A tape cassette and a printer having the same

Abstract

The application provides a tape cartridge and a printer with the same. The tape cartridge comprises a shell and a printing medium accommodated in the shell. The shell has a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces. The shell further has a first wall surface. The front surface has an opening to expose a partial area of the first wall surface. The first wall surface is located between the front surface and part of the printing medium in a specific direction, which is perpendicular to the front surface. One or more protrusions are arranged on the exposed area of the first wall surface. The protrusions protrude outwardly along the specific direction. The protrusions are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the type of the printing medium and are used to indicate the type of the tape cartridge. The combination pattern of the protrusions on the tape cartridge can directly indicate the type of the tape cartridge and the printing medium. The combination pattern can be directly recognized by a person, so that the operator can recognize the type of the tape cartridge by naked eyes according to the information on the appearance of the tape cartridge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of printing technology, specifically to a cartridge and a printer having the cartridge. Background Technology

[0002] A tape cassette is a component used to hold printing media (such as ribbons and printing tapes) and can be detachably mounted onto a printing device. In this type of printing technology, printing media comes in various types, depending on the application scenario and requirements, and is categorized and contained within the tape cassette. When the tape cassette is installed on the printer, the printer's detection head detects the information on the cassette to obtain printing parameters such as the type of printing media and the printing mode. However, during manufacturing and assembly, manual inspection cannot directly identify the type information on the tape cassette used to adapt to the detection head. It is difficult to quickly match the tape cassette with the corresponding type of printing media to be installed in that cassette, thus affecting production efficiency and making it difficult to verify the accurate matching of the printing media and tape cassette types after assembly. Utility Model Content

[0003] In view of this, the embodiments of this application aim to provide a tape cassette on which the detection information indicating the type of tape cassette and printing media can be directly identified by a person, so that the operator can identify the type of tape cassette by visual inspection from the information on the appearance of the tape cassette.

[0004] In a first aspect, this application provides a tape cassette including a housing and a printing medium contained therein, the housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces, and the housing also having a first wall surface;

[0005] The front surface has an opening to expose a portion of the first wall surface; the first wall surface is located between the front surface and a portion of the printing medium in a specific direction orthogonal to the front surface.

[0006] One or more protrusions are provided on the exposed area of ​​the first wall surface. The protrusions protrude outward along the specific direction. The protrusions are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the type of printing media and are used to indicate the type of tape tray.

[0007] According to the tape cassette provided in the first aspect of this application, an opening is provided on the front surface of the housing to expose a first wall surface located closer to the inside of the housing. The exposed area of ​​the first wall surface is provided with protrusions. The pattern formed by the distribution position and number of protrusions in this area is used to visually display the type of tape cassette. This enables operators to directly identify the type of tape cassette by visual inspection and directly know the type of printing media that needs to be matched with the tape cassette. The protrusion structure also facilitates the inspection personnel to quickly check whether the types of tape cassette and printing media are correctly matched after assembly. At the same time, by displaying type information through protrusions, it is not only easy to identify quickly, but also, when the tape cassette is installed in the printer, the protrusions are more likely to be matched with the printer's detection head and accurately detected.

[0008] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the first wall surface is formed on a plate-like structure, and is formed by the plate surface of the plate-like structure.

[0009] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the first wall surface is formed on a plurality of interconnected or dispersed columnar structures, and is formed by the columnar surfaces of the columnar structures.

[0010] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of this application, the first wall surface is only exposed in a panel structure.

[0011] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of this application, the front surface is connected to the top surface and extends to the bottom surface; the first wall surface is connected to the bottom surface and extends to the top surface.

[0012] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the housing includes a top cover and a bottom cover that are snapped together, and a portion of the outer wall surface of the top cover forms the front surface;

[0013] A portion of the bottom cover wall is covered by the front surface and forms the first wall surface.

[0014] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the top cover includes a top plate and a first front side plate extending on one side of the top plate toward the bottom surface, and the bottom cover includes a bottom plate and a second front side plate extending on one side of the bottom plate toward the top surface, the first front side plate covering a partial section of the second front side plate and exposing the first wall surface disposed on the partial section through the opening.

[0015] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, a notch is further provided on the first wall surface, and the projections of the notch and the opening in the specific direction at least partially overlap.

[0016] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the protrusion is an integral protrusion, or the protrusion is a plurality of protrusions arranged continuously or separately.

[0017] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, any two adjacent protrusions are arranged at intervals; or, any two adjacent protrusions are arranged in a continuous arrangement; or, among a plurality of protrusions, some adjacent protrusions are arranged at intervals and some adjacent protrusions are arranged in a continuous arrangement.

[0018] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the housing has a media outlet for discharging the printing media, and the front surface and the first wall surface are both located upstream of and close to the media outlet.

[0019] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of this application, the exposed area of ​​the first wall includes a plurality of vertical identification areas arranged sequentially in a direction gradually moving away from the media outlet, at least one of the vertical identification areas having the protrusions, and the combined pattern of all the protrusions in each of the vertical identification areas is used to indicate the type of the printing media.

[0020] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, a portion of the plurality of vertical identification areas forms a width indicator portion, and the combined pattern formed by the protrusions within the width indicator portion is used to indicate the width information of the printing medium.

[0021] In one possible implementation of the first aspect of this application, a first portion of the plurality of vertical recognition areas forms a width indicator and a second portion of the vertical recognition area forms a pattern indicator. The combined pattern formed by the protrusions in the width indicator is used to indicate the width information of the printing medium, and the combined pattern formed by the protrusions in the pattern indicator is used to indicate printing pattern information.

[0022] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, a through mounting hole is formed on the housing for inserting a printhead from a printer; at least a portion of the wall of the mounting hole is perforated.

