Tape-shaped label printing device

A tape cassette for a printing device that includes a printing head support, a tape drive, pins, and an array of sensors, the tape cassette comprising:

• tape;
• and
• a cassette casing housing the tape and defining a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to accommodate the printing head support of the printing device, the cassette casing defining a tape exit portion proximate the head recess where the tape exits the cassette casing after being printed, the cassette casing further including a drive roller disposed downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing including a sensor portion having a surface adapted to interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the sensor portion being located absolutely at a corner position of the cassette casing most distant from the tape exit portion, the surface of the sensor portion defining multiple sensor holes that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device.

A tape cassette for a printing device that includes a printing head support, a tape drive, pins, and an array of sensors, the tape cassette comprising:

• tape;
• and
• a generally rectangular cassette casing that is bounded by four corners, the cassette casing housing the tape and defining a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to accommodate the printing head support of the printing device, the cassette casing defining a tape exit portion proximate the head recess and adjacent a first corner of the four corners, the cassette casing further including a drive roller disposed downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing including a sensor portion having a surface adapted to interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the sensor portion being located absolutely at a second corner of the four corners positioned diagonally from the first corner, the surface of the sensor portion defining multiple sensor holes that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device.

A tape cassette for a printing device that includes a print head, a tape drive, pins, and an array of sensors, the tape cassette comprising:

• printing tape;
• and
• a cassette casing defining upper and lower surfaces and a lateral surface extending between the upper and lower surfaces, the cassette casing housing the printing tape and defining a feed path through which the printing tape moves in a feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a head recess adapted to receive the print head of the printing device, the cassette casing forming a generally rectangular shape that is bounded by four corners, the cassette casing further including a drive roller adjacent a first corner of the four corners of the cassette casing downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the cassette casing defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the cassette casing within the printing device, the cassette casing including a flanged portion extending outwardly from the cassette casing substantially perpendicular to the lateral surface and adapted to interact with the array of sensors on the printing device to identify at least one characteristic of the tape cassette, the flanged portion defining an outer edge and multiple sensor holes spaced from the outer edge that interact with the array of sensors of the printing device to facilitate identification of the at least one characteristic device, the flanged portion being positioned absolutely at a second corner of the four corners of the cassette casing most distant from the first corner.

A printing system, comprising:

• a tape cassette;
• tape;
• and
• a printing device that includes a thermal head, a tape cassette mounting area having a first surface, a printing head support extending from the first surface and supporting the thermal head, a tape exit area proximate the thermal head to allow the tape to exit the tape cassette mounting area, a step portion elevated relative to the first surface, a plurality of sensors arranged on the step portion, the plurality of sensors constituting a complete set of sensors to identify a size of the tape cassette attached in the tape cassette mounting area, a tape drive and positioning pins;
• the tape cassette being adapted to be mounted in the tape cassette mounting area, the tape cassette housing the tape and defining a feed path through which the tape moves in a feeding direction, the tape cassette having a head recess formed therein to accommodate the printing head support and a bottom surface facing toward the first surface of the tape cassette mounting area when the tape cassette is mounted in the tape cassette mounting area, the tape cassette further including a detection area elevated relative to the bottom surface, the detection area defining a detector surface facing the plurality of sensors when the tape cassette is mounted in the tape cassette mounting area, the detector surface defining multiple sensor holes and being configured to interact with selected ones of the plurality of sensors to identify the size of the tape cassette, detector surface being located absolutely at a corner position diagonally opposite the tape exit area, the tape cassette further including a drive roller disposed downstream of, and spaced from, the head recess in the feeding direction and adapted to engage the tape drive of the printing device to feed the tape in the feeding direction, the tape cassette defining a first positioning hole adjacent the drive roller and a second positioning hole spaced from the drive roller, the first and second positioning holes communicating with the positioning pins of the printing device to ensure proper positioning of the tape cassette within the printing device.

A cassette for use with a printing device including a print head, the cassette comprising:

• a cassette case including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite from the top surface, a first side surface, a second side surface opposite from the first side surface, a third side surface and a fourth side surface opposite from the third side surface;
• a tape path in the cassette case for guiding a printing tape;
• a print head accommodating portion in the cassette case;
• and
• a detector surface that has one or more sensor holes capable of interacting with one or more sensors in the printing device when the cassette is installed in the printing device, the sensor holes being positioned on a corner of the cassette case positioned diagonally opposite from a corner of the cassette case where a tape discharge portion is located;
• wherein:
• the print head accommodating portion includes at least a first side wall, a second side wall opposite from the first side wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall opposite from the third side wall;
• the print head accommodating is positioned so as to form a first opening in the top surface, a second opening in the bottom surface and a third opening in the first side surface;
• during operation of the cassette, the printing tape is conveyed across the third opening;
• and
• the first side wall, the second side wall, the third side wall and the fourth side wall form a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from a top surface side or a bottom surface side of the cassette case, wherein the first side wall ends at a location close to a printing position, thereby the rectangular shape is discontinuous at the location close to the printing position and the third opening is formed.

A cassette for use with a printing device including a print head, the cassette comprising:

• a cassette case including a top surface, a bottom surface opposite from the top surface, a first side surface, a second side surface opposite from the first side surface, a third side surface and a fourth side surface opposite from the third side surface;
• a tape path in the cassette case for guiding a printing tape;
• a print head accommodating portion in the cassette case;
• and
• a detector surface that has one or more sensor holes capable of interacting with one or more sensors in the printing device when the cassette is installed in the printing device, the sensor holes being positioned on a corner of the cassette case positioned diagonally opposite from a corner of the cassette case where a tape discharge portion is located;
• wherein:
• the print head accommodating portion includes at least a first side wall, a second side wall opposite from the first side wall, a third side wall and a fourth side wall opposite from the third side wall;
• the print head accommodating portion is positioned so as to form a first opening in the top surface, a second opening in the bottom surface and a third opening in the first side surface;
• during operation of the cassette, the printing tape is conveyed across the third opening;
• and
• the cassette case includes a guide portion in proximity to the third opening and a discharge portion which is separately formed from the guide portion at an end of the first side surface,
• wherein:
• the guide portion includes a slot dimensioned so that a width of the slot closely corresponds to a width of the printing tape, the printing tape being guided through the slot, and substantially prevents movement of the printing tape in directions perpendicular to a winding/unwinding direction of the printing tape, and
• a recess is formed between the guide portion and the discharge portion.