Abstract: A tape printing apparatus including three holding protrusions that are provided on a mounting portion cover and that hold a cartridge mounted in a cartridge mounting portion, a displacement member that, when the cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion, is displaced from a protruded position to a lower-side position by having the cartridge abut against a cartridge abutment portion, and an elastic member that applies force to the displacement member towards an opposite direction to a mounting direction. In the tape printing apparatus, when viewed from the mounting direction, the cartridge abutment portion is provided inside a virtual holding triangle having holding distal end portions that are distal end portions of the three holding protrusions as apexes.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus including three holding protrusions that are provided on a mounting portion cover and that hold a cartridge mounted in a cartridge mounting portion, a displacement member that, when the cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion, is displaced from a protruded position to a lower-side position by having the cartridge abut against a cartridge abutment portion, and an elastic member that applies force to the displacement member towards an opposite direction to a mounting direction. In the tape printing apparatus, when viewed from the mounting direction, the cartridge abutment portion is provided inside a virtual holding triangle having holding distal end portions that are distal end portions of the three holding protrusions as apexes.

Abstract: A tape cassette includes a box-like housing, a tape mounted within the housing, a hole and a first indicator portion. The housing includes a top wall having a top surface, a bottom wall having a bottom surface and opposing the top wall, and a front wall having a specified height and being formed along peripheries of the top wall and the bottom wall. The hole is provided in the front wall. The first indicator portion includes at least one first aperture and indicates a first element among a plurality of elements of a type of the tape. The first indicator portion is provided in a portion, spaced from the front wall, of the bottom wall. The hole and the one first aperture is located to intersect a virtual line orthogonal to the front wall when viewing along a vertical direction orthogonal to the top wall and the bottom wall.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus includes a cartridge mounting portion in which a tape cartridge is mounted, the tape cartridge including a first case that has a first hook, a length of which is different for a plurality of types of tape cartridge, and a second case that has a first hook receiving portion with which the first hook engages is mounted, and a first hook detection sensor in which the output changes depending on the length of the first hook in a state in which a tape cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion.

Abstract: A tape cassette that includes a housing having a top surface, a bottom surface, a tape feed path, a front wall, a tape feed exit adjacent to the front wall configured to expose a tape guided in the housing along the tape feed path in a tape feed path direction towards the tape feed exit, and a tape guide downstream, in the tape feed path direction, from the tape feed exit. The tape cassette also includes a tape at least partially included within the housing and configured to be fed along the tape feed path to the tape feed exit, and a first aperture formed in an area of the front wall. The area is positioned upstream, in the tape feed path direction, of the tape feed exit, and a length of the area in the tape feed path direction at the front wall is equal to or less than a distance between the tape feed exit and the tape guide in the tape feed path direction at the front wall.

Abstract: A multipurpose printer and techniques for operating the printer are presented. A printer includes first and second print elements. During a first mode of operation for the printer, both the first and second print elements are configured to image both first and second sides of print media passing through the printer. During a second mode of operation, the first print element is prevented from interfacing with at least portions of the first side of the media that include adhesive materials affixed thereto.

Abstract: A multifunction device for prefabricating marking labels, having a top side configured to be printed on and a bottom side opposite the top side with a profiling, includes a printing device and at least one of a separating device and a perforation device. A feeder unit is configured to feed blank marking labels of a finite-length or endless material. A holder element including a recess is configured to receive the marking labels, including the profiling, so as to fix the marking labels in position during a passing over of the printing device and the at least one of the separating device and perforation device.

Abstract: This disclosure discloses a handheld type print label producing apparatus comprising: a housing that has a dimension along a longwise direction that is longer than a dimension along a width direction, and has a grip portion; a cartridge holder provided at one side of said housing along said longwise direction; a power source holder provided at the other side of said housing along said longwise direction; and a motor that drives at least one roller positioned on a feeding path, that is driven by power supplied from said power source device; wherein: a plurality of mechanisms is disposed in the interior of said housing so that a position of the center of gravity along said longwise direction of said handheld type print label producing apparatus to which said cartridge and said power source device are mounted falls within a range of said longwise direction corresponding to said grip portion.

Abstract: A printer and a module for supporting a paper roll therefore, the module comprising: a body for housing the roll; a first supporting member for the roll before that the roll is unwound for the printing operation; a second supporting member for the roll, after the roll has been wound at the end of printing operations; and a first engaging member carried by said body and disposable in a first configuration wherein it is coupled with a second engaging member carried by the printer to secure the module on the printer; the first engaging member is further disposable in a second configuration, wherein it is released from the second engaging member to permit the extraction of the module from the printer.

