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EP-4501651-B1 - PRINTING CASSETTE AND PRINTER

EP4501651B1EP 4501651 B1EP4501651 B1EP 4501651B1EP-4501651-B1

Inventors

  • UKAI, SHINJI
  • MURAYAMA, KENTARO

Dates

Publication Date
20260513
Application Date
20200915

Claims (16)

  1. A printing cassette (10) comprising: a case including a first case portion (41), a second case portion (42), and a third case portion (43); a first tape, at least a portion of which is accommodated in the third case portion; and a gear (18), a portion of which is accommodated in the second case portion, the gear being rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to a first direction, wherein: the first case portion has an outlet through which the first tape is discharged; the first case portion, the second case portion, and the third case portion are disposed in an order of the first case portion, the second case portion, and the third case portion in the first direction; wherein the first case portion includes: a protruding portion (32E) having a first surface (32H) defining a head opening (32B); and a facing portion (32F) defining the head opening, the facing portion having a second surface (32I) facing the first surface in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction; the second case portion has a third surface (32J), the third surface being disposed at an end of the head opening in the first direction and connecting between the protruding portion and the facing portion; and the gear is partially exposed to the head opening.
  2. The printing cassette according to claim 1, wherein a volume of an internal space of the third case portion is greater than a volume of an internal space of the first case portion.
  3. The printing cassette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a total weight of the third case portion and components accommodated in the third case portion is greater than a total weight of the first case portion and components accommodated in the first case portion.
  4. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the first case portion and the second case portion are separated by a first separation wall, and the second case portion and the third case portion are separated by a second separation wall.
  5. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: a first cover portion; a first frame portion connected to the first cover portion in the first direction; a second frame portion connected to the first frame portion in the first direction; and a second cover portion connected to the second frame portion in the first direction, wherein: the first case portion includes the first cover portion and a first portion of the first frame portion in the first direction, the second case portion includes a second portion of the first frame portion and a third portion of the second frame portion in the first direction, the second portion being a side opposite to the third direction in the first direction, and the third case portion includes a fourth portion of the second frame portion and the second cover portion, the fourth portion being a side opposite to the third portion in the first direction.
  6. The printing cassette according to claim 5, wherein a dimension of the second frame portion in the first direction is greater than a dimension of the first frame portion in the first direction.
  7. The printing cassette according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the gear is disposed between claws connecting between the first frame portion and the second frame portion.
  8. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein a dimension of the first case portion in the first direction and a dimension of the third case portion in the first direction are greater than a dimension of the second case portion in the first direction.
  9. The printing cassette according to claim 8, wherein the dimension of the first case portion in the first direction is equal to or greater than the dimension of the third case portion in the first direction.
  10. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising: a second tape; and a roller that lays the second tape over the first tape, wherein: at least a portion of the first tape, at least a portion of the second tape, and at least a portion of the roller are arranged next to each other in the first direction and accommodated in the first case portion, and the roller is supported by the second case portion such that at least a portion of the roller overlaps the second case portion in a direction orthogonal to the first direction.
  11. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising a restricting portion that restricts movement of the first tape in a width direction of the first tape, wherein the restricting portion is disposed between ends of the outlet in the width direction of the first tape.
  12. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising: a roll for the first tape; and a restricting portion that restricts movement of the first tape in a width direction of the first tape, wherein: the roll is accommodated in the third case portion, and the restricting portion is disposed between ends of the roll in the width direction of the first tape.
  13. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 12, further comprising a roll for the first tape, wherein: the roll is accommodated in the third case portion, and the first tape drawn from the roll is discharged from the outlet via the second case portion and the first case portion.
  14. The printing cassette according to claim 13, wherein the second case portion includes a partition wall that separates a space in which the gear is disposed and a space through which the first tape travels.
  15. The printing cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising an ink ribbon, wherein: at least a portion of the ink ribbon is accommodated in the first case portion, the first case portion has an outlet for opening through which the first tape is discharged to a head opening, and the ink ribbon is to be laid over the first tape discharged from the outlet for opening.
  16. A printer (1) comprising: the printing cassette (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 15; and a printer body (100) on which the printing cassette is to be mounted, wherein the printer body includes a driving force transmission portion (104) to be engaged with the gear (18).