[0023] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the housing includes a main body and an arm extending from the main body, the arm and the main body surrounding the mounting hole; in the specific direction, the arm has a front surface and an inner surface spaced apart from the front surface, the inner surface forming the front wall of the mounting hole, and the area on the main body for forming the rear wall of the mounting hole is partially or entirely hollowed out.

[0024] In one possible embodiment of the first aspect of this application, the housing has a medium outlet, and a specific region located upstream of and close to the medium outlet is provided on the top surface of the housing. A recess is provided in the specific region, and the recess is recessed inward in a direction orthogonal to the top surface.

[0025] Secondly, this application also provides a printer, comprising:

[0026] Printer body; and

[0027] As described in any of the preceding claims, the tape cassette is detachably mounted to the printer body and ejects the printing medium along a predetermined trajectory under the drive of a drive unit on the printer body.

[0028] Thirdly, this application also provides a cartridge, the cartridge including a housing and a printing medium contained within the housing, the housing including a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces, the housing having a media outlet for discharging the printing medium; a specific region located upstream of and near the media outlet is provided on the top surface of the housing, and a recess is provided in the specific region, the recess being recessed inward in a direction orthogonal to the top surface.

[0029] According to the third aspect of this application, the top surface of the box is provided with a recessed portion, which can eliminate the pits that may be formed on the top surface of the shell due to solidification after the shell is injected, and eliminate the potential problem of the pits affecting the appearance of the shell.

[0030] In one possible embodiment of the third aspect of this application, the recess is disposed adjacent to the front surface.

[0031] In one possible embodiment of the third aspect of this application, the housing includes a first front side plate, the outer surface of the first front side plate forming the front surface, and a protruding post for guiding or positioning the printing medium is provided on the inner wall surface of the first front side plate, the projection of the recess in a direction orthogonal to the top surface covering the protruding post.

[0032] In one possible embodiment of the third aspect of this application, at least two recesses are provided, and the at least two recesses are arranged in a direction gradually away from the medium outlet.

[0033] In one possible embodiment of the third aspect of this application, at least some of the recesses have different outline shapes and / or sizes.

[0034] In one possible embodiment of the third aspect of this application, the outline of the recess is composed of a plurality of straight line segments connected end to end in sequence, or the outline of the recess is enclosed by a plurality of straight line segments and at least one arc segment.

[0035] In one possible embodiment of the third aspect of this application, the recess has a pair of contour edge lines in a direction orthogonal to the front surface, one of the pair of contour edge lines being closer to the front surface is arranged parallel to the intersection of the front surface and the top surface, and the other comprising multiple line segments of different shapes or angles, thus having an irregular contour.

[0036] Fourthly, this application also provides a cartridge, the cartridge including a housing and a printing medium contained within the housing, the housing including a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface and a pair of side surfaces, the housing having a media outlet for discharging the printing medium; the housing having a through mounting hole for inserting a print head on a printer; the wall of the mounting hole having at least a partial perforation.

[0037] According to the cartridge provided in the fourth aspect of this application, the rear wall of the mounting hole, which is also the wall of the mounting hole located on the main body of the housing, is set to be partially or entirely hollowed out, so that the operator can directly observe the condition of the internal components of the housing, such as the amount of printing media in the housing, through the hollowed-out area.

[0038] In one possible embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application, the housing includes a main body and an arm extending from the main body, the arm and the main body surrounding the mounting hole; in a specific direction orthogonal to the front surface, the arm has the front surface and an inner surface spaced apart from the front surface, the inner surface forming the front wall of the mounting hole, and the area on the main body for forming the rear wall of the mounting hole is partially or entirely hollowed out.

[0039] In one possible embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application, the housing is provided with a first core for winding ink tape and a second core for winding used ink tape, and one or both of the top cover and bottom cover of the housing are provided with a support wall, the support wall being located inside the housing and at least partially surrounding the second core.

[0040] In one possible embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application, the support arm is located on the side of the second core opposite to the mounting hole, the support arm has a plate-like structure and the projection of the support arm in the specific direction overlaps at least partially with the hollowed-out area of ​​the hole wall.

[0041] According to the embodiment of the fourth aspect of this application, a support arm is provided inside the housing, which can effectively enhance the structural strength of the housing. Attached Figure Description

[0042] Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the first angle of the box in an embodiment of this application;

[0043] Figure 2 The diagram shown is an overall schematic diagram of the shell in an embodiment of this application;

[0044] Figure 3A The image shown is a front view of a box structure in direction F according to an embodiment of this application;

[0045] Figure 3B The image shown is a front view of another box-shaped structure in the present application embodiment in the direction F;

[0046] Figure 4 The diagram shown is a second angle view of the box in an embodiment of this application;

[0047] Figure 5 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the top cover in an embodiment of this application;

[0048] Figure 6 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the bottom cover in an embodiment of this application;

[0049] Figure 7 The image shown is a front view of the front surface in an embodiment of this application;

[0050] Figure 8 The diagram shown is a cross-sectional view of the shell in an embodiment of this application, where only a portion of the top cover remains.

[0051] Figure 9 As shown Figure 8 A magnified view of a portion of the image;

[0052] Figure 10 The image shown is a front view of the first wall surface in an embodiment of this application;

[0053] Figure 11A The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the distribution of protrusions on the exposed area of ​​the first wall surface in an embodiment of this application.

[0054] Figure 11B The diagram shown is a schematic representation of the distribution of protrusions on the exposed area of ​​the first wall surface in an embodiment of this application.

[0055] Figure 12 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the front wall of the mounting hole in an embodiment of this application;

[0056] Figure 13 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the rear wall of the mounting hole in an embodiment of this application;

[0057] Figure 14 The diagram shown is a schematic diagram of the arrangement of the support arm inside the housing in an embodiment of this application;

[0058] Figure 15 The diagram shown is a schematic of the recessed portion on the top surface in an embodiment of this application.

