Typewriting machines – Sheet or web – For feeding web record-medium
Reexamination Certificate
2000-09-07
2001-12-25
Funk, Stephen R. (Department: 2854)
Typewriting machines
Sheet or web
For feeding web record-medium
C400S208000, C400S619000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332725
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to tape printing apparatus and also to tape holding cases for tape printing apparatus.
BACKGROUND ART
Known tape printing apparatus of the type with which the present invention is generally concerned are disclosed in EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919 (Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha) and EP-A-267890 (Varitronics). These tape printing apparatus each include a cassette receiving bay for receiving a cassette or tape holding case. In EP-A-267890, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon and a substrate tape, the latter comprising an upper image receiving layer secured to a backing layer by an adhesive. In EP-A-322918 and EP-A-322919, the tape holding case houses an ink ribbon, a transparent image receiving tape and a double-sided adhesive tape which is secured at one of its adhesive coated sides to the image receiving tape after printing and which has a backing layer peelable from its other adhesive coated side. With both these apparatus, the image transfer medium (ink ribbon) and the image receiving tape (substrate) are in the same cassette.
The present applicants have developed a different type of tape printing apparatus which is described for example in EP-A-578372, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference. In this printing apparatus, the substrate tape is similar to that described in EP-A-267890 but is housed in its own tape holding case while the ink ribbon is similarly housed in its own tape holding case.
The known tape printing apparatus have input means, for example a keyboard, to allow the user to input an image to be printed. A display is generally also provided to display the input image or messages to the user. A cutting arrangement is provided to separate the image receiving tape on which an image has been printed from the supply of image receiving tape to thereby define a label.
In these known tape printing apparatus, the image receiving tape passes in overlap with the ink ribbon through a print zone consisting of a fixed print head and a platen against which the print head can be pressed to cause an image to transfer from the ink ribbon to the image receiving tape. This is usually done by thermal printing where the print head is heated and the heat causes ink from the ink ribbon to be transferred to the image receiving tape. This type of printing is known as thermal transfer printing. Alternatively, the print head may be in direct contact with a thermally sensitive image receiving tape whereby when the print head is heated, an image is printed directly on the image receiving tape. This type of printing is known as direct thermal printing.
In EP-A-661163 (Smith Corona), a tape printer is used in combination with a slot-in type cassette. The printhead is privotally fixed to the housing of the tool and interacts with a platen provided in the cassette. Since the printhead is spring biased towards the platen, it is capable of urging the cassette out of the printer, when the latches holding the cassette are released. The motor of this tape printer is located beside the cassette, but in a plane below the cassette, and is connected to the platen provided in the cassette by means of a gear train, parts of which being located below the cassette, as well.
EP-A-752321 (Esselte NV) discloses a tape printer in which the motor is located in approximately the same plane as the tape supply, however most parts of the gear train are located below the tape supply. A bevel gear is used for altering the direction of driving torque by 90°.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,615,960 (Alps) also discloses a tape printer in which the motor is located beside the tape supply, and most parts of the gear train are located below the tape supply.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, there is provided a tape printing apparatus having a platen for driving an image receiving tape through a printing zone, and a motor operatively connected to said platen by means of a gear train, wherein said motor and said gear train are approximately located within a plane in which a supply of said image receiving tape accomodated in said tape printing apparatus is arranged, and wherein a pair of gears of said gear train changes the direction of the rotation of the torque driving the platen by 90°, such that the rotational axis of said platen and a driving shaft of said motor include an angle of 90°.
It is thus proposed to position the motor and the gear train for driving the platen besides the location in which the tape cassette housing the image receiving tape is accomodated, instead of below the cassette location, as known from the prior art. Thus, a thinner machine can be built.
It is proposed that the rotational axis of said platen extends parallel to the plane in which the supply of said image receiving tape accomodated in said tape printing apparatus is arranged. Thus, the case according to this embodiment of the present invention is used in combination with the tape printer according an embodiment of the invention, in which a tape holding case allows due to a 90° bend to have a platen arranged orthogonal with respect to the supply of image receiving tape. This reduces the height required for the driving mechanism of the tape, and a thin tape printer is the advantageous result.
There can be provided a tape holding case for use with a tape printing apparatus having a print head for printing an image on an image receiving tape, and a surface, said print head and said surface having a first printing position in which said print head acts against said surface and a second non-printing position in which said print head and said surface are spaced apart, said tape holding case housing a supply of image receiving tape and having an interaction portion for separating the print head and the surface so that the print head and the surface are in the second position during insertion of the tape holding case in the tape printing apparatus, said interaction portion being arranged so that the print head and said surface are in the first position when the tape holding case is received in said tape printing apparatus.
By using the tape holding case to separate the print head and the surface, the tape printing apparatus can be simplified in that no mechanism is required to cause the print head to adopt the printing and non-printing positions. The cost of the tape printing apparatus can thereby be reduced.
It should be appreciated that in embodiments of the present invention, the surface against which the print head acts may be stationary at all times while the print head moves to cause the first and second positions to be adopted. Alternatively, the print head may be stationary whilst the surface moves to cause the first and second positions to be adopted. It is also possible that both print head and the surface be movable mounted. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the surface is substantially stationary while the print head is arranged to move.
Preferably, the print head and the surface are normally in the first position and the interaction portion is arranged during insertion to cause the print head and the surface to adopt the second position, said print head and surface being in the first position when the tape holding case is received in said tape printing apparatus. For example, the print head may be biased to the first position so that the interaction portion of the tape holding case acts against the biasing force to move the print head to the second position.
Preferably said interaction portion comprises a nose portion or control surface extending generally in the direction of insertion. Thus as the tape holding case is inserted, the interaction portion can cause the print head and the surface to adopt the second position.
Preferably said nose portion or control surface has a first surface shaped to gradually move the print head and/or the surface to cause the print head and surface to adopt the second position as the tape holding case is inserted and a second surface shaped to gradually move back the print head and/or the surface to ca
Cockerill Sam
Day Robert Charles Lewis
Halket Andrew Buchanan
Palmer Mathew Richard
Panayi Costa
Esselte N.V.
Funk Stephen R.
Pennie & Edmonds LLP
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