cassette

Abstract

To provide a cassette in which a space in which an ink ribbon is arranged can be reduced in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a vertical direction.SOLUTION: In a cassette 210, at least a part of a supply spool 270 and at least a part of a winding spool 276 are overlapped in a first direction with a print tape roll 226. This allows the print tape roll 226, an ink ribbon 268 and the winding spool 276 to be arranged separately in a tape case 220 and a ribbon case 221, so that the cassette can be downsized in an orthogonal direction orthogonal to a first direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 35

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cassette that is detachably mounted in a printing device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, cassettes equipped with a print tape and an ink ribbon for printing on the print tape have been known. For example, the ink ribbon cartridge described in Patent Document 1 includes a ribbon cartridge and a print sheet cartridge. The ribbon cartridge houses an ink ribbon roll and a take-up spool for winding up the ink ribbon. The print sheet cartridge houses a print tape roll. Multiple set claws are provided on the outer peripheral wall of the print tape cartridge. When the multiple set claws engage with the ribbon cartridge, the print tape cartridge is superimposed on top of the ribbon cartridge and integrated with the ribbon cartridge. The ribbon cartridge is provided with a head opening through which the printer head is inserted. A tape opening through which the print tape passes is provided in the print tape cartridge at a position opposite the head opening relative to the print tape roll. After being pulled out from the print tape roll, the print tape is ejected out of the print tape cartridge through the tape opening. The print tape then passes around the outer peripheral wall of the print tape cartridge and passes through the head opening. At the head opening, the print tape and ink ribbon are superimposed on each other, and printing is performed by the printer head. The printed print tape is guided by a set pawl on the head opening side to a film gate for ejecting the print tape. The ink ribbon used for printing is taken up by a take-up spool. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 63-156762 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The ink ribbon cartridge described above is made smaller in size in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction by providing the ink ribbon and the printing tape roll at different positions in the axial direction of the take-up spool, i.e., in the vertical direction. However, there is a demand for further miniaturization of the cassette in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0005] The present invention has been made in light of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cassette that can be made smaller in a direction perpendicular to the width direction of the ink ribbon. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The gist of the first invention is that it comprises (a) a printing tape roll around which printing tape, which is the printing medium, is wound, (b) a rotatable supply spool around which an ink ribbon used for printing on the printing tape is wound, and a take-up spool that is rotatable to take up the ink ribbon supplied from the supply spool, (c) the supply spool and the take-up spool are located on one side of the printing tape roll in a first direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon wound on the supply spool, and (d) at least a portion of the supply spool and at least a portion of the take-up spool overlap with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0007] The gist of the second invention is that the rotation center of the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0008] The gist of the third invention is that the center of rotation of the supply spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0009] The gist of the fourth invention is that the printing tape roll is formed by winding the printing tape around a rotatable printing tape spool, and at least a portion of the ink ribbon wound around the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

[0010] The gist of the fifth invention is that at least a portion of the take-up spool overlaps with the tape spool in the first direction.

[0011] The gist of the sixth invention is that the printing tape roll is formed by winding the printing tape around a rotatable printing tape spool, and in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the center of rotation of the printing tape spool is shorter than the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the center of rotation of the printing tape spool.

[0012] The gist of the seventh invention is that in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the distance between a central position of the cassette that is the center of the second direction and the center of the third direction and the center of rotation of the printing tape roll is smaller than both the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the central position and the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the central position.

[0013] The gist of the eighth invention is that the dimension of a convex envelope defined by the printing tape roll, the take-up spool, and the supply spool in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is greater than half the dimension of the cassette in the second direction, and the dimension of the convex envelope in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is greater than half the dimension of the cassette in the third direction.

[0014] The gist of the ninth invention is that it comprises a tape case in which the printing tape roll is housed, and a ribbon case located on one side of the first direction relative to the tape case and in which the supply spool and the take-up spool are housed, the ribbon case having an outlet through which the printing tape supplied from the printing tape roll and the ink ribbon wound on the supply spool are discharged from the ribbon case, and an inlet through which the ink ribbon discharged from the outlet is carried into the ribbon case, and the ink ribbon carried in from the inlet is wound around the take-up spool.

[0015] The gist of the tenth invention is that a portion of the ink ribbon located between the inlet and the position where the ink ribbon is wound onto the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0016] The gist of the 11th invention is that the ribbon case is provided with a bonding tape roll wound with a bonding tape to be bonded to the printing tape, and at least a portion of the bonding tape overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0017] The gist of the 12th invention is that the printing tape roll is formed by winding the printing tape around a rotatable printing tape spool, and at least a portion of the laminating tape roll overlaps with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

[0018] The gist of the 13th invention is that the bonding tape roll is configured by winding the bonding tape around a rotatable bonding tape spool, and the center of rotation of the bonding tape spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0019] The gist of the 14th invention is that the printing tape roll is formed by winding the printing tape around a rotatable printing tape spool, and at least a portion of the laminating tape spool overlaps with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

[0020] The gist of the 15th invention is that it comprises (a) a printing tape roll around which printing tape, which is the printing medium, is wound; (b) a rotatable supply spool around which an ink ribbon used for printing on the printing tape is wound; (c) a take-up spool that can rotate to take up the ink ribbon supplied from the supply spool; and (d) a spacer film that abuts against the printing tape roll in a first direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon wound on the supply spool; and (e) at least a portion of the supply spool and at least a portion of the take-up spool overlap with the spacer film in the first direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] A cassette according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: (a) a printing tape roll around which a printing tape, which is a printing medium, is wound; (b) a rotatable supply spool around which an ink ribbon used for printing on the printing tape is wound; and a rotatable take-up spool that is rotatable to take up the ink ribbon supplied from the supply spool, (c) the supply spool and the take-up spool are located on one side of the printing tape roll in a first direction that is the width direction of the ink ribbon wound on the supply spool, and (d) at least a portion of the supply spool and at least a portion of the take-up spool overlap with the printing tape roll in the first direction. As a result, the printing tape roll, the supply spool, and the take-up spool are arranged separately in the first direction, and at least a portion of the supply spool and at least a portion of the take-up spool overlap with the printing tape roll in the first direction, making it possible to reduce the size of the cassette in the orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the first direction.

[0022] According to the cassette of the second aspect of the invention, the rotation center of the take-up spool overlaps with the print tape roll in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than when the rotation center of the take-up spool does not overlap with the print tape roll in the first direction.

[0023] According to the cassette of the third aspect of the invention, the center of rotation of the supply spool overlaps with the print tape roll in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than when the center of rotation of the supply spool does not overlap with the print tape roll in the first direction.

[0024] According to a cassette of the fourth invention, the printing tape roll is formed by winding the printable tape around a rotatable printing tape spool, and at least a portion of the ink ribbon wound around the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape spool in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than when at least a portion of the ink ribbon wound around the take-up spool does not overlap with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

[0025] According to the cassette of the fifth aspect of the invention, at least a portion of the take-up spool overlaps with the tape spool in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made smaller in size in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than in a case where at least a portion of the take-up spool does not overlap with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

[0026] According to a cassette of the sixth aspect of the invention, the print tape roll is formed by winding the print tape around a rotatable print tape spool, and in an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction, the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the center of rotation of the tape spool is shorter than the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the center of rotation of the print tape spool. This allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than in a case where the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the center of rotation of the print tape spool is longer than the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the center of rotation of the print tape spool.

[0027] According to the cassette of the seventh aspect, in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and in a third direction orthogonal to the first and second directions, the distance between a central position that is the center of the cassette in the second direction and the center in the third direction and the center of rotation of the printing tape roll is smaller than both the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the central position and the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the central position. A larger overlap between the printing tape roll and the supply spool and the take-up spool can be obtained than in a case where the distance between the central position and the center of rotation of the printing tape roll is not smaller than either the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the central position or the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the central position, and the cassette can be made smaller in the orthogonal direction orthogonal to the first direction.

[0028] According to the cassette of the eighth aspect of the invention, the dimension of a convex envelope defined by the printing tape roll, the take-up spool, and the supply spool in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is greater than half the dimension of the cassette in the second direction. Furthermore, the dimension of the convex envelope in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions is greater than half the dimension of the cassette in the third direction. This increases the proportion of the space within the cassette occupied by the printing tape roll, the take-up spool, and the supply spool, making it possible to reduce the size of the cassette in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0029] A cassette according to a ninth aspect of the present invention includes a tape case in which the printing tape roll is housed, and a ribbon case located on one side of the first direction relative to the tape case and in which the supply spool and the take-up spool are housed, the ribbon case having an outlet through which the printing tape supplied from the printing tape roll and the ink ribbon wound on the supply spool are discharged from the ribbon case, and an inlet through which the ink ribbon discharged from the outlet is carried into the ribbon case, the ink ribbon carried in from the inlet is wound around the take-up spool. As a result, the ink ribbon is once discharged from the outlet and then carried in from the inlet, so that less space is needed to form a path than when the ink ribbon is taken up around the take-up spool along a path formed in the ribbon case, and the cassette can be made smaller in size in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction.

[0030] According to the cassette of the tenth aspect of the invention, a portion of the ink ribbon located between the inlet and the position where the ink ribbon is wound onto the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction to the first direction than if the portion of the ink ribbon located between the inlet and the position where the ink ribbon is wound onto the take-up spool does not overlap with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0031] According to a cassette of the eleventh aspect of the invention, the ribbon case includes a laminating tape roll wound with a laminating tape to be laminated to the printing tape, and at least a portion of the laminating tape roll overlaps the printing tape roll in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than when at least a portion of the laminating tape does not overlap the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0032] According to a cassette of the twelfth aspect of the invention, the print tape roll is formed by winding the print tape around a rotatable print tape spool, and at least a portion of the spliced ​​tape roll overlaps the print tape spool in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than in a case where at least a portion of the spliced ​​tape does not overlap the print tape spool in the first direction.