[0059] Figures 1-15 middle:

[0060] 10. Shell; 10A. Main body; 10B. Arm; 10C. Receiving part;

[0061] 101. Front surface; 102. Top surface; 103. Bottom surface; 104. Mounting hole; 141. Printing port; 142. Rear side hole wall; 143. Front side hole wall; 105. Media outlet; 106. Media inlet; 107. Finished product outlet; 108. Receiving surface; 109. Second opening;

[0062] 11. Top cover; 111. First front side panel; 112. Recess; 113. Protruding column;

[0063] 12. Bottom cover; 121. First wall surface; 121A. Exposed area; 121B. Vertical identification area; 121C. Width indicator; 121D. Pattern indicator; 122. Protrusion; 123. Second front side plate; 124. Notch; 125. Support wall;

[0064] 13. First core; 14. Second core; 15. Third core; 16. Fourth core;

[0065] 20. Printing media; 21. Printing tape; 22. Ink ribbon; 23. Adhesive tape;

[0066] 30. Print head; 40. Pressing wheel; 50. Transfer wheel. Detailed Implementation

[0067] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0068] In this application, the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and local features may be enlarged or reduced to more clearly show the details of the local features.

[0069] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used in this application have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. The terminology used in this application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the scope of this application. The term "and / or" as used in this application includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The singular forms "a," "the," and "the" as used in this application and the appended claims are also intended to include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0070] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Therefore, features defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified. In the description of this application, "several" means one or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0071] In the description of this application, the terms “length”, “width”, “thickness”, “inner”, “outer”, etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the purpose of simplifying the description of this application and do not indicate that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. In other words, they should not be construed as limitations on this application.

[0072] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," "fixing," "setting," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, "connection" can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can also refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0073] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly defined, the terms "above," "over," "on top of," "below," "below," "under," or "below" for "first feature over second feature" can refer to the first and second features being in direct contact, or to the first and second features being in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Furthermore, "above," "below," and "over" for "first feature over second feature" can mean the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is higher than the horizontal height of the second feature. Similarly, "below," "below," and "below" for "first feature over second feature" can mean the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the horizontal height of the first feature is lower than the horizontal height of the second feature.

[0074] In related technologies, a printer includes a printer body and a tape cassette mounted on the printer body. The tape cassette is used to hold the printing media. The tape cassette also contains a core for winding the printing media. The printer body has a shaft that drives the core to rotate. When the shaft drives the core to rotate, the printing media is discharged from the tape cassette along a preset trajectory, and the print head on the printer body acts on the printing media to complete the printing process.

[0075] In this type of printing technology, printing media comes in various types, categorized and housed within tape cassettes according to different application scenarios and requirements. When the tape cassette is installed into the printer's receiving cavity, the printer's detection head detects information in a specific area of ​​the cassette to obtain printing parameters such as printing media type and printing mode. While this method allows the printer to identify the printing type, the information on the tape cassette is only compatible with the detection head's detection. During tape cassette manufacturing and assembly, operators cannot directly identify the type information on the cassette used to adapt to the detection head. It is difficult to quickly match the tape cassette with the corresponding type of printing media to be installed in that cassette, thus affecting production efficiency. It is also difficult to verify the accurate matching of the printing media and tape cassette type after assembly.

[0076] Based on this, in order to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, this application provides a tape cassette. The tape cassette has an opening on the front surface 101 of the housing 10 to expose a first wall surface 121. The exposed area of ​​the first wall surface 121 is provided with protrusions 122. The pattern formed by the distribution position and number of protrusions 122 in the area is used to intuitively display the type of tape cassette. This enables the operator to directly identify the type of tape cassette from its appearance and directly know the type of printing media 20 that needs to be matched with the tape cassette. At the same time, displaying type information through protrusions 122 not only facilitates quick identification, but also makes it easier for the protrusions 122 to be matched with the printer's detection head and accurately detected after the tape cassette is installed in the printer.

[0077] The embodiments of this application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0078] This application provides a printer. The printer includes, but is not limited to, a thermal transfer printer, a label printer, and a receipt printer.

[0079] The printer according to embodiments of this application may include a printer body and a tape cassette. The printer body has a receiving cavity for accommodating the tape cassette, which is detachably mounted on the printer body. This facilitates the removal, installation, and replacement of the tape cassette. Exemplarily, the detachable connection between the tape cassette and the printer body includes, but is not limited to, a snap-fit ​​connection.

[0080] The main structure and working principle of the printer body are well known to those skilled in the art, and will not be described in detail here.

[0081] The following section will focus on a detailed description of the boxed structure of this application.

[0082] Please see the appendix Figure 1 -See attached Figure 3. Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure with the box attached; Figure 2 Figure 1 is a structural schematic diagram of the housing 10; Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the cooperation between the printing medium 20 on the tape cassette and the printer body, wherein the print head 30, the pressing roller 40, and the conveyor roller 50 are all components of the printer body and are shown in dashed lines in the figure. This application provides a tape cassette that can be installed on the printer body. The tape cassette includes: a housing 10 and multiple cores disposed inside the housing 10. Specifically, the housing 10 can be composed of a top cover 11 and a bottom cover 12 that are interlocked together. The top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12 are two components that are interlocked together in direction F to form a housing 10 with an internal cavity. The cores are used to wind the printing medium 20. The printing medium 20 specifically includes a printing tape 21, an ink tape 22, an adhesive tape 23, etc.

[0083] The housing 10 has a mounting hole 104 along direction F, which is used for inserting the print head 30. That is, when the tape cassette is inserted into the printer body, the print head 30 is inserted into the mounting hole 104. Direction F can be the thickness direction of the housing 10. Of course, direction F is not limited to the thickness direction of the housing 10, and can also be the length or width direction of the housing 10.

