Printer, and print medium cartridge used for the printer

A printer in which a first print medium cartridge and a second print medium cartridge are selectively installable, both of the print medium cartridges containing a print medium wound around a winding axis, comprising:

• a printing head that prints on the print medium;
• a print medium drive mechanism that moves the print medium relative to the printing head;
• and
• an installation section having a rectangular section in which the one of the first print medium cartridge and the second print medium cartridge is selectively installed, and an opening through which one of the first and second print medium cartridges in the rectangular section is projected out,
• the first print medium cartridge having a first rectangular shape having a first longitudinal axis,
• the second print medium cartridge having a second rectangular shape having a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being longer than the first longitudinal axis to form a different outline of a cross section perpendicular to the winding axis from that of the first print medium cartridge,
• the first print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the first longitudinal axis,
• the second print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the second longitudinal axis, and
• the bottom surface of the first print medium cartridge and the bottom surface of the second print medium cartridge being completely within the rectangular storage area when either of the first print medium cartridge or the second medium cartridge is installed in the installation section.

A printer comprising:

• a printer main unit having a printing head that prints on a print medium;
• a print medium drive mechanism that moves the print medium relative to the printing head;
• and
• an installation section having a rectangular storage area to be selectively installed either one of a first print medium cartridge and a second print medium cartridge,
• the first print medium cartridge containing a first print medium in a wound state, the first print medium being strip-shaped, the first print medium cartridge having a first rectangular shape having a first longitudinal axis, the first print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the first longitudinal axis,
• the second print medium cartridge containing a second print medium in a wound state, the second print medium cartridge being strip-shaped, the second print medium cartridge having a second rectangular shape having a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being longer than the first longitudinal axis to form a different outline of a cross section perpendicular to a winding axis thereof from that of the first print medium in the wound state, the second print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the second longitudinal axis,
• the bottom surface of the first print medium cartridge and the bottom surface of the second print medium cartridge being completely within the rectangular storage area when either of the first print medium cartridge or the second print medium cartridge is installed in the installation section, and
• the printing head being arranged adjacent to one of the side faces of the one print medium cartridge so as to print on the print medium in the one print medium cartridge installed in the storage area, and the print medium drive mechanism being arranged so as to move the print medium in the print medium cartridge installed in the storage area.

A printer comprising a printing main unit and at least one of a standard cartridge and a non-standard cartridge installable into the printing main unit, the standard cartridge including a print medium,

• the printing main unit comprising:
• a printing head that prints on the print medium;
• print medium drive mechanism having a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft rotating in synchronism with the first rotary shaft, thereby moving the print medium relative to the printing head;
• and
• an installation section having a rectangular storage area configured such that the standard cartridge and the non-standard cartridge are selectively installable,
• the standard cartridge having a first rectangular shape having a first longitudinal axis, the standard cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the first longitudinal axis, and comprising:
• a rotatable standard spool around which the print medium is wound, the standard spool having a standard spool rotating center;
• a first roller configured to be engaged with the first rotary shaft to move the print medium, the first roller having a first rotating center;
• and
• a second roller configured to be engaged with the second rotary shaft, the second roller having a second rotating center;
• the standard spool rotating center being separated from the first rotating center by a first predetermined distance (r1), and the standard spool rotating center being separated from the second rotating center by a second predetermined distance (r2);
• the standard cartridge being replaceable with a non-standard cartridge,
• the non-standard cartridge having a second rectangular shape having a second longitudinal axis, the non-standard cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the second longitudinal axis, and the second longitudinal axis being longer than the first longitudinal axis, comprising:
• a rotatable non-standard spool around which the print medium is wound, the non-standard spool having a non-standard spool rotating center;
• a third roller configured to be engaged with the first rotary shaft to move the print medium, the third roller having a third rotating center;
• and
• a fourth roller configured to be engaged with the second rotary shaft, the fourth roller having a fourth rotating center;
• a distance (R1) between the non-standard spool rotating center and the third rotating center being different from the first predetermined distance (r1), and a distance (R2) between the non-standard spool rotating center and the fourth rotating center being different from the second predetermined distance (r2),
• the bottom surface of the standard cartridge and the bottom surface of the non-standard cartridge being completely within the rectangular storage area when either of the standard cartridge or the non-standard cartridge is installed in the installation section.

