A pinion wheel for a spitter mechanism of a tape printer includes a first surface that does not engage with a tape, and a second surface for contact with a portion of the tape. Rotation of the pinion wheel causes the second surface to engage and move the portion of tape. In an implementation, the first surface has a first curvature and the second surface has a second curvature. The first surface may be flat and the second surface may be arcuate. In another implementation, a tape printer includes a printer body, a printing means, a cutting means for cutting a tape, and a spitter mechanism for moving a portion of the tape. The spitter mechanism includes an element rotatable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, a first surface does not engage the portion of tape, and in the second position a second surface engages the portion of tape. Rotation of the element to the second position causes the portion of tape to be moved.
1. A tape printer spitter mechanism for moving a portion of tape in a tape printer comprising:
an element having an external surface with a first portion of a first configuration facing a tape passageway when in a first angular position about an axis of rotation, and a second portion of a second different configuration facing the tape passageway when rotated to a second angular position about the axis of rotation, wherein the first and second portions are angularly displaced from each other about the axis of rotation;
a motor for rotating the element about the axis of rotation from the first angular position, wherein the first portion is not engaged with the portion of tape, to the second angular position wherein the second portion engages with the portion of tape to cause the portion of tape to be moved; and
a home switch for detecting a home position and wherein the element further comprises a protrusion for contacting the home switch.
2. A spitter mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the second portion has an arcuate curvature.
3. A spitter mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein the first portion is flat and the second portion is arcuate.
4. A spitter mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising a controller for generating a signal to actuate the spitter mechanism.
5. A tape printer comprising:
a printer body housing a tape receiving portion for receiving a supply of tape on which an image is to be printed;
a printing member configured for printing an image on said tape;
a cutting member configured for cutting said tape; and
a spitter mechanism for moving a portion of said tape, wherein said spitter mechanism comprises an element having a surface, said element being rotatable between a first angular position about an axis of rotation and a second angular position about the axis of rotation, wherein in said first angular position said surface is not engaged with the portion of tape and in said second angular position said surface is engaged with the portion of tape, whereby rotation of said element in said second angular position causes the portion of tape to be moved, wherein said surface has a first portion having a first configuration and a second portion that is angularly displaced from the first portion about the axis of rotation and has a second configuration different from the first configuration, whereby in said first angular position said first portion is adjacent the portion of tape and in said second angular position said second portion is adjacent the portion of tape with said surface engaging the portion of tape.
6. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein said spitter mechanism is located downstream of the cutting member whereby in said second position said surface is engaged with a cut portion of tape thereby moving said cut portion of tape.
7. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein said portion of tape is moved out of an exit in the printer body.
8. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein said second portion has an arcuate curvature.
9. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein said first portion is flat and said second portion is arcuate.
10. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein the printer further comprises a controller for sending a signal to actuate the spitter mechanism after the cutting member has cut the image receiving tape.
11. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein the spitter mechanism further comprises a home switch, for detecting a home position for the spitter mechanism.
12. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein movement of said surface is by an electric motor.
13. A tape printer according to claim 5 , wherein a plurality of spitter mechanisms are provided.
14. A method of ejecting a cut portion of tape from a tape printer comprising:
providing a cut portion of tape;
rotating a pinion wheel of a spitter mechanism about an axis of rotation from a first angular position to a second angular position, in which a first surface of the pinion wheel of a first configuration faces but does not engage with the cut tape portion, to a second position in which a second surface of the pinion wheel faces and engages the tape portion, wherein the second surface is angularly displaced from the first surface about the axis of rotation and that has a second, different configuration than the first surface; and
moving the cut tape portion with the second surface in the second angular position to eject the cut tape portion from the tape printer.
15. A method according to claim 14 , which further comprises providing the second surface with an arcuate curvature, wherein the rotation of the pinion wheel engages the curvature of the second surface with the tape.
16. A method according to claim 14 , wherein the first surface is flat and the second surface is arcuate.
17. A tape printer spitter mechanism for moving tape in a tape printer comprising:
a tape passageway configured to receive the tape;
a spitter element having an axis of rotation and a surface that includes:
a first portion disposed radially from the axis at a first distance, and
a second portion disposed radially from the axis at a second distance that is greater than the first distance, the second portion being angularly displaced from the first portion about the axis,
wherein the spitter element is rotatable about the axis between:
a first position in which the first portion faces the tape in the tape passageway, and the second portion is disengaged from the tape, and
a second position in which the second portion faces the tape in the passageway and is engaged with the tape to move the tape upon rotation of the spitter element, and
wherein the first distance is sufficiently small so that the first portion is disengaged from the tape in the tape passageway in both the first and second positions; and
a motor operably associated with the spitter element to rotate the spitter element through the first and second positions.
18. The spitter mechanism according to claim 17 , wherein the second portion is semicircular.
19. The spitter mechanism according to claim 18 , wherein the first portion is configured to be disengaged from the tape in the passageway throughout the entire rotation of the spitter element.
20. A tape printer, comprising the spitter mechanism of claim 17 .