CN110171212B - printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to a belt unit and a printing apparatus. The belt unit (40) is provided with: a thermosensitive tape (42) wound in the long-dimension direction and having a hollow portion; and a presentation sheet (44) which is an adhesive sheet and indicates the type of the thermosensitive tape (42). The indicator sheet (44) is attached to the side surface of the thermosensitive tape (42).

Description

Printing device

Technical Field

The disclosure of the present specification relates to a belt unit and a printing apparatus.

Background

Conventionally, a label printer is known which prints characters, graphics, and the like on a tape unit wound in a longitudinal direction and having a roll shape to produce a label.

Japanese patent laid-open No. 2012-179882 describes a label printer in which a tape unit is housed.

Japanese patent application laid-open No. 2014-028448 describes a label printer that houses a tape cassette housing a tape unit.

The tape unit used in the label printer is of various types depending on the width, the color of the printing surface, and the like.

By loading a tape unit selected according to the use and preference into the printing apparatus by the user himself, the user can use a plurality of tape units of different types separately.

However, in the conventional belt unit having a roller shape, it is not easy to distinguish the type of the belt unit.

For example, it is difficult to recognize the width of the belt unit at a glance if the user is not frequently used.

Further, even when the tape unit is wound so that the printing surface faces inward, the color of the printing surface may not be visually recognized from the outside.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above circumstances, an object of an aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique of preventing the kind of a belt unit from being erroneously recognized.

A belt unit according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a belt wound in a long-dimension direction and having a hollow portion; and an adhesive sheet attached to the side surface of the tape so as to correspond to the hollow portion, the adhesive sheet indicating the type of the tape.

Effects of the invention

According to the above-described aspect, it is possible to prevent the type of the belt unit from being erroneously recognized.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the printing apparatus 1 in a state where the cover 4 is closed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the printing apparatus 1 in a state where the cover 4 is opened.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the unit adaptor (unit adaptor) 10.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the belt unit 40.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the adapter body 20.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the adapter body 20.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 20.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the belt unit 40 in a state where the presentation sheet 44 is directed upward.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the belt unit 40 in a state where the scattering prevention piece 43 faces upward.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 50.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 60.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 70.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the belt unit 40.

Fig. 15 is a top view of the reminder sheet 44.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the belt unit 140.

Detailed Description

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the printing apparatus 1 in a state where the cover 4 is closed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the printing apparatus 1 in a state where the cover 4 is opened.

The structure of the printing apparatus 1 will be described below with reference to fig. 1 and 2.

The printing apparatus 1 is a label printer that performs printing on a thermal tape 42 provided in the tape unit 40.

Hereinafter, a label printer of a thermal type using the thermal tape 42 will be described as an example, but the printing method is not particularly limited thereto.

The printing apparatus 1 may be a thermal transfer type label printer using an ink ribbon (ink ribbon).

The printing apparatus 1 as a label printer is not limited to a thermal printer.

For example, an ink jet printer, a laser printer, or the like may be used.

The printing apparatus 1 may perform printing by a single pass (one pass) or by a multi-pass (scanning) method.

As shown in fig. 1, the printing apparatus 1 includes: a device case 2, an input unit 3, a lid 4 that can be opened and closed freely, a window 5, and a display unit 6.

Although not shown, the device case 2 is provided with a power line connection terminal, an external device connection terminal, a storage medium insertion port, and the like.

The input unit 3 is provided on the upper surface of the device case 2.

The input unit 3 includes various keys such as an input key, a cross key, a shift key, and a decision key.

The cover 4 is disposed on the device case 2.

The user can open the lid 4 as shown in fig. 2 by pressing the button 4a to release the lock mechanism.

In order to visually confirm whether or not the tape unit 40 is accommodated in the printing apparatus 1 even when the cover 4 is closed, the window 5 is formed in the cover 4.

Further, the cover 4 has a display portion 6.

The display unit 6 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (electro-luminescence) display, or the like.

The display unit 6 displays characters and the like corresponding to the input from the input unit 3, a selection menu for various settings, information on various processes, and the like.

The display unit 6 may be a display with a touch panel, or may function as a part of the input unit 3.