[0033] According to a cassette of the thirteenth aspect of the invention, the laminating tape roll is configured by winding the laminating tape around a rotatable laminating tape spool, and the center of rotation of the laminating tape spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than if the center of rotation of the laminating tape spool does not overlap with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

[0034] According to a cassette of the fourteenth aspect of the invention, the print tape roll has the print tape wound around a rotatable print tape spool, and at least a portion of the laminating tape spool overlaps with the print tape spool in the first direction, which allows the cassette to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than in a case where at least a portion of the laminating tape spool does not overlap with the print tape spool in the first direction.

[0035] A cassette according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention includes (a) a printing tape roll around which printing tape, which is the printing medium, is wound, (b) a rotatable supply spool around which an ink ribbon used for printing on the printing tape is wound, (c) a take-up spool that is rotatable so as to take up the ink ribbon supplied from the supply spool, and (d) a spacer film that abuts against the printing tape roll in a first direction that is the width direction of the ink ribbon wound on the supply spool, and (e) at least a portion of the supply spool and at least a portion of the take-up spool overlap with the spacer film in the first direction. This allows the cassette to be more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the first direction than if the spacer film, the supply spool, and the take-up spool do not overlap in the first direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0036] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the top side of a laminate type cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a perspective view showing the lower surface side of the cassette of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a perspective view showing the structure and internal structure of the case of the cassette of FIG. 1, with a first case member, a second case member, a third case member, and a fourth case member that constitute the case separated. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a front view showing the top surface side of the first case member of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the first case member of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a front view showing the upper surface side of the second case member of FIG. 1 together with the print tape roll. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view showing the cassette of FIG. 1 with a first case member removed. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6, showing a state in which the printing tape is stretched from inside the tape case to inside the ribbon case. [Figure 9] 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the second case member of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is a perspective view showing the top surface side of the third case member of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] 2 is a perspective view showing the underside of the third case member of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 12] 2 is a perspective view showing the upper surface side of the fourth case member of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 13] 1. FIG. 4 is a bottom view showing the bottom side of the fourth case member of FIG. [Figure 14] This figure shows the paths of the printing tape pulled out from the printing tape roll and the laminating tape pulled out from the laminating tape roll, and the path of the ink ribbon pulled out from the ink ribbon, using a diagram showing the underside of the third case member in Figure 1. [Figure 15] 2 is a diagram illustrating a stack of printing tape and laminating tape fed out from the cassette of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 16] 2 is a plan view of the cassette of FIG. 1, showing the relative positions of a printing tape roll, a laminating tape roll, an ink ribbon, and a take-up spool. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XVII-XVII in FIG. 6. [Figure 18] 2 is a diagram illustrating a cassette mounting portion of a printing device into which the cassette of FIG. 1 is mounted. FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the top side of a non-laminate type cassette according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the underside of the cassette of FIG. 19. [Figure 21] 20 is a perspective view showing the structure and internal structure of the case of the cassette of FIG. 19, with a first case member, a second case member, a third case member, and a fourth case member that constitute the case separated. FIG. [Figure 22] 20 is a front view showing the top side of the first case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 23] 20 is a perspective view showing the underside of the first case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 24] 20 is a front view showing the upper surface side of the second case member of FIG. 19 together with the print tape roll. [Figure 25]FIG. 20 is a perspective view showing the cassette of FIG. 19 with the first case member removed. [Figure 26] 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XXVI-XXVI in FIG. 24, showing the state in which the print tape is stretched from inside the tape case to inside the ribbon case in the cassette of FIG. 19. [Figure 27] 20 is a perspective view showing the underside of the second case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 28] 20 is a perspective view showing the top surface side of the third case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 29] 20 is a perspective view showing the underside of the third case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 30] 20 is a perspective view showing the top surface side of the fourth case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 31] 20 is a bottom view showing the bottom side of the fourth case member of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 32] 22 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the cassette of FIG. 19, taken along the line XXXII-XXXII of FIG. 24. FIG. [Figure 33] 20 is a diagram showing the path of the print tape pulled out from the print tape roll and the path of the ink ribbon pulled out from the ink ribbon, using a diagram showing the underside of the third case member in FIG. 19. [Figure 34] 20 is a diagram illustrating a stack of printing tape and laminating tape fed out from the cassette of FIG. 19. FIG. [Figure 35] 20 is a plan view of the cassette of FIG. 19, showing the relative positions of the print tape roll, ink ribbon, and take-up spool. FIG. [Figure 36] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a cassette according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [Example]

[0038] [Embodiment 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cassette 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention, shown from the front or top. In describing this embodiment, the upper side of FIG. 1 refers to the front side of the cassette 10, the lower side refers to the rear side of the cassette 10, the right side refers to the left side of the cassette 10, the left side refers to the right side of the cassette 10, the upper left side refers to the upper side of the cassette 10, and the lower right side refers to the lower side of the cassette 10. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cassette 10 from the rear or bottom side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of the cassette 10, with the first case member 12, second case member 14, third case member 16, and fourth case member 18 of the cassette 10 separated. The cassette 10 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape overall and is removably mounted in a cassette mounting section 104 of a printing device 102, which is shown in FIG. 18 and will be described later. Cassette 10 includes a first case or tape case 20 composed of first case member 12 and second case member 14, and a second case or ribbon case 21 composed of third case member 16 and fourth case member 18. The stacking direction of first case member 12 to fourth case member 18, i.e., the up-and-down direction shown in FIG. 1, corresponds to the first direction in the present invention. The front-to-back direction shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the left-to-right direction shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

[0039] The ribbon case 21 is located on one side in the up-down direction relative to the tape case 20. In this embodiment, the ribbon case 21 is located on the lower side, which is one side in the up-down direction, relative to the tape case 20. The tape case 20 has a first space S1 formed inside and is provided with a print tape roll 26 on which a print tape 22, which is a print medium, is wound. The ribbon case 21 has an ink ribbon roll 72 and a laminating tape roll 64 in a second space S2 formed inside.

[0040] The ink ribbon roll 72 is constructed by winding a strip-shaped ink ribbon 68 around a take-up spool 76 with its width direction aligned vertically. The ink ribbon 68 is used for printing on a strip-shaped printing tape 22. The radial direction of the ink ribbon roll 72 is the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and the radial direction is an orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. The orthogonal direction can also be referred to as any direction parallel to a plane perpendicular to the vertical direction. The laminating tape roll 64 is constructed by winding a strip-shaped laminating tape 60, which is to be laminated to the printed printing tape 22, around a laminating spool with its width direction aligned vertically. The first case member 12, second case member 14, third case member 16, and fourth case member 18 are stacked vertically and secured to one another by engagement between a plurality of locking claws 27 and fixing claws 28 provided between their respective outer peripheral walls, and by positioning by positioning protrusions 29. In this embodiment, the upper surface of each of the case members 12 to 18 is referred to as the upper surface or front surface, and the lower surface is referred to as the lower surface or back surface.

[0041] 2, a take-up spool support hole 94 that penetrates vertically is provided in the bottom surface of the fourth case member 18 of the cassette 10. In addition, a recess 99 is formed in the front surfaces of the third case member 16 and the fourth case member 18, i.e., the front surface of the ribbon case 21, into which a print head 106 (described below) provided in the cassette mounting portion 104 is inserted when the cassette 10 is mounted in the cassette mounting portion 104 of the printing device 102.

[0042] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the top side of the first case member 12, and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the first case member 12. FIG. 6 is a front view showing the top side of the second case member 14. Note that FIG. 6 omits the illustration of the print tape 22 pulled out from the print tape roll 26. FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the top side of the second case member 14. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIII-VIII in FIG. 6, showing the print tape 22 being stretched from inside the tape case 20 to inside the ribbon case 21. FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the second case member 14, FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing the top side of the third case member 16, and FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the third case member 16. FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing the top side of the fourth case member 18, and FIG. 13 is a bottom view showing the bottom side of the fourth case member 18.

[0043] A first space S1 is formed between the first case member 12 and the second case member 14. The print tape roll 26 is housed in the first space S1 so that it can rotate about a first rotation center line C1 that is parallel to the up-down direction. The first rotation center line C1 is the center of rotation of both the print tape roll 26 and the print tape spool 24. The print tape roll 26 is constructed by winding the print tape 22 around the print tape spool 24, which is a cylindrical core material. The first case member 12 and the second case member 14 are rectangular, and the first rotation center line C1 is located approximately to the right of the center of the first case member 12 and the second case member 14 in the left-right direction, which is the second direction, and approximately in the center of the front-rear direction, which is the third direction.

[0044] The printing tape 22 is a print medium that is printed on by the print head 106. As shown in Fig. 15, for example, the printing tape 22 is configured by laminating a release tape 22c onto the surface opposite the printing surface of a print-receiving tape 22a via an adhesive 22b.

