if the cassette case 31 is deformed, such as warped, the height position of each reference surface is corrected by supporting the reference surfaces at multiple positions from below. This allows the running performance and printing position accuracy of the tape or ink ribbon 60 to be maintained well.

When the cassette cover 6 is closed, the head pressing member 7 presses from above the first upper flat surface 393A located directly above the first lower flat surface 391B. In other words, the first lower flat surface 391B and the first upper flat surface 393A of the tape cassette 30, which are the reference surfaces, are sandwiched from above and below between the first support portion 741 and the head pressing member 7.

As a result, the tape cassette 30 can be securely fixed from the top and bottom, and can be properly positioned near the printing position. The upward movement (so-called floating) of the tape cassette 30 mounted in the cassette mounting section 8 can be restricted. The vertical center position of the printing range of the thermal head 10 and the widthwise center position of the film tape 59 can be aligned with even greater precision. This in turn enables stable tape transport and printing.

Furthermore, the peripheral pressing members 911, 912 press against the second and third upper flat surfaces 321A, 322A, respectively, from above. In other words, the tape cassette 30 is sandwiched from above and below at three points. Since the surface surrounded by the three points is wide, the tape cassette 30 is fixed more securely. For example, even if the cassette case 31 is deformed, such as warped, the height position of each reference surface is reliably corrected. Therefore, the running performance and printing position accuracy of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be improved.

The first receiving portion 391 and the second receiving portion 392 face the head insertion portion 39 from directions perpendicular to each other. The first and second receiving portions 391, 392 are inserted into the first and second support portions 741, 742, which extend in directions perpendicular to each other, respectively, and support the first and second lower flat portions 391B, 392B from below, respectively. Therefore, the first and second support portions 741, 742 regulate not only the up-down movement of the tape cassette 30, but also the front-rear and left-right movement of the tape cassette 30. This makes it possible to more appropriately maintain the positional relationship between the thermal head 10 and the head insertion portion 39.

The cassette hook 75, like the head retaining member 7, more reliably restricts the tape cassette 30 from floating up, i.e., from moving upward. This makes tape transport and printing more stable.

As shown in FIG. 47, the distance H2 between the first and second lower flat surfaces 391B, 392B and the widthwise center position of the tape stored in the cassette case 31 (center line N of the cassette case 31) is constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. The distance H1 between the first upper flat surface 393A and the center line N is also constant regardless of the type of tape in the tape cassette 30. In other words, even if the vertical height of the tape cassette 30 differs, the distances H1 and H2 are constant. This allows multiple types of tape cassettes 30 with different heights to be used with the same tape printing device 1.

Conventionally, when the tape is transported during a printing operation, if the widthwise center position does not coincide regardless of the tape width, the tape may meander if the pressure difference on the tape occurring in the width direction exceeds the allowable range. In this embodiment, the distances H1 and H2 are constant regardless of the tape width. Therefore, when a printing operation is performed, even if the tapes have different widths, the tape is transported at a position where the centers of each width direction coincide. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tape from meandering due to the pressure difference occurring in the width direction.

Furthermore, because distance H1 and distance H2 are equal, there is a good balance between support from below and pressure from above the tape cassette 30. Therefore, the appropriate positional relationship between the vertical center position of the printing range of the thermal head 10 and the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60 can be stably maintained.

When removing the tape cassette 30 from the cassette mounting section 8, for example, the user can simply pinch both the left and right ends of the cassette case 31 with their fingers and pull the tape cassette 30 upward from the cassette mounting section 8. At this time, the tape cassette 30 is guided upward by the three guide shafts (tape drive shaft 100, auxiliary shaft 110, and guide shaft 120). Therefore, the tape cassette 30 is less likely to tilt during the process of removing it from the cassette mounting section 8. This in turn prevents the tape cassette 30 from getting caught on the inner wall of the cassette mounting section 8, etc.

In this way, when the tape cassette 30 is attached or detached, the tape cassette 30 is guided in the vertical direction at three points: a pair of diagonal parts of the tape cassette 30 in a plan view (specifically, the roller support hole 64 and the guide hole 47) and the center of gravity of the tape wound on the first tape spool 40 (specifically, the first tape support hole 65). This makes it possible to appropriately prevent the tape cassette 30 from tilting from the correct posture or becoming displaced during the process of being attached to the cassette attachment section 8.

The center of gravity of the entire tape cassette 30 is preferably located within the area connecting the roller support hole 64, the first tape support hole 65, and the guide hole 47 in a plan view. This allows the weight of the tape cassette 30 to be evenly distributed and act on the three points where the tape cassette 30 is guided in a plan view (i.e., the tape drive shaft 100, the auxiliary shaft 110, and the guide shaft 120). This makes the movement of the tape cassette 30 in the attachment/detachment direction smoother, and more reliably prevents the tape cassette 30 from shifting or tilting during the process of mounting. Regardless of the type of tape, the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment has a center of gravity located within the area connecting the roller support hole 64, the first tape support hole 65, and the guide hole 47 in a plan view (see Figures 5 to 8).

More preferably, the overall center of gravity of the tape cassette 30 is located on or near the dividing line K in a plan view. In this embodiment, the laminate type tape cassette 30 (see Figures 5 and 6) and the receptor type tape cassette 30 (see Figure 7) have a weight distribution in which the center of gravity is located on or near the dividing line K in a plan view. Therefore, in the process of mounting these tape cassettes 30 in the cassette mounting section 8, tilting due to the tape cassette 30's own weight is unlikely to occur.

The attachment and detachment of the tape cassette 30 is guided at at least two points: the fourth corner 324 where the roller support hole 64 is provided, and the second corner 322 diagonally located where the guide hole 47 is provided. In the vicinity of the fourth corner 324, the tape is fed by the tape drive roller 46 and printing is performed by the thermal head 10. In the exposed portion 77 provided in the vicinity of the fourth corner 324, the tape is exposed for printing. Therefore, the positioning of the tape cassette 30 in the vicinity of the fourth corner 324 has a significant effect on the print quality and tape running.

In this embodiment, the tape cassette 30 is guided along the tape drive shaft 100 inserted into the roller support hole 64. Therefore, the tape cassette 30 can be accurately positioned near the position where the tape is fed out and printed. This prevents the tape exposed to the outside during the installation process of the tape cassette 30 from becoming entangled with other components. By using the tape drive shaft 100 as one of the guide shafts, there is no need to install a separate shaft body that guides the tape cassette 30 near the fourth corner 324, and the structure of the tape printer 1 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

Furthermore, the tape cassette 30 is guided along the guide shaft 120 inserted into the guide hole 47. In other words, the tape cassette 30 is guided in the attachment/detachment direction even near the second corner 322. This allows the tape cassette 30 to be stably guided in the attachment/detachment direction at both diagonal positions where the greatest distance between the two points can be secured in a plan view.

Referring to Figures 50 and 51, we will explain how the tape printer 1 detects the tape type of the tape cassette 30.

The manner in which the arm detection unit 200 detects the arm indicator portion 800 will be described with reference to Figure 50. When the tape cassette 30 is installed in the appropriate position in the cassette mounting portion 8 and the cassette cover 6 is closed, the platen holder 12 moves from the standby position (see Figure 5) toward the printing position (see Figures 6 to 8). At this time, the arm detection unit 200 and the locking piece 225 move toward the arm indicator portion 800 and locking hole 820 of the tape cassette 30, respectively.

