Tape cartridge

• US 9,579,903 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Sodeyama, Hideo, Sakano, Hideki
• Primary Examiner(s): FEGGINS, KRISTAL J
• Application Number:
  US15/121,698
• Publication Number:
  US 20160361930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/32 Detachable carriers or holders for impression-transfer material mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 17/36 Alarms, indicators, or feed-disabling devices responsible to material breakage or exhaustion
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/32 using thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/325 by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

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

Claims

1. A tape cartridge which is loaded in a tape printing device including a print head for printing on a print tape of the tape cartridge, a head moving section holding the print head and moving the print head between a printing position where printing is performed on the print tape and a retreat position retreating from the printing position, and a protrusion provided on the head moving section, and which has the print tape, the tape cartridge comprising:

a platen which receives a pressing force of the print head with the print tape provided in-between, at the printing position;

a cartridge case having a platen support section which supports the platen; and

a receiving section which is provided on the print head side of the platen support section, receives the protrusion when the print head moves to the printing position, and has a section to be pressed which is pressed by the protrusion in a loading direction in which the tape cartridge is loaded in the tape printing device.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

9. The tape cartridge according to claim 8, wherein the platen support section has a bearing hole which rotatably supports the platen roller, and

a distal side of the engagement groove communicates with the bearing hole.

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

11. The tape cartridge according to claim 7, wherein the platen support section has a bearing hole which rotatably supports the platen roller, and

the bearing hole is cut out on the print head side thereof.