As shown in fig. 2, the apparatus casing 2 includes a unit adaptor accommodating portion 2a, a platen roller (presser) 7, and a thermal head 8 below the cover 4.

The unit adapter 10 in which the belt unit 40 is housed in the unit adapter housing portion 2 a.

The unit adaptor 10 and the belt unit 40 will be described later.

The platen roller 7 is a conveying section that conveys the thermosensitive tape 42.

The platen roller 7 is rotated by rotation of a conveyance motor not shown.

The conveyance motor is, for example, a stepping motor, a Direct Current (DC) motor, or the like.

The platen roller 7 rotates while nipping the thermosensitive tape 42 discharged from the unit adaptor 10 between the thermal head 8, thereby conveying the thermosensitive tape 42 in the conveying direction.

The thermal head 8 is a print head that prints on the thermal tape 42.

The thermal head 8 has a plurality of heat generating elements arranged in a main scanning direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the thermosensitive tape 42, and performs printing line by heating the thermosensitive tape 42 by the heat generating elements.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the unit adaptor 10.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the belt unit 40.

Fig. 5 is a diagram for explaining the structure of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The structure of the unit adaptor 10 and the belt unit 40 will be described below with reference to fig. 3 to 5.

The unit adapter 10 is a unit adapter for receiving the belt unit 40, and receives the belt unit 40 so that a user can replace the belt unit 40.

That is, the unit adaptor 10 is designed on the premise that the user takes in/out the belt unit 40 with respect to the unit adaptor 10.

As shown in fig. 3, the unit adapter 10 includes an adapter body 20 and an adapter cover 30.

The belt unit 40 is accommodated in an internal space of the unit adapter 10 defined by the adapter main body 20 and the adapter cover 30.

The adapter body 20 will be described later.

The adapter cover 30 is openably and closably attached to the adapter main body 20.

The unit adaptor 10 is designed to match the bandwidth of the thermosensitive tape 42 of the tape unit 40.

The bandwidth of the thermosensitive tape 42 to be accommodated by the unit adapter 10 is shown in the region 20a of the adapter body 20.

In this example, the unit adaptor 10 is a unit adaptor for a belt having a bandwidth of 6 mm.

In the printing apparatus 1, the unit adaptor 10 in which the belt unit 40 is housed in the printing apparatus 1, and thereby the belt unit 40 is housed in the printing apparatus 1.

In addition, the printing apparatus 1 can accommodate unit adapters corresponding to different bandwidths.

Specifically, for example, the printing apparatus 1 can accommodate a 9mm unit adapter for a belt, a 12mm unit adapter for a belt, an 18mm unit adapter for a belt, and the like in addition to the 6mm unit adapter 10 for a belt shown in fig. 3.

As shown in fig. 4, the tape unit 40 includes a paper tube 41, a thermosensitive tape 42, a scattering prevention (scattering prevention) sheet 43, and a presentation sheet (adhesive sheet) 44.

The paper tube 41 is a cylindrical member wound with the heat-sensitive tape 42, and has a hollow portion 41 a.

The thermosensitive tape 42 is a printing tape wound in a long direction to have a cylindrical shape, and is wound to have a hollow portion 42 a.

The scattering prevention sheet 43 is an adhesive sheet that is stuck to one side (side 42c) of the ring-shaped side surface of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The indicator sheet 44 is an adhesive sheet that is stuck to the other (side surface 42b) of the ring-shaped side surfaces of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The paper tube 41 is provided in the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The paper tube 41 preferably has at least a hollow portion of a cylindrical shape, and more preferably a cylinder as shown in fig. 4.

In a state where the tape unit 40 is housed in the unit adapter 10, the protruding portion 23 (see fig. 6) of the adapter body 20 is inserted through the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41.

The paper tube 41 is useful for smoothly rotating the belt unit 40 inside the unit adapter 10 without damaging the belt unit 40 when the thermosensitive tape 42 is conveyed by the platen roller 7.

The thermosensitive tape 42 has, for example, a five-layer configuration as shown in fig. 5.

That is, a separator (separator) L1, an adhesive layer L2, a base material L3, a color developing layer L4, and a protective layer L5 were laminated in this order.