[0045] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a cylindrical first support protrusion 30 and a first circumferential wall 34 are provided on the underside of the first case member 12. The first support protrusion 30 is inserted into the cylindrical printing tape spool 24 to rotatably support the printing tape roll 26. The first case member 12 has an outer peripheral wall 44 having a short side portion 44a and a long side portion 44b. The first circumferential wall 34 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the printing tape roll 26. The first support protrusion 30 and the first circumferential wall 34 protrude downward from the underside of the first case member 12, with their center line coincident with the first rotation center line C1. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a cylindrical second support protrusion 32 and a second circumferential wall 36 are provided on the upper side of the second case member 14. The second support protrusion 32 is inserted into the cylindrical printing tape spool 24 to rotatably support the printing tape roll 26. The second circumferential wall 36 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the print tape roll 26. The second support protrusions 32 and second circumferential wall 36 protrude upward from the top surface of the second case member 14, with their center line coincident with the first rotation center line C1. The print tape roll 26 is disposed between the first case member 12 and the second case member 14, with circular spacer films 38, each having approximately the same outer diameter as the outer diameter of the print tape roll 26, interposed above and below the print tape roll 26.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, print tape gates 40, 42 are formed on the bottom surface of the first case member 12 and the top surface of the second case member 14 by cutting out portions of the first circumferential wall 34 and the second circumferential wall 36 in order to pull out the print tape 22 from the print tape roll 26 from a fixed position. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a guide wall 50 is formed on the top surface of the second case member 14, extending leftward from the left end of the print tape gate 42 in order to guide the print tape 22 pulled out from the print tape roll 26 in a fixed direction.

[0047] As shown in Figure 6, the guide wall 50 extending leftward from the left end of the printing tape gate 42 bends toward the long side 46b, i.e., backward, before reaching the short side 46a of the outer peripheral wall 46, and extends along the second circumferential wall 36 to connect to the long side 46b.

[0048] 6, a through hole 52 that is generally L-shaped in front view and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions along the guide wall 50 and the long side portion 46b of the outer circumferential wall 46 is formed in the bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14. A plurality of guide ribs 54 are formed in the bottom plate 14a between the through hole 52 and a portion of the second circumferential wall 36 that faces the guide wall 50 and the long side portion 46b. The plurality of guide ribs 54 guide the printing tape 22 that is unwound from the printing tape roll 26 and fed through the printing tape gates 40 and 42 into the through hole 52.

[0049] Figure 7 shows the cassette 10 without the first case member 12. As shown in Figure 7, the printing tape 22 unwound from the printing tape roll 26 is guided through the through hole 52 into the second space S2 between the third case member 16 and the fourth case member 18. The printing tape 22 is stretched across the tape case 20 and the ribbon case 21 through the through hole 52 formed in the bottom plate 14a, which functions as a plate member that separates the first space S1 and the second space S2.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the printing tape 22 is hung diagonally from inside the tape case 20 into the ribbon case 21 through the through hole 52. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, which will be described later, the printing tape 22 is hung up to the recess 99 of the ribbon case 21. FIG. 9 shows the underside of the second case member 14. As shown in FIG. 9, a through hole 52 opens on the back surface of the bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14, and a guide wall 56 is provided in the vertical direction along the through hole 52. FIG. 10 shows the top side of the third case member 16. A through hole 58, a laminating tape roll support hole 66, an ink ribbon support hole 74, a take-up spool support hole 78, and a roller support hole 82 are formed in the ceiling plate 16e of the third case member 16. The through hole 58 is formed at a position corresponding to the through hole 52 of the second case member 14 so that the printing tape 22 pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 can pass through the second space S2. That is, a part of the through-hole 52 and a part of the through-hole 58 overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0051] The bottom plate 14a of the second case member 14 and the ceiling plate 16e of the third case member 16 separate a first space S1 in the tape case 20 and a second space S2 in the ribbon case 21.

[0052] The laminating tape roll support hole 66 receives one end of a laminating spool 62 around which a laminating tape 60 is wound, thereby supporting the laminating tape roll 64 rotatably about a second rotation center line C2 parallel to the first rotation center line C1. The second rotation center line C2 is the rotation center of both the laminating tape roll 64 and the laminating tape spool 62. As shown in FIG. 15 , the laminating tape 60 is made of a transparent film 60a with an adhesive 60b applied to one surface that comes into contact with the printing surface of the printing tape 22 to protect the printing surface. The ink ribbon support hole 74 receives one end of a supply spool 70 around which an ink ribbon 68 is wound, thereby supporting the ink ribbon roll 72 rotatably about a third rotation center line C3 parallel to the first rotation center line C1. The third rotation center line C3 is the rotation center of both the ink ribbon roll 72 and the supply spool 70. The take-up spool support hole 78 receives one end of the take-up spool 76, which takes up the ink ribbon 68 unwound from the ink ribbon roll 72, and supports the take-up spool 76 rotatably about a fourth rotation center line C4 parallel to the first rotation center line C1. The fourth rotation center line C4 is the rotation center of the take-up spool 24. The roller support hole 82 receives one end of the roller 80, which clamps the printing tape 22 and the laminating tape 60 between itself and a roller of the printing device 102 to press the printing surface of the printing tape 22 and the adhesive surface of the laminating tape 60 together, and supports the roller 80 rotatably about a fifth rotation center line C5 parallel to the first rotation center line C1.

[0053] 11, a laminated tape roll holding wall 84, an ink ribbon roll holding wall 86, a cylindrical protrusion 88, and an arc-shaped wall 92 are formed on the bottom surface of the third case member 16. The laminated tape roll holding wall 84 and the arc-shaped wall 92 are formed in an arc shape around the laminated tape roll support hole 66 and centered on the laminated tape roll support hole 66 to define the position of the laminated tape roll 64. The ink ribbon roll holding wall 86 is formed in an arc shape around the take-up spool support hole 78 and centered on the take-up spool support hole 78 to define the position of the ink ribbon 68 taken up on the take-up spool 76. The cylindrical protrusion 88 protrudes downward from the periphery of the ink ribbon support hole 74, and has irregularities arranged in the circumferential direction on its tip surface. The third case member 16 has a short side portion 16a and a long side portion 16b as outer peripheral walls, and a U-shaped recess wall 16c arranged to surround the recess 99. In addition, a support protrusion 93 is provided on the lower surface of the third case member 16 for rotatably supporting the upper end of an adhesion prevention roller 91 that prevents the laminating tape 60 from sticking. In addition, as shown in Fig. 12, a support protrusion 95 is provided on the upper surface of the fourth case member 18 for connectably supporting the lower end of the adhesion prevention roller 91.

[0054] As shown in Figure 3, a clutch spring holder 90 containing a clutch spring is fitted to the other end of the supply spool 70 around which the ink ribbon 68 is wound, and the clutch spring in the clutch spring holder 90 applies an appropriate amount of rotational resistance to the ink ribbon roll 72 of the supply spool 70.

[0055] 12 and 13 show the top and bottom surfaces of the fourth case member 18. A take-up spool support hole 94 is formed through the fourth case member 18 in the vertical direction, into which the other end of the take-up spool 76 is fitted to rotatably support the take-up spool 76. A connecting hole 96 formed in the end face on the other end side of the take-up spool 76 is exposed to the bottom surface of the fourth case member 18 through the take-up spool support hole 94, as shown in FIG. 2. When the cassette 10 is installed in the printing device 102, a take-up spool drive shaft 108 of the printing device 102, which will be described later, is inserted into the connecting hole 96 to connect to the take-up spool 76, and the take-up spool 76 is rotated by the take-up spool drive shaft 108. In addition, a cylindrical support protrusion 97 is formed in the fourth case member 18, into which the other end of the supply spool 70 is fitted to rotatably support the supply spool 70.

[0056] The fourth case member 18 has a roller exposing hole 98 that exposes the shaft end of the roller 80 at a position corresponding to the roller support hole 82 formed in the third case member 16. A connecting portion 80a formed at the end of the roller 80 facing the fourth case member 18 is exposed on the underside of the fourth case member 18 through the roller exposing hole 98, as shown in FIG. 2. When the cassette 10 is installed in the printing device 102, a roller drive shaft 110 of the printing device 102, which will be described later, is connected to the connecting portion 80a, and the roller 80 is driven to rotate by the roller drive shaft 110. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, the fourth case member 18 has a U-shaped notch 18a formed therein that corresponds to the recess wall 16c. The recess wall 16c and the notch 18a form a recess 99.

[0057] FIG. 14 is a diagram showing the underside of the third case member 16 when the cassette 10 is installed in the cassette installation section 104 of the printing device 102. As described above, the printing tape 22 is pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 and is stretched diagonally from the first space S1 in the tape case 20 to the second space S2 in the ribbon case 21 via the through-holes 52 and 58. Therefore, in FIG. 14 showing the third case member 16, the printing tape 22 is drawn from the through-hole 58 at the rear of the third case member 16. As shown in FIG. 14, the printing tape 22 and the laminating tape 60 are clamped between the roller 80 and the pressure roller 118 of the printing device 102, and are pulled out from the printing tape roll 26 and the laminating tape roll 64, respectively, by the drive of the roller 80. The ink ribbon 68 is pulled out from the ink ribbon roll 72 by the drive of the take-up spool 76 and taken up onto the take-up spool 76. The printing tape 22 is shown in two-dot chain lines, the laminating tape 60 in dashed lines, and the ink ribbon 68 in dashed lines.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 14 , the ink ribbon 68 is discharged from the ribbon case 21 of the cassette 10, i.e., from an outlet 130 formed in the third case member 16, together with the printing tape 22, toward the printing location P. At the printing location P between the print head 106 and the platen roller 116, the printing tape 22 is pressed against the print head 106 via the ink ribbon 68. In this state, multiple heating elements arranged on the surface of the print head 106 are selectively driven to generate localized heat, causing a portion of the ink 68a on one side of the ink ribbon 68 to be transferred to the printing tape 22, printing characters, symbols, etc. on the printing tape 22. After passing through the printing location P, the used ink ribbon 68 is transported into the ribbon case 21 through the inlet 132 and taken up onto the take-up spool 76. The printed surface of the printing tape 22 that has passed through the printing location P is sandwiched between roller 80 and the pressure roller 118 of the printing device 102, and the transparent laminating tape 60 is adhered to the printed surface. As a result, the printing surface of the printing tape 22 is protected by the laminating tape 60 .

