Tape cassette for use with a 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.

What is claimed is: 
     
       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 tape cassette for use with a printing device that includes a print head and a platen roller, the tape cassette comprising:
 a tape spool with a printing tape wound around the tape spool, the printing tape having a front face that contacts an ink ribbon and a rear face;   a cassette casing for accommodating the printing tape, the cassette casing having a lower case, an upper case and a peripheral wall;   a tape feed path that guides the print tape that is pulled out from the tape spool through a printing position out of the cassette case;   a tape discharging portion that is formed by a peripheral wall of the cassette casing at the end of the tape feed path and that is adapted to discharge the printing tape after printing out of the cassette case;   a tape discharging side wall that is formed in the peripheral wall of the cassette case and that includes the tape discharging portion;   a tape discharging end face that is formed in the tape discharging portion;   a reference surface that is a part of the tape discharging side wall and that is formed on the upstream side in the tape feeding direction with respect to the tape discharging end face;   a step portion that is formed between the reference surface and the tape discharging end face;   a protruding portion that is formed apart from the tape discharging end face on the tape discharging side wall and that protrudes to the downstream side in the tape feeding direction with respect to the tape discharging end face, and   a detector surface that has 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 corner of the cassette case positioned diagonally opposite from a corner of the cassette case where a tape discharge portion is located,   wherein:   the printing tape is discharged from the tape discharging end face to a direction perpendicular to the tape discharging side wall;   the tape feed path is formed in a length that corresponds to a distance between the reference surface and the tape discharging end face; and   the tape discharging portion restricts movement of the printing tape in a width direction of the printing tape by means of the lower case and the upper case.   
     
     
       7. The tape cassette for use with a printing device according to claim 6, the tape cassette further comprising:
 a head accommodating portion for accommodating the print head, the head accommodating portion being a through-hole that passes through both the lower case and the upper case of the cassette casing;   an arm portion that constitutes a feed path for guiding the printing tape to the print head inserted into the head accommodating portion;   a tape feeding roller; and   a guide portion for guiding the printing tape on the downstream side in the feeding direction of the printing tape with respect to the printing position, the guide portion having a restricting member that restricts movement of the printing tape by contacting the rear face of the printing tape, the restricting member being provided on the upstream side of the tape feeding roller in the feeding direction of the printing tape;   wherein:   a discharging portion is formed in the arm portion, and the discharging portion discharges the printing tape from the arm portion on the upstream side in a feeding direction of the printing tape with respect to a printing position by the print head;   an exposed portion in which the printing tape is exposed is formed between the discharging portion and the guide portion;   the head accommodating portion is an opening portion of the cassette casing extended in parallel to a side of the cassette casing on a side in which the arm portion is formed; and   the length of the exposed portion is greater than the diameter of the platen roller of the printing device and is smaller than one half of the length of the opening portion in a direction parallel to a side of the cassette casing.