Tape cassette

A tape cassette that is configured to be installable in a tape printer, the tape printer comprising a cassette housing portion and a plurality of detecting switches, the cassette housing portion being configured to removably house the tape cassette, the plurality of detecting switches being configured to detect identification information for identifying color information, the tape cassette comprising:

• a housing including a top wall having a top surface, a bottom wall having a bottom surface, and a side wall, the top wall and the bottom wall having a generally rectangular shape whose longitudinal direction is a left-and-right direction of the housing, the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side wall defining a periphery of the housing, the bottom surface including a first flat surface portion and a second flat surface portion, the second flat surface portion extending generally parallel to the first flat surface portion and being located between the top surface and the first flat surface portion in a first direction generally perpendicular to the top surface or the first flat surface portion, the side wall including a front wall;
• an arm portion formed by the front wall and an arm rear wall behind the front wall, the arm portion partially surrounding an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface behind the front wall, and the front wall of the arm portion including a latching hole;
• at least one tape mounted in a tape housing area, the tape housing area being located at a rear side of the housing within the periphery and including a first tape housing area and a second tape housing area each having a generally circular shape in a plan view, the first and second tape housing areas being aligned with each other in the left-and-right direction such that outer peripheral edges of the first and second tape housing areas contact each other;
• an ink ribbon mounted in a ribbon housing area, the ribbon housing area being located on a front side of the tape housing area within the periphery;
• and
• a color indicator portion disposed in the second flat surface portion and including a first lateral information section and a second lateral information section, the first lateral information section and the second lateral information section being strip-shaped sections extending along the left-and-right direction of the housing and aligned in a front-rear direction of the housing, the first lateral information section including at least one first aperture formed in a pattern that corresponds to a base material color of the at least one tape, the first lateral information section adjoining a rear edge of the bottom wall, the second lateral information section including a second aperture that indicates a specific ink color of the ink ribbon, the second lateral information section being located to the front of the first lateral information section, each of the at least one first aperture and the second aperture being configured to receive one of the plurality of detecting switches inserted therein,
• wherein:
• the color indicator portion includes a reference vertical information section that is a strip-shaped section extending along the front-rear direction of the housing and that includes a reference line, the reference line being an imaginary straight line extending along the front-rear direction and passing through a contact point where the outer edges of the first and second tape housing areas contact each other, and the reference line overlapping, when seen from a direction perpendicular to both the left-and-right direction and the front-rear direction, the latching hole and the opening,
• at least one of the at least one first aperture and the second aperture is provided at least in the reference vertical information section, and
• when the tape cassette is installed in the cassette housing portion of the tape printer, the color indicator portion disposed in the second flat surface portion opposes the plurality of detecting switches, each of the at least one first aperture and the second aperture receives one of the plurality of the detecting switches inserted therein to thereby cause the plurality of detection switches to detect the identification information for identifying the color information including the base material color and the specific ink color.

A tape printer comprising:

• a tape cassette comprising:
• a housing including a top wall having a top surface, a bottom wall having a bottom surface, and a side wall, the top wall and the bottom wall having a generally rectangular shape whose longitudinal direction is a left-and-right direction of the housing, the top wall, the bottom wall, and the side wall defining a periphery of the housing, the bottom surface including a first flat surface portion and a second flat surface portion, the second flat surface portion extending generally parallel to the first flat surface portion and being located between the top surface and the first flat surface portion in a first direction generally perpendicular to the top surface or the first flat surface portion, the side wall including a front wall;
• an arm portion formed by the front wall and an arm rear wall behind the front wall, the arm portion partially surrounding an opening extending from the top surface to the bottom surface behind the front wall, and the front wall of the arm portion including a latching hole;
• at least one tape mounted in a tape housing area, the tape housing area being located at a rear side of the housing within the periphery and including a first tape housing area and a second tape housing area each having a generally circular shape in a plan view, the first and second tape housing areas being aligned with each other in the left-and-right direction such that outer peripheral edges of the first and second tape housing areas contact each other;
• an ink ribbon mounted in a ribbon housing area, the ribbon housing area being located on a front side of the tape housing area within the periphery;
• and
• a color indicator portion disposed in the second flat surface portion and including a first lateral information section and a second lateral information section, the first lateral information section and the second lateral information section being strip-shaped sections extending along the left-and-right direction of the housing and aligned in a front-rear direction of the housing, the first lateral information section including at least one first aperture formed in a pattern that corresponds to a base material color of the at least one tape, the first lateral information section adjoining a rear edge of the bottom wall, the second lateral information section including a second aperture that indicates a specific ink color of the ink ribbon, the second lateral information section being located to the front of the first lateral information section;
• a cassette housing portion configured to removably house the tape cassette;
• a feeding device configured to feed the at least one tape along at least one feed path when the tape cassette is installed in the cassette housing portion;
• a printing device configured to perform printing on a print medium tape fed by the feeding device, the print medium tape being one of the at least one tape;
• a plurality of detecting switches configured to protrude toward the bottom surface of the tape cassette and oppose the color indicator portion when the tape cassette is installed in the cassette housing portion, the plurality of detecting switches being configured to detect identification information for identifying color information of the at least one tape by being selectively inserted in the at least one first aperture and the second aperture, the identification information indicating a pressing state or a non-pressing state of each of the plurality of detecting switches;
• a table storage device storing a color information table in which pieces of identification information are respectively associated with pieces of color information;
• a color identifying device configured to identify, with reference to the color information table, the base material color and the specific ink color based on the color information associated with the identification information detected by the plurality of detecting switches,
• wherein:
• the color indicator portion includes a reference vertical information section that is a strip-shaped section extending along the front-rear direction of the housing and that includes a reference line, the reference line being an imaginary straight line extending along the front-rear direction and passing through a contact point where the outer edges of the first and second tape housing areas contact each other, and the reference line overlapping, when seen from a direction perpendicular to both the left-and-right direction and the front-rear direction, the latching hole and the opening, and
• at least one of the at least one first aperture and the second aperture is provided at least in the reference vertical information section.