Tape-shaped label printing device

Abstract

A tape cassette is used in a printing device with a drive shaft. The tape cassette includes a cassette casing which houses a printing tape and defines a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction. The cassette casing includes a head recess adapted to receive a print head of the printing device. The cassette casing forms a generally rectangular shape that is bounded by four corners, but also includes a recess for receiving the drive shaft adjacent a first corner of the four corner of the cassette casing downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feed direction. The cassette casing defines a first positioning hole adjacent the drive shaft and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive shaft, the first and second positioning holes each communicating with a corresponding pin of the printing device to ensure a proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device. A detector surface is located on the cassette casing and is adapted to interact with an array of sensors on the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette. The detector surface is positioned at a second corner of the four corners of the cassette casing most distant from the first corner.

1. A tape cassette for use with a printing device that includes a tape drive, pins, a print head, an array of sensors, and a drive shaft, the tape cassette comprising:
 printing tape; and   a cassette casing housing the printing tape and defining four corners and a feed path through which the printing tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to receive the print head of the printing device, the cassette casing further defining a recess to receive the drive shaft adjacent a first corner of the four corners of the cassette casing downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the printing tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive shaft and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive shaft, the first and second positioning holes communicating with the pins of the printing device to ensure a proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing defining a detector surface adapted to interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the detector surface positioned absolutely at a second corner of the four corners, the second corner positioned diagonally opposite the first corner, the detector surface defining multiple sensor holes that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device.   
     
     
       2. A tape cassette for a printing device that includes a printing head support, a tape drive, pins, and an array of sensors, the tape cassette comprising:
 tape; and   a cassette casing housing the tape and defining a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to accommodate the printing head support of the printing device, the cassette casing defining a tape exit portion proximate the head recess where the tape exits the cassette casing after being printed, the cassette casing further including a drive roller disposed downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing including a sensor portion having a surface adapted to interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the sensor portion being located absolutely at a corner position of the cassette casing most distant from the tape exit portion, the surface of the sensor portion defining multiple sensor holes that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device.   
     
     
       3. A tape cassette for a printing device that includes a printing head support, a tape drive, pins, and an array of sensors, the tape cassette comprising:
 tape; and   a generally rectangular cassette casing that is bounded by four corners, the cassette casing housing the tape and defining a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to accommodate the printing head support of the printing device, the cassette casing defining a tape exit portion proximate the head recess and adjacent a first corner of the four corners, the cassette casing further including a drive roller disposed downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing including a sensor portion having a surface adapted to interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the sensor portion being located absolutely at a second corner of the four corners positioned diagonally from the first corner, the surface of the sensor portion defining multiple sensor holes that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device.   
     
     
       4. A tape cassette for a printing device that includes a print head, a tape drive, pins, and an array of sensors, the tape cassette comprising:
 printing tape; and   a cassette casing defining upper and lower surfaces and a lateral surface extending between the upper and lower surfaces, the cassette casing housing the printing tape and defining a feed path through which the printing tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to receive the print head of the printing device, the cassette casing forming a generally rectangular shape that is bounded by four corners, the cassette casing further including a drive roller adjacent a first corner of the four corners of the cassette casing downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing including a flanged portion extending outwardly from the cassette casing substantially perpendicular to the lateral surface and adapted to interact with the array of sensors on the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the flanged portion defining an outer edge and multiple sensor holes spaced from the outer edge that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to facilitate identification of the at least one characteristic, the flanged portion being positioned absolutely at a second corner of the four corners of the cassette casing most distant from the first corner.   
     