[0059] Figure 15 shows a schematic diagram of a laminate of the printing tape 22 and laminating tape 60 fed out from the cassette 10. Laminating tape 60, which is made of a transparent film 60a with an adhesive 60b applied all over it, is attached to the printable tape 22a side of the printing tape 22, i.e., the printing surface side. This protects the ink 68a transferred to the printing surface of the printing tape 22. Note that the sizes and dimensional ratios of the components 22a-22c, 60a, 60b, 68a of the laminate depicted in Figure 15 are not necessarily accurate.

[0060] FIG. 16 is a view showing the underside of the third case member 16. The laminating tape roll 64, ink ribbon roll 72, take-up spool 76, and roller 80 are arranged in the second space S2 between the third case member 16 and the fourth case member 18, i.e., in the ribbon case 21. As described above, the ribbon case 21 is arranged below the tape case 20. When the printing tape roll 26 and spacer film 38 housed in the tape case 20 are projected vertically onto a projection plane extending in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions within the second space S2, the projected positions of the printing tape roll 26 and spacer film 38 are indicated by dashed-dotted lines in FIG. 16. Note that because the spacer film 38 has approximately the same diameter as the printing tape roll 26, only the dashed-dotted line representing the printing tape roll 26 is shown in FIG. 16. As shown in FIG. 16, the laminating tape roll 64, ink ribbon roll 72, and take-up spool 76 are arranged in positions that vertically overlap the printing tape roll 26. At least a portion of the laminating tape roll 64 and at least a portion of the laminating tape spool 62 overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26. More specifically, a portion of the laminating tape roll 64 and a portion of the laminating spool 62 overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape spool 24 and the printing tape 22 wound around the printing tape spool 24, respectively.

[0061] 16, the printing tape roll 26 overlaps in the vertical direction with the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64, the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72, and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76. In other words, the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64, the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72, and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 are located within the vertical projection plane of the printing tape roll 26. The third rotation center line C3 is also the rotation center of the supply spool 70, and the fourth rotation center line C4 is the rotation center of the take-up spool 24. Furthermore, a portion of the laminating tape roll 64 and the laminating spool 62 overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26 and the spacer film 38. At least a portion of the supply spool 70, at least a portion of the ink ribbon roll 72, at least a portion of the take-up spool 76, at least a portion of the ink ribbon 68 taken up on the take-up spool 76, and at least a portion of the used ink ribbon 68 that has passed through the printing location P overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26 and the spacer film 38. In other words, at least a portion of each of the laminating tape roll 64, the laminating spool 62, the supply spool 70, and the ink ribbon roll 72 is located within the vertical projection plane of the printing tape roll 26 and the spacer film 38.

[0062] 16, the distance between the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72 is greater than the distance between the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64 and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 and the distance between the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72 and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76. The distance between the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64 and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 is greater than the distance between the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72 and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76.

[0063] 16, the first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 26 is located near the midpoint of the line connecting the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72. The first rotation center line C1 overlaps the laminating tape roll 64 in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions. In other words, the rotation center of the printing tape roll 26, in other words, the rotation center of the printing tape spool 24, overlaps the laminating tape roll 64 in the up-down direction. The fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 is located on the opposite side of the line from the recess 99. The distance between the fourth rotation center line C4 and the first rotation center line C1 is shorter than the distance between the third rotation center line C3 and the first rotation center line C1, and shorter than the distance between the second rotation center line C2 and the first rotation center line C1.

[0064] In addition, the take-up spool 76, at least a portion of the ink ribbon 68 wound onto the take-up spool 76, and at least a portion of the ink ribbon 68 that passes through the printing location P and is positioned between the feed entrance 132 and the position where it is wound onto the take-up spool 76 overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26, the printing tape spool 24, and the spacer film 38.

[0065] 1 and 2, the outer peripheral wall of the third case member 16 constitutes a part of the outer peripheral wall of the cassette 10. The front-rear and left-right dimensions of the third case member 16 are approximately equal to the front-rear and left-right dimensions of the cassette 10. Therefore, the center position of the third case member 16 in the front-rear and left-right directions approximately coincides with the center position of the cassette 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions. As shown in FIG. 16, in the front-rear and left-right directions (orthogonal directions), the distance between a center position M, which is the center of the cassette 10 in the front-rear and left-right directions, and a first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 26 is shorter than the distance between the center position M and the second rotation center line C2 of the laminating tape roll 64, the distance between the center position M and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 72, and the distance between the center position M and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76. That is, in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, the first rotational center line C1 is located closer to the center of the cassette 10 than any of the second rotational center line C2 to the fourth rotational center line C4.

[0066] In addition, the diameter of the printing tape roll 26 is larger than the diameter of the laminating tape roll 64, and the size (diameter dimension d) of the printing tape roll 26 in each of the directions, i.e., the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the up-to-down direction and the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the up-to-down direction and the front-to-back direction, is larger than half the size of the cassette 10 in each of the directions, i.e., half the long side L.

[0067] Figure 17 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XVII-XVII in Figure 6. In the vertical direction, the distance D between one end (lower side) of the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction and the other end (upper side) of the laminating tape roll 64 in the vertical direction is smaller than the width dimension W1 of the laminating tape 60. Because the printing tape 22 and the laminating tape 60 have the same width dimension, the distance D is smaller than the width dimension of the printing tape roll 26.

[0068] In the front-rear direction, which is perpendicular to the up-down direction, and in the left-right direction, which is perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, the distance from the center position M, which is the center of the cassette in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction, to the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the printing tape roll 26, is shorter than the distance from the center position M to the second rotation center line C2, which is the rotation center of the laminating tape roll 64. The diameter of the printing tape roll 26 is larger than that of the laminating tape roll 64. The dimension of the convex envelope (line) H, formed by connecting the tangents to the outer circumferential circles of the printing tape roll 26, the take-up spool 76, and the supply spool 70 around which the ink ribbon 68 is wound, in the front-rear direction is larger than half the dimension of the third case member 16 in the front-rear direction. The dimension of the convex envelope (line) H in the left-right direction is larger than half the dimension of the third case member 16 in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 2, the outer peripheral wall of the third case member 16 constitutes a part of the outer peripheral wall of the cassette 10. Therefore, it can also be expressed that the dimensions of the convex envelope (line) H in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction are greater than half the dimensions of the cassette 10 in the front-rear direction and the left-right direction.

[0069] FIG. 18 shows a cassette loading section 104 provided in a part of a printing device 102 included in a printing system 122. The cassette loading section 104 is provided with a rectangular positioning hole 112 for positioning the inserted cassette 10, and a take-up spool drive shaft 108 and a roller drive shaft 110 erected on the bottom surface of the positioning hole 112. The positioning hole 112 functions as a housing for accommodating part of the ribbon case 21, which is the lower case of the cassette 10. The take-up spool drive shaft 108 and the roller drive shaft 110 are driven to rotate in the same direction by a step motor (not shown) via a gear mechanism. In addition, a head holding plate 114 to which a thermal printhead 106 is fixed is erected on the bottom surface of the positioning hole 112 of the cassette loading section 104, and a platen holding member 120, with a platen roller 116 and a pressure roller 118 rotatably mounted at its tip, is provided rotatably around its base end. The head holding plate 114 is a metal plate made of aluminum, for example, and also serves as a heat sink for the print head.

[0070] When the cassette 10 is installed in the cassette installation section 104 of the printing device 102, a take-up spool drive shaft 108 and a roller drive shaft 110, which are erected in the cassette installation section 104, are connected to the take-up spool 76 and roller 80. Next, when a cover (not shown) of the printing device 102 is closed with the cassette 10 installed in the cassette installation section 104, the platen holding member 120 is rotated about its base end, and the platen roller 116 and pressure roller 118 are pressed against the print head 106 and roller 80 of the cassette 10. The printing device 102 and the cassette 10 constitute a printing system 122.

[0071] The cassette 10 of this embodiment comprises a printing tape roll 26 around which the printing tape 22, which is the print medium, is wound, a rotatable supply spool 70 around which the ink ribbon 68 used for printing on the printing tape 22, which is supplied from the printing tape roll 26, is wound, and a take-up spool 76 that is rotatable to take up the ink ribbon 68 supplied from the supply spool 70, the supply spool 70 and the take-up spool 76 being positioned below the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon 68 wound on the supply spool 70, and at least a portion of the supply spool 70 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 76 overlap the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction. As a result, the printing tape roll 26, the supply spool 70, and the take-up spool 76 are provided separately in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the supply spool 70 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 76 overlap the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction, so that the cassette 10 can be made smaller in size in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0072] Furthermore, with the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the rotation center of the take-up spool 76, overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 26. This allows the cassette 10 to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 76 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 26.

