Printing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a printer which is likely to confirm a printing result of a printing tape.SOLUTION: A printer includes a housing having a cassette storage part on which a cassette for printing can be mounted, a printing head provided in the cassette storage part, and an input part provided on the housing. The printing head has a plurality of heating elements which are arranged in parallel in a scanning direction crossing a virtual surface perpendicular to the insertion direction of the cassette for printing to the cassette storage part. The insertion port of the cassette storage part is provided on the upper side of the input part. The housing has a main surface provided with the input part, a side face crossing both the main surface and the virtual surface, and a discharge port which is provided on the side face and discharges a printing tape. An angle formed by a normal direction of a surface where printing of the printing tape at the discharge port is performed, and the normal direction of the main surface is less than 45° .SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a printing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In a printing apparatus that prints on a printing tape, the printing tape is exchanged and supplied by attaching and detaching a cassette containing the printing tape to the main body of the printing apparatus. In such a cassette, a configuration in which the cassette is inserted into an opening provided in the housing of the printing apparatus main body is known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described housing, the printing tape is discharged in a direction in which the printed surface is inclined downward with respect to the main surface provided with the input portion. Therefore, it is difficult for the user to confirm the printing result on the printing tape.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure aims to provide a printing apparatus in which it is easy to confirm the printing result of a printing tape.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a printing apparatus including a housing having a cassette accommodating portion in which a printing cassette containing a roll of a printing tape can be mounted, a printing head provided in the cassette accommodating portion for printing on the printing tape, and an input portion provided in the housing.

[0007] The print head has multiple heating elements arranged side by side along a scanning direction that intersects with a virtual plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the print cassette into the cassette housing. The insertion opening of the cassette housing is located above the input unit when the input unit is in use.

[0008] The enclosure has a main surface on which an input section is provided, a side surface that intersects both the main surface and the virtual surface, and an outlet provided on the side surface for ejecting the printed tape. The angle between the normal direction of the printed surface of the printed tape at the outlet and the normal direction of the main surface is less than 45°.

[0009] With this configuration, the user can simultaneously view the printed side of the printed tape at the discharge port and the main side where the input section is located. Therefore, it is easier for the user to check the printing results of the printed tape. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a printing apparatus in an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic perspective view of the printing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3A is a schematic rear view of the printing apparatus shown in Figure 1, and Figure 3B is a schematic perspective view of the printing apparatus shown in Figure 3A. [Figure 4] Figure 4A is a schematic perspective view of the printing apparatus shown in Figure 1, and Figure 4B is a schematic perspective view of the printing apparatus body shown in Figure 3A. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic side view of the printing apparatus shown in Figure 3A in a mounted state. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic exploded perspective view of the printing cassette in the printing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic perspective view of a printing apparatus in a different embodiment than that shown in Figure 1. [Figure 8]FIG. 8A is a schematic perspective view of the printing apparatus of FIG. 7 with the cover removed, and FIG. 8B is a schematic perspective view of the printing apparatus of FIG. 7 with the cover removed from the main body of the printing apparatus. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing the procedure for attaching the cover to the printing apparatus of FIG. 7. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a modification of the printing apparatus of FIG. 7.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] [1. First Embodiment] [1-1. Configuration] The printing apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 includes a printing apparatus main body 10 and a printing cassette 100. The printing apparatus 1 is an apparatus for performing printing on a tape-like printing medium.

[0012] In the present embodiment, an axis parallel to the left-right direction (i.e., the width direction) of the main surface 21 is defined as the X-axis, an axis parallel to the up-down direction of the main surface 21 (i.e., an axis parallel to the main surface 21 and orthogonal to the X-axis) is defined as the Y-axis, and an axis parallel to the normal direction of the main surface 21 is defined as the Z-axis.

[0013] <Printing Apparatus Main Body> The printing apparatus main body 10 includes a housing 11, an input unit 12, and a display unit 13. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the printing apparatus main body 10 includes a print head 14, a platen roller 15, a roller holder 16, a drive shaft 17, and a lever 18.