Abstract: A limiting device to prevent unwanted removal of paper from a paper or ticket printing and dispensing apparatus for paper roll printers, including paper cutter actuating means, positioned between a ticket dispensing exit and a cutting device to cut paper onto which printing has taken place and for controlling feeding of the paper and for controlling operation of the printer; activation of the cutting device is responsive to either an incompletely printed ticket or an action externally of said apparatus or to completion of any printing onto the ticket; a movable member or curved door is provided to more from a deactivation position to an activation position to control the operation of the paper cutter and the curved door is responsive to completion of a ticket printing operation or an occlusion at the dispensing exit or to a pre-set printing operation.

Abstract: A printing device loads a tape cassette including a label, a tape transfer roller, and a shaft hole, and the printing device includes a first synthetic resin support shaft that is fitted in the shaft hole to support the tape transfer roller, a synthetic resin frame that anchors a lower part of the first support shaft, a second synthetic resin support shaft that stands on the frame on the opposite side of the first support shaft, a first gear that is provided on the second support shaft to be rotated by driving power from a motor in the printing device, a second gear that engages with the first gear and biased toward the first gear, and a press roller that includes the second gear, rotates, and is biased toward the first support shaft to hold the label between itself and the tape transfer roller and to discharge the label.

Abstract: A media cartridge is disclosed for use in a printer that prints onto the media. The media cartridge includes a cartridge housing having an exit passage. The media cartridge has a length of media with an end extending from the exit passage. The media cartridge further includes a retaining arm having a pinch position and an open position. In the pinch position, the retaining arm impinges on the media in the exit passage to inhibit passage of the media through the exit passage. In the open position, the retaining arm allows passage of the media through the exit passage.

Abstract: A label printing apparatus having a label peeling mechanism determines the appropriate time to run a process for setting the paper. Paper having a plurality of labels continuously affixed to a web liner is loaded inside the label printing apparatus when a main cover is open. A peeling mechanism cover is attached and openable from the main cover. When opened, the paper is routed through one path or another to exit the printer from one or another exit depending on whether or not the peeling mechanism is used. A control method for this printer has a step of waiting for a switch to be pressed by an operator after the operator puts the paper inside the label printer and closes the main cover, and a step of executing a paper setup process when the switch is pressed.

Abstract: A tape printing apparatus and the tape printing system capable of preventing deformation of the rollers or sticking thereof to a print head, and capable of preventing degradations in tape feeding accuracy and the inability to print. The tape printing apparatus has a platen roller and a tape feeding roller movable between a pressing position at which they are pressed against a tape accumulated in a cassette and a releasing position in which they are remote from the tape and arranged to perform printing by performing tape feeding upon disposing the platen roller and the tape feeding roller at the pressing position. The apparatus includes a roller driving portion that moves the platen roller and the tape feeding roller between the pressing position and the releasing position and a controller that controls the roller driving portion in correspondence with input signals.

Abstract: A printer which can refer to a print image before a print operation. This printer includes a storage unit that stores a print image and identification information for specifying the print image such that the print image corresponds to the identification information. It also includes an identification information acquiring unit acquiring the identification information that specifies the print image. It further includes a print image read unit reading the print image to which the identification information acquired by the identification information acquiring unit corresponds from the storage unit. Still further the printer includes a print image output unit outputting the print image ready by the print image read unit.

Abstract: A loader (1) for a printer for printing flat articles (2), this loader (1) which delimits a storage magazine (9) for the articles in the stacked condition being provided internally with a pivoting member (4) arranged to hold the articles (2) in bearing contact with a drive element (5) for discharging the articles (2) to be printed through an opening (7) provided in a wall of the magazine (1). This loader (1) is characterized in that the pivoting member (4) is provided with a counterweight (6) to form an assembly exerting a substantially constant bearing force on the article or articles (2) to be printed, this forced being self-positioning in the course of emptying the loader by moving along one of the articles to be printed in a direction generally opposite to the direction of expulsion of the articles from the loader.

Abstract: Before stopper members (25) of a skew correcting mechanism (10) are evacuated from a sheet conveyor path, sheet conveyor roller pairs (8) rotate a set angle in a direction opposite to the sheet feeding direction such that a sheet is separated from the stopper members (25). The sheet conveyor roller pairs (8) are arranged so that at least one of the rollers of each pair is independently pressed against the other with a force corresponding to the type of the sheet.

Abstract: A peeling device according to one aspect of the invention peels off part of a peel-off paper from a peel-off paper-backed adhesive tape which is a laminate of a substrate tape having a surface coated with an adhesive and a peel-off paper affixed to the substrate tape via the adhesive. A rotational member is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a drive source. On an end face of the rotational member there are arranged a peeling projection rotated to be brought into contact with a substrate tape-side surface of an end of the peel-off paper-backed adhesive tape to carry out a bending releasing action on said end portion of the adhesive tape. The adhesive tape is guided toward the peeling projection when it is inserted and part of the end portion other than a free end brought to the peeling projection is held.