[0084] A printing port 141 is partially formed in the mounting hole 104 along its circumference. That is, the mounting hole 104 is not entirely surrounded by the housing 10; it has a partial first opening to form the printing port 141. Alternatively, the housing 10 may have a first opening extending in the direction F, which communicates with the mounting hole 104 to form the printing port 141. The printing port 141 exposes the ink ribbon 22 and the printing tape 21 at the print head 30.

[0085] On the shell walls of the housing 10 located on both sides of the printing port 141, a media outlet 105 is provided on one side and a media inlet 106 is provided on the other side, with a finished product outlet 107 located downstream of the media inlet 106. The media outlet 105 is further divided into a first outlet and a second outlet by a partition column. The first outlet and the second outlet are arranged radially along the mounting hole 104.

[0086] The number of cores inside the housing 10 depends on the requirements and can be three or four. For example, two cores are used to wind the ink ribbon 22 (or carbon ribbon or color ribbon), one core is used to wind the printing tape 21 (referring to the medium used to form the heat transfer content, which can be paper tape, ribbon, etc.), and an additional core can be provided to wind the adhesive tape 23 as needed.

[0087] For example only, when the number of cores is three, please refer to the appendix. Figure 3A Both the first core 13 and the second core 14 are wound with ink tape 22, such that the first core 13 is wound with unused ink tape 22 and the second core 14 is wound with used ink tape 22; a printing tape 21, such as paper tape, is wound on the third core 15. In this figure, the portion of the tape located inside the housing 10 is shown in dashed lines.

[0088] When each core rotates under the drive of the shaft on the printer body, combined with the frictional transmission of the printing belt 21 by certain conveying wheels on the printer body, exemplarily, the first core 13 rotates and releases the ink tape 22. The ink tape 22 is laid out along a predetermined trajectory and exits from the first outlet through the print port 141. The printing belt 21 exits from the second outlet through the print port 141, and the ink tape 22 and the printing belt 21 are stacked parallel to each other in the print port 141. The printing part of the print head 30 and the pressing roller 40 on the printer body press the ink tape 22 and the printing belt 21 from both the inside and outside of the print port 141, thereby transferring the desired printing content onto the printing belt 21. The printing belt 21 with the transferred content can be used as the printed product. The printed belt 21, as the printed product, can be removed after it is finally discharged from the housing 10, while the used ink tape 22 re-enters the housing 10 through the media inlet 106 and is wound back onto the second core 14. That is, the second core 14 rotates and retracts the used ink tape 22.

[0089] When the printed tape 21 needs to be combined with other media such as adhesive tape 23, for example only, the number of cores is four. Please refer to the appendix. Figure 3B The first core 13 and the second core 14 are both wound with ink tape 22, such as the first core 13 being wound with unused ink tape 22 and the second core 14 being wound with used ink tape 22; the third core 15 is wound with printing tape 21 such as PET film, and the fourth core 16 is wound with adhesive tape 23.

[0090] Similar to the above, the ink ribbon 22 is transferred to the printing belt 21 at the print port 141. After the transfer, the printing belt 21 and the ink ribbon 22 re-enter the housing 10 through the media inlet 106 and separate under the action of the guide structure. The ink ribbon 22 is guided back onto the second core 14 by the guide structure. The printing belt 21 is conveyed to the finished product outlet 107. There is a receiving surface 108 between the media inlet 106 and the finished product outlet 107. The printing belt 21 and the adhesive tape 23 discharged here through a specific trajectory will both pass through the receiving surface 108 and overlap at the receiving surface 108. The conveyor roller 50 on the printer body will squeeze the receiving surface 108, causing the printing belt 21 and the adhesive tape 23 to stick together to form the printed finished product. The printed finished product is discharged from the housing 10 through the finished product outlet 107.

[0091] Please see the appendix Figure 2 The receiving surface 108 can be an arc-shaped surface. Specifically, the receiving surface 108 can be formed on the column, which can be a component fastened to the housing 10 by means of a structure such as a buckle or screw, or it can be a component integrally formed with the housing 10. Obviously, the column is a non-rotating structure, but is fixedly set on the housing 10.

[0092] The above is a brief description of the main structure and printing process of the cartridge. The following section will focus on the structure primarily protected by this application.

[0093] The housing 10 has multiple walls. These walls include outer walls and inner walls; the outer walls, being exposed on the surface of the housing 10, are also referred to as the outer surface. For the purposes of this application, the outer surface of the housing 10 is designated as a top surface 102, a bottom surface 103, a front surface 101, and a pair of side surfaces. The front surface 101 and the pair of side surfaces are located between the top surface 102 and the bottom surface 103, serving to connect the top surface 102 and the bottom surface 103. The front surface 101 is located upstream of the printout 141; that is, the front surface 101 refers to the outer surface of the housing 10 located upstream of the printout 141.

[0094] The front surface 101 and the media surface of a local section of the printing medium 20 are parallel or substantially parallel. Specifically, the local section of the printing medium 20 refers to a section of the printing medium 20 (usually the ink ribbon 22 and the printing ribbon 21) located upstream of the media outlet 105. The front surface 101 and the media surface of this section of the printing medium 20 are parallel or substantially parallel.

[0095] Please see the appendix Figure 1A second opening 109 is provided on the front surface 101. Through the second opening 109, a portion of a wall surface is displayed, which is closer to the interior of the housing 10 than the front surface 101; this wall surface is referred to herein as the first wall surface 121. In a specific direction E orthogonal to the front surface 101 and direction F, the first wall surface 121 is located between the front surface 101 and a portion of the printing medium 20; that is, the front surface 101 is closer to the printing medium 20 than the front surface 101. For ease of description, the area of ​​the first wall surface 121 exposed through the second opening 109 is designated as the exposed area 121A. A protrusion 122 is provided on the exposed area 121A, protruding outwards along the specific direction E. The arrangement pattern of the protrusions 122 in the exposed area 121A corresponds to the type of printing medium 20 within the cartridge, visually indicating the type of printing medium 20. The arrangement pattern includes combinations of the positions and numbers of the protrusions 122.