[0014] (Housing) As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 11 has a cassette storage portion 11A, a discharge port 11B, and a finger hook portion 11C.

[0015] (Cassette Storage Portion) The cassette storage portion 11A is a space in which the printing cassette 100 can be mounted. The cassette storage portion 11A has an insertion port provided on the upper surface 22 of the housing 11. The printing cassette 100 is inserted into the cassette storage portion 11A along a direction orthogonal to the upper surface 22 (i.e., the normal direction of the upper surface 22).

[0016] The insertion direction of the printing cassette 100 into the cassette storage section 11A intersects the main surface 21 of the housing 11 where the input section 12 and the display section 13 are provided. The insertion port of the cassette storage section 11A is provided above the input section 12 and the display section 13 in the usage state of the input section 12. The upper surface 22 where the insertion port of the cassette storage section 11A is provided constitutes the upper end portion of the housing 11. The upper surface 22 intersects both the Y-axis and the Z-axis.

[0017] The housing 11 exposes an outer surface 100A that intersects the central axis P of the first roll 101 (see FIG. 6) in the printing cassette 100 from the insertion port of the cassette storage section 11A. The printing cassette 100 is inserted into the cassette storage section 11A along a direction parallel to the central axis P.

[0018] The housing 11 does not have a lid that covers the printing cassette 100 mounted in the cassette storage section 11A. The printing cassette 100 inserted into the cassette storage section 11A is engaged with the housing 11 by operating the lever 18 (see FIG. 4A).

[0019] The cassette storage section 11A has an opening 11D that exposes a part of the printing cassette 100 mounted in the cassette storage section 11A as viewed from the normal direction of the main surface 21. The opening 11D is provided continuously with the insertion port of the cassette storage section 11A.

[0020] Specifically, the opening 11D is formed by denting a part of the edge of the insertion port of the cassette storage section 11A that is close to the main surface 21 (that is, the upper edge in the vertical direction) downward (that is, toward the input section 12). In other words, the opening 11D is composed of a step formed by offsetting a part of the upper surface 22 downward.

[0021] The opening 11D exposes a label 100B pasted on a surface that intersects the outer surface 100A of the printing cassette 100 (specifically, a surface parallel to the central axis P of the first roll 101) so that it can be visually recognized in the usage state of the input section 12. This makes it easier for the user to identify the mounted printing cassette 100.

[0022] (Exhaust port) The discharge port 11B discharges the printed tape from inside the cassette housing 11A to the outside. The discharge port 11B is provided on the first side surface 23 of the housing 11. The discharge port 11B discharges the printed tape along the Y axis (i.e., in a direction perpendicular to the first side surface 23).

[0023] The first side surface 23 is a surface that intersects with both the main surface 21 and a virtual surface (i.e., the top surface 22) that is perpendicular to the insertion direction of the printing cassette 100 into the cassette storage section 11A. The first side surface 23 is located to the left of the main surface 21 when the input section 12 is in use. Note that there is no opening on the second side surface 24 (see Figure 4A), which is opposite to the first side surface 23.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the angle φ between the normal direction T of the side of the printed tape that has been printed by the print head 14 (i.e., the side facing the print head 14) and the normal direction N of the main surface 21 (i.e., the Z-axis) at the discharge port 11B is less than 45°.

[0025] In other words, with the housing 11 placed on a plane S such that the input unit 12 faces upward in the vertical direction, the printed tape is discharged from the discharge port 11B such that the printed side faces upward in the vertical direction and towards the input unit 12.

[0026] (Finger rest) The finger rest portion 11C shown in Figures 4A and 4B is a recess provided continuously with the cassette storage portion 11A.

[0027] Specifically, the finger rest portion 11C is provided on the upper surface 22 at the edge facing the opening 11D in the cassette housing portion 11A. When the printing cassette 100 is installed in the cassette housing portion 11A, the printing cassette 100 is exposed within the finger rest portion 11C.