The separator L1 was releasably attached to the base material L3 so as to cover the adhesive layer L2.

The material of the diaphragm L1 is, for example, paper, but is not limited to paper, and may be PET (polyethylene terephthalate).

The adhesive layer L2 is an adhesive material applied to the base material L3.

The material of the substrate L3 is, for example, colored PET.

The color development layer L4 is a thermosensitive color development layer that develops color by heating with thermal energy.

The material of the protective layer L5 is, for example, transparent PET.

The constitution of the thermosensitive tape 42 is not limited to the constitution shown in fig. 5.

The thermosensitive tape 42 may not have the separator L1, but the adhesive layer L2 is exposed.

In this case, the scattering prevention sheet 43 may be omitted.

The thermosensitive tape 42 may not have the protective layer L5, but the color-developing layer L4 may be exposed.

The thermosensitive tape 42 has a shape corresponding to the paper tube 41 in a state wound around the paper tube 41.

If the paper tube 41 has a cylindrical shape as shown in fig. 4, the thermosensitive tape 42 also has a cylindrical shape, and both side surfaces (side surface 42b, side surface 42c) have a circular ring shape.

If the paper tube 41 has a hollow hexagonal prism shape, the thermosensitive tape 42 also has a hollow hexagonal prism shape, and both side surfaces have a hexagonal ring shape.

The scattering prevention sheet 43 is an adhesive sheet for maintaining the shape of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The thermosensitive tape 42 sometimes expands due to a change in humidity.

However, by attaching the scattering prevention sheet 43 to the side surface 42c of the thermosensitive tape 42, the change in the shape of the thermosensitive tape 42 due to expansion, that is, scattering of the thermosensitive tape 42 can be suppressed.

Further, the radiation prevention sheet 43 can also suppress a change in the shape of the thermosensitive tape 42 when an impact is applied to the thermosensitive tape 42 due to dropping of the tape unit 40 or the like.

The scattering prevention sheet 43 has an opening 43a and an adhesive surface 43 b.

The opening 43a is the same size as the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41 or larger than the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41.

The opening 43a is larger than an opening 44a described later.

The opening 43a is preferably the same size as the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 or larger than the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42.

More specifically, the diameter of the opening 43a is preferably equal to or larger than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The scattering prevention sheet 43 is attached to the side surface 42c so that the opening 43a faces the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Further, the radiation prevention sheet 43 is preferably sized to cover the side face 42c of the thermosensitive tape 42.

That is, the scattering prevention piece 43 is preferably larger than the side surface 42 c.

This allows the entire thermosensitive tape 42 to be held by the adhesive surface, and thus the shape can be maintained more reliably.

Further, the shape of the scattering prevention piece 43 is preferably similar to the shape of the side surface 42 c.

That is, if the side surface 42c is preferably circular, the scattering prevention piece 43 also has a circular shape.

This can reduce the area that does not contribute to maintaining the shape of the thermosensitive tape 42, and thus can reduce the size of the scattering prevention sheet 43.

Further, since the exposure of the adhesive surface is also reduced, it is possible to suppress adhesion of dust, dirt, or the like to the scattering prevention sheet 43.

The indication sheet 44 is an adhesive sheet indicating the type of the tape unit 40 (more precisely, the type of the thermosensitive tape 42).

The thermosensitive tape 42 is available in various types depending on the tape width and the color of the surface to be printed.

Since the indication sheet 44 includes information for specifying the type, the user can easily specify the type of the tape unit 40 by attaching the indication sheet 44 to the side surface 42b of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The indicator sheet 44 has an opening 44a and an adhesive surface 44 b.

The opening 44a is smaller than the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 and smaller than the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41.

More specifically, the opening 44a has a diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 and smaller than the inner diameter of the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41.

The presentation sheet 44 is attached to the side surface 42b so that the opening 44a faces the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The indication sheet 44 is preferably smaller than the side surface 42b of the thermosensitive tape 42 at least before the start of use of the tape unit 40, for example, at the time of sale of the tape unit 40.

More specifically, the area of the presentation sheet 44 is preferably smaller than the area of the side surface 42b of the thermosensitive tape 42.

