Ribbon feeding apparatus, and tape printing apparatus equipped with the same

A ribbon feeding apparatus that feeds an ink ribbon in a forward direction and a reverse direction by driving a ribbon delivering core and a ribbon winding core for rotation, the ink ribbon being unreeled from the ribbon delivering core, the ink ribbon unreeled from the ribbon delivering core being reeled onto the ribbon winding core, the apparatus comprising:

• a drive motor;
• a delivering-side drive shaft that is in engagement with the ribbon delivering core;
• a delivering-side power transmission mechanism that transmits inputted motive power to the delivering-side drive shaft;
• an winding-side drive shaft that is in engagement with the ribbon winding core;
• an winding-side power transmission mechanism that transmits inputted motive power to the winding-side drive shaft;
• a delivering-side clutch mechanism that includes a sun gear and a planet gear, connects the drive motor and the delivering-side power transmission mechanism to each other in accordance with reverse rotation of the drive motor, and disconnects the drive motor and the delivering-side power transmission mechanism from each other in accordance with forward rotation of the drive motor, the planet gear being in meshing engagement with the sun gear and being brought into and out of meshing engagement with the winding-side power transmission mechanism;
• and
• an winding-side clutch mechanism that is provided upstream of the sun gear, connects the drive motor and the winding-side power transmission mechanism to each other in accordance with the forward rotation of the drive motor, and disconnects the drive motor and the winding-side power transmission mechanism from each other in accordance with the reverse rotation of the drive motor.