[0028] With the print cassette 100 installed in the cassette housing 11A, the user can remove the print cassette 100 from the cassette housing 11A by inserting their finger into the finger rest 11C.

[0029] (Input section) The input unit 12 shown in Figure 1 is a keyboard that can input characters, symbols, etc., to be printed on the printing tape.

[0030] The input unit 12 consists of a plurality of keys or buttons arranged on the main surface 21 of the housing 11. The input unit 12 also has operation keys for inputting processing such as print settings and print execution.

[0031] The main surface 21 is the surface on which the functions for user input operations and display confirmation are concentrated when the printing device body 10 is in use. The user performs input operations while holding or placing the printing device body 10 in a position where the input unit 12 and the display unit 13 are visible. The vertical length of the main surface 21 when the input unit 12 is in use is greater than the horizontal length.

[0032] (Display) The display unit 13 displays the input content (i.e., the print content) from the input unit 12. The display unit 13 is composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic LED, or the like.

[0033] The display unit 13 is located on the main surface 21 of the housing 11. The display unit 13 is located closer to the insertion opening of the cassette storage unit 11A (i.e., the top surface 22) than the input unit 12. In other words, the display unit 13 is located above the input unit 12 when the input unit 12 is in use, and below the insertion opening of the cassette storage unit 11A.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, the cassette housing section 11A overlaps with a portion of the display section 13 in the direction normal to the main surface 21 N (i.e., the direction parallel to the Z-axis).

[0035] (Print head) The print head 14 shown in Figures 3A and 3B prints onto the print tape held by the print cassette 100.

[0036] The print head 14 is located within the cassette housing section 11A. The print head 14 has a plate shape, with its thickness direction parallel to the thickness direction of the printed tape discharged from the output port 11B.

[0037] The print head 14 has multiple heating elements (i.e., heating components) whose heating is individually controlled. The print tape, which is transported by the platen roller 15 to a position overlapping with the print head 14, is pressed against the print head 14, which is heated by the heating elements, via the ink ribbon. As a result, some of the ink placed on the surface of the ink ribbon is transferred to the print tape, and characters, symbols, etc. are printed on the print tape.

[0038] Multiple heating elements constitute the printing surface 14A of the print head 14. Furthermore, the multiple heating elements are arranged side-by-side along a scanning direction that intersects a virtual surface (i.e., the upper surface 22) perpendicular to the insertion direction of the print cassette 100 into the cassette housing 11A. In this embodiment, the scanning direction is parallel to the insertion direction of the print cassette 100.

[0039] As shown in Figure 5, the printing surface 14A of the print head 14 is positioned to face downward in the vertical direction, with the housing 11 placed on a plane S such that the input unit 12 and the display unit 13 face upward in the vertical direction.

[0040] Here, "the printing surface 14A faces downward in the vertical direction" means that the normal vector of the printing surface 14A includes a vertically downward component. In other words, the print head 14 is pressed against the printing tape from above in the vertical direction.

[0041] Furthermore, when the housing 11 is placed on a plane S such that the input unit 12 and the display unit 13 face upward in the vertical direction, the normal vector of the main surface 21 and the normal vector of the top surface 22 are both inclined with respect to the vertical direction and have a vertically upward component.

[0042] Furthermore, the first angle Θ1 formed on the outside of the housing 11 between the main surface 21 and the virtual surface V (i.e., the top surface 22) which is perpendicular to the insertion direction of the printing cassette 100 into the cassette storage section 11A is 270° or more. In other words, the second angle Θ2 formed on the inside of the housing 11 between the main surface 21 and the virtual surface V is less than 90°.

[0043] The first angle Θ1 is the angle between the principal surface 21 and the virtual surface V in a counterclockwise direction in the YZ plane, where the origin O is the intersection line of the plane extended from the principal surface 21 and the virtual surface V, when the normal vector of the principal surface 21 points to the first quadrant and the principal surface 21 is the boundary between the first and fourth quadrants.