This reduces the area of the side surface 42b of the thermosensitive tape 42 covered with the presentation sheet 44, and therefore, the remaining amount of the thermosensitive tape 42 can be easily checked.

The materials of the paper tube 41, the scattering prevention sheet 43, and the indication sheet 44 are not limited to paper.

However, if these components are made of paper, the used belt unit 40 in which the thermosensitive tape 42 has been used up can be discarded as combustible waste.

Therefore, the paper tube 41, the scattering prevention sheet 43, and the presentation sheet 44 are preferably made of paper.

As described above, in the tape unit 40, the presentation sheet 44 having the opening 44a smaller than the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 is attached to the side surface 42c of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Therefore, the size of the opening when the tape unit 40 is viewed from the side surface 42b (i.e., the size of the opening 44 a) is different from the size of the opening when the tape unit 40 is viewed from the side surface 42c (i.e., the size of the opening 43 a).

According to the belt unit 40, the belt unit 40 can be prevented from being housed in the unit adapter 10 in an incorrect orientation by the difference in the size of these openings.

In the printing apparatus 1, the belt unit 40 is incorporated in the unit adaptor 10, but the belt unit 40 may be used in a printing apparatus that directly houses the belt unit 40.

In this case, the belt unit 40 can be prevented from being stored in the printing apparatus in the wrong orientation.

Therefore, according to the belt unit 40, the belt unit 40 can be prevented from being loaded in an incorrect orientation.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the adapter body 20.

Fig. 7 is a top view of the adapter body 20.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 20.

Fig. 9 is a sectional view of the belt unit 40 in a state where the presentation sheet 44 is directed upward.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view of the belt unit 40 in a state where the scattering prevention piece 43 faces upward.

Hereinafter, the case of preventing the mounting in the wrong direction will be described in more detail with reference to fig. 6 to 10.

As shown in fig. 6, the adapter body 20 includes a guide 21, a medium accommodating portion 22, and a protruding portion 23.

The guide 21 is a regulating member that regulates the conveying direction of the thermal tape 42 discharged from the medium accommodating portion 22.

The medium accommodating portion 22 has a bottom surface 22a which is a part of the inner wall surface of the unit adapter 10, and accommodates the belt unit 40 in a state where the scattering prevention piece 43 faces the bottom surface 22 a. The protrusion 23 will be described later.

Further, as shown in fig. 7, the adapter body 20 has a plurality of ribs 26.

The ribs 26 are provided on the bottom surface 22a and support the belt unit 40 accommodated in the medium accommodating portion 22.

This reduces frictional resistance when the belt unit 40 rotates inside the unit adapter 10, and therefore, smooth rotation can be achieved.

In particular, the plurality of ribs 26 are provided radially with respect to the protruding portion 23, and thus, frictional force can be uniformly applied to each position in the radial direction of the belt unit 40.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7, the adapter body 20 has regions 27 between the plurality of ribs 26.

A seal (seal) printed with information for specifying the tape width of the tape unit to be stored is attached to the area 27, for example.

That is, the unit adaptor 10 is shown in the area 27 as a unit adaptor for a belt having a belt width of about several mm.

Thus, when the user loads the tape unit 40 into the unit adaptor 10, the user can confirm whether or not the bandwidth of the tape unit 40 corresponds to the unit adaptor 10 at a glance by comparing the information of the area 27 with the information of the presentation sheet 44.

Therefore, the belt unit 40 having an erroneous bandwidth can be prevented from being loaded into the unit adaptor 10.

The protruding portion 23 is inserted into the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 included in the tape unit 40 in a state where the tape unit 40 is housed in the unit adaptor 10.

The protrusion 23 includes a first protrusion 24 extending from the bottom surface 22a of the medium housing 22 and a second protrusion 25 extending from the distal end surface 24a of the first protrusion 24.

The first protruding portion 24 is smaller than the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 and larger than the opening 44a of the presentation sheet 44.

In more detail, the first protruding portion 24 is smaller than the paper tube 41a of the paper tube 41.

