IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,496,843
Granted Patent B2
US 12,496,843 · App. 17/706,549 · Granted Dec 16, 2025

Print cassette

Inventors: Kosuke Higashi (Nagoya, JP); Kentaro Murayama (Kasugai, JP)
Assignee: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B41J32/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,496,843
App. No.
17/706,549
Granted
Dec 16, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A print cassette includes a print tape roll in which a print tape is wound around a winding central axis parallel to a first direction, an input gear to which a driving force is to be input from outside, an idle gear directly or indirectly engaging the input gear and the output gear to transmit the driving force input to the input gear to the output gear. At least a portion of the input gear, at least a portion of the output gear, and at least a portion of the idle gear each overlap the print tape roll in the first direction.

Claims (39)

1 . A print cassette comprising:

a print tape roll in which a print tape is wound around a winding central axis parallel to a first direction;

an input gear to which an input driving force is to be input from an outside of the print cassette;

an output gear to output an output driving force to the outside of the print cassette; and

an idle gear directly or indirectly driven by the input gear and directly or indirectly driving the output gear,

wherein at least a portion of the input gear, at least a portion of the output gear, and at least a portion of the idle gear each overlap the print tape roll in the first direction.

2 . The print cassette according to claim 1 , wherein a rotation axis of the input gear, a rotation axis of the output gear, and a rotation axis of the idle gear are each located more inward than an outer peripheral surface of the print tape roll in a direction perpendicular to the first direction.

3 . The print cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a tape spool rotatable about a rotation axis,

wherein the print tape roll is configured such that the print tape is wound around the tape spool,

wherein, in a projection view in which the tape spool, the input gear, the output gear, and the idle gear are projected onto a virtual plane perpendicular to the first direction, the rotation axis of the tape spool overlaps a convex envelope defined by the input gear, the output gear, and the idle gear.

4 . The print cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising an ink ribbon roll in which an ink ribbon used for printing of the print tape is wound around a winding central axis parallel to the first direction,

wherein at least a portion of the ink ribbon roll overlaps the idle gear in the first direction.

5 . The print cassette according to claim 4 , further comprising a take-up spool rotatable to take up the ink ribbon to be supplied from the ink ribbon roll,

wherein at least a portion of the take-up spool overlaps the idle gear in the first direction.

6 . The print cassette according to claim 5 , further comprising a take-up gear directly or indirectly engaging the idle gear to rotate the take-up spool,

wherein at least a portion of the take-up gear overlaps the print tape roll in the first direction.

7 . The print cassette according to claim 6 , wherein a rotation axis of the take-up gear overlaps the print tape roll in the first direction.

8 . The print cassette according to claim 7 , wherein the take-up gear overlaps the take-up spool in the first direction.

9 . The print cassette according to claim 1 ,

wherein idle gear is a stepped gear in which a first gear engaging the output gear and a second gear having a larger diameter than the first gear are aligned,

wherein the second gear has an overlapping portion that overlaps the output gear in the first direction, and

wherein at least a portion of the overlapping portion overlaps the print tape in the first direction.

10 . The print cassette according to claim 9 , further comprising a laminating tape roll in which a laminating tape to be laminated on the print tape is wound around a winding central axis parallel to the first direction,

wherein at least a portion of the overlapping portion of the second gear overlaps the laminating tape roll in the first direction.

11 . The print cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a case in which at least a portion of the input gear, at least a portion of the output gear, and at least a portion of the idle gear are housed,

wherein the case has a recessed portion that is recessed in the first direction and extends from a first end to a second end in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and

wherein a rotation axis of the input gear, a rotation axis of the output gear, and a rotation axis of the idle gear are each located in a region that overlaps the recessed portion, the region spans a distance between the first and second ends of the recessed portion in the second direction and extends away from the recessed portion in a third direction.

12 . The print cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising a laminating tape roll in which a laminating tape to be laminated on the print tape is wound around a winding central axis parallel to the first direction,

wherein at least a portion of the output gear and at least a portion of the idle gear are each overlap the laminating tape roll in the first direction.

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

a case configured to be detachably attached to a printing apparatus.

14 . The print cassette according to claim 13 ,

wherein the input gear is configured to receive the input driving force from the printing apparatus, and

wherein the output gear is configured to output the output driving force to the printing apparatus.

15 . The print cassette according to claim 13 ,

wherein at least a portion of the input gear, at least a portion of the output gear, and at least a portion of the idle gear are housed in the case.

16 . The print cassette according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a case in which the input gear, the output gear, and the idle gear are housed,

wherein a portion of the input gear and a portion of the output gear are exposed from the case.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2022
From: HIGASHI, KOSUKE; MURAYAMA, KENTARO
To: BROTHER KOGYO KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 059418/0773 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2019-178431 · Sep 30, 2019 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2020034874 · Sep 15, 2020
Related Publication 20220219472A1 · Jul 14, 2022
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