[0044] (Platen Roller) The platen roller 15 shown in Figures 3A and 3B is a roller for transporting the printing tape from inside the printing cassette 100 to the outside. The rotation axis of the platen roller 15 is parallel to the direction in which the printing cassette 100 is inserted into the cassette housing 11A (i.e., the scanning direction of the print head 14).

[0045] The platen roller 15 is positioned inside the housing 11, facing the print head 14. The platen roller 15 is held by a roller holder 16. The platen roller 15 is displaced by the movement of the roller holder 16 between a nip position, where it nips the print tape together with the print head 14 (i.e., presses the print tape against the print head 14), and a non-nip position, where it is away from the print tape.

[0046] (Drive shaft) The drive shaft 17 is located inside the housing 11. The drive shaft 17 is inserted into the printing cassette 100 within the cassette housing 11A.

[0047] The drive shaft 17 inputs the driving force to the printing cassette 100 to wind up the ink ribbon. The rotation axis of the drive shaft 17 is parallel to the Y-axis. The drive shaft 17 rotates around its rotation axis by a drive source (not shown).

[0048] (lever) The lever 18 shown in Figures 4A and 4B is a plate-shaped member that displaces the platen roller 15 between the nip position and the non-nip position. The lever 18 is connected to the roller holder 16 inside the housing 11.

[0049] The lever 18 is located on the back surface 25 of the housing 11. The back surface 25 is the surface located on the opposite side of the main surface 21, with the print head 14 and platen roller 15 in between. The back surface 25 is inclined with respect to the main surface 21. Also, the back surface 25 is perpendicular to the top surface 22.

[0050] The lever 18 is displaceable between the locked position shown in Figure 4A and the unlocked position shown in Figure 4B. The lever 18 is pivotably connected to the housing 11 around a rotation axis parallel to the back surface 25.

[0051] In the locked position, the lever 18 is housed inside the housing 11 so as to be flush with the back surface 25. When the lever 18 moves to the locked position, the platen roller 15 moves to the nip position and the printing cassette 100 is fixed to the housing 11.

[0052] In the release position, the lever 18 is raised relative to the back surface 25. When the lever 18 moves to the release position, the platen roller 15 moves to the non-nip position, and the fixing of the printing cassette 100 is released.

[0053] <Printing Cassette> The printing cassette 100 contains the printing tape, which is the printing medium. The printing cassette 100 is detachable from the printing device body 10. By replacing the printing cassette 100, the printing medium can be replenished and the type of printing medium (e.g., color, material, etc.) can be changed.

[0054] As shown in Figure 6, the printing cassette 100 comprises a first roll 101, a first supply spool 102, a second roll 103, a second supply spool 104, an input spool 105, a clutch spring holder 109, a first case 110A, a second case 110B, a third case 110C, and a fourth case 110D.

[0055] (case) Case 110A, Case 210B, Case 310C, and Case 410D and Case 110 are divided cases that house the rolls, spools, and gears.

[0056] The case of the printing cassette 100 is a rectangular parallelepiped having sides parallel in the vertical direction, sides parallel in the front-to-back direction, and sides parallel in the left-to-right direction. The outer wall of the first case 110A facing the first roll 101 includes an outer surface 100A (see Figure 2) that intersects with the central axis P.

[0057] The third case 110C is provided with a head opening 111 into which the print head 14 is inserted when the print cassette 100 is installed in the cassette housing section 11A. Printing onto the print tape is performed by the print head 14 in the head opening 111.

[0058] The width direction of the printed tape in the head opening 111 is parallel to the scanning direction in which the multiple heating elements of the print head 14 are arranged. The printed tape printed in the head opening 111 is discharged from the discharge port 11B of the housing 11.

[0059] (First roll) The first roll 101 is a printed tape on which printing will be performed, wound around the first supply spool 102.