When the tape cassette 30 is installed in the correct position in the cassette installation section 8, the locking piece 225 is inserted into the locking hole 820. In this case, the switch terminal 222 of the arm detection switch 210 faces the index section (non-pressing section 801 or pressing section 802) of the arm index section 800 without being interfered with by the locking piece 225. At this time, the arm detection switch 210 facing the non-pressing section 801 is inserted into the non-pressing section 801 and is turned off. The arm detection switch 210 facing the pressing section 802 is pressed by the pressing section 802 and is turned on.

For example, when the tape cassette 30 shown in Figures 37 to 39 is installed in the correct position in the cassette installation section 8, as shown in Figure 50, the arm detection switches 210A, 210C, and 210D face the indicator portions 800A, 800C, and 800D, which are the non-pressing portion 801, respectively, and are therefore in the OFF state "0". The arm detection switches 210B and 210E face the indicator portions 800B and 800E, which are the pressing portion 802, respectively, and are therefore in the ON state "1". In other words, the ON/OFF states of the switches "SW1" to "SW5" corresponding to the arm detection switches 210A to 210E, respectively, are "0", "1", "0", "0", and "1", respectively.

In the tape printer 1, printing information is identified as the tape type of the tape cassette 30 based on the detection pattern of the arm detection unit 200 (i.e., the on/off combination of the five arm detection switches 210A-210E). In the above example, by referring to the printing information table 510 (Figure 40), it is possible to identify the tape width "36 mm", the printing mode "mirror image printing (laminated)", and the color table "first color table", similar to the visual identification result described above.

As described above, the locking piece 225 has an inclined portion 226, so its thickness gradually decreases toward the rear. The locking hole 820 has an inclined portion 821, so its opening width in the vertical direction gradually increases toward the front. For example, when the tape cassette 30 is slightly floating from the appropriate position in the cassette mounting section 8, the locking piece 225 is slightly shifted downward relative to the locking hole 820. Even in such a case, when the platen holder 12 moves toward the printing position, the interaction between the inclined portion 226 and the inclined portion 821 guides the locking piece 225 into the locking hole 820.

In other words, if the tape cassette 30 is only slightly lifted from the correct position in the cassette mounting section 8, the locking piece 225 can be properly inserted into the locking hole 820. As a result, the arm detection section 200 can be accurately opposed to the arm indicator section 800.

On the other hand, for example, if the tape cassette 30 is not pushed downward enough, the locking piece 225 will contact the surface of the arm front wall 35 without being inserted into the locking hole 820. As described above, the locking piece 225 protrudes slightly higher than each switch terminal 222. When the locking piece 225 is in contact with the surface of the arm front wall 35, the switch terminal 222 cannot contact the arm front wall 35.

In this way, when the locking piece 225 prevents contact between the switch terminal 222 and the arm indicator portion 800, the arm detection switches 210A to 210E are all in the OFF state. In other words, the ON/OFF states of the switches "SW1" to "SW5" are "0", "0", "0", "0", and "0", respectively. In this mounted state, the tape printer 1 can identify "Error 1" by referring to the printing information table 510 (Figure 40).

Furthermore, in the case of a tape printer 1 that does not have a locking piece 225, even if the tape cassette 30 is not installed in the correct position, if the arm detection switch 210 faces the surface of the arm front wall 35, the switch terminal 222 will be pressed (i.e., will be in the ON state). As mentioned above, the indicator parts 800A-800E are arranged in a zigzag pattern, and none of the indicator parts 800A-800E are aligned on the same line in the vertical direction. Therefore, if the tape cassette 30 is vertically misaligned from the correct position in the cassette installation section 8, an error will be detected in the following manner.

For example, the tape cassette 30 may be slightly displaced upward from the correct position in the cassette mounting section 8, so that the height position of the bottom end of the arm front wall 35 is lower than the lower row of arm detection switches 210E. In this case, all of the arm detection switches 210A to 210E face the surface of the arm front wall 35 and are therefore all turned on. In other words, the on/off states of switches "SW1" to "SW5" are "1", "1", "1", "1", and "1", respectively. In this mounting state, the tape printer 1 can identify "Error 3" by referring to the printing information table 510 (Figure 40).

Also, because the tape cassette 30 is significantly displaced upward from the correct position in the cassette mounting section 8, the height position of the lower end of the arm front wall 35 may be between the middle row of arm detection switches 210A, 210C and the lower row of arm detection switch 210E. In this case, the arm detection switches 210A to 210D face the surface of the arm front wall 35 and are in the ON state, while the arm detection switch 210E does not face the surface of the arm front wall 35 and is in the OFF state. In other words, the ON/OFF states of switches "SW1" to "SW5" are "1", "1", "1", "1", and "0", respectively. In this mounting state, the tape printer 1 can identify "Error 2" by referring to the printing information table 510 (Figure 40).

As mentioned above, the arm indicator portion 800 of this embodiment does not adopt a combination pattern of the pressing portion 802 (surface portion) and the non-pressing portion 801 (hole portion) that corresponds to any of "Error 1" to "Error 3." This allows the tape printer 1 to detect not only the tape type but also the installation state of the tape cassette 30.

The arm section 34 is a section that discharges the tape and ink ribbon 60 from the discharge port 341 to the exposed section 77. Therefore, the vertical positional relationship between the thermal head 10 inserted into the head insertion section 39 and the tape and ink ribbon 60 is determined by the arm section 34. In the past, for example, if the user did not correctly install the tape cassette 30 or did not correctly operate the tape printer 1, the arm section 34 was sometimes not positioned properly within the cassette installation section 8. In this case, an error occurred in the positional relationship between the tape and ink ribbon 60 and the thermal head 10, and there was a risk that printing would be performed at a position that was shifted in the width direction of the tape.

The arm indicator portion 800 in this embodiment is provided on the arm portion 34 (more specifically, the arm front wall 35) located near the head insertion portion 39. The arm portion 34 is a portion where it is easy to detect errors in the positional relationship between the tape and ink ribbon 60 and the thermal head 10. Therefore, the tape printing device 1 can accurately determine whether or not the tape cassette 30 is installed in the correct position in the cassette installation portion 8, using the arm portion 34 as a reference.

The locking hole 820 is provided in the lower arm front wall 35B. When the locking piece 225 is inserted into the locking hole 820, the position of the lower arm front wall 35B is fixed, and the position of the arm portion 34 of the lower case 312 is also fixed. Therefore, for example, vibration of the arm portion 34 during printing operation is suppressed. Furthermore, the regulating portion (separation wall regulating portion 383, first tape bottom regulating portion 381B, first print surface side regulating portion 389, etc.) provided in the arm portion 34 of the lower case 312 is also positioned at an appropriate height position (see FIG. 27). Therefore, regardless of the press-fit state between the upper case 311 and the lower case 312, the transport of the tape in the arm portion 34 can be stabilized, and the movement of the tape in the width direction and toward the print surface side can be more reliably regulated.

The arm indicator portion 800 is provided on the side wall (specifically, the arm front wall 35) of the cassette case 31 in correspondence with the horizontal protrusion of the multiple arm detection switches 210. When the arm indicator portion 800 selectively presses the multiple arm detection switches 210, the repulsive force of the arm detection switch 210 facing the pressing portion 802 is applied to the arm front wall 35.

As mentioned above, the tape cassette 30 is restricted from moving in a direction other than the attachment/detachment direction by a guide shaft inserted into at least one of the three cavities. Therefore, even if the repulsive force of the arm detection switch 210 is applied to the arm front wall 35, the tape cassette 30 can be prevented from moving in the lateral direction, thereby reducing the risk of erroneous detection of the tape type.