A non-standard cartridge installable to a printer having a printing head for printing a print medium and a print medium drive mechanism, the print medium drive mechanism including a first rotary shaft and a second rotary shaft that rotates in synchronism with the first rotary shaft to move the print medium relative to the printing head,

• the standard cartridge having a first rectangular shape having a first longitudinal axis, the standard cartridge including a pair of side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces alone the first longitudinal axis, comprising:
• a rotatable standard spool around which the print medium is wound, the standard spool having a standard spool rotating center;
• a first roller configured to be engaged with the first rotary shaft to move the print medium, the first roller having a first rotating center;
• and
• a second roller configured to be engaged with the second rotary shaft, the second roller having a second rotating center, the standard spool rotating center being separated from a the first rotating center by a first predetermined distance (r1), and separated from the second rotating center by a second predetermined distance (r2),
• the non-standard cartridge having a second rectangular shape having a longitudinal axis, the non-standard cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the second longitudinal axis, and the second longitudinal axis being longer than the first longitudinal axis, comprising:
• a rotatable non-standard spool around which the print medium is wound, the non-standard spool having a non-standard spool rotating center;
• a third roller configured to be engaged with the first rotary shaft to move the print medium, the third roller having a third rotating center;
• and
• a fourth roller configured to be engaged with the second rotary shaft, the fourth roller having a fourth rotating center;
• a distance (R1) between the non-standard spool rotating center and the third rotating center being different from the first predetermined distance (r1), a distance (R2) between the non-standard spool rotating center and the fourth rotating center being different from the second predetermined distance (r2),
• wherein the non-standard cartridge is replaceable with a standard cartridge installable for the printer,
• the bottom surface of the standard cartridge and the bottom surface of the non-standard cartridge being completely within the rectangular storage area when either of the standard cartridge or the non-standard cartridge is installed in the installation section.

A printer, comprising:

• a printing head that prints on a print medium;
• a print medium drive mechanism that moves the print medium relative to the printing head;
• and
• an installation section including a storage area in which a first print medium cartridge and a second print medium cartridge that have different volumes, are selectively installable, the storage area having a sufficient volume to completely accommodate a bottom surface of a larger of the first print medium cartridge and the second print medium cartridge, the first print medium cartridge having a first rectangular shape having a first longitudinal axis, the first print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the first longitudinal axis, and the second print medium cartridge having a second rectangular shape having a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being longer than the first longitudinal axis to form a different outline of a cross section perpendicular to a winding axis from that of the first print medium cartridge, the second print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the second longitudinal axis, and
• the bottom surface of the first print medium cartridge and the bottom surface of the second print medium cartridge being completely within the rectangular storage area when either of the first print medium cartridge or the second print medium cartridge is installed in the installation section.

A printer, comprising:

• a printing head that prints on a print medium;
• a print medium drive mechanism that moves the print medium relative to the printing head;
• and
• an installation section including a rectangular storage area in which a first print medium cartridge and a second print medium cartridge that have different volumes, are selectively installable, the storage area having a volume to accommodate a smaller of the first and second print medium cartridges such that at least a part of the larger of the first print medium cartridge and the second print medium cartridge protrudes from at least one of the storage area and the printer when installed, each of the first print medium cartridge and the second print medium cartridge containing the print medium wound around a winding axis,
• the first print medium cartridge having a first rectangular shape including a first longitudinal axis, the first print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the first longitudinal axis,
• the second print medium cartridge having a second rectangular shape having a second longitudinal axis, the second longitudinal axis being longer than the first longitudinal axis to form a different outline of a cross section perpendicular to the winding axis from that of the first print medium cartridge,
• the second print medium cartridge including a pair of two side faces opposing each other and a bottom surface between the two side faces along the second longitudinal axis, and
• the bottom surface of the first print medium cartridge and the bottom surface of the second print medium cartridge being completely within the rectangular storage area when either of the first print medium cartridge or the second print medium cartridge is installed in the installation section.