     
       5. A printing system, comprising:
 a tape cassette;   tape; and   a printing device that includes a thermal head, a tape cassette mounting area having a first surface, a printing head support extending from the first surface and supporting the thermal head, a tape exit area proximate the thermal head to allow the tape to exit the tape cassette mounting area, a step portion elevated relative to the first surface, a plurality of sensors arranged on the step portion, the plurality of sensors constituting a complete set of sensors to identify a size of the tape cassette attached in the tape cassette mounting area, a tape drive and positioning pins;   the tape cassette being adapted to be mounted in the tape cassette mounting area, the tape cassette housing the tape and defining a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction, the tape cassette having a head recess formed therein to accommodate the printing head support and a bottom surface facing toward the first surface of the tape cassette mounting area when the tape cassette is mounted in the tape cassette mounting area, the tape cassette further including a detection area elevated relative to the bottom surface, the detection area defining a detector surface facing the plurality of sensors when the tape cassette is mounted in the tape cassette mounting area, the detector surface defining multiple sensor holes and being configured to interact with selected ones of the plurality of sensors to identify the size of the tape cassette, detector surface being located absolutely at a corner position diagonally opposite the tape exit area, the tape cassette further including a drive roller disposed downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the tape cassette defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with the positioning pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the tape cassette within the printing device.   
     
     
       6. A cassette for use with a printing device including a print head, the cassette comprising:
 a tape feeding roller;   a cassette case comprising:
 a tape path; 
 a ribbon path; and 
 a tape feeding roller opening formed in a bottom surface of the cassette case so as to communicate with the tape feeding roller, the tape feeding roller opening being positioned so that a tape drive cam provided in the printing device can drive the tape feeding roller when the cassette is installed in the printing device; 
   a tape spool for dispensing a printing tape to be conveyed along the tape path;   a ribbon spool for dispensing an ink ribbon to be conveyed along the ribbon path;   a printing location at which the printing tape, the ink ribbon and the print head are in contact when the cassette is installed in the printing device and the printing device is in operation; and   a detector surface including one or more sensor holes capable of interacting with one or more sensors in the printing device when the cassette is installed in the printing device, the sensor holes being positioned on a first corner of the cassette case positioned diagonally opposite from a second corner of the cassette case where the tape feeding roller is located;   wherein the ribbon path includes an acute turn at a location immediately downstream of the printing location, the acute turn in the ribbon path being formed around a separation portion that is integrally formed with the cassette case, thereby the separation portion does not move during an operation.    
     
     
       7. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the acute turn is located at a separating point where the ink ribbon separates from the printing tape during operation.  
     
     
       8. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the cassette case includes at least one positioning hole capable of receiving a corresponding positioning pin provided in the printing device when the cassette is installed in the printing device.  
     
     
       9. The cassette of claim 6, wherein:
 the cassette case includes a ribbon-take up spool;   the cassette case includes a ribbon take-up opening formed in the bottom surface so as to communicate with the ribbon take-up spool; and   the ribbon take-up opening is positioned so that a ribbon take-up cam provided in the printing device can drive the ribbon take-up spool when the cassette is installed in the printing device.    
     
     
       10. The cassette of claim 6, wherein:
 the cassette case includes a top surface, a bottom surface opposite from the top surface and at least one side surface; and   the at least one side surface includes a recess at a position one end, the recess being configured to receive a tape-feeding subroller provided in the printing device when the cassette is installed in the printing device.    
     
     
       11. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the ink ribbon path includes an obtuse turn at a location immediately upstream of the printing location.  
     
     
       12. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the ink ribbon path includes two successive obtuse turns at locations immediately upstream of the printing location.  
     
     
       13. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the first corner is a junction between a first side surface of the cassette case and a second side surface of the cassette case, and the second corner is a conjunction between a third side surface of the cassette case and a fourth side surface of the cassette case.  
     
     
       14. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the ink ribbon includes a first surface coated with ink and a second surface opposite from the first surface, and the second surface of the ink ribbon is guided by the ribbon path.  
     
     
       15. The cassette of claim 6, wherein the ribbon path includes an obtuse turn at location immediately upstream of the printing location.  
     
     
       16. The cassette of claim 14, wherein the ink ribbon is wound on the ribbon spool so that the first surface faces inwardly.