Stated differently, the outer diameter D1 of the first protrusion 24 shown in fig. 8 is smaller than the inner diameter D42i of the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42 shown in fig. 9, and is larger than the opening diameter D44i (i.e., the diameter of the opening 44 a) of the presentation sheet 44 shown in fig. 9.

Also, the outer diameter D1 of the first projection 24 is smaller than the inner diameter D41 of the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41 shown in fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 10, the opening diameter D43i of the scattering prevention piece 43 is equal to the inner diameter D41 of the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41 or equal to or larger than the inner diameter D41 of the hollow portion 41a of the paper tube 41.

Therefore, the outer diameter D1 of the first protrusion 24 is smaller than the opening diameter D43i of the scattering prevention piece 43 (i.e., the diameter of the opening 43 a).

As shown in fig. 8, the first projecting portion 24 has a height H1 with respect to the bottom surface 22 a.

The height H1 of the first tab 24 is lower than the bandwidth of the thermosensitive tape 42 corresponding to the unit adapter 10. I.e. the height H1 of the first projection 24 is lower than 6 mm.

The second protruding portion 25 is smaller than the opening 44a of the presentation sheet 44.

Stated differently, the outer diameter D2 of the second protrusion 25 shown in fig. 8 is smaller than the opening diameter D44i of the indicator piece 44 shown in fig. 9.

As shown in fig. 8, the second protrusion 25 has a height H2 with respect to the bottom surface 22a and a height H12 with respect to the distal end surface 24 a.

The height H2 of the second projection 25 is greater than the bandwidth of the thermosensitive tape 42 corresponding to the unit adapter 10. I.e. the height H2 of the second projection 25 is higher than 6 mm.

As shown in fig. 9, the outer diameter D44o of the indicator sheet 44 is larger than the inner diameter D42i of the thermosensitive tape 42.

As shown in fig. 9 and 10, the outer diameter D43o of the scattering prevention piece 43 is equal to the outer diameter D42o of the thermosensitive tape 42 or equal to or larger than the outer diameter D42o of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Since the size of the protruding portion 23 and the size of the belt unit 40 have the above-described relationship, when the scattering prevention piece 43 is directed toward the bottom surface 22a, the protruding portion 23 is inserted into the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive belt 42, and the scattering prevention piece 43 is supported by the rib 26 of the bottom surface 22 a.

Therefore, the belt unit 40 can be housed in the unit adapter 10 in a stable state.

On the other hand, when the indicator piece 44 is directed toward the bottom surface 22a, the indicator piece 44 contacts the distal end surface 24a and does not reach the rib 26.

This state is a state in which the belt unit 40 is supported by the narrow tip end surface 24a, and is very unstable.

Therefore, the user can immediately notice that the orientation of the loading belt unit 40 is wrong.

In this state, the adapter cover 30 is pushed against the belt unit 40 and cannot be closed.

Therefore, the belt unit 40 and the unit adapter 10 can prevent the belt unit 40 from being inserted in an incorrect orientation.

Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 50.

Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 60.

Fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the adapter body 70.

Hereinafter, differences between unit adapters having different corresponding bandwidths will be described with reference to fig. 8 and fig. 11 to 13.

The adapter body 50 shown in fig. 11, the adapter body 60 shown in fig. 12, and the adapter body 70 shown in fig. 13 are adapter bodies included in 9mm, 12mm, and 18mm unit adapters for a belt, respectively.

The adapter covers of these unit adapters are the same as the adapter cover 30 of the 6mm belt unit adapter 10.

As shown in fig. 11, the adapter body 50 has a projection 53.

The projection 53 has a first projection extending from the bottom surface 52a and a second projection extending from the first projection.

As shown in fig. 12, the adapter body 60 has a projection 63.

The protruding portion 63 has a first protruding portion extending from the bottom surface 62a and a second protruding portion extending from the first protruding portion.

As shown in fig. 13, the adapter body 70 has a projection 73.

The protruding portion 73 has a first protruding portion extending from the bottom surface 72a and a second protruding portion extending from the first protruding portion.

Regardless of the unit adapter, the outer diameter D1 of the first tab is common to the outer diameter D2 of the second tab.

In addition, the height H12 of the second projecting portion with respect to the tip end surface of the first projecting portion is common to all the unit adapters.

