# US 2010/0166478 A1 · Tape printer

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- Number: US 2010/0166478 A1
- Document ID: US20100166478A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/644,451
- Filed: 2009-12-22
- Published: 2010-07-01
- Earliest claimed: 2008-12-25
- Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Koshiro Yamaguchi; Tsuyoshi Nagae; Teruo Imamaki; Masato Kato; Takashi Horiuchi; Akira Sago; Yasuhiro Iriyama; Yasuhiro Shibata
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20100166478A1

## CPC

- B41J 11/009: {Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper}
- B41J 3/4075: {Tape printers; Label printers}
- B41J 15/044: {Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices}
- B41J 32/00: Ink-ribbon cartridges
- B41J 33/14: Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A tape printer includes a tape cassette, a cassette housing portion, a feeding device, a printing device, a table storage device, detecting switches, and a tape type identifying device. The tape cassette includes a housing, a tape mounted within the housing, a tape guide, and an indicator of the tape type formed in the front wall of the housing and includes at least one aperture. The detecting switches protrude toward the front wall of the housing, and a part of the detecting switches that opposes a surface portion other than the at least one aperture in the indicator is pressed to thereby detect information indicating a pressing or non-pressing state of each of the detecting switches as identification information. The tape type identifying device identifies, with reference to a tape type table, the tape type associated with the detected identification as the tape type of the tape.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A tape printer comprising:
a tape cassette that comprises:
a box-like housing having a front wall, a top surface and a bottom surface;
a wound tape mounted within the housing, the housing directing the tape along a path to an exit, at least a portion of the path extending parallel to the front wall;
a tape guide spaced downstream of the exit whereby a section of tape is exposed between the exit and the tape guide; and
an indicator of the tape type formed in the front wall proximal to the exposed section of tape, the indicator comprising at least one aperture extending generally parallel to the top and bottom surfaces and perpendicular to the portion of the path;
a cassette housing portion in which the tape cassette is detachably installed;
a feeding device that feeds the tape along the path from the housing of the tape cassette installed in the cassette housing portion;
a printing device that performs printing on the tape fed by the feeding device;
a table storage device that stores a tape type table in which identification information pieces are each associated with a tape type, the identification information pieces being used to identify the tape type of the tape mounted within the housing;
a plurality of detecting switches that protrude toward the front wall of the housing of the tape cassette installed in the cassette housing portion, a part of the plurality of detecting switches that opposes a surface portion other than the at least one aperture in the indicator being pressed to thereby detect information indicating a pressing state or non-pressing state of each of the plurality of detecting switches as the identification information; and
a tape type identifying device that identifies, with reference to the tape type table, the tape type associated with the identification information detected by the plurality of detecting switches as the tape type of the tape mounted within the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the indicator indicates a width of the tape;
in the tape type table, the identification information pieces are each associated with a width of a tape; and
the tape type identifying device identifies the width of the tape mounted within the housing.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the indicator indicates a presence or an absence of a laminated tape;
in the tape type table, the identification information pieces are each associated with a presence or an absence of a laminated tape; and
the tape type identifying device identifies whether the tape mounted within the housing is the laminated tape or not.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the indicator indicates a width of the tape and a presence or an absence of a laminated tape;
in the tape type table, the identification information pieces are each associated with a width of a tape and a presence or an absence of a laminated tape; and
the tape type identifying device identifies the width of the tape mounted within the housing and whether the tape mounted within the housing is the laminated tape or not.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the indicator comprises at least two apertures, the two apertures indicating the width of the tape;
in the tape type table, the identification information pieces are each associated with a width of a tape; and
the tape type identifying device identifies the width of the tape mounted within the housing.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the tape cassette further comprises a second wall spaced rearwardly of the front wall;
the at least one aperture extends short of the second wall; and
at least one of the plurality of detecting switches that opposes the at least one aperture, when the tape cassette is installed in the cassette housing portion, is inserted through the at least one aperture and extends short of the second wall.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the indicator includes a plurality of apertures, the apertures being offset from one another in a direction transverse to the portion of the path extending parallel to the front wall; and
the plurality of detecting switches are offset from one another in the direction transverse to the portion of the path extending parallel to the front wall of the tape cassette installed in the cassette housing portion.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The tape printer in accordance with claim 1, wherein:
the tape cassette further includes a latching hole formed in the front wall in the vicinity of the indicator; and
the tape printer further includes a latching piece arranged to be inserted into the latching hole when the tape cassette is properly installed in the cassette housing portion.