[0073] Furthermore, with the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the third rotation center line C3, which is the rotation center of the supply spool 70, overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 26. This allows the cassette 10 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the third rotation center line C3 of the supply spool 70 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape roll.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the print tape roll 26 is formed by winding the print tape 22 around the rotatable print tape spool 24, and at least a portion of the ink ribbon 68 wound around the take-up spool 76 overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 26. This allows the cassette 10 to be made more compact in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the ink ribbon 68 wound around the take-up spool 76 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 26.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, at least a portion of the take-up spool 76 overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 24. This allows the cassette 10 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the take-up spool 76 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 24.

[0076] Furthermore, with the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the print tape roll 26 is formed by winding print tape around a rotatable print tape spool 24, and in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the rotation center of the take-up spool 76, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 24, is shorter than the distance between the third rotation center line C3, which is the rotation center of the supply spool 70, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 24. This allows the cassette 10 to be more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction than in a case where the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the rotation center of the take-up spool 76, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 24, is longer than the distance between the third rotation center line C3, which is the rotation center of the supply spool 70, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 24.

[0077] Furthermore, with the cassette 10 of this embodiment, in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the left-to-right direction, the distance between center position M, which is the center of the cassette 10 in the front-to-rear direction and the left-to-right direction, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 26, is smaller than both the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the center of rotation of the take-up spool 76, and center position M, and the distance between the third rotation center line C3, which is the center of rotation of the supply spool 70, and the center position M. Because the diameter of the printing tape roll 26 is larger than that of the laminating tape roll 64, this results in a greater overlap between the printing tape roll 26 and the supply spool 70 than if the distance between center position M and the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 26 is not smaller than either the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool 276 and center position M or the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool 270 and center position M, and this enables the cassette 10 to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-to-down direction.

[0078] Furthermore, with the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the dimension of the convex envelope H, which is defined by the outer circumferential circles of the printing tape roll 26, take-up spool 76, and ink ribbon roll 72 or supply spool 70 and the tangents thereto, in the front-rear direction, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction, is larger than half the dimension of the cassette 10 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the dimension of the convex envelope H in the left-right direction, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, is larger than half the dimension of the cassette 10 in the left-right direction. As a result, a higher proportion of the space within the cassette 10 is occupied by the printing tape roll 26, take-up spool 76, and supply spool 70, and therefore the cassette 10 can be made more compact in the orthogonal direction, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction.

[0079] Furthermore, the cassette 10 of this embodiment comprises a tape case 20 containing a printing tape roll 62, and a ribbon case 21 located vertically below the tape case 20 and containing a supply spool 70 and a take-up spool 76, the ribbon case 21 having an outlet 130 through which the printing tape 22 supplied from the printing tape roll 62 and the ink ribbon 68 wound on the supply spool 70 are discharged from the ribbon case 21, and an inlet 132 through which the ink ribbon 68 discharged from the outlet 130 is carried into the ribbon case 21, and the ink ribbon 68 carried in from the inlet 132 is wound around the take-up spool 76. As a result, the ink ribbon 68, which is once discharged from the discharge port 130 and then carried in from the inlet 132, is wound up by the take-up spool 76, so there is no need for space to form a return path for the ink ribbon 68 inside the ribbon case 221, as opposed to when the ink ribbon 68 is wound around the take-up spool 76 along a path formed inside the ribbon case 21, and the cassette 10 can be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0080] Furthermore, according to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, a portion of the ink ribbon 68 located between the inlet 132 and the position where the ink ribbon 68 is wound onto the take-up spool 76 overlaps in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26. This allows the cassette 10 to be made more compact in the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the portion of the ink ribbon located between the inlet 132 and the position where the ink ribbon 68 is wound onto the take-up spool 76 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26.

[0081] Furthermore, according to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the ribbon case 21 is provided with a laminating tape roll 64 around which is wound a laminating tape 60 to be laminated to the printing tape 22, and at least a portion of the laminating tape 60 overlaps in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26. This allows the cassette 10 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the laminating tape 60 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 26.

[0082] According to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the print tape roll 26 is formed by winding the print tape 22 around a rotatable print tape spool 24, and at least a portion of the laminating tape roll 64 overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 24. This allows the cassette 10 to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the laminating tape roll 64 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 24.

[0083] According to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the laminating tape roll 64 is configured by winding the laminating tape 60 around a rotatable laminating tape spool 62, and the center of rotation of the laminating tape spool 62 vertically overlaps with the printing tape roll 26. This allows the cassette 10 to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the center of rotation of the laminating tape spool 62 did not vertically overlap with the printing tape roll 26.

[0084] According to the cassette 10 of this embodiment, the print tape roll 26 is formed by winding the print tape 22 around the rotatable print tape spool 24, and at least a portion of the laminating tape spool 62 overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 24. This allows the cassette 10 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the laminating tape spool 62 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 24.

[0085] Furthermore, the cassette 10 of this embodiment comprises a printing tape roll 26 around which the printing tape 22, which is the print medium, is wound, a rotatable supply spool 70 around which the ink ribbon 68 used for printing on the printing tape 22 is wound, a take-up spool 76 that can rotate to take up the ink ribbon 68 supplied from the supply spool 70, and a spacer film 38 that abuts against the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon 68 wound on the supply spool 70, and at least a portion of the supply spool 70 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 76 vertically overlap the spacer film 38. This allows the cassette 10 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, compared to a case where the spacer film 38 and the ink ribbon 68 do not vertically overlap.

[0086] [Embodiment 2] Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following description, parts common to the embodiments will be given the same reference numerals and description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a cassette 210 according to another embodiment of the present invention, shown from the front, i.e., top, side. In describing this embodiment, the upper side of FIG. 19 refers to the front side of the cassette 210, the lower side refers to the rear side of the cassette 210, the right side refers to the left side of the cassette 210, the left side refers to the right side of the cassette 210, the upper left side refers to the upper side of the cassette 210, and the lower right side refers to the lower side of the cassette 210. FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the cassette 210 shown from the rear, i.e., bottom, side. The cassette 210 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape and is detachably mounted in a printer configured similarly to that shown in FIG. 18, except for slight differences in dimensions and the absence of the roller drive shaft 110. Hereinafter, the printer 102 shown in FIG. 18 will be used as the printer. The cassette 210 of this embodiment is a non-laminated type that does not include the laminating tape roll 64 and roller 80, and is therefore smaller than the laminated type cassette 10. FIG. 21 is a perspective view illustrating the internal configuration of cassette 210 with first case member 212, second case member 214, third case member 216, and fourth case member 218 of cassette 210 separated.

[0088] Cassette 210 includes a first case, i.e., tape case 220, which is composed of first case member 212 and second case member 214, and a second case, i.e., ribbon case 221, which is composed of third case member 216 and fourth case member 218. The stacking direction of first case member 212 to fourth case member 218, i.e., the up-and-down direction shown in Fig. 19, corresponds to the first direction in the present invention. Furthermore, the front-to-back direction shown in Fig. 19 corresponds to the second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the left-to-right direction shown in Fig. 19 corresponds to the third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

[0089] The ribbon case 221 is located on one side in the up-down direction relative to the tape case 220. In this embodiment, the ribbon case 221 is located on the lower side, which is one side in the up-down direction, relative to the tape case 220. The tape case 220 has a first space S1 formed therein and is provided with a print tape roll 226 around which a print tape 222, which is a print medium, is wound. The ribbon case 221 has an ink ribbon roll 272 in a second space S2 formed therein.

[0090] The ink ribbon roll 272 is configured by winding a strip-shaped ink ribbon 268 around the take-up spool 76 so that the width direction is the vertical direction. The ink ribbon 268 is used for printing on the strip-shaped printing tape 222. The radial direction of the ink ribbon roll 272 is the front-to-back direction and the left-to-right direction, and the radial direction is an orthogonal direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The orthogonal direction can also be said to be any direction parallel to a plane that is perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0091] The first case member 212, the second case member 214, the third case member 216 and the fourth case member 218 are stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction and fixed to one another by engagement between a plurality of locking claws 227 and fixing claws 228 provided between the outer peripheral walls of the case members and positioning by positioning protrusions 229, thereby constituting cassette 210. In the second embodiment, the upper surface of each of the case members 212 to 218 is referred to as the upper surface or front surface, and the lower surface is referred to as the lower surface or back surface.

[0092] 20, a take-up spool support hole 294 that penetrates vertically is provided in the bottom surface of the fourth case member 218 of the cassette 210. In addition, a recess 299 is formed in the front surfaces of the third case member 216 and the fourth case member 218, i.e., the front surface of the ribbon case 221, into which a print head 106 (described below) provided in the cassette mounting portion 104 is inserted when the cassette 210 is mounted in the cassette mounting portion 104 of the printing device 102.

[0093] FIG. 22 is a front view showing the top side of the first case member 212, and FIG. 23 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the first case member 212. FIG. 24 is a front view showing the top side of the second case member 214. Note that FIG. 24 omits the illustration of the print tape 222 pulled out from the print tape roll 226. FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing the top side of the second case member 214. FIG. 26 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXVI-XXVI of FIG. 24, showing the print tape 222 being stretched from inside the tape case 220 to inside the ribbon case 221. FIG. 27 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the second case member 214, FIG. 28 is a perspective view showing the top side of the third case member 216, and FIG. 29 is a perspective view showing the bottom side of the third case member 216. FIG. 30 is a perspective view showing the top side of the fourth case member 218, and FIG. 31 is a bottom view showing the bottom side of the fourth case member 218.