The arm indicator portion 800 is provided on the lower arm front wall 35B and is adjacent to the locking hole 820. Therefore, when the locking piece 225 is inserted into the locking hole 820, the arm indicator portion 800 is fixed in the correct position, improving the accuracy of tape type detection by the arm detection portion 200. Furthermore, for example, if vibration occurs during a printing operation of the tape printer 1, the position of the lower contact portion 86B is maintained even if the upper contact portion 86A moves away from the lower contact portion 86B. Therefore, the physical durability of the arm portion 34 can be improved while suppressing the effects on tape transport and tape type detection performed by the arm portion 34.

The manner in which the rear detector 300 detects the rear indicator 900 will be described with reference to Figure 51. When the tape cassette 30 is installed in the appropriate position in the cassette installation section 8, the rear support 813 supports the rear step wall 360A of the cassette case 31 from below. At this time, the rear detector 300 provided on the rear support 813 faces the rear indicator 900 provided on the rear step wall 360A.

In this case, the switch terminal 317 of the rear detection switch 310 faces the indicator portion (non-pressing portion 901 or pressing portion 902) of the rear indicator portion 900. At this time, the rear detection switch 310 facing the non-pressing portion 901 is inserted into the non-pressing portion 901 and is in the OFF state. The rear detection switch 310 facing the pressing portion 902 is pressed by the pressing portion 902 and is in the ON state.

For example, when the tape cassette 30 shown in Figures 41 and 42 is installed in the correct position in the cassette installation section 8, the rear detection switches 310A and 310E face the indicator portions 900A and 900E, which are the non-pressing portion 901, respectively, as shown in Figure 51, and are therefore in the OFF state. The rear detection switches 310B to 310D face the indicator portions 900B to 900D, which are the pressing portion 902, and are therefore in the ON state. In other words, the ON/OFF states of the switches "ST1" to "ST5" corresponding to the rear detection switches 310A to 310E, respectively, are "0", "1", "1", "1", and "0", respectively.

In the tape printer 1, color information is identified as the tape type of the tape cassette 30 based on the detection pattern of the rear detection unit 300 (here, the on/off combination of the five rear detection switches 310A-310E). In the above example, the color information table 520 (see Figure 44) is referenced to identify the color information corresponding to the on/off states "0", "1", "1", "1", and "0" of the rear detection switches 310A-310E.

However, the color information identified differs depending on which of the multiple color tables included in the color information table 520 is used. In this embodiment, the first color table 521 is used to identify the color information depending on the off state of the arm detection switch 210D described above. As a result, the tape color "White" and the text color "Black" are identified, similar to the visual identification result described above.

In this way, in the tape cassette 30 of this embodiment, the arm indicator portion 800 and the rear indicator portion 900 are provided at positions spaced apart from each other and on different wall surfaces of the cassette case 31. In other words, the position and range of the indicator portion indicating the tape type is not limited to one wall surface. Therefore, the number of tape type patterns that the tape printer 1 detects can be easily increased. In turn, the design freedom of the tape cassette 30 can be improved.

Furthermore, the arm indicator portion 800 and the rear indicator portion 900 selectively press the arm detection switches 210 and the rear detection switches 310, respectively, from positions spaced apart from each other and from different directions. This allows the tape printer 1 to clearly distinguish between different elements (i.e., printing information and color information) contained in the tape type. Therefore, the tape cassette 30 allows the tape printer 1 to more accurately detect the printing information and color information.

As described above, when the rear indicator portion 900 selectively presses the multiple rear detection switches 310, the repulsive force of the rear detection switch 310 that faces the pressing portion 902 is applied to the rear step wall 360A. At this time, the rear end side of the cassette case 31 may be lifted up by the repulsive force of the rear detection switch 310.

In this embodiment, the arm indicator portion 800 and the rear indicator portion 900 are both provided at the center position in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the left-right direction) of the cassette case 31. In other words, the repulsive force of the rear detection switch 310 is applied to the left-right center position at the rear end side of the cassette case 31. Even if the rear end side of the cassette case 31 is lifted, the cassette case 31 is unlikely to tilt in the left-right direction, so the impact on the front end side of the cassette case 31 is small. Therefore, even if the rear end side of the cassette case 31 is lifted, it is possible to suppress changes in the positional relationship between the arm indicator portion 800 and the multiple arm detection switches 210. This in turn suppresses the tape printer 1 from erroneously detecting printing information.

The rear indicator portion 900 is provided on the bottom plate 306 (specifically, the rear step wall 360A) of the cassette case 31 in response to the multiple rear detection switches 310 protruding upward. As described above, the tape cassette is guided in the attachment/detachment direction along a guide shaft inserted into at least one of the pair of cavities. The attachment/detachment direction of the tape cassette 30 is parallel to the advance/retraction direction of the multiple rear detection switches 310. When the tape cassette 30 is attached to the cassette attachment portion 8, the rear detection switch 310 facing the pressing portion 902 is pressed in the direction opposite to the protruding direction (i.e., downward).

As a result, it is possible to prevent a load from being applied to the rear detection switch 310 pressed by the pressing portion 902 in a direction different from the forward/backward direction. As a result, bending or damage to the rear detection switch 310 can be prevented. Furthermore, because the rear detection switch 310 is pressed accurately, it is possible to improve the accuracy of detection of the tape type.

The process related to printing by the tape printer 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 52. The process of the flowchart shown in FIG. 52 is executed by the CPU 601 based on the program stored in the ROM 602 when the tape printer 1 is powered on (see FIG. 14).

As shown in Figure 52, in the printing process of the tape printer 1, first, the printing information of the tape cassette 30 is identified based on the detection pattern of the arm detection unit 200 (step S1). In step S1, the printing information corresponding to the on/off combination of the arm detection switches 210A to 210E is identified based on the printing information table 510 (see Figure 40).

After step S1 is executed, it is determined whether the arm detection switch 210D (hereinafter, switch SW4) is in the ON state (step S3). If switch SW4 is in the OFF state (step S3: NO), the first color table 521 is selected from the color information table 520 (see FIG. 44) (step S5). If switch SW4 is in the ON state (step S3: YES), the second color table 522 is selected from the color information table 520 (step S7).

After step S5 or step S7 is executed, color information of the tape cassette 30 is identified based on the detection pattern of the rear detection unit 300 (step S9). In step S9, the color table selected in step S5 or step S7 is referenced to identify color information corresponding to the on/off combination of the rear detection switches 310A-310E.

In this embodiment, the color table used to identify the color information of the tape cassette 30 is selected according to the detection state of a particular arm detection switch 210 (specifically, the on/off state of the arm detection switch 210D) (see steps S3 to S7). Therefore, it is possible to increase the number of patterns of color information that can be identified by the tape printer 1 without increasing the number of rear detection switches 310 (i.e., without increasing the area occupied by the rear detection unit 300).

After step S9 is executed, the printing information identified in step S1 and the color information identified in step S9 are displayed as text information on the display 5 (step S11). For example, when the aforementioned tape cassette 30 (see Figures 37 to 39, 41 and 42) is properly installed, the display 5 displays "A 36 mm laminate type tape cassette has been installed. The tape color is white and the text color is black."

After step S11 is executed, it is determined whether or not there has been input from the keyboard 3 (step S13). If there has been input from the keyboard 3 (step S13: YES), the input of print data is accepted (step S15). In step S15, the CPU 601 accepts the characters entered from the keyboard 3 as print data, and stores the print data (document data) in the text memory of the RAM 604. If there has been no input from the keyboard 3 (step S13: NO), the process returns to step S13, and the CPU 601 waits for input from the keyboard 3.

After that, when an instruction to start printing is given from, for example, the keyboard 3, the print data stored in the text memory is processed according to the printing information specified in step S1 (step S17). For example, in step S17, the print range and print size of the print data are processed according to the tape width specified in step S1. The print position of the print data is processed according to the printing mode (laminate or receptor) specified in step S1. After step S17 is executed, printing on the tape is executed based on the processed print data (step S19). When the printing process in step S19 is completed, the printing process (Figure 52) ends.