[0096] Thus, by providing an opening on the front surface 101 of the housing 10 to expose a first wall surface 121 located closer to the inside of the housing, and providing one or more protrusions 122 on the exposed area of ​​the first wall surface 121, the pattern formed by the distribution and number of protrusions 122 in this area is used to visually display the type of tape cassette. This allows operators to directly identify the type of tape cassette from its appearance and directly know the type of printing media 20 that needs to be matched with the tape cassette. This not only improves production efficiency but also reduces the probability of matching errors. The structure of the protrusions 122 also makes it easy for inspectors to quickly check whether the types of tape cassette and printing media 20 match correctly after assembly, simplifying the inspection operation. At the same time, displaying type information through the protrusions 122 not only facilitates quick identification, but also makes it easier for the protrusions 122 to be matched with the printer's detection head and accurately detected after the tape cassette is installed in the printer.

[0097] For example, referring to Appendix 2 and Figure 3, the housing 10 includes a main body 10A and an arm 10B extending from the main body 10A. The arm 10B and the main body 10A enclose a mounting hole 104 with a printing port 141. A receiving portion 10C may be provided on the main body 10A, or in other words, the part of the main body 10A opposite to the arm 10B is called the receiving portion 10C. The receiving portion 10C and the arm 10B are distributed on the upstream and downstream sides of the printing port 141 (defined by the transport path of the printing medium 20). For example, the arm 10B is located upstream of the printing port 141, and the receiving portion 10C is located downstream of the printing port 141. The space enclosed by the arm 10B, the receiving portion 10C, and the main body 10A is the mounting hole 104, and the space between the arm 10B and the receiving portion 10C around the mounting hole 104 is the printing port 141. The medium outlet 105 is located on the arm 10B, and the medium inlet 106 and the finished product outlet 107 are located on the receiving part 10C.

[0098] The front surface 101 may specifically be the outer surface of the arm 10B facing the outside of the housing 10. The inner surface of the arm 10B forms part of the wall of the mounting hole 104. The inner surface of the arm 10B refers to the surface that is opposite to the outer surface in a specific direction E and faces the mounting hole 104.

[0099] Thus, the areas exposed by the second opening 109 on the front surface 101 and the first wall surface 121 are located near the print port 141 and the media outlet 105; when the operator checks whether the tape cassette and the type of printing media 20 match by using the arrangement of the protrusions 122, they can quickly perform auxiliary verification by using the printing media 20 exposed in the print port 141, simplifying the inspection operation.

[0100] Please see the appendix Figure 1 and attached Figure 2 The front surface 101 is connected to the top surface 102 of the housing 10 and extends to the bottom surface 103. Please refer to the attached document. Figure 4 The first wall surface 121 is connected to the bottom surface 103 of the housing 10 and extends to the top surface 102. (See attached diagram.) Figure 5 and attached Figure 6 The front surface 101 and the first wall surface 121 are formed on two different components, and both belong to the component surfaces integrally formed with the components.

[0101] The front surface 101 and the first wall surface 121 are disposed on two different components, which facilitates processing and manufacturing; at the same time, the protrusion 122 is not formed on the front surface 101. Compared to disposing the protrusion 122 on the front surface 101, this application disposes of the protrusion 122 on a surface further inward relative to the front surface 101, based on the technical consideration of reducing the size of the protrusion 122 protruding from the front surface 101. The protrusion 122 is exposed through the second opening 109 on the front surface 101. The detection head on the printer is opposite to the second opening 109, and the type of printing medium 20 can be detected by identifying the distribution pattern of the protrusions 122 in this area. At the same time, the degree to which the protrusion 122 protrudes from the front surface 101 is reduced or even eliminated, which can prevent uneven protrusions on the outer wall of the housing 10, prevent the protrusion 122 from being damaged during transportation or assembly, and reduce the distance between the front surface 101 of the tape cassette and the cavity wall of the printer after the tape cassette is assembled into the printer, thus preventing the tape cassette from shaking and affecting its use.

[0102] Please refer to the attached document. Figure 1-6 The arm portion 10B includes a portion of a top cover 11 and a portion of a bottom cover 12, which are engaged and joined to form the arm portion 10B. Specifically, the front surface 101 may be disposed on the top cover 11, serving as the outer surface of the top cover 11; while the first wall surface 121 is disposed on the bottom cover 12, serving as a wall surface of the bottom cover 12. For example, please refer to the attached document. Figure 7 and attached Figure 8 A portion of the outer surface of the top cover 11 forms a front surface 101; a portion of the wall of the bottom cover 12 is covered by the front surface 101 and forms a first wall 121, a portion of the first wall 121 being exposed through a second opening 109 on the front surface 101.

[0103] Both the top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12 can be integrally molded injection molded parts. The front surface 101 is an integrally molded surface on the top cover 11, and the first wall surface 121 is an integrally molded surface on the bottom cover 12.

[0104] The structure of the part where the first wall 121 is located is not restricted; it can be a regular plate-like structure, a column-like structure, or a block-like structure.

[0105] For example, the first wall surface 121 may be formed on a plate-like structure, such as a portion of the bottom cover 12 having a plate-like structure, and the first wall surface 121 is formed from the plate surface of the plate-like structure. Alternatively, the first wall surface 121 may also be formed on several connected or dispersed columnar structures, such as a portion of the bottom cover 12 having several connected or dispersed columnar structures, and the first wall surface 121 is formed from the columnar surfaces of the columnar structures. Alternatively, the first wall surface 121 may be formed on a block-like structure, such as a portion of the bottom cover 12 having several dispersed block-like structures, each of which has a surface belonging to the same plane in space, and this plane forms the first wall surface 121.