[0094] A first space S1 is formed between the first case member 212 and the second case member 214. A print tape roll 226 is housed in the first space S1 so that it can rotate about a first rotation center line C1 that is parallel to the up-down direction. The print tape roll 226 is configured by winding the print tape 222 around a print tape spool 224, which is a cylindrical core material. The first case member 212 and the second case member 214 are rectangular, and the first rotation center line C1 is located approximately to the right of the center of the first case member 212 and the second case member 214 in the left-right direction, which is the second direction, and approximately in the vicinity of the center of the front-rear direction, which is the third direction.

[0095] The printing tape 222 is a print-receiving medium that is printed on by the print head 106. As shown in Fig. 34, for example, the printing tape 222 is configured by laminating a peeling tape 222c onto the surface opposite the printing surface of a print-receiving tape 222a via an adhesive 222b.

[0096] As shown in FIGS. 21 and 23, a cylindrical first support protrusion 230 and a first circumferential wall 234 are provided on the underside of the first case member 212. The first support protrusion 230 is inserted into the cylindrical print tape spool 224 and rotatably supports the print tape roll 226. The first case member 212 has an outer circumferential wall 244 having a short side portion 244a and a long side portion 244b. The first circumferential wall 234 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the print tape roll 226. The first support protrusion 230 and the first circumferential wall 234 protrude downward from the underside of the first case member 212, with their center line coincident with the first rotation center line C1. As shown in FIGS. 24 and 25, a cylindrical second support protrusion 232 and a second circumferential wall 236 are provided on the upper side of the second case member 214. The second support protrusion 232 is inserted into the cylindrical print tape spool 224 and rotatably supports the print tape roll 226. The second circumferential wall 236 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the print tape roll 226. The second support protrusion 232 and second circumferential wall 236 protrude upward from the top surface of the second case member 214, with their center line coincident with the first rotation center line C1. The print tape roll 226 is disposed between the first case member 212 and the second case member 214, with circular spacer films 238, each having an outer diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the print tape roll 226, interposed above and below the print tape roll 226.

[0097] 23 and 24, print tape gates 240, 242 are formed on the bottom surface of the first case member 212 and the top surface of the second case member 214 by cutting out portions of the first circumferential wall 234 and the second circumferential wall 236 in order to unwind the print tape 222 from a fixed position from the print tape roll 226. As shown in Figures 24 and 25, a guide wall 250 extending leftward from the left end of the print tape gate 242 is formed on the top surface of the second case member 214 in order to guide the print tape 222 unwound from the print tape 226 in a fixed direction. In this embodiment, the guide wall 248 is formed from a portion of the second circumferential wall 236.

[0098] 23, the guide wall 248 of the first case member 212 extends leftward from the print tape gate 240 and is connected to the short side 244a of the outer peripheral wall 244. As shown in FIG. 24, the guide wall 250 of the second case member 214 extends leftward from the print tape gate 240 and is connected to the short side 246a of the outer peripheral wall 246.

[0099] 24 , a through-hole 252, which is a third opening that is generally L-shaped in front view and extends in the front-rear and left-right directions along the gap between the second circumferential wall 236 and the short side portion 246a and long side portion 246b of the outer circumferential wall 246, is formed in the bottom plate 214a of the second case member 214. A plurality of guide ribs 254 are formed in the bottom plate 214a between the through-hole 252 and portions of the second circumferential wall 236 that face the corners of the short side portion 246a and long side portion 246b. The plurality of guide ribs 254 guide the printing tape 222 that has been unwound from the printing tape roll 226 and fed through the printing tape gates 240 and 242 into the through-hole 252.

[0100] Figure 25 shows the cassette 210 without the first case member 212. As shown in Figure 25, the printing tape 222 unwound from the printing tape roll 226 is guided through the through hole 252 into the second space S2 between the third case member 216 and the fourth case member 218. As a result, the printing tape 222 is stretched across the tape case 220 and the ribbon case 221 through the through hole 252 formed in the bottom plate 214a, which functions as a plate member that separates the first space S1 and the second space S2.

[0101] As shown in FIG. 26, the printing tape 222 is hung diagonally from inside the tape case 220 into the ribbon case 221 through the through hole 252. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 33, which will be described later, the printing tape 222 is hung up to the recess 299 of the ribbon case 221. FIG. 27 shows the underside of the bottom plate 214a of the second case member 214. As shown in FIG. 27, a through hole 252 opens into the back surface of the bottom plate 214a of the second case member 214, and a guide wall 256 is provided in the vertical direction along the through hole 252. FIG. 28 shows the top side of the third case member 216. A through hole 258, an ink ribbon support hole 274, and a take-up spool support hole 278 are formed in the ceiling plate 216e of the third case member 216. The through hole 258 is formed at a position corresponding to the through hole 252 of the second case member 214 so that the print tape 222 can pass through to the second space S2. In other words, a portion of the through hole 252 and a portion of the through hole 258 overlap each other in the vertical direction.

[0102] The bottom plate 214a of the second case member 214 and the ceiling plate 216e of the third case member 216 separate a first space S1 in the tape case 220 and a second space S2 in the ribbon case 221.

[0103] The ink ribbon support hole 274 receives one end of the supply spool 270 around which the ink ribbon 268 is wound, thereby supporting the ink ribbon roll 272 rotatably about a third rotation center line C3 parallel to the first rotation center line C1. The take-up spool support hole 278 receives one end of the take-up spool 276 that takes up the ink ribbon 268 unwound from the ink ribbon roll 272, thereby supporting the take-up spool 276 rotatably about a fourth rotation center line C4 parallel to the first rotation center line C1.

[0104] As shown in Figure 29, an ink ribbon roll holding wall 286 and a cylindrical protrusion 288 are formed on the underside of the third case member 216. The ink ribbon roll holding wall 286 is formed in an arc shape around the take-up spool support hole 278, with the take-up spool support hole 278 as its center, in order to determine the position of the ink ribbon 268 wound around the take-up spool 276. The cylindrical protrusion 288 protrudes downward from the periphery of the ink ribbon support hole 274, and has concaves and convexes arranged in the circumferential direction on its tip surface. The third case member 216 also has a short side portion 216a and a long side portion 216b as its outer peripheral wall, and a U-shaped recess wall 216c arranged to surround the recess 299.

[0105] As shown in Figure 21, a clutch spring holder 290 containing a clutch spring is interposed between one end of the supply spool 270 around which the ink ribbon 268 is wound and the tip surface of the cylindrical protrusion 288, and the clutch spring in the clutch spring holder 290 applies an appropriate amount of rotational resistance to the ink ribbon roll 272 of the supply spool 270.

[0106] 30 and 31 show the top and bottom surfaces of the fourth case member 218. A take-up spool support hole 294, into which the other end of the take-up spool 276 is fitted to rotatably support the take-up spool 276, is formed in the fourth case member 218, penetrating the fourth case member 218 in the vertical direction. The fourth case member 218 also has a cylindrical support protrusion 297, into which the other end of the supply spool 270 is fitted to rotatably support the supply spool 270. A connecting hole 296 formed in the end face on the other end side of the take-up spool 276 is exposed at the bottom surface of the fourth case member 218 through the take-up spool support hole 294, as shown in FIG. When cassette 210 is installed in printing device 102, take-up spool drive shaft 108 of printing device 102 is inserted into connecting hole 296 and connected to take-up spool 76, and take-up spool 276 is driven to rotate by take-up spool drive shaft 108. As shown in Figures 30 and 31, fourth case member 218 is formed with a U-shaped notch 218a corresponding to recess wall 16c. Recess wall 216c and notch 218a form recess 299.

[0107] Figure 32 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XXXII-XXXII of Figure 24. Between the tape case 220 and the ribbon case 221, that is, between the bottom plate 214a of the second case member 214 and the ceiling plate 216e of the third case member 216, a third space S3 having a predetermined volume is formed.

[0108] Figure 33 is a view showing the underside of the third case member 216. Figure 33 shows the paths of the printing tape 222 pulled out from the printing tape roll 226 and the ink ribbon 268 pulled out from the ink ribbon roll 272 when the cassette 210 is installed in the cassette installation section 104 in which the take-up spool drive shaft 108 is erected. As described above, the printing tape 222 is pulled out from the printing tape roll 226 and is stretched diagonally from the first space S1 in the tape case 220 to the second space S2 in the ribbon case 221 via the through holes 252 and 258. For this reason, in Figure 33 showing the third case member 216, the printing tape 222 is drawn from the through hole 258 at the rear of the third case member 216. The take-up spool 276, which is rotationally driven by the take-up spool drive shaft 108, takes up the ink ribbon 268, and the printing tape 222, which is sandwiched together with the ink ribbon 268 between the print head 106 and the platen roller 116, is pulled out from the printing tape roll 226. In Figure 33, the path of the printing tape 222 and the path of the ink ribbon 268 pulled out from the ink ribbon roll 272 by the drive of the take-up spool 276 are shown by two-dot chain lines and dashed lines, respectively.

[0109] At the printing location P between the print head 106 and the platen roller 116, the printing tape 222 is pressed against the print head 106 via the ink ribbon 268. In this state, multiple heating elements arranged on the surface of the print head 106 are selectively driven to generate localized heat, causing a portion of the ink 68a on one surface of the ink ribbon 268 to be transferred to the printing tape 222, printing characters, symbols, etc. on the printing tape 222. The ink ribbon 268 is discharged toward the printing location P together with the printing tape 222 from an outlet 300 formed in the ribbon case 221 of the cassette 210, i.e., the third case member 216. The used ink ribbon 268 that has passed through the printing location P is carried into the ribbon case 221 through an inlet 302 and taken up onto the take-up spool 276. The outlet 300 is provided in the ribbon case 221, which is vertically downward of the printing tape roll 226 in the cassette 210. The entrance 302 is provided in the ribbon case 221 of the cassette 210, below the print tape roll 226 in the vertical direction.