[0060] Printing is performed on the surface of the printing tape by the print head 14 and ink ribbon of the printing device body 10. Two spacer films 101A and 101B are positioned on the axial outer side of the first roll 101, sandwiching the first roll 101.

[0061] The central axis P of the first roll 101 is parallel to the insertion direction I of the printing cassette 100 into the cassette housing 11A. Furthermore, the first roll 101 is positioned offset from the head opening 111 in the insertion direction I.

[0062] Therefore, with the print cassette 100 installed in the cassette housing 11A, the multiple heating elements of the print head 14 are positioned differently from the first roll 101 in the scanning direction (i.e., the insertion direction I).

[0063] (First supply spool) The first supply spool 102 is rotatable around its rotation axis. The first supply spool 102 rotates in conjunction with the transport of the printing tape by the platen roller 15 of the printing device body 10, thereby supplying the printing tape to the print head 14.

[0064] (Roll 2) The second roll 103 is an ink ribbon used for printing on the printing tape, wound around the second supply spool 104. The second roll 103 is positioned offset from the first roll 101 in the insertion direction I.

[0065] The ink ribbon is placed on top of the printing tape and used for printing by the print head 14. The ink ribbon used for printing is wound onto the input spool 105. The second roll 103 is subjected to rotational resistance by a clutch spring 109A held in the clutch spring holder 109.

[0066] (Second supply spool) The second supply spool 104 is rotatable around its rotation axis. The second supply spool 104 rotates in conjunction with the winding of the ink ribbon by the input spool 105, thereby supplying the ink ribbon to the print head 14.

[0067] (Input spool) The input spool 105 is rotatable around its rotation axis. Driving force is input to the input spool 105 from the drive shaft 17 of the printing device body 10.

[0068] <How to use the printer> The following describes the printing procedure on the printing tape in the printing device 1. First, the printing cassette 100 is inserted into the cassette housing section 11A of the printing device body 10.

[0069] After inserting the printing cassette 100, the lever 18 is moved from the unlocked position to the locked position. This moves the platen roller 15 to the nip position, and the printing device body 10 becomes ready for printing.

[0070] When the printer is ready to print, characters, symbols, etc., entered by the user via the input unit 12 are displayed on the display unit 13. After the user confirms the input on the display unit 13, they input a print command via the input unit 12. This causes the print head 14 to print onto the print tape in the print cassette 100.

[0071] The printed tape printed by the print head 14 is discharged from the discharge port 11B. At this time, the printed tape is discharged from the housing 11 so that the printed side of the tape faces the user.

[0072] To replace the print cassette 100, the lever 18 is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position, thereby moving the platen roller 15 to the non-nip position. The user can then remove the print cassette 100 from the cassette housing 11A by inserting their fingers into the finger rests 11C and the opening 11D.

[0073] [1-2. Effects] According to the embodiments described in detail above, the following effects can be obtained. (1a) The user can simultaneously view the printed surface of the printed tape at the discharge port 11B and the main surface 21 on which the input section 12 is provided. Therefore, it is easy for the user to check the printing result of the printed tape.

[0074] (1b) When the input unit 12 is mounted facing upward, the printing surface 14A of the print head 14 faces downward, thereby suppressing the accumulation of dust on the print head 14 located in the cassette housing 11A. As a result, malfunctions of the print head 14 can be suppressed in the printing device body 10 which has a housing 11 into which the print cassette 100 is inserted so that it is exposed.

[0075] (1c) The cassette housing section 11A has an opening 11D that exposes a part of the printing cassette 100 installed in the cassette housing section 11A when viewed from the direction normal to the main surface 21, so that the user can recognize the installed printing cassette 100 when performing input operations.

[0076] (1d) The lever 18 is provided on the back surface 25 of the housing 11, which allows space to be secured on the main surface 21 for the display unit 13, while also allowing the printing surface 14A of the print head 14 to be directed in a predetermined direction.

[0077] (1e) The finger rest portion 11C makes it easy to remove the printing cassette 100 from the cassette storage portion 11A. (1f) The cassette storage section 11A overlaps with the display section 13 in the direction normal to the main surface 21, thereby making the housing 11 smaller.