[0106] Alternatively, only the exposed area 121A of the first wall surface 121 may be formed on a plate-like structure, and only the exposed area 121A may be a plate-like structure. The remaining areas of the first wall surface 121 are not limited and may be blocks, columns, or surfaces with openwork structures.

[0107] In other words, the protrusion 122 can be set on a plate-like structure, a column-like structure, or a block-like structure; the protrusion 122 can be set on a single integral part or on a structure formed by multiple parts that are spaced apart or dispersed.

[0108] For example, please continue to refer to the appendix. Figure 5 The top cover 11 includes a top plate and a first front side plate 111 extending from one side of the top plate toward the bottom surface 103; please refer to the appendix. Figure 6 The bottom cover 12 includes a bottom plate and a second front side plate 123 extending from one side of the bottom plate toward the top surface 102; please refer to the appendix. Figure 4-8 The second front side panel 123 has a recessed section covered by the first front side panel 111. The outer side panel of the recessed section forms a first wall 121. A portion of the first wall 121 is exposed through an opening and is provided with the aforementioned protrusion 122. This portion is the aforementioned exposed area 121A.

[0109] The detection head on the printer body has multiple detection points, and a signal is generated when the protrusion 122 touches any of these detection points. Different positions and combinations of the protrusions 122 will result in different combinations of touches at the multiple detection points, generating different signals; thus, the printer body can identify the type of printing medium 20 corresponding to the signal. Within the display area 121A, one distribution pattern of the protrusions 122 corresponds to one type of printing medium 20; when the tape cassette is installed on the printer body, some or all of the detection points in the multiple detection heads are touched accordingly, generating a signal specific to that media type.

[0110] Please refer to the attached document. Figure 4 Appendix Figure 6 Appendix Figure 9 and attached Figure 10 , attached Figure 10 The dotted line indicates the possible positions of the protrusions 122. Protrusions 122 are partially provided within the exposed area 121A. Within the exposed area 121A of the first wall 121, the combination of the number and position of the protrusions 122 corresponds to different types of printing media 20, or cartridge types.

[0111] For details, please refer to the appendix. Figure 10 As shown in Figure 11, each protrusion 122 in Figure 11 is intended to indicate the possible positions of the protrusions 122, not to limit the number of protrusions 122. The display area 121A includes a plurality of vertical identification areas 121B arranged sequentially in a direction gradually moving away from the media outlet 105. At least one vertical identification area 121B is provided with a protrusion 122. The pattern formed by the combination of the distribution position and number of protrusions 122 in each vertical identification area 121B corresponds to the type of printing media 20. In other words, the combined pattern of all protrusions 122 in each vertical identification area 121B is used to indicate the type of printing media 20.

[0112] The number of vertical identification areas 121B can be two, three, four, or five. The number and position of protrusions 122 within all vertical identification areas 121B are not limited. For example, a protrusion 122 may be provided only in the first vertical identification area 121B, representing a type of printing medium 20; a protrusion 122 may be provided only in the second or a single vertical identification area 121B, representing another type of printing medium 20; a combined pattern formed by two protrusions 122 distributed in two adjacent vertical identification areas 121B represents a type of printing medium 20; a combined pattern formed by two protrusions 122 distributed in two spaced-apart vertical identification areas 121B represents another type of printing medium 20; however, if three protrusions 122 are provided, the combined patterns formed by the different distribution positions of the three protrusions 122 will be different, and different combined patterns will represent different types of printing media 20, and so on...

[0113] For example, please continue to refer to Figure 11. A portion of the multiple vertical recognition areas 121B forms a width indicator 121C. A protrusion 122 provided in this portion of the vertical recognition area 121B is used to indicate the width information of the printing medium 20.

[0114] The width information of the printing medium 20 is an important factor in distinguishing the type of printing medium 20. The width information of the printing medium 20 is represented by the distribution pattern of the protrusions 122 within the vertical identification area 121B, which further facilitates the operator to quickly identify the type of printing medium 20.

[0115] For example, two or three vertical identification areas 121B closest to the media outlet 105 and the printhead 141 form a width indicator 121C. The combined pattern formed by the protrusions 122 on these two or three vertical identification areas 121B closest to the media outlet 105 is used to indicate the width information of the print media 20, and also corresponds to indicating the type information of the print media 20.

[0116] For example, the two vertical recognition areas 121B closest to the printout 141 and the one vertical recognition area 121B furthest from the printout 141 form the width indicator 121C. Of course, the width indicator 121C can also be formed by a combination of other vertical recognition areas 121B among the plurality of vertical recognition areas 121B. This application is not limited, and any number of vertical recognition areas 121B among the plurality of vertical recognition areas 121B can form the width indicator 121C. The plurality of vertical recognition areas 121B in the width indicator 121C can be adjacent or spaced apart. The position and number of the plurality of vertical recognition areas 121B used to form the width indicator 121C are not limited.

[0117] For example, referring to Figure 11, the first portion of the plurality of vertical recognition areas 121B forms a width indicator 121C, and the second portion of the vertical recognition area 121B forms a pattern indicator 121D. Within the width indicator 121C, the combined pattern formed by the protrusions 122 indicates the width information of the printing medium 20; within the pattern indicator 121D, the combined pattern formed by the protrusions 122 indicates the printing pattern information of the printing medium 20.

[0118] The number of vertical recognition areas 121B within the width indicator 121C is not limited, nor is the number of vertical recognition areas 121B within the mode indicator 121D.

[0119] For each protrusion 122, the protrusion 122 can be a monolithic protrusion or multiple protrusions arranged continuously or separately. The shape of the protrusion 122 can be a regular block, a column, a semicircle, a polyhedron, or an irregular solid. The shape, size, and number of protrusions 122 are not limited to the situation described in the embodiments of this application, and other settings can be made.