In the printing process of step S19, if the laminate type tape cassette 30 shown in Figures 5 and 6 is installed, the tape drive roller 46, which is driven to rotate by the tape drive shaft 100, pulls out the film tape 59 from the second tape spool 41 in cooperation with the movable transport roller 14. The ribbon take-up spool 44, which is driven to rotate by the ribbon take-up shaft 95, pulls out unused ink ribbon 60 from the ribbon spool 42 in synchronization with the printing speed.

After being transported through the arm section 34, the film tape 59 and the ink ribbon 60 are overlapped at the outlet 341 and discharged to the exposed section 77, and then transported between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 15. The thermal head 10 uses the ink ribbon 60 to perform mirror image printing, transferring characters in a mirror image onto the film tape 59.

Furthermore, the double-sided adhesive tape 58 is pulled out from the first tape spool 40 by cooperation between the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14. The double-sided adhesive tape 58 is adhered to the printed surface of the printed film tape 59 while being guided and wound between the tape drive roller 46 and the movable transport roller 14. The used ink ribbon 60 is peeled off from the printed film tape 59 by the ribbon guide wall 38 and taken up on the ribbon take-up spool 44. The film tape 59 with the double-sided adhesive tape 58 attached (i.e., the printed tape 50) is further transported toward the discharge guide section 49 and cut by the cutting mechanism 17.

When the receptor type tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 7 is installed, the tape drive roller 46, which is driven to rotate by the tape drive shaft 100, pulls out the print tape 57 from the first tape spool 40 in cooperation with the movable transport roller 14. The ribbon take-up spool 44, which is driven to rotate by the ribbon take-up shaft 95, pulls out unused ink ribbon 60 from the ribbon spool 42 in synchronization with the printing speed.

The printing tape 57 and the ink ribbon 60 are transported through the arm section 34, then overlapped at the outlet 341 and discharged to the exposed section 77, and transported between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 15. The thermal head 10 uses the ink ribbon 60 to perform normal image printing, transferring characters onto the printing tape 57 in normal image form.

The used ink ribbon 60 is peeled off from the printed print tape 57 at the ribbon guide wall 38 and wound onto the ribbon take-up spool 44. The printed print tape 57 (i.e., the printed tape 50) is further transported toward the discharge guide section 49 and cut by the cutting mechanism 17.

When the thermal type tape cassette 30 shown in FIG. 8 is installed, the tape drive roller 46, which is driven to rotate by the tape drive shaft 100, pulls out the thermal paper tape 55 from the first tape spool 40 in cooperation with the movable transport roller 14. The thermal paper tape 55 is transported through the arm section 34, then discharged from the discharge port 341 to the exposed section 77 and transported between the thermal head 10 and the platen roller 15. The thermal head 10 performs positive image printing, which causes characters to appear in positive image on the thermal paper tape 55. The printed thermal paper tape 55 (i.e., the printed tape 50) is further transported toward the discharge guide section 49 and cut by the cutting mechanism 17.

During the above printing process (step S19), the tape cassette 30 is kept stably attached by the action of the first and second receiving parts 391, 392, the head pressing member 7, the cassette hook 75, etc. Therefore, the tape printer 1 can print on the printing surface of the tape with the vertical center position of the printing range of the thermal head 10 precisely aligned with the widthwise center position of the tape and ink ribbon 60.

In this embodiment, a tape cassette 30, which is a general-purpose cassette, is used in a tape printer 1, which is a general-purpose machine. This allows a single tape printer 1 to be compatible with various types of tape cassettes, such as thermal type, receptor type, laminate type, etc. Therefore, it is not necessary to use a different tape printer 1 for each type of tape cassette 30. Furthermore, when manufacturing tape cassettes 30 compatible with tapes of the same tape width, a common mold can be used except for some molds, such as the mold including the portion that forms the arm indicator portion 800 and the rear indicator portion 900, resulting in significant cost reduction.

The tape cassette 30 and tape printer 1 of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

For example, as in the tape cassette 130 shown in Figures 53 and 54, an adjustment rib 940 may be provided in the second tape area 410 to stabilize the amount of tape pulled out from the second tape spool 41.

The adjustment rib 940 is a plate-like member provided on the most downstream side of the transport path of the film tape 59 in the second tape region 410, and includes a first adjustment rib 941 and a second adjustment rib 942. The first adjustment rib 941 contacts the back side of the film tape 59 pulled out from the second tape spool 41. The second adjustment rib 942 contacts the print surface side of the film tape 59 pulled out from the second tape spool 41, downstream of the first adjustment rib 941.

As shown in FIG. 53, when a large amount of film tape 59 is wound around the second tape spool 41 (i.e., when the winding diameter of the film tape 59 is large), the transport path of the film tape 59 is greatly bent by the first adjustment rib 941. At this time, the frictional force of the film tape 59 contacting the first adjustment rib 941 increases, and a large rotational load is applied to the second tape spool 41.

As the film tape 59 is pulled out from the second tape spool 41, the amount of film tape 59 wound around the second tape spool 41 decreases (i.e., the winding diameter of the film tape 59 decreases). As shown in FIG. 54, when the winding diameter of the film tape 59 is small, the transport path of the film tape 59 is bent slightly by the first adjustment rib 941. At this time, the frictional force of the film tape 59 contacting the first adjustment rib 941 decreases, so that a small rotational load is applied to the second tape spool 41.

In this way, the larger the winding diameter of the film tape 59, the greater the rotational load applied to the second tape spool 41, and the greater the back tension of the film tape 59. On the other hand, the smaller the winding diameter of the film tape 59, the smaller the rotational load applied to the second tape spool 41, and the smaller the back tension of the film tape 59. In other words, the optimal rotational load is applied to the second tape spool 41 according to the winding diameter of the film tape 59, and the back tension of the film tape 59 is adjusted. In this way, with a simple structure in which the adjustment rib 940 is provided in the second tape area 410, the amount of tape pulled out from the second tape spool 41 can be stabilized.

As mentioned above, the second tape spool 41 is fitted with a clutch spring 572 (see FIG. 33) that applies back tension to the film tape 59. When the film tape 59 is rotating in the unwinding direction, the rotational load (i.e., load torque) of the second tape spool 41 is applied stably by the clutch spring 572. However, the back tension on the film tape generated by this load torque changes depending on the winding diameter of the film tape 59.

Specifically, the load torque applied by the clutch spring 572 is constant. However, as the winding diameter of the film tape 59 increases, the back tension caused by the clutch spring 572 becomes relatively smaller, while the back tension applied by the adjustment rib 940 becomes relatively larger. In other words, when the back tension caused by the clutch spring 572 is small, the large back tension is compensated for by the adjustment rib 940.

In addition, the smaller the winding diameter of the film tape 59, the larger the back tension caused by the clutch spring 572 becomes, while the back tension applied by the adjustment rib 940 becomes smaller. In other words, if the back tension caused by the clutch spring 572 increases, the back tension supplemented by the adjustment rib 940 decreases in proportion to the increase.

In other words, in addition to the back tension applied to the film tape 59 by the clutch spring 572, the adjustment rib 940 provides a complementary optimal back tension according to the winding diameter of the film tape 59. As a result, regardless of the winding diameter of the film tape 59, the back tension of the film tape 59 is generally stable, and the amount of film tape 59 pulled out from the second tape spool 41 becomes more stable. In turn, the running of the film tape 59 during the printing operation becomes more stable, and deterioration of print quality caused by poor running of the film tape 59 can be more reliably suppressed.