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to a printing cassette and a printer. BACKGROUND In a printer that performs printing on a printing tape, replacement and resupply of a printing tape is performed by attachment and detachment of a cassette accommodating a printing tape to and from the printer (see Patent Literature 1). Document JP2012236307 discloses a conventional ink ribbon cassette. Citation List Patent Literature Patent Literature 1: JP2010-234772A SUMMARY Technical Problem It is assumed that the above-described cassette is provided with a gear for transmitting a driving force to the inside of the cassette or a gear for transmitting a driving force from the cassette to the outside thereof. In a case where a portion of such a gear is exposed to the outside of a case of the cassette, the gear is easily damaged when the cassette is dropped and collides with a surface of a floor or somewhere. One aspect of the present disclosure is to provide a printing cassette that can reduce damage to a gear that transmits a driving force. Solution to Problem One aspect of the present disclosure is a printing cassette including: a case including a first case portion, a second case portion, and a third case portion; a first tape, at least a portion of which is accommodated in the third case portion; and a gear, a portion of which is accommodated in the second case portion and the other portion of which is located outside of the case, the gear being rotatable about a rotation axis parallel to a first direction. The first case portion has an outlet through which the first tape is discharged. The first case portion, the second case portion, and the third case portion are disposed in an order of the first case portion, the second case portion, and the third case portion in the first direction. Another aspect of the present disclosure is a printer including: a printing cassette; and a printer body on which the printing cassette is to be mounted. The printer body includes a driving force transmission portion that is to be engaged with the gear. According to these configurations, the gear is disposed at the second case portion sandwiched between the first case portion and the third case portion. Therefore, even if the printing cassette is dropped and a surface of the printing cassette extending perpendicular to the axial direction of the rotation axis of the gear collides with a surface of a floor or somewhere, the gear is protected by the first case portion and the third case portion and damage to the gear is reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [FIG. 1] FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C are schematic perspective views each illustrating a state in which a printing cassette is detached from a printer body in a printer according to an embodiment.[FIG. 2] FIG. 2A, 2B, and 2C are schematic perspective views each illustrating the printing cassette in the printer of FIG. 1A.[FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a disassembled schematic perspective view of the printing cassette of FIG. 2A.[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 2C.[FIG. 5] FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic perspective views each illustrating a first frame portion of the printing cassette of FIG. 2A, and FIG. 5C is a schematic perspective view of a second frame portion of the printing cassette of FIG. 2A.[FIG. 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a state in which a first cover portion of the printing cassette of FIG. 2A is removed.[FIG. 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view for explaining a path of a to-be-printed tape and a path of an ink ribbon in the printing cassette of FIG. 2A.[FIG. 8] FIG. 8A is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIA-VIIIA of FIG. 2C, FIG. 8B is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIB-VIIIB of FIG. 2C, FIG. 8C is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIC-VIIIC of FIG. 2C, and FIG. 8D is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line VIIID-VIIID of FIG. 2C.[FIG. 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic plan view illustrating the printer body of the printer of FIG. 1A.[FIG. 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which an output gear and a platen gear are in engagement with each other in the printer of FIG. 1A.[FIG. 11] FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic perspective views each illustrating a state in which a printing cassette is detached from a printer body in a printer according to an embodiment different from the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1A.[FIG. 12] FIG. 12 is a disassembled schematic perspective view of the printing cassette in the printer of FIG. 11A.[FIG. 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view illustrating the printer body of the printer of FIG. 11A.[FIG. 14] FIG. 14 is a schematic view illustrating a state in which an output gear and a platen gear are in engagement with each other in the printer of FIG. 11A.[FIG. 15] FIG. 15 is a disassembled schematic perspective view of a printing cassette for a printer according to an embodiment different from the embo