[0120] Within the entire exposure area 121A, in all vertical identification areas 121B, any two adjacent protrusions 122 can be spaced apart or arranged continuously. For example, any two adjacent protrusions 122 can be spaced apart (spaced apart means there is a gap between them, but they are not connected or touching); or, any two adjacent protrusions 122 can be arranged continuously (continuous arrangement means they are connected or are an integral structure); or, among multiple protrusions 122, some adjacent protrusions 122 can be spaced apart, and some adjacent protrusions 122 can be arranged continuously.

[0121] Please see the appendix Figure 4 Appendix Figure 6 and attached Figure 8 A notch 124 may also be provided on the first wall surface 121, and the projection of the notch 124 in a specific direction E and the projection of the second opening 109 in the specific direction E at least partially overlap. This partially overlapping position can form a viewing window for the operator to directly observe the type of the printing medium 20 with the naked eye. Thus, a viewing window will be formed in the remaining area of ​​the exposed area 121A where no protrusion 122 is provided.

[0122] The window setting can also avoid the potential problem of the detection head accidentally touching the detection point that should not be touched due to the misalignment of the tape box installation position.

[0123] Please see the appendix Figure 2 Appendix Figure 12 and attached Figure 13 The main body 10A and the arm 10B of the housing 10 form a mounting hole 104, and the wall of the mounting hole 104 is formed by a partial wall surface of the main body 10A and a partial wall surface of the arm 10B. The wall of the mounting hole 104 is partially perforated. This design can reduce the overall weight of the housing and improve the lightweight nature of the housing 10.

[0124] For example, the mounting hole 104 is a strip-shaped hole, and in a specific direction E, the mounting hole 104 includes a front hole wall 143 and a rear hole wall 142 opposite to the front hole wall 143. The arm portion 10B has a front surface 101 and an inner surface spaced apart from the front surface 101, the inner surface forming the front hole wall 143 of the mounting hole 104. The area on the main body portion 10A used to form the rear hole wall 142 of the mounting hole 104 is referred to herein as the second wall surface, which is partially or entirely hollowed out.

[0125] Alternatively, it can be said that the rear side wall 142 of the mounting hole 104, which is opposite to the front side wall 143, is partially or entirely hollowed out.

[0126] This design reduces the overall weight of the cartridge and improves the lightweight nature of the housing 10. Furthermore, through the perforated area on the wall of the mounting hole 104, one can directly see the used ink tape 22 inside the housing 10 and the used ink tape 22 wound on the second core 14, as shown in the attached diagram. Figure 14 The following is displayed (attached) Figure 14 Only one section of ink tape 22 is shown. This section of ink tape 22 extends from the first core 13 through the printing port 141 to the second core 14 (the ink tape wound on the first core 13 and the second core 14 are not shown). This allows for direct observation of the usage or amount of ink tape 22. Under certain requirements, it also facilitates operators to quickly understand the components inside the housing 10.

[0127] For example, please refer to the appendix. Figure 6 and attached Figure 14 One or both of the top cover 11 and the bottom cover 12 of the housing 10 are provided with a support wall 125. The support wall 125 is located inside the housing 10 and is provided at least partially around the second core 14. The provision of the support wall 125 can enhance the structural strength of the housing 10.

[0128] For example, the support arm 125 is disposed near the mounting hole 104, see Appendix Figure 14 The support arm 125 is located on the side of the second core 14 away from the mounting hole 104. The support arm 125 has a plate-like structure and the projection of the support arm 125 in a specific direction E overlaps at least partially with the hollow area on the wall of the mounting hole 104.

[0129] The printing medium 20 inside the housing 10 needs to be guided into the arm 10B by a guide structure and discharged through the media outlet 105. The inner wall of the arm 10B is provided with protruding pillars 113 for guiding or positioning the printing medium 20. At least a portion of the protruding pillars 113 is located on the top cover 11. Since the arm 10B is injection molded, when the height of the protruding pillars 113 is large, the shrinkage generated during the solidification of the arm 10B will form small pits on the top surface 102, affecting the aesthetics of the cartridge.

[0130] To solve this problem, please refer to Figure 3 and Appendix Figure 5On the top surface 102 of the housing 10, specifically on the top surface 102 of the arm 10B, which is also the top cover 11, a specific area is provided upstream of and near the medium outlet 105. A recess 112 is provided within this specific area, recessed inwards in a direction orthogonal to the top surface 102. This recess 112 not only reduces the weight of the housing 10, but also, due to the reduction in thickness and the change in force, eliminates small pits formed on the top surface 102 after the housing 10 condenses, improving the aesthetics of the cartridge. In some cases, the recess 112 can also be used to fill other components, such as labels or screen printing that display information such as the manufacturer or place of manufacture.

[0131] For example, the recess 112 is disposed adjacent to the front surface 101. For instance, the distance between the contour edge of the recess 112 closest to the front surface 101 and the front surface 101 is 1-3 mm.

[0132] For example, please continue to refer to the appendix. Figure 15 The projection of the recessed portion 112 in a direction orthogonal to the top surface 102 (direction F) covers the protruding column 113. In this way, the pitting deformation caused by condensation can be better eliminated.

[0133] There may be one recess 112 or at least two recesses 112, with at least two recesses 112 arranged in a direction gradually moving away from the medium outlet 105. The shape and size of each recess 112 are not specifically limited in this application; they can be any shape and any size. The shape and size of each recess 112 can be uniform, partially uniform, partially inconsistent, or all different from each other.

[0134] For example, when at least two recesses 112 are provided, at least some of the recesses 112 have different outline shapes and / or sizes. For example, if there are two recesses 112, the two recesses 112 have different shapes and sizes; if there are three recesses 112, two of the recesses 112 have different shapes and sizes, or all three recesses 112 have different shapes and sizes.