In the above embodiment, the non-pressing portion 801 and the non-pressing portion 901 are through holes provided in the cassette case 31. The non-pressing portion 801 is not limited to a through hole as long as it can be inserted and removed without pressing the switch terminal 222 of the opposing arm detection switch 210. Similarly, the non-pressing portion 901 is not limited to a through hole as long as it can be inserted and removed without pressing the switch terminal 317 of the opposing rear detection switch 310. For example, the non-pressing portion 801 may be a recess in which a part of the arm front wall 35 is recessed backward and in which the switch terminal 222 can be inserted and removed. The non-pressing portion 901 may be a recess in which a part of the rear step wall 360A is recessed upward and in which the switch terminal 317 can be inserted and removed.

In the above embodiment, the tape or ink ribbon 60 is wound on a spool (specifically, the first tape spool 40, the second tape spool 41, and the ribbon spool 42). The tape or ink ribbon 60 does not have to be wound on a spool as long as it is in a rotatable roll. For example, the tape or ink ribbon 60 may be a so-called coreless type roll that is wound to form a hole in the center without using a spool.

One embodiment of the tape cassette according to the present invention has been described above. Each of the technical features of the tape cassette disclosed in the above embodiment may be used alone or in combination. Below, various aspects of the tape cassette having one or more of the above technical features are illustrated. Note that the parentheses following the technical features described below exemplify the reference numerals of the components to which each technical feature corresponds in the above embodiment.

(1) In the past, for example, if a user did not correctly install a tape cassette or did not correctly operate a tape printing device, the tape cassette could be inserted into the cassette mounting section in a tilted state from the correct posture. If the tape cassette was tilted inside the cassette mounting section, the cassette detection section could not accurately face the multiple detection switches. In this case, there was a risk that the cassette detection section would not press a detection switch that was intended to be pressed, or would press a detection switch that was not intended to be pressed.

When multiple detection switches are pressed in an incorrect pattern, the tape printer detects a type of tape that is different from the type of tape stored in the tape cassette attached to the cassette mounting section. If the tape printer detects an incorrect type of tape in this way, there is a risk that the tape printer may malfunction or produce poor printing results. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment includes a box-shaped cassette case (31) whose outer shape is defined by a bottom wall (306), a top wall (305), and side walls (303, 304) and includes a plurality of corners (321-324); at least one tape (55, 57, 58, 59) stored in a tape storage area (400, 410) defined within the outer shape; a pair of cavities (47, 64) extending from the bottom wall and provided at both ends of a diagonal line connecting one of the corners (322) and the other of the corners (324) between the tape storage area and the outer shape; and a side indicator portion (800) provided on the side wall and indicating the type of the tape. The side indicator portion includes a plurality of indicator portions (800A-800E) arranged in a pattern according to the type of tape, and each of the plurality of indicator portions is either a switch hole (801) or a surface portion (802).

When the tape cassette according to this embodiment is attached to or detached from the cassette mounting section (8) of the tape printing device (1) and the tape printing device is equipped with a pair of guide shafts (100, 120), the pair of guide shafts are inserted into the pair of cavities. In this case, the user attaches or detaches the tape cassette to or from the cassette mounting section along the pair of guide shafts inserted into the pair of cavities, thereby preventing the tape cassette from tilting from the correct position.

When the tape cassette is mounted in a cassette mounting section of a tape printer equipped with multiple detection switches (210), the side indicator section accurately faces the multiple detection switches. The multiple detection switches are switches that can advance and retreat in a predetermined direction. The side indicator section facing the multiple detection switches selectively presses the multiple detection switches according to the combination of switch holes and surface sections in the multiple indicator sections. In other words, each of the multiple detection switches is in a pressed or unpressed state according to the type of tape. Therefore, the tape cassette can allow the tape printer to accurately detect the type of tape. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress problems such as poor tape running and poor printing of the print head caused by the tape cassette being tilted inside the cassette mounting section.

The side indicator portion is provided on the side wall of the cassette case in response to the multiple detection switches protruding horizontally. When the side indicator portion selectively presses the multiple detection switches, the repulsive forces of the multiple detection switches are applied to the side wall. The tape cassette is restricted from moving in a direction other than the attachment/detachment direction by a pair of guide shafts inserted into a pair of cavities. Therefore, even if the repulsive forces of the multiple detection switches are applied to the side wall, the tape cassette is prevented from moving in the lateral direction, thereby reducing the risk of erroneous detection of the tape type.

(2) Conventional tape cassettes have a cassette detection section on the underside of the tape cassette in response to the tape printer having multiple detection switches that protrude upward. The underside of the tape cassette is provided with a support hole into which a drive shaft for transporting the tape or ink ribbon is inserted, a head insertion section into which a head holder equipped with a print head is inserted, and the like.

For this reason, the position and range of the cassette detection unit on the underside of the tape cassette is likely to be limited. For example, if the number of tape type patterns to be detected by the tape printer is to be increased, the range in which the cassette detection unit is formed must be widened. If the position and range of the cassette detection unit are limited as described above, it becomes difficult to increase the number of tape type patterns, which may reduce the design freedom of the tape cassette. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment is a box-shaped body having a front wall (35), a bottom wall (306) and an upper wall (305), and includes a cassette case (31) with a longitudinal direction in the left-right direction, a tape (55, 57, 58, 59) stored in the cassette case, a front indicator portion (800) provided at approximately the center of the front wall in the left-right direction and indicating the first element of the multiple elements included in the type of tape, and a rear end portion (801) provided at approximately the center of the left-right direction at the rear end of the bottom wall and indicating the first element of the multiple elements. and a bottom indicator portion (900) indicating the second element of the first element, the front indicator portion includes a plurality of first indicator portions (800A-800E) arranged in a pattern corresponding to the first elements, the bottom indicator portion includes a plurality of second indicator portions (900A-900E) arranged in a pattern corresponding to the second elements, each of the plurality of first indicator portions being either a switch hole (801) or a surface portion (802), and each of the plurality of second indicator portions being either a switch hole (901) or a surface portion (902).

The tape cassette according to this embodiment is mounted in the cassette mounting section (8) of the tape printer (1). In this case, if the tape printer is equipped with a plurality of first detection switches (210) and a plurality of second detection switches (310), the front indicator section faces the plurality of first detection switches, and the bottom indicator section faces the plurality of second detection switches. The plurality of first detection switches are switches that can advance and retreat in a predetermined direction. The plurality of second detection switches are switches that can advance and retreat in a direction different from the predetermined direction.

The front indicator portion facing the multiple first detection switches selectively presses the multiple first detection switches according to the combination of switch holes and surface portions in the multiple first indicator portions. The bottom indicator portion facing the multiple second detection switches selectively presses the multiple second detection switches according to the combination of switch holes and surface portions in the multiple second indicator portions. This allows the tape cassette to cause the tape printer to detect the first and second elements included in the tape type.

The front indicator portion and the bottom indicator portion are provided at positions spaced apart from each other and on different wall surfaces of the cassette case. In other words, the position and range of the indicator portion indicating the type of tape is not limited to one wall surface. This makes it easy to increase the number of patterns of tape types that can be detected by the tape printer. This in turn improves the design freedom of the tape cassette that allows the tape printer to detect the type of tape.

Furthermore, the front indicator portion and the bottom indicator portion selectively press the multiple first detection switches and the multiple second detection switches, respectively, from positions spaced apart from each other and from different directions. This allows the tape printer to clearly distinguish between different elements contained in the tape type. Therefore, the tape cassette allows the tape printer to more accurately detect the first element and the second element.