[0078] [2. Second Embodiment] The printing device 201 shown in Figure 7 comprises a printing device body 210 and a printing cassette 100. The printing cassette 100 is the same as that of the printing device 1 in Figure 1.

[0079] The printing device body 210 comprises a housing 211, an input unit 12, and a display unit 13. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the printing device body 210 also comprises a print head 14, a platen roller 15, a roller holder 16, and a drive shaft 17. The components of the printing device body 210, other than the housing 211, are the same as those of the printing device body 10 in Figure 1.

[0080] The housing 211 has a cassette storage section 211A, an outlet 211B, two finger rests 211C, and a lid 211E. The cassette storage section 211A is the same as the cassette storage section 11A in Figure 1, except that it does not have an opening 11D. The outlet 211B is the same as the outlet 11B in Figure 1.

[0081] The two finger rests 211C are recesses that are continuous with the cassette storage section 211A. Specifically, the two finger rests 211C are provided on the upper surface 22 of the housing 211, one on each of the two opposing edges of the cassette storage section 211A in a direction parallel to the X-axis.

[0082] The lid 211E shown in Figure 9 is a component that covers the insertion opening of the cassette storage section 211A. The lid 211E is configured to be detachably attached to the upper surface 22 of the housing 211. When attached to the housing 211, the lid 211E covers the printing cassette 100 installed in the cassette storage section 211A and the upper surface 22 of the housing 211 from the direction in which the printing cassette 100 is inserted into the cassette storage section 211A.

[0083] The lid 211E has an opening 211F and a pressing portion 211G. The opening 211F exposes a part of the printing cassette 100 mounted in the cassette housing portion 211A (specifically, the label 100B that is attached across the outer surface 100A and the surface intersecting the outer surface 100A).

[0084] In detail, the opening 211F exposes a portion of the printing cassette 100 when viewed from the direction normal to the main surface 21 of the housing 211, and also exposes a portion of the printing cassette 100 when viewed from the direction normal to the top surface 22 of the housing 211 (i.e., the insertion direction of the printing cassette 100). This allows the user to identify the printing cassette 100 from both the lid 211E side and the input section 12 side.

[0085] The pressing portion 211G is a rod-shaped part that protrudes from the inner surface of the lid 211E in the direction of mounting the lid 211E. The pressing portion 211G is inserted into an insertion hole 211H provided in the housing 211 when the lid 211E is mounted to the housing 211. The insertion hole 211H extends from the upper surface 22 along the Y axis.

[0086] The pressing part 211G inserted into the insertion hole 211H presses against the roller holder 16, moving the platen roller 15 to the nip position. In other words, the lid 211E has the function of protecting the printing cassette 100, as well as the function of moving the platen roller 15 to the nip position.

[0087] As shown in Figure 10, the printing apparatus body 210 may include a cutter lever 211I for operating a cutter (not shown) located inside the housing 211. The cutter moves when the cutter lever 211I is operated, cutting the printed tape discharged from the discharge port 211B.

[0088] [3. Other Embodiments] While embodiments of this disclosure have been described above, it goes without saying that this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can take various forms.

[0089] (3a) In the printing apparatus of the above embodiment, the lever does not necessarily have to be provided on the back surface of the housing. For example, the lever may be provided on the main surface, first side surface, second side surface, or top surface of the housing.

[0090] (3b) In the printing apparatus of the above embodiment, the display unit may be located below the input unit. Also, the vertical length of the main surface may be less than or equal to the horizontal length.

[0091] (3c) In the printing apparatus of the above embodiment, the pressing part of the lever or lid may be configured to displace the print head between the nip position and the non-nip position instead of the platen roller. Alternatively, the pressing part of the lever or lid may displace both the platen roller and the print head.