[0110] Figure 34 schematically shows the layered structure of the printing tape 222 fed out from the cassette 210. The printing tape 222 is a laminate of a print-receiving tape 222a and a release tape 222c attached to the non-printing side of the print-receiving tape 222a via an adhesive 222b. Ink 268a from the printing tape 222 has been transferred to the printing side of the print-receiving tape 222a. Note that the sizes and dimensional ratios of the components 222a-222c and 268a of the laminate depicted in Figure 34 are not necessarily accurate.

[0111] Figure 35 is a view showing the underside of the third case member 216. The ink ribbon roll 272 and take-up spool 276 are housed in the second space S2 between the third case member 216 and the fourth case member 218, i.e., in the ribbon case 221. As described above, the ribbon case 221 is positioned below the tape case 220. When the print tape roll 226 and spacer film 238 housed in the tape case 220 are projected vertically onto a projection plane extending in the front-to-rear and left-to-right directions perpendicular to the up-down direction within the second space S2, the projected positions of the print tape roll 226 and spacer film 238 are indicated by dashed-dotted lines in Figure 35. Note that the spacer film 238 has approximately the same diameter as the print tape roll 226, and therefore Figure 35 only depicts the dashed-dotted line representing the print tape roll 226. As shown in Figure 35, the ink ribbon roll 272 and take-up spool 276 are positioned so as to vertically overlap the print tape roll 226. As shown in FIG. 35, the diameter of the printing tape roll 226 is larger than the diameter of the ink ribbon roll 272, which is larger than the diameter of the take-up spool 276.

[0112] 35, the printing tape roll 226 overlaps in the vertical direction with the third rotational center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 272 and the fourth rotational center line C4 of the take-up spool 276. In other words, the third rotational center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 272 and the fourth rotational center line C4 of the take-up spool 276 are located within the vertical projection plane of the printing tape roll 226. The third rotational center line C3 is also the rotation center of the supply spool 270. Furthermore, at least a portion of the supply spool 270, at least a portion of the ink ribbon roll 272, at least a portion of the ink ribbon 268 taken up on the take-up spool 276, and at least a portion of the used ink ribbon 268 that has passed through the printing location P overlap with the printing tape roll 226 and the spacer film 238 in the vertical direction, i.e., the first direction.

[0113] Furthermore, the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 276 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 272 is longer than the distance between the first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 226 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 272. The distance between the first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 226 and the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 276 is shorter, at most one-third, than the distance between the first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 226 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 272. The first rotation center line C1 of the printing tape roll 226 is located closer to the printing location P than the straight line connecting the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 276 and the third rotation center line C3 of the ink ribbon roll 272.

[0114] 35 , in the front-to-rear direction perpendicular to the up-down direction of the cassette 210, and in the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the up-down and front-to-rear directions, the distance between center position M, which is the center of the front-to-rear direction of the cassette 210 (i.e., the middle of the depth dimension L1) and the center in the left-to-right direction (i.e., the center of the left-to-right dimension L2), and the first rotation center line C1, which is the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 226, is smaller than the distance between center position M and the rotation center of the take-up spool 276 (i.e., the fourth rotation center line C4), and the distance between center position M and the rotation center of the supply spool 270 around which the ink ribbon 268 is wound (i.e., the third rotation center line C3). Furthermore, the front-to-rear dimension of a convex envelope (line) H formed by connecting the outer circumferential circles of the printing tape roll 226, the take-up spool 276, and the ink ribbon roll 272 or the supply spool 270 with tangents to them, is larger than half the front-to-rear dimension of the third case member 216. The left-right dimension of the convex envelope (line) H is larger than half the left-right dimension of the third case member 216. As shown in Figure 19, the outer peripheral wall of the third case member 216 constitutes part of the outer peripheral wall of the cassette 210. Therefore, it can also be expressed that the front-rear and left-right dimensions of the convex envelope (line) H are each larger than half the front-rear and left-right dimensions of the cassette 210. Note that in this embodiment, the entire take-up spool 276 overlaps the print tape roll 226 in the up-down direction, and therefore the convex envelope H is formed by connecting the outer peripheral circles of the print tape roll 226 and the supply spool 270 with tangents that touch them.

[0115] The cassette 210 of this embodiment comprises a printing tape roll 226 on which is wound a printing tape 222, which is the printing medium; a rotatable supply spool 270 on which is wound an ink ribbon 268 used for printing on the printing tape 222, which is supplied from the printing tape roll 226; and a take-up spool 276 that is rotatable to take up the ink ribbon 268 supplied from the supply spool 270. The supply spool 270 and the take-up spool 276 are located below the printing tape roll 226 in the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon 268 wound on the supply spool 270, and at least a portion of the supply spool 270 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 276 overlap the printing tape roll 226 in the vertical direction. As a result, the printing tape roll 226, the supply spool 270, and the take-up spool 276 are arranged separately in the vertical direction, and at least a portion of the supply spool 270 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 276 overlap the printing tape roll 226 in the vertical direction, so that the cassette 210 can be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0116] According to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the rotation center of the take-up spool 276, overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 226. This allows the cassette 210 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the fourth rotation center line C4 of the take-up spool 276 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 226.

[0117] According to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, the third rotation center line C3, which is the rotation center of the supply spool 270, overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 226. This allows the cassette 210 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the third rotation center line C3 of the supply spool 270 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 226.

[0118] According to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, the print tape roll 226 is formed by winding the print tape 222 around a rotatable print tape spool 224, and at least a portion of the ink ribbon 268 wound around the take-up spool 276 overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 226. This allows the cassette 210 to be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the ink ribbon 268 wound around the take-up spool 276 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape roll 226.

[0119] According to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, at least a portion of the take-up spool 276 overlaps in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 224. This allows the cassette 210 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if at least a portion of the take-up spool 276 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the print tape spool 224.

[0120] According to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, the print tape roll 226 is formed by winding the print tape 222 around a rotatable print tape spool 224, and in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the rotation center of the take-up spool 276, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 224, is shorter than the distance between the third rotation center line C3, which is the rotation center of the supply spool 270, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 224. This makes it possible to make the cassette 210 more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction than in a case where the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the rotation center of the take-up spool 276, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 224, is longer than the distance between the third rotation center line C3, which is the rotation center of the supply spool 270, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the rotation center of the print tape spool 224.

[0121] Furthermore, according to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, in the front-to-back direction perpendicular to the up-down direction, and in the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the up-down direction and the front-to-back direction, the distance between the center position M, which is the center of the cassette 210 in the front-to-back direction and the center in the left-to-right direction, and the first rotation center line C1, which is the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 226, is smaller than both the distance between the fourth rotation center line C4, which is the center of rotation of the take-up spool 276, and the center position M, and the distance between the third rotation center line C3, which is the center of rotation of the supply spool 270, and the center position. Since the diameter of the printing tape roll 226 is larger than that of the ink ribbon roll 272 and the take-up spool 276, a greater overlap between the printing tape roll 226 and the supply spool 270 and take-up spool 276 is obtained than when the distance between the center position M and the center of rotation of the printing tape roll 226 is not smaller than either the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool 276 and the center position M or the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool 270 and the center position M, and the cassette 210 can be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction.

[0122] Furthermore, with the cassette 210 of this embodiment, the dimension of the convex envelope H, which is defined by the outer circumferential circles of the printing tape roll 226, take-up spool 276, and ink ribbon roll 272 or supply spool 270 and the tangents thereto, in the front-rear direction, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction, is larger than half the dimension of the cassette 210 in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the dimension of the convex envelope H in the left-right direction, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction and the front-rear direction, is larger than half the dimension of the cassette 210 in the left-right direction. As a result, a higher proportion of the space within the cassette 210 is occupied by the printing tape roll 226, take-up spool 276, and supply spool 270, and therefore the cassette 210 can be made more compact in the orthogonal direction, which is orthogonal to the up-down direction.

[0123] The cassette 210 of this embodiment comprises a tape case 220 containing a printing tape roll 226, and a ribbon case 221 located on one side of the first direction relative to the tape case 220 and containing a supply spool 270 and a take-up spool 276, the ribbon case 221 having an outlet 300 through which the printing tape 222 supplied from the printing tape roll 226 and the ink ribbon 268 wound on the supply spool 270 are discharged from the ribbon case 221, and an inlet 302 through which the ink ribbon 268 discharged from the outlet 300 is carried into the ribbon case 221, and the ink ribbon 268 carried in from the inlet 302 is wound around the take-up spool 276. As a result, the ink ribbon 268, which is once discharged from the discharge port 300 and then carried in from the inlet 302, is wound up by the take-up spool 276, so there is no need for space to form a return path for the ink ribbon 268 inside the ribbon case 221, as opposed to when the ink ribbon 268 is wound around the take-up spool 276 along a path formed inside the ribbon case 221, and the cassette 210 can be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0124] According to the cassette 210 of this embodiment, a portion of the ink ribbon 268 located between the carry-in entrance 302 and the position where the ink ribbon 268 is wound onto the take-up spool 276 overlaps in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 226. This allows the cassette 210 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction than if the portion of the ink ribbon 268 located between the carry-in entrance 302 and the position where the ink ribbon 268 is wound onto the take-up spool 276 did not overlap in the vertical direction with the printing tape roll 226.