Abstract: A miniaturized rolled-paper holding mechanism (10) which is capable of detecting the residual quantity of rolled-paper in both horizontally and vertically installed states of a printer. The rolled-paper holding mechanism (10) includes a rolled-paper holder (21), a holder cover (41), a positioning member (51), and a residual-paper-quantity sensor (61). The positioning member (51) is structured such that, as the holder cover (41) is opened or closed, the inclination angle of the positioning member (51) is varied with respect to a second-bottom-portion inclined surface (29) formed in the rolled-paper holder (21). Further, a second positioning groove (31)-which, when the holder cover (41) is closed, can be contacted with rolled-paper R having a given diameter-is formed between the positioning member (51) and the second-bottom-portion inclined surface (29) of the rolled-paper holder (21).

Abstract: A dual type thermal printer comprises a main body frame, a first platen roller supported by the main frame for undergoing rotation, and a second platen roller supported by the main body frame in coaxial relation to the first platen roller for undergoing rotation independently from the first platen roller. A thermal head is supported by the main body frame for undergoing pivotal movement into and out of pressure contact with the first and second platen rollers. A print paper feeding mechanism separately feeds print paper to a first space between the first platen roller and the thermal head and to a second space between the second platen roller and the thermal head. An adjusting device adjusts a width of each of the first and second spaces to accommodate print paper of varying width sizes.

Abstract: A label printing assembly (10) that effectively eliminates labeling errors caused by pharmacists placing the wrong prescription labels on medicine vials or packages. The label printing assembly is preferably configured for use with an automated medicament dispensing control workstation (11) and broadly includes a label print head (12), a label supply assembly (14), a label peeler assembly (16), and a control assembly (18).

Abstract: A first printing is performed after text is inputted and after a number of print colors, a print color order, and their print ranges are set. A message urging the user to remove the ribbon cassette in order to perform a second printing is displayed. When the user opens the cassette cover, removes the ribbon cassette, and inputs using an optional or predetermined key, then a message warning the user not to mount a ribbon cassette is displayed and rewind of the tape is started. When the front edge of the tape is detected by a tape detection sensor, then rewind of the tape is stopped.

Abstract: A peeling device according to one aspect of the invention peels off part of a peel-off paper from a peel-off paper-backed adhesive tape which is a laminate of a substrate tape having a surface coated with an adhesive and a peel-off paper affixed to the substrate tape via the adhesive. A rotational member is rotated by a driving force transmitted from a drive source. On an end face of the rotational member there are arranged a peeling projection rotated to be brought into contact with a substrate tape-side surface of an end of the peel-off paper-backed adhesive tape to carry out a bending releasing action on said end portion of the adhesive tape. The adhesive tape is guided toward the peeling projection when it is inserted and part of the end portion other than a free end brought to the peeling projection is held.

Abstract: An intelligent, portable printer having a microprocessor controller, a printing mechanism, and a web feed mechanism integrated into an assembly which, together with a battery pack, may weigh about 1.5 pounds and be about 60 cubic inches in volume. The web may have removable labels adhesively attached to a liner, or it may be linerless label stock with exposed adhesive, or it may be non-adhesive plain paper stock. The web may be printed with bar codes, graphics, text, or lines. Because the printer is so small and light in weight, it may be used at any site where labels are required. By labels is meant any tickets, stickers, or other patches (so-called "label-stock"). The controller includes a microprocessor which communicates interactively with a terminal, which may be remote from the printer and may include or be a host computer, via cable, radio, or optical interfaces. The terminal supplies application programs and data representing the information to be printed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tape printing device for printing a desirable series of characters on a tape and cutting the tape to a label of a desirable length, and also a tape cartridge used in the tape printing device. The tape cartridge has a characteristic element readably storing specific information on the tape such as a width of the tape. The tape printing device reads the characteristic element to control printing conditions according to the type of the tape cartridge. More specifically, the tape printing device determines a variety of parameters including a number of lines and character sizes of the character series printed on the tape as well as lengths of left and right margins. When a tape of a relatively large width is set in the tape cartridge, the device increases a rotation torque of a platen for feeding the tape.

Abstract: A roll-shaped image receiving sheet usable in a thermal transfer printing process. The image-receiving sheet includes a plurality of indeterminatley spaced thermal transfer image-receiving areas, and a detection mark formed on the sheet corresponding to each image receiving area, the mark being adapted for detecting a starting-