[0092] (3d) In the printing apparatus of the above embodiment, with the printing cassette installed in the cassette housing, the multiple heating elements of the print head may be arranged in the same position as the first roll in the scanning direction (i.e., in a position that overlaps with the radial direction of the first roll).

[0093] (3e) The functions of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed among multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. Also, some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted. Also, at least some parts of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to, substituted for, or otherwise used in the configuration of other above embodiments. Any aspect of the technical concept specified by the wording of the claims is an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1...Printing device, 10...Printing device body, 11...Housing, 11A...Cassette storage section, 11B...Discharge port, 11C...Finger hook, 11D...Opening, 11E...Lid, 12...Input section, 13...Display unit, 14...Print head, 14A...Print surface, 15...Platen roller, 16...Roller holder, 17...Drive shaft, 18...Lever, 21...Main surface, 22...Top surface, 23...First side, 24...Second side, 25...Back, 100...Printing cassette 100A...Outer surface, 100B...Label, 101...First roll, 102...First supply spool, 103...Second roll, 104...Second supply spool, 105...Input spool, 109...Clutch spring holder, 110A...First case, 110B...Case 2, 110C...Case 3, 110D...Case 4 111...Head opening, 211E...Lid, 211F...Opening, 211G...Pressing part.

Claims

1. A housing having a cassette storage section into which a printing cassette containing a roll of printing tape can be installed, A print head is provided within the cassette housing section for printing on the print tape, The aforementioned housing includes an input section, Equipped with, The print head has a plurality of heating elements arranged side by side along a scanning direction that intersects with a virtual plane perpendicular to the insertion direction of the print cassette into the cassette housing, The insertion opening of the cassette storage section is provided on the upper surface of the housing, which is located above the input section when the input section is in use. The aforementioned enclosure is The main surface on which the input section is provided, A side surface that intersects both the main surface and the virtual surface, An outlet for discharging the printed tape is provided on the aforementioned side, It has, The angle between the normal direction of the printed surface of the printed tape at the discharge port and the normal direction of the main surface is less than 45°. The housing has an insertion opening and a lid that covers the top surface, The lid is provided so as to surround the insertion opening along the edge of the upper surface, and has a side wall portion that protrudes from the edge in the direction in which the printing cassette is inserted into the cassette storage portion, and a ceiling portion provided at the top of the side wall portion and facing the upper surface. The side wall portion of the lid has an adjacent portion that extends along the portion located above the input portion on the main surface, The lid has an opening that exposes a portion of the printing cassette installed in the cassette housing when viewed from the direction normal to the main surface, The opening is provided spanning the adjacent portion of the side wall and the ceiling portion. Printing device.

2. The lid is detachable from the housing, and when the lid is detached from the housing, the lid is separated from the housing. The lid has a rod-shaped pressing portion that protrudes from the inner surface of the lid toward the upper surface, and when the lid is attached to the housing, the pressing portion is inserted into the insertion hole of the housing. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing portion is located on the opposite side of the opening, sandwiching the printing cassette installed in the cassette storage portion, when the lid is attached to the housing.

3. A platen roller is provided inside the housing and faces the print head, A lever that displaces at least one of the print head and the platen roller between a nip position where the print head and the platen roller nip the print tape and a non-nip position where the print head and the platen roller are away from the print tape, Furthermore, The housing has a back surface that is positioned on the opposite side from the main surface, with the print head and the platen roller in between. The printing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the lever is provided on the back surface.

4. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the housing has a finger rest portion provided in continuous with the cassette storage portion.

5. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vertical length of the main surface in the state of use of the input unit is greater than the horizontal length.

6. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the input unit is a keyboard capable of inputting characters.

7. The main surface is provided with a display unit that displays the input content from the input unit, The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display unit is located closer to the insertion opening of the cassette storage unit than the input unit.

8. The printing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the cassette storage section overlaps with the display section in the direction normal to the main surface.

9. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, with the printing cassette installed in the cassette housing, the plurality of heating elements of the print head are arranged in a position different from the roll in the scanning direction.

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