The height H1 of the first projection and the height H2 of the second projection with respect to the bottom surface are different for each unit adapter.

In the adapter body 20 for a 6mm belt shown in fig. 8, the height H1 of the first projecting portion 24 is lower than the 6mm belt width corresponding to the adapter body 20.

The height H2 of the second protrusion 25 is higher than the width of the tape corresponding to the adapter body 20 by 6mm and lower than the width of the tape corresponding to the adapter body 50 by 9 mm.

In the 9mm belt adapter body 50 shown in fig. 11, the height H1 of the first protrusion is lower than the width of the belt corresponding to the adapter body 50, which is 9 mm.

The height H2 of the second protrusion is higher than the width of the tape 9mm corresponding to the adapter body 50 and lower than the width of the tape 12mm corresponding to the adapter body 60.

In the adapter body 60 for a 12mm belt shown in fig. 12, the height H1 of the first projecting portion is lower than the width of the belt corresponding to the adapter body 60 by 12 mm.

The height H2 of the second protrusion is higher than the width of the tape 12mm corresponding to the adapter body 60 and lower than the width of the tape 18mm corresponding to the adapter body 70.

In the adapter body 70 for the 18mm belt shown in fig. 13, the height H1 of the first projecting portion is lower than the 18mm belt width corresponding to the adapter body 70.

The height H2 of the second projection is higher than the width of the corresponding 18mm of the adapter body 70.

That is, the height H1 of the first protrusion is lower than the corresponding bandwidth, and the height H2 of the second protrusion is higher than the corresponding bandwidth.

Further, the height H1 of the first protrusion is higher than the bandwidth corresponding to the other unit adapters that are shorter than the corresponding bandwidth.

In other words, the height H1 of the first protruding portion is higher than a bandwidth shorter than a corresponding bandwidth included in the predetermined plurality of bandwidths (6mm, 9mm, 12mm, 18 mm).

The dimensions (height, outer diameter) of the projecting portion have the above-described relationship, and therefore, when the tape unit 40 has a tape width corresponding to the unit adapter, the projecting portion is inserted into the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42, and the scattering preventing piece 43 is supported by the rib.

Therefore, the belt unit 40 can be housed in the unit adapter in a stable state.

On the other hand, if the tape unit 40 has a smaller tape width than the tape width corresponding to the unit adapter, even when the tape unit is mounted in the correct orientation, the indicator piece 44 comes into contact with the tip end surface of the first protrusion, and the scattering prevention piece 43 does not reach the rib.

This state is a state in which the belt unit 40 is supported by a narrow tip end face, and is very unstable.

Therefore, the user can immediately notice that the band unit 40 having a bandwidth different from the bandwidth corresponding to the unit adaptor is loaded.

When the tape unit 40 has a tape width longer than the tape width corresponding to the unit adapter, the tape width of the tape unit 40 becomes longer than the height H2 of the second protruding portion, and the protruding portion does not completely pass through the hollow portion 42a of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Further, the height of the second protrusion is substantially equal to the height of the inner space of the unit adapter.

Therefore, the belt unit 40 comes into contact with the adapter cover, and the adapter cover cannot be closed.

Therefore, according to the band unit 40 and the unit adaptor, it is possible to prevent the band unit 40 having a bandwidth different from the bandwidth corresponding to the unit adaptor from being loaded.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the belt unit 40.

Fig. 15 is a top view of the reminder sheet 44.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the belt unit 140.

The presentation sheet will be described in detail below with reference to fig. 14 to 16.

The tape unit 140 is a tape unit having a thermosensitive tape 142 of a different kind from the thermosensitive tape 42 of the tape unit 40.

The tape unit 40 shown in fig. 14 has a thermosensitive tape 42 having a tape width of 6mm and a printing face 42d of a red color.

The thermosensitive tape 42 is wound so that the printing surface 42d faces inward.

In the tape unit 40, the presentation sheet 44 is attached to one side surface of the thermosensitive tape 42 wound in the longitudinal direction, and the scattering prevention sheet 43 is attached to the other side surface.