[0125] The cassette 210 of this embodiment comprises a printing tape roll 226 around which the printing tape 222, which is the print medium, is wound, a rotatable supply spool 270 around which the ink ribbon 268 used for printing on the printing tape 222 is wound, a take-up spool 276 that can rotate to take up the ink ribbon 268 supplied from the supply spool 270, and a spacer film 238 that abuts against the printing tape roll 226 in the vertical direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon 268 wound on the supply spool 270, and at least a portion of the supply spool 270 and at least a portion of the take-up spool 276 vertically overlap the spacer film 238. This allows the cassette 210 to be made smaller in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, compared to a case where the spacer film 238 and the ink ribbon 268 do not vertically overlap.

[0126] It should be noted that the above is merely one embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

[0127] For example, while the cassette 10 in the first embodiment includes a roller 80, this need not be the case. Furthermore, although the print tape roll 26, 226, laminating tape roll 64, ink ribbon roll 72, 272, and take-up spool 76, 276 in the above embodiments are arranged horizontally relative to the front-rear or left-right direction, they do not have to be arranged horizontally. For example, if the ink ribbon roll 72, 272 is not arranged horizontally relative to the front-rear or left-right direction, the first direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon 68, 268, will be different from the up-down direction in the above embodiment. In this case, the second direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon 68, 268 and is perpendicular to the first direction, and the third direction, which is perpendicular to the first and second directions, will be different from the front-rear and left-right directions in the above embodiment. Furthermore, the transport paths for the print tape 22, laminating tape 60, and ink ribbon 68 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 14 , and various other paths can be adopted as appropriate. For example, the ink ribbon 68 may be transported into the ribbon case 21 through the inlet 132, pass the left and rear sides of the laminating tape roll 64, and be wound onto the take-up spool 76. Even in this case, if at least a portion of the ink ribbon 68 transported through the inlet 132 vertically overlaps the printing tape roll 26, the cassette can be made more compact in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction. Similarly, the transport paths of the printing tape 222 and the ink ribbon 268 are not limited to the path shown in FIG. 33 , and various other paths can be adopted as appropriate. Furthermore, the arrangement of the laminating tape roll 64, the ink ribbon rolls 72, 272, and the take-up spools 76, 276 is not limited to the positions shown in the above embodiment. For example, the laminating tape roll 64 may be located to the right of the take-up spool 76, or the take-up spool 276 may be located to the right of the ink ribbon roll 272. Furthermore, in embodiment 1, the laminating tape roll 64, the supply spool 70, and the take-up spool 76 were all positioned so as to overlap the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction, but only the supply spool 70 and the take-up spool 76 may be positioned so as to overlap the printing tape roll 26 in the vertical direction.

[0128] Furthermore, although the cassettes 10, 210 in the above-described embodiments are configured by stacking four case members, namely, the first case member 12, 212, the second case member 14, 214, the third case member 16, 216, and the fourth case member 18, 218, in the vertical direction, the cassette 10 is not limited to this configuration. For example, as shown in Fig. 36, the cassette 10 may be configured by stacking three case members, namely, the first case member 12, 212, the fifth case member 501, and the fourth case member 18, 218, in the vertical direction. The fifth case member 501 has a through-hole 502 that passes through in the vertical direction, corresponding to the through-holes 52, 58, 252, 258 in the above-described embodiments, and partitions the first space S1 from the second space S2. The fifth case member 501 may have an upper surface configured in the same shape as the upper surface of the second case member 14, 214, and a lower surface configured in the same shape as the lower surface of the third case member 16, 216. In this modified example, the first case member 12, 212 and the fifth case member 501 form the tape case 20, 220 having a first space S1 therein, and the fifth case member 501 and the fourth case member 18, 218 form the ribbon case 21, 221 having a second space S2 therein.

[0129] Furthermore, the print tape rolls 26, 226 in the above-described embodiments were configured by winding the print tape 22, 222 around the print tape spool 24, 224, which is a cylindrical core material, but the print tape 22, 222 may not be wound around the print tape spool 24, 224, but may be wound around the first support protrusions 30, 230 and the second support protrusions 32, 232 to configure the print tape rolls 26, 226. Similarly, the laminating tape 60 may be wound without being wound around the laminating spool 62, and the outer periphery of the laminating tape 60 may be defined by the laminating tape roll holding wall 84 and the arc-shaped wall 92. Furthermore, the dimensions of the printing tape roll 26, 226 are not limited to those indicated by the dimensional ratio relative to the third case member 16, 216 shown in Figure 16 or Figure 35 of the above embodiment. For example, the diameter of the printing tape roll 26, 226 may be large enough to contact the inside of the side wall of the tape case 20, 220. In this case, when the printing tape 22, 222 is pulled out from the tape case 20, 220 through the discharge opening 130, 300 to the printing location P, the printing tape roll 26, 226 will vertically overlap with the printing tape 22, 222 discharged from the discharge opening 130, 300. In this case, the printing tape 22, 222 transported inside the ribbon case 21, 221 will vertically overlap with the printing tape roll 26, 226 before being discharged from the discharge opening 130, 300. Even with this configuration, it is possible to reduce the size of the cassette in the orthogonal direction perpendicular to the up-down direction.

[0130] It should be noted that the above is merely an embodiment of the present invention, and various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0131] 10, 210: Cassette 12, 212: First case member 14, 214: Second case member 16, 216: Third case member 18, 218: Fourth case member 20, 220: Tape case (first case, upper case) 21, 221: Ribbon case (second case, lower case) 22, 222: Printing tape (printing medium) 22a, 222a: Printed tape 22b, 222b: adhesive 22c, 222c: Peeling tape 24, 224: Printing tape spool 26, 226: Printing tape roll 27, 227: Locking claw 28, 228: Fixed claw 29, 229: Positioning protrusion 30, 230: 1st support protrusion 32, 232: 2nd support protrusion 34, 234: First circumferential wall 36, 236: Second circumferential wall 38, 238: Spacer film 40, 240: Printed tape gate 42, 242: Printed tape gate 44, 244: Outer wall of first case member 44a, 244a: Short side 46, 246: outer wall of second case member 46a, 246a: Short side 46b, 246b: Long side 48, 248: Guide wall 50, 250: Guide wall 52, 252: Through holes 54, 254: Guide rib 56, 256: Guide wall 58, 258: Through holes 60: Laminating tape 60a: transparent film 60b: Adhesive 62: Laminated tape spool 64: Laminating tape roll 66, 266: Bonded tape roll support holes 68, 268: Ink ribbon 68a, 268a: Ink 70, 270: Supply spool 72, 272: Ink ribbon roll 74, 274: Ink ribbon support holes 76, 276: Take-up spool 78, 278: Take-up spool support holes 80, 280: Laura 80a, 280a: Connection part 82: Roller support hole 84: Laminating tape roll holding wall 86, 286: Ink ribbon roll holding wall 88, 288: Cylindrical protrusion 90, 290: Clutch spring holder 91: Anti-stick roller 92: Arc Wall 93: Support protrusion 94, 294: Take-up spool support holes 96, 296: Connection holes 98: Roller exposure hole 99, 299: recessed part 102:Printing device 104: Cassette mounting section 106: Print head 108: Take-up spool drive shaft 110: Roller drive shaft 112: Positioning hole 114: Head holding plate 116: Platen roller 118: Pressure roller 120: Platen holding member 122: Printing system 130, 300: Outlet 132, 302: Loading entrance S1: 1st space S2:Second space C1: First rotation center line C2: Second rotation center line C3: Third rotation center line C4: Fourth rotation center line C5: 5th rotation axis

Claims

1. A printing tape roll on which printing tape is wound, a rotatable supply spool around which the ink ribbon is wound; a take-up spool rotatable to take up the ink ribbon supplied from the supply spool; Equipped with At least a portion of the supply spool and at least a portion of the take-up spool overlap with the printing tape roll in a first direction, which is the width direction of the ink ribbon. A cassette characterized by:

2. 2. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein the rotation center of the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

3. 3. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein the center of rotation of the supply spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

4. the print tape roll is formed by winding the print tape around a rotatable print tape spool; 4. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the ink ribbon wound on the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

5. 5. The cassette of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape spool in the first direction.

6. the print tape roll is formed by winding the print tape around a rotatable print tape spool; 6. A cassette as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein in a direction perpendicular to the first direction, the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the center of rotation of the printing tape spool is shorter than the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the center of rotation of the printing tape spool.

7. A cassette as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, the distance between a central position of the cassette that is the center of the cassette in the second direction and the center of the third direction and the center of rotation of the printing tape roll is smaller than either the distance between the center of rotation of the take-up spool and the central position or the distance between the center of rotation of the supply spool and the central position.

8. a dimension of a convex envelope defined by the printing tape roll, the take-up spool, and the supply spool in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction is greater than half the dimension of the cassette in the second direction; A cassette as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the dimension of the convex envelope in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction is greater than half the dimension of the cassette in the third direction.

9. a tape case containing the printing tape roll; a ribbon case located on one side of the first direction relative to the tape case and accommodating the supply spool and the take-up spool; Equipped with The ribbon case includes: an outlet through which the printing tape supplied from the printing tape roll and the ink ribbon wound around the supply spool are discharged from the ribbon case; an inlet through which the ink ribbon discharged from the outlet is carried into the ribbon case; Equipped with 9. The cassette according to claim 1, wherein the ink ribbon is wound around the take-up spool after being carried in through the carry-in opening.

10. 10. The cassette according to claim 9, wherein a portion of the ink ribbon located between the inlet and a position where the ink ribbon is wound onto the take-up spool overlaps with the printing tape roll in the first direction.

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