The front indicator portion is provided on the front wall in correspondence with the horizontal projection of the multiple first detection switches. The bottom indicator portion is provided on the bottom wall in correspondence with the upward projection of the multiple second detection switches. When the bottom indicator portion selectively presses the multiple second detection switches, the repulsive force of the second detection switches facing the face portion is applied to the bottom wall. At this time, the rear end side of the cassette case may be lifted up by the repulsive force of the multiple second detection switches.

The front indicator portion and the bottom indicator portion are both provided at the longitudinal center position of the cassette case. In other words, the repulsive force of the multiple second detection switches is applied to the left-right center position of the rear end side of the cassette case. Even if the rear end side of the cassette case is lifted, the cassette case is unlikely to tilt left-right, so the impact on the front end side of the cassette case is small. Therefore, even if the rear end side of the cassette case is lifted, it is possible to suppress changes in the positional relationship between the front indicator portion and the multiple first detection switches. In turn, the tape cassette can suppress erroneous detection of the first element by the tape printing device.

The first element is preferably information that has a large effect on the printing operation of the tape printer (e.g., information necessary for the tape printer to perform a proper printing operation). The second element is preferably information that has a small effect on the printing operation of the tape printer (e.g., information that is not necessary for the tape printer to perform a proper printing operation). This allows the tape cassette to have the tape printer detect at least the information about the tape type that has a large effect on the printing operation, thereby preventing printing defects, running defects, and the like.

(3) In conventional tape cassettes, the movement of the tape stored in the cassette case in the width direction is restricted by the top wall of the upper case and the bottom wall of the lower case. However, if the upper case is not sufficiently pressed into the lower case, a gap may form between the upper and lower cases. If the upper and lower cases each have a dimensional error, joining the upper and lower cases may result in a large dimensional error in the entire cassette case.

In such a case, the distance between the top wall and the bottom wall becomes larger than the normal distance, and there is a risk that the tape will not be adequately regulated in the width direction. This can cause the tape transported inside the cassette case to meander in the width direction, causing a misalignment between the vertical printing center position of the print head and the width direction center position of the tape. This can ultimately cause the print head to misalign with respect to the tape, resulting in poor printing results. As a countermeasure, the dimensional accuracy of the cassette case and the press-fit state between the lower case and the upper case are strictly controlled during the manufacturing process of the tape cassette. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment is a tape cassette that can be attached to and detached from a tape printing device (1) equipped with a head holder (74) having a print head (10), and includes a box-shaped cassette case (31) including an upper case (311) having an upper wall (305), a bottom wall (306) and a lower case (312) having a lower outer wall (304) that is an outer wall extending vertically upward from the edge of the bottom wall, a tape (55, 57, 58, 59) stored in the cassette case, and a space that vertically penetrates the cassette case, in which the head holder It has a head insertion section (39) that is inserted, a first wall section (35B) that is a part of the lower outer wall, and a second wall section (33) that is a wall that extends vertically upward from the bottom wall and is provided between the first wall section and the head insertion section, and is equipped with an arm section (34) that guides the tape along the transport path between the first wall section and the second wall section to the discharge outlet (341), a locking hole (820) that is always provided in the first wall section regardless of the type of tape, and a width direction regulating section (381B, 383) that is provided in the second wall section and regulates the movement of the tape in the width direction.

The tape cassette according to this embodiment includes an arm portion that guides the tape between a first wall portion and a second wall portion included in the lower case. A width direction regulating portion that regulates the movement of the tape in the width direction is provided on the second wall portion. This ensures the dimensional accuracy of the width direction regulating portion regardless of the press-fit state between the upper case and the lower case, and allows the movement of the tape in the width direction to be accurately regulated. As a result, the vertical printing center position by the print head and the width direction center position of the tape match with high precision, improving print quality. Furthermore, the burden on the operator of managing the dimensional accuracy and press-fit state can be reduced.

Furthermore, the first wall portion always has a locking hole regardless of the type of tape. When a tape cassette is attached to the cassette attachment portion (8) of the tape printing device and the tape printing device has a locking portion (225), the locking hole is locked by the locking portion. This fixes the position of the first wall portion, and therefore the position of the arm portion. Therefore, for example, vibration of the arm portion during a printing operation is suppressed, and the transport of the tape within the arm portion can be stabilized.

The first wall portion and the second wall portion are both walls included in the lower case, and are part of the walls that make up the arm portion. Therefore, when the position of the arm portion is fixed as described above, the width direction regulating portion is positioned at an appropriate height position regardless of the press-fit state of the upper case and the lower case. As a result, the movement of the tape in the width direction guided through the arm portion is more reliably regulated, and deviation of the printing position of the print head relative to the tape can be reliably suppressed.

(4) In conventional tape cassettes, a cassette detection unit is provided on the underside of the tape cassette in response to the tape printer having multiple detection switches that protrude upward. For example, when manufacturing tape cassettes, there was a risk that an operator would mistakenly place a tape in the cassette case that did not correspond to the type of tape indicated by the cassette detection unit.

If the type of tape stored in the cassette case does not correspond to the cassette detection unit, the tape printing device will erroneously detect the type of tape indicated by the cassette detection unit. If the tape printing device erroneously detects the type of tape, there is a risk of the tape printing device malfunctioning or printing defects. As a countermeasure to this, the manufacturing process for tape cassettes includes an inspection process for matching the type of tape indicated by the cassette detection unit with the type of tape stored in each manufactured tape cassette. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment is a tape cassette that can be attached to and detached from a tape printing device (1) equipped with a head holder (74) having a print head (10), and includes a box-shaped cassette case (31) including an upper case (311) having an upper wall (305), a bottom wall (306) and a lower case (312) having a lower outer wall (304) that is an outer wall extending vertically upward from the edge of the bottom wall, a tape (55, 57, 58, 59) stored in the cassette case, a space that penetrates the cassette case in the vertical direction, a head insertion section (39) into which the head holder is inserted, a first wall section (35B) that is a part of the lower outer wall, and a space extending upward from the bottom wall and extending upward from the edge of the first wall section and extending upward from the bottom wall and extending upward from the edge of the head insertion section. The tape conveyor includes a second wall portion (33) that extends vertically toward the tape conveyor, an arm portion (34) that guides the tape along the transport path between the first wall portion and the second wall portion to the discharge port (341), a front indicator portion (800) that is provided on the first wall portion and indicates the type of tape, and a width direction regulating portion (381B, 383) that is provided on the second wall portion and regulates the movement of the tape in the width direction, the front indicator portion includes a plurality of indicator portions (800A to 800E) arranged in a pattern according to the type of tape, each of the plurality of indicator portions being either a switch hole (801) or a surface portion (802), and the width direction regulating portion is provided adjacent to the front indicator portion and in a position that is visible from the front of the first wall portion.

The tape cassette according to this embodiment includes an arm portion that guides the tape between a first wall portion and a second wall portion. A front indicator portion that indicates the type of tape is provided on the first wall portion. A width direction regulating portion that regulates the movement of the tape in the width direction is provided on the second wall portion. The width direction regulating portion and the front indicator portion are provided adjacent to each other and are visible from the front of the first wall portion. A person can visually check the front indicator portion to identify the type of tape based on whether each of the multiple indicator portions is a switch hole or a surface portion. In other words, a person can simultaneously view the tape regulated by the width direction regulating portion and the type of tape indicated by the front indicator portion from one direction.

