Granted Patent B2

US 12,686,217 · App. 18/495,513 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Inventors: Shinji Ukai (Kiyosu, JP); Kentaro Murayama (Kasugai, JP)

Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA

B41J15/04B41J3/36B41J17/32B41J32/00B41J33/26

Abstract

Claims (84)

1 . A printing cassette comprising:

a print tape;

an input gear;

an idle gear engaging with the input gear, the idle gear being rotatable with the input gear;

an output gear engaging with the idle gear, the output gear being rotatable with rotation of the input gear and the idle gear, wherein the print tape is conveyable according to rotation of the output gear; and

a case that houses therein at least a part of the print tape, at least a part of the input gear, at least a part of the output gear, and at least part of the idle gear,

wherein one part of the output gear is positioned outside the case, and

wherein another part of the output gear is positioned inside an outer edge of the case.

2 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a head opening,

wherein the output gear is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction, and

wherein the one part of the output gear overlaps the head opening in the first direction.

3 . The printing cassette according to claim 2 ,

wherein the rotational axis of the output gear passes through the head opening.

4 . The printing cassette according to claim 2 , further comprising an ink ribbon,

wherein the case comprises:

a second upstream support part positioned adjacent to and upstream of the head opening in a conveying direction of the ink ribbon and configured to support the ink ribbon; and

a second downstream support part positioned adjacent to and downstream of the head opening in the conveying direction of the ink ribbon and configured to support the ink ribbon, and

wherein a datum straight line connecting the second upstream support part and the second downstream support part overlaps the output gear in the first direction.

5 . The printing cassette according to claim 4 ,

wherein the case further comprises:

a first upstream support part positioned adjacent to and upstream of the head opening in a conveying direction of the print tape and configured to support the print tape; and

a first downstream support part positioned adjacent to and downstream of the head opening in the conveying direction of the print tape and configured to support the print tape, and

wherein a datum straight line connecting the first upstream support part and the first downstream support part does not overlap the output gear in the first direction.

6 . The printing cassette according to claim 4 ,

wherein the output gear overlaps the second upstream support part in the first direction.

7 . The printing cassette according to claim 4 ,

wherein the case has a conveying path through which the print tape and the ink ribbon are configured to be conveyed in parallel to each other, and

wherein at least a part of the input gear overlaps the output gear at the conveying path in a direction perpendicular to the first direction and the conveying direction of the print tape.

8 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 ,

wherein the output gear is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction,

wherein the output gear comprises a disc rotatable about the rotational axis and teeth formed on a surface of the disc, the surface being parallel to the first direction,

wherein the disc has one surface and another surface perpendicular to the first direction, the one surface facing the case in the first direction, and

wherein at least a part of the another surface does not face the case.

9 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 ,

wherein the output gear is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction,

wherein the output gear comprises a disc rotatable about the rotational axis and teeth formed on a surface of the disc, the surface being parallel to the first direction, and

wherein a portion of the output gear positioned outside the case provides a circumferential length along a dedendum circle of the output gear, the circumferential length being greater than or equal to ⅛ of an entire circumference of the dedendum circle and smaller than or equal to ⅓ of the entire circumference of the dedendum circle.

10 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 ,

wherein the output gear is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction,

wherein the output gear comprises a disc rotatable about the rotational axis and teeth formed on a surface of the disc, the surface being parallel to the first direction,

wherein the case comprises a protruding portion arranged to overlap the output gear in the first direction, the protruding portion having an endface parallel to the first direction, the endface being positioned between a dedendum circle of the output gear and the rotational axis of the output gear.

11 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a head opening,

wherein the input gear is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction,

wherein the case comprises:

a first upstream support part positioned adjacent to and upstream of the head opening in a conveying direction of the print tape and configured to support the print tape; and

a first downstream support part positioned adjacent to and downstream of the head opening in the conveying direction of the print tape and configured to support the print tape, and

wherein at least a part of the output gear overlaps a datum triangle in the first direction, the datum triangle connecting the first upstream support part, the first downstream support part and the rotational axis of the input gear.

12 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising:

an ink ribbon; and

an input spool configured to take up the ink ribbon,

wherein the input gear is rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction,

wherein the input spool has an inner peripheral surface formed with splines, and

wherein the rotational axis of the input gear passes through a hollow part defined by the inner peripheral surface of the input spool.

13 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a first roll of the print tape; and

a second roll of an ink ribbon,

wherein the first roll, the output gear and the second roll are juxtaposed in a first direction in order of the first roll, the output gear and the second roll.

14 . The printing cassette according to claim 13 ,

wherein the case comprises:

a first case part configured to accommodate the first roll;

a second case part configured to accommodate the second roll; and

a path along which the print tape constituting the first roll is configured to be conveyed from the first case part to the second case part.

15 . The printing cassette according to claim 1 ,

wherein the printing cassette is configured to be mounted in a device body of a printing device, the device body comprising a drive source and a platen roller configured to convey the print tape,

wherein a drive force from the drive source is configured to be inputted into the input gear, and

wherein the output gear is configured to transmit the drive force to the platen roller.

16 . A printing cassette comprising:

a print tape;

an input gear;

an idle gear engaging with the input gear, the idle gear being rotatable with the input gear;

an output gear engaging with the idle gear, the output gear being rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction with rotation of the input gear and the idle gear, wherein the print tape is conveyable according to rotation of the output gear; and

a case that houses therein at least a part of the print tape, at least a part of the input gear, at least a part of the output gear, and at least part of the idle gear,

wherein a part of the output gear is positioned outside the case, and

wherein an entirety of the output gear overlaps the case in the first direction.

17 . A printing cassette comprising:

a print tape;

an input gear;

an idle gear engaging with the input gear, the idle gear being rotatable with the input gear;

an output gear engaging with the idle gear, the output gear being rotatable about a rotational axis extending in a first direction with rotation of the input gear and the idle gear, wherein the print tape is conveyable according to rotation of the output gear; and

a case that houses therein at least a part of the print tape, at least a part of the input gear, at least a part of the output gear, and at least part of the idle gear,

wherein the case has:

a first surface and a second surface constituting respective endfaces of the case in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; and

a third surface and a fourth surface constituting respective endfaces of the case in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction, and

wherein the output gear is positioned between the first surface and the second surface and between the third surface and the fourth surface.

Assignments (1)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (3)

References Cited (165)