[0135] For example, the outline of the recess 112 is composed of a plurality of straight line segments connected end to end in sequence. Alternatively, the outline of the recess 112 is formed by a plurality of straight line segments and at least one arc segment.

[0136] For example, the recess 112 has a pair of contour edge lines in a direction orthogonal to the front surface 101. One of the contour edge lines, which is closer to the front surface 101, is arranged parallel to the intersection of the front surface 101 and the top surface 102, while the other includes multiple line segments of different shapes or angles and has an irregular contour.

[0137] Of course, these are only some examples listed in this application. The shape and size of the recess 112 can also be other implementation structures, and this application does not impose specific limitations.

[0138] The basic principles of this application have been described above with reference to specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, benefits, and effects mentioned in this application are merely examples and not limitations, and should not be considered as essential features of each embodiment of this application. Furthermore, the specific details disclosed above are for illustrative and facilitative purposes only, and are not limitations. These details do not limit the application to the necessity of employing the aforementioned specific details for implementation.

[0139] The components and devices described in this application are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, or configured in the manner shown in the accompanying drawings. As those skilled in the art will recognize, these components and devices can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as “comprising,” “including,” “having,” etc., are open-ended terms meaning “including but not limited to,” and are used interchangeably with them. The terms “or” and “and” as used herein refer to the words “and / or,” and are used interchangeably with them unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “such as” as used herein refers to the phrase “such as but not limited to,” and is used interchangeably with it.

[0140] It should also be noted that in the apparatus and equipment of this application, the components can be disassembled and / or reassembled. These disassemblies and / or reassemblies should be considered as equivalent solutions of this application.

[0141] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use this application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein can be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of this application. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0142] It should be understood that the qualifiers “first,” “second,” “third,” “fourth,” “fifth,” and “sixth” used in the description of the embodiments of this application are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application.

[0143] The above description has been given for purposes of illustration and description. Furthermore, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of this application to the forms disclosed herein. Although numerous exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, alterations, additions, and sub-combinations thereof.

[0144] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit this application. Any modifications or equivalent substitutions made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cartridge comprising a housing and a printing medium contained within the housing, the housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a front surface, and a pair of side surfaces, characterized in that, The housing also has a first wall surface; The front surface has an opening to expose a portion of the first wall surface; the first wall surface is located between the front surface and a portion of the printing medium in a specific direction orthogonal to the front surface. One or more protrusions are provided on the exposed area of ​​the first wall surface. The protrusions protrude outward along the specific direction. The protrusions are arranged in a pattern corresponding to the type of printing media and are used to indicate the type of tape tray.

2. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first wall surface is formed on a plate-like structure, or is formed by the plate surface of the plate-like structure; or... The first wall surface is formed on a plurality of interconnected or dispersed columnar structures, and is formed by the columnar surfaces of the columnar structures.

3. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first wall surface has only a panel structure in the exposed area.

4. The cassette as described in claims 1-3, characterized in that, The front surface is connected to the top surface and extends to the bottom surface; the first wall surface is connected to the bottom surface and extends to the top surface.

5. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing includes a top cover and a bottom cover that are snapped together, and a portion of the outer wall surface of the top cover forms the front surface; A portion of the bottom cover wall is covered by the front surface and forms the first wall surface.

6. The cassette as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The top cover includes a top plate and a first front side plate extending from one side of the top plate toward the bottom surface, and the bottom cover includes a bottom plate and a second front side plate extending from one side of the bottom plate toward the top surface. The first front panel covers a portion of the second front panel and exposes the first wall surface disposed on the portion of the second front panel through the opening.

7. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The first wall surface is also provided with a notch, and the projections of the notch and the opening in the specific direction at least partially overlap.

8. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The protrusion is a single, integral protrusion, or the protrusion is a plurality of continuous or dispersed protrusions.

9. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Any two adjacent protrusions are arranged at intervals; or, any two adjacent protrusions are arranged in a continuous arrangement; or, among a plurality of protrusions, some adjacent protrusions are arranged at intervals and some adjacent protrusions are arranged in a continuous arrangement.

10. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has a media outlet for discharging the printing media, and the front surface and the first wall surface are both located upstream of and close to the media outlet.

11. The cassette as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The exposed area of ​​the first wall includes a plurality of vertical identification areas arranged sequentially in a direction gradually moving away from the media outlet. At least one of the vertical identification areas is provided with the protrusions, and the combined pattern of all the protrusions in each of the vertical identification areas is used to indicate the type of the printing media.

12. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, A portion of the multiple vertical recognition areas forms a width indicator, and the combined pattern formed by the protrusions within the width indicator is used to indicate the width information of the printing medium.

13. The cassette as described in claim 12, characterized in that, The first part of the plurality of vertical recognition areas forms a width indicator and the second part of the vertical recognition area forms a pattern indicator. The combined pattern formed by the protrusions in the width indicator is used to indicate the width information of the printing medium, and the combined pattern formed by the protrusions in the pattern indicator is used to indicate the printing pattern information.

14. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has a through-hole for inserting a printhead from a printer; the wall of the mounting hole has at least a partial perforation.

15. The cassette as described in claim 14, characterized in that, The housing includes a main body and an arm extending from the main body, the arm and the main body forming the mounting hole; in the specific direction, the arm has a front surface and an inner surface spaced apart from the front surface, the inner surface forming the front wall of the mounting hole, and the area on the main body for forming the rear wall of the mounting hole is partially or entirely hollowed out.

16. The cassette as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The housing has a medium outlet, and a specific area located upstream of and close to the medium outlet is provided on the top surface of the housing. A recess is provided in the specific area, and the recess is recessed inward in a direction orthogonal to the top surface.

17. A printer, characterized in that, include: Printer body; and According to any one of claims 1-16, the tape cassette is detachably mounted to the printer body and ejects the printing medium along a predetermined trajectory under the drive of a drive unit on the printer body.

Images