For example, in the manufacturing process of tape cassettes, an operator stores tape in the lower case and inserts a portion of the tape into the arm portion. The operator attaches the portion of the tape inserted into the arm portion to a position where it is properly regulated by the width direction regulating portion. The operator can then visually check the first wall portion from the front to verify whether the tape regulated by the width direction regulating portion corresponds to the type of tape indicated by the front indicator portion. Therefore, the operator can easily discover that the wrong type of tape has been stored in the tape cassette. This in turn reduces manufacturing errors in tape cassettes and reduces the burden on the operator of performing the inspection process.

The first wall portion and the second wall portion are both walls included in the lower case, and are part of the walls that make up the arm portion. This ensures the dimensional accuracy of the width direction regulating portion regardless of the press-fit state between the upper case and the lower case, and allows the movement of the tape in the width direction to be accurately regulated. As a result, the vertical printing center position of the print head and the width direction center position of the tape match with high precision, improving print quality.

Furthermore, when a tape cassette is loaded into the cassette loading section (8) of the tape printer and the tape printer is equipped with a plurality of detection switches (210), the front indicator portion faces the plurality of detection switches. The plurality of detection switches are switches that can advance and retreat in a predetermined direction. The front indicator portion facing the plurality of detection switches selectively presses the plurality of detection switches according to the combination of the switch holes and surface portions in the plurality of indicator portions. This allows the tape cassette to enable the tape printer to detect the type of tape as well.

(5) In the past, for example, if a user did not correctly install the tape cassette or did not operate the tape printer correctly, the tape cassette could be installed in the cassette mounting section in a tilted state from the correct posture. If a printing operation was performed with the tape cassette tilted in the cassette mounting section, there was a risk of the tape running problems or print head printing problems occurring in the tape printer. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment is a tape cassette that can be attached to and detached from a tape printing device (1) equipped with a head holder (74) having a print head (10), and includes a box-shaped cassette case (31) that defines an outer shape with a bottom wall (306) that forms a bottom surface (302), an upper wall (305) that forms an upper surface (301), and side walls (303, 304) that form side surfaces, and that includes multiple corners (321-324), and at least one tape storage area (400, 410) that is stored within the outer shape. The cassette case includes a tape (55, 57, 58, 59), a pair of cavities (47, 64) extending from the bottom wall and provided at both ends of a diagonal line connecting one of the corners (322) and the other of the corners (324) between the tape storage area and the outer shape, a head insertion section (39) into which the head holder is inserted, and a support receiving section (391, 392) that is a recess recessed upward from the bottom surface and provided adjacent to the end of the head insertion section.

When the tape cassette according to this embodiment is attached to or detached from the cassette mounting section (8) of the tape printing device, and the tape printing device is equipped with a pair of guide shafts (100, 120), the pair of guide shafts are inserted into the pair of cavities. In this case, the user attaches or detaches the tape cassette to or from the cassette mounting section along the pair of guide shafts inserted into the pair of cavities, thereby preventing the tape cassette from tilting from the correct position. This in turn prevents problems such as poor tape running and poor printing by the print head caused by the tape cassette being tilted inside the cassette mounting section.

Furthermore, a support receiving portion, which is a recess recessed upward from the bottom surface, is provided connected to the end of the head insertion portion. When a tape cassette is loaded into the cassette loading portion and the tape printing device has a support portion (741, 742), the support receiving portion is supported from below by the support portion. In this case, the support receiving portion is supported by the support portion at a position close to the print head that prints on the tape. Therefore, the vertical position of the tape cassette can be accurately determined when loaded into the tape printing device. Furthermore, the vertical printing center position of the print head and the widthwise center position of the tape precisely match, improving printing quality.

A pair of guide shafts inserted into a pair of cavities guides the tape cassette in the mounting/removal direction and restricts movement in a direction different from the mounting/removal direction. This makes it easy to position the tape cassette relative to the cassette mounting section. This prevents the head holder from coming into contact with the outer edge of the head insertion section when the tape cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting section. The user can smoothly insert the head holder into the head insertion section. Furthermore, the user can accurately position the support receiver on the support section. As a result, the support receiver is reliably supported by the support section, further improving print quality.

(6) In the past, for example, if a user did not correctly install a tape cassette or did not correctly operate a tape printing device, the tape cassette could be installed in the cassette installation section in a tilted state from the correct posture. If the tape cassette was tilted in the cassette installation section, the cassette detection section could not accurately face the multiple detection switches. In this case, there was a risk that the cassette detection section would not press a detection switch that was intended to be pressed, or would press a detection switch that was not intended to be pressed.

When multiple detection switches are pressed in an incorrect pattern, the tape printer detects a type of tape that is different from the type of tape stored in the tape cassette attached to the cassette mounting section. If the tape printer detects an incorrect type of tape in this way, there is a risk that the tape printer may malfunction or produce poor printing results. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment includes a box-shaped cassette case (31) whose outer shape is defined by a bottom wall (306), a top wall (305), and side walls (303, 304), and which includes a plurality of corners (321-324); at least one tape (55, 57, 58, 59) stored in a tape storage area (400, 410) defined within the outer shape; a pair of cavities (47, 64) extending from the bottom wall and provided at both ends of a diagonal line connecting one of the corners (322) and the other of the corners (324) between the tape storage area and the outer shape; and a bottom indicator portion (900) provided on the bottom wall and indicating the type of tape, the bottom indicator portion including a plurality of indicator portions (900A-900E) arranged in a pattern according to the type of tape, each of the plurality of indicator portions being either a switch hole (901) or a surface portion (902).

When the tape cassette according to this embodiment is attached to or detached from the cassette mounting section (8) of the tape printing device (1) and the tape printing device is equipped with a pair of guide shafts (100, 120), the pair of guide shafts are inserted into the pair of cavities. In this case, the user attaches or detaches the tape cassette to or from the cassette mounting section along the pair of guide shafts inserted into the pair of cavities, thereby preventing the tape cassette from tilting from the correct position.

When the tape cassette is mounted in a cassette mounting section of a tape printer equipped with multiple detection switches (310), the bottom indicator section accurately faces the multiple detection switches. The multiple detection switches are switches that can advance and retreat in a predetermined direction. The bottom indicator section facing the multiple detection switches selectively presses the multiple detection switches according to the combination of switch holes and surface sections in the multiple indicator sections. In other words, each of the multiple detection switches is in a pressed or unpressed state according to the type of tape. Therefore, the tape cassette can allow the tape printer to accurately detect the type of tape. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress problems such as poor tape running and poor printing of the print head caused by the tape cassette being tilted inside the cassette mounting section.

Furthermore, the bottom indicator portion is provided on the bottom wall of the cassette case in response to the multiple detection switches protruding upward. The tape cassette is guided in the mounting/removal direction along a pair of guide shafts inserted into a pair of cavities. The mounting/removal direction of the tape cassette is parallel to the advance/retraction direction of the multiple detection switches. When the tape cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting portion, the multiple detection switches facing the face portion are pressed in the direction opposite to the protruding direction.

As a result, the detection switch pressed by the surface portion is prevented from being subjected to a load in a direction other than the forward/backward direction. This in turn prevents the detection switch from bending or breaking. Furthermore, because the detection switch is pressed accurately, the accuracy of tape type detection can be improved.

(7) In conventional tape cassettes, positioning pin holes are provided on the bottom surface of the cassette case. When a tape cassette is mounted in a cassette mounting section, the positioning pins provided in the cassette mounting section are inserted into the pin holes of the tape cassette. This allows the tape cassette mounted in the cassette mounting section to be positioned in the up-down direction.

However, the tape cassette has two pin holes near the outer periphery of the bottom surface of the cassette case. The tape printer has positioning pins in two locations that correspond to the pin holes. In other words, the tape cassette is positioned away from the print head.