The prompt sheet 44 contains information indicating the kind of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 15, the presentation sheet 44 includes a plurality of width information 44c and model information 44d arranged in a circular ring shape.

The model information 44d includes character information indicating the model of the tape unit 40.

The tip sheet 44 has a background color of the same color as the color of the printed surface 42d of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Note that the entire presentation sheet 44 does not have to be the same color as the color of the printing surface as a whole, and at least a part of the presentation sheet 44 may be the same color as the color of the printing surface 42d of the thermosensitive tape 42.

The color of the indication sheet 44 is the color of the surface of the indication sheet 44 opposite to the adhesive surface 44 b.

The plurality of width information pieces 44c are arranged at intervals at which one or more width information pieces 44c can be visually recognized through the window 5 of the printing apparatus 1 when the tape unit 40 is stored in the printing apparatus 1.

More preferably, as shown in fig. 15, the plurality of width information pieces 44c are arranged at intervals at which the plurality of width information pieces 44c can be visually recognized.

The broken line 5a shown in fig. 15 indicates the position of the window 5 when the belt unit 40 is housed in the printing apparatus 1.

The window 5 is formed in a size that does not affect the durability of the printing apparatus 1.

Therefore, if the interval is made too large, it becomes difficult to visually recognize the plurality of width information 44c through the window 5.

The plurality of width information 44c respectively indicate the widths of the thermosensitive tapes 42.

More specifically, the width information 44c includes a character indicating the width ("6" indicating the 6mm bandwidth in this example) and an underline indicating the orientation of the character.

Due to the underlining, for example, the character "6" indicating a 6mm bandwidth and the character "9" indicating a 9mm bandwidth can be easily distinguished from each other.

The plurality of characters indicating the widths included in the plurality of width information 44c are oriented in the same direction with respect to the circumferential direction.

The same direction is a direction in which characters visually recognized through a predetermined position in the window 5 of the printing apparatus 1 face forward when the belt unit 40 is accommodated in the printing apparatus 1.

In this example, the direction is parallel to the circumferential direction.

A broken line 5b shown in fig. 15 indicates a predetermined position in the window 5 when the belt unit 40 is housed in the printing apparatus 1.

The indicator sheet 44 includes the width information 44c indicating the tape width, and thus the tape width of the thermosensitive tape 42 can be easily confirmed in the tape unit 40.

In particular, the width information 44c includes characters indicating the bandwidth, and thus the bandwidth of the thermosensitive tape 42 can be quantitatively grasped.

The unit adaptor 10 different for each bandwidth is used in the printing apparatus 1, and the unit adaptor 10 and the tape unit 40 can be easily used in the correct combination by quantitatively grasping the bandwidth of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Further, since the plurality of width information pieces 44c are arranged in a ring shape, when the belt unit 40 rotates in the printing apparatus 1, the plurality of width information pieces 44c move while drawing the same trajectory with respect to the printing apparatus 1.

The direction of the characters of the plurality of width information 44c moving on the same trajectory changes for each position on the trajectory.

However, since the plurality of characters included in the plurality of width information 44c are oriented in the same direction with respect to the circumferential direction, when the plurality of characters are located at the same position on the trajectory, the plurality of characters included in any of the width information 44c are oriented in the same direction with respect to the printing apparatus 1.

Thus, even if the characters visible from the window 5 are switched among a plurality of characters by the rotation of the belt unit 40, the band width of the thermosensitive belt 42 can be confirmed under substantially the same conditions as before the rotation after the rotation is stopped.

Moreover, by orienting the characters in a direction in which the characters are oriented in front of the characters visually recognized through a predetermined position in the window 5 of the printing apparatus 1, the bandwidth can be read more easily.

Further, by arranging the plurality of width information 44c at intervals at which one or more width information 44c are visually recognized through the window 5 of the printing apparatus 1, it is possible to prevent a state in which the band width is not confirmed from the window 5 due to the rotation of the band unit 40.

By arranging a plurality of width information 44c at intervals at which at least two width information 44c are visually recognized, the bandwidth can be read more easily.

Further, since the color of at least a part of the presentation sheet 44 is the same as the color of the printing surface of the thermosensitive tape 42, the color of the thermosensitive tape 42 can be easily confirmed.