Therefore, if the pin hole and positioning pin are not manufactured with accurate dimensions, when the positioning pin is inserted into the pin hole to position the tape cassette, there is a risk that the vertical printing center position of the print head will be misaligned with the widthwise center position of the tape. Ultimately, the printing position of the print head relative to the tape may be misaligned, and good printing results may not be obtained. As a countermeasure to this, the dimensions of the pin hole and positioning pin are managed with high precision during the tape cassette manufacturing process. Therefore, the above technical features may be provided, as in the tape cassette according to the following aspect.

The tape cassette (30) according to this embodiment is a tape cassette that can be attached to and detached from a tape printing device (1) equipped with a head holder (74) having a print head (10), and has a top surface (301), a bottom surface (302), a front surface (35), and a pair of side surfaces (303, 304). The tape cassette (30) comprises an upper case (311) having an upper wall (305) that forms the top surface, a bottom wall (306) that forms the bottom surface, and a lower case (304) that is an outer wall that extends vertically upward from the edge of the bottom surface. a tape roll (55, 57, 58, 59) around which tape is wound and rotatably stored in the cassette case; a head insertion section (39) into which the head holder is inserted when the tape cassette is mounted in the tape printer, a first wall section (35B) which is a part of the lower outer wall, and a head insertion section (39) into which the head holder is inserted when the tape cassette is mounted in the tape printer; a second wall portion (33) which is a wall extending vertically upward from the bottom wall, an arm portion (34) which guides the tape along the transport path between the first wall portion and the second wall portion to an outlet (341), a width direction regulating portion (381B, 383) which is provided on the second wall portion and regulates movement of the tape in the width direction, and a print surface side regulating portion (381B, 383) which is provided on the second wall portion and regulates movement of the tape towards the print surface side, bends the transport path towards the head insertion portion, and guides the tape out of the arm portion. The device includes a member (389), a lower joint (330) provided on the upper portion of the width direction restricting portion, an upper joint (331) provided on the upper case and joining with the lower joint when the upper case and the lower case are assembled, and a support receiving portion (391, 392) that is a recess recessed upward from the bottom surface and is provided adjacent to the end portion located upstream in the tape transport direction of the head insertion portion, and faces the head insertion portion in a direction parallel to the front surface.

The tape cassette according to this embodiment is provided with a support receiving portion, which is a recessed portion recessed upward from the bottom surface, connected to the end of the head insertion portion. When the tape cassette is mounted in the cassette mounting portion (8) of the tape printing device and the tape printing device is equipped with the support portion (741, 742), the support receiving portion is supported from below by the support portion. In this case, the support receiving portion is supported by the support portion at a position close to the print head that prints on the tape. Therefore, the vertical position of the tape cassette can be accurately positioned when mounted in the tape printing device. Furthermore, since the vertical printing center position by the print head and the widthwise center position of the tape precisely match, the printing quality can be improved. Furthermore, the burden on the operator of managing dimensional accuracy can be reduced.

The lower case further includes a guide section that guides the tape pulled out from the tape roll between the first wall section and the second wall section. The second wall section includes a width direction regulating member that regulates the movement of the tape in the width direction, and a print surface side regulating member that regulates the movement of the tape toward the print surface side. In other words, the member that regulates the movement of the tape in the width direction and toward the print surface side is provided on the arm section of the lower case. This ensures the dimensional accuracy of the width direction regulating section and the print surface side regulating member regardless of the press-fit state between the upper case and the lower case, and allows the movement of the tape in the width direction and toward the print surface side to be appropriately regulated. As a result, the vertical printing center position by the print head and the width direction center position of the tape coincide with each other with even greater accuracy, thereby further improving the print quality.

A lower joint is provided on the top of the width direction regulating member, which joins with an upper joint provided on the upper case. This fixes the upper and lower cases at a position where the movement of the tape in the width direction and toward the print surface is restricted, and also fixes the positions of the width direction regulating part and the print surface side regulating member. This makes it possible to more reliably restrict the movement of the tape transported inside the arm section in the width direction and toward the print surface.

The support receiving portion, width direction regulating member, and print surface side regulating member are all provided on the lower case. This ensures that the positional relationship between the support receiving portion, width direction regulating member, and print surface side regulating member is constant regardless of the press-fit state between the upper and lower cases. As a result, as the support receiving portion is supported at the correct height position by the support portion, the width direction regulating member and print surface side regulating member are also held at the correct height position. As a result, the height position of the tape transported inside the arm portion more accurately matches the vertical center position of printing by the print head, further improving print quality.

(8) In the tape cassette according to any one of the above aspects (1), (5), or (6), the at least one tape may be wound to have a hole in the center, may include a tape (55, 57, 58) located in one of two areas into which the cassette case is divided based on a line connecting the pair of cavities, and may include a third cavity (65) extending from the bottom wall and facing the hole in the tape.

When the tape cassette according to this embodiment is attached to or detached from the cassette attachment section, and the tape printing device is equipped with a third guide shaft (110), the third guide shaft is inserted into the third cavity. In this case, the user can attach or detach the tape cassette to or from the cassette attachment section along the pair of guide shafts inserted into the pair of cavities and the third guide shaft inserted into the third cavity. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the tape cassette from tilting from the correct position.

1 Tape printer 10 Thermal head 30 Tape cassette 31 Cassette case 33 Separation wall 34 Arm portion 35 Arm front wall 35B Lower arm front wall 39 Head insertion portion 47 Guide hole 55 Thermal paper tape 57 Print tape 58 Double-sided adhesive tape 59 Film tape 64 Roller support hole 65 First tape support hole 74 Head holder 301 Top surface 302 Bottom surface 303 Upper peripheral wall 304 Lower peripheral wall 305 Top plate 306 Bottom plate 311 Upper case 312 Lower case 321 First corner portion 322 Second corner portion 323 Third corner portion 324 Fourth corner portion 330 Top end portion 331 Fixing groove 341 Discharge port 381B First tape bottom regulating portion 383 Separation wall regulating portion 389 First printing surface side regulating portion 391 First receiving portion 392 Second receiving portion 400 First tape area 410 Second tape area 800 Arm indicator portion 800A Indicator portion 800B Indicator portion 800C Indicator portion 800D Indicator portion 800E Indicator portion 801 Non-pressing portion 802 Pressing portion 820 Locking hole 900 Rear indicator portion 900A Indicator portion 900B Indicator portion 900C Indicator portion 900D Indicator portion 900E Indicator portion 901 Non-pressing portion 902 Pressing portion

Claims (6)

A tape cassette comprising:
a cassette case for storing the tape and the ink ribbon therein;
a tape spool around which the tape can be wound;
a first opening provided in the cassette case and extending in a first direction that is an axial direction of the tape spool, the first opening rotatably supporting a tape drive roller that ejects the tape to the outside of the cassette case;
an arm section provided on the cassette case, the arm section having an outlet through which the tape and the ink ribbon are discharged by the tape drive roller;
a second opening provided in the cassette case and extending in the first direction, the second opening being capable of receiving a first shaft of a tape printer;
a first index portion provided on a front wall of the arm portion, the front wall being in front of the cassette case, the first index portion having a first region and a second region, the first region being recessed further into the cassette case than the second region ;
a second index portion located at a rear of the cassette case, the second index portion including at least one hole ;
A tape cassette comprising: The tape cutting method according to claim 1 , wherein the first indicator portion is located between the first opening and the second opening. The tape cutting method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second indicator portion is located between the first opening and the second opening. 4. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the first indicator portion indicates a type of the cassette. The second indicator portion indicates color information of the tape stored in the tape cassette.
5. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein 6. The tape cassette according to claim 1, wherein the tape spool is located between the first opening and the second opening.

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