When the thermosensitive tape 42 is wound so that the printing surface of the thermosensitive tape 42 faces inward, it is not easy to confirm the color of the printing surface if the thermosensitive tape 42 is discharged as shown in fig. 14.

In particular, in a state where the tape unit is accommodated in the unit adaptor 10 or the printing apparatus 1, it is difficult to confirm the color of the printing surface.

However, since the color of at least a part of the presentation sheet 44 is the same as the color of the printing surface, the color of the printing surface can be easily confirmed by confirming the presentation sheet 44 even in a state where the tape unit is stored in the unit adaptor 10 or the printing apparatus 1.

In addition, the tape unit 140 shown in fig. 16 has a thermosensitive tape 142 having a tape width of 6mm and a printing surface 142d of yellow color.

The width of the thermosensitive tape 142 is the same as that of the thermosensitive tape 42, but the color of the printed surface is different from that of the thermosensitive tape 42.

Therefore, the tape unit 140 also has a different color of the indication sheet 144 from the indication sheet 44.

As shown in the belt unit 40 shown in fig. 14 and the belt unit 140 shown in fig. 16, by comparing the presentation sheets (the presentation sheet 44 and the presentation sheet 144), it is possible to grasp at a glance that the types of the heat-sensitive tapes are different in the belt unit 40 and the belt unit 140.

As described above, in the tape unit 40 including the presentation sheet 44, since the presentation sheet 44 includes information indicating the type of the thermosensitive tape 42, the type of the thermosensitive tape 42 can be accurately recognized by confirming the presentation sheet 44.

Therefore, the tape unit 40 can prevent the type of the thermosensitive tape 42 from being erroneously recognized.

The above embodiments disclose specific examples for easy understanding of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

The belt unit can be variously modified and changed without departing from the scope of claims.

In the above embodiment, the presentation sheet 44 is smaller than the side surface 42b of the thermosensitive tape 42, but the presentation sheet 44 may be larger than the side surface 42 b.

In this case, the presentation sheet 44 has the same effect as the scattering prevention sheet 43.

In the above embodiment, the printing apparatus 1 having the input unit 3 and the display unit 6 is illustrated, but the printing apparatus may not have an input unit or a display unit, and print data may be input from an electronic device such as an electronic computer, which is independent of the printing apparatus.

In the above embodiment, although the height H1 of the first protrusion and the height H2 of the second protrusion are different for each unit adapter having different corresponding bandwidths, the height H1 of the first protrusion and the height H2 of the second protrusion may be the same for each unit adapter.

Claims (5)

1. A printing apparatus, wherein, A belt unit is accommodated in the printing device, The above belt unit has: tape, wound in the longitudinal direction and having a hollow portion; and The adhesive sheet is attached corresponding to the hollow portion of the side surface of the tape, and indicates the type of the tape, In the above-mentioned adhesive sheet, a plurality of the same width information indicating the width of the above-mentioned tape are arranged in an annular shape at predetermined intervals, Each of the above-mentioned pieces of width information includes a character indicating the width, The plurality of characters each representing the width included in the plurality of width information are oriented in the same direction with respect to the circumferential direction, The above-mentioned printing apparatus includes a window that allows a part of the plurality of characters to be visually recognized, The window is provided at a predetermined position so that the character can be visually recognized in a predetermined direction when the belt unit is accommodated in the printing device, The predetermined direction is a direction in which the characters visually recognized through the predetermined position in the window of the printing device face the front when the belt unit is accommodated in the printing device, The window is provided in a size that allows a plurality of characters to be visually recognized when the belt unit is accommodated. 2. The printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein: Each of the plurality of pieces of width information includes an underline indicating the orientation of the character. 3. The printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein: The color of at least a part of the said adhesive sheet is the same as the color of the printing surface of the said tape. 4. The printing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein The said adhesive sheet has an opening part smaller than the hollow part of the said tape, and, The said adhesive sheet is affixed to the said side surface so that the said opening part corresponds to the said hollow part of the said tape. 5. The printing apparatus of claim 4, wherein: The said belt is provided with the cylindrical member which has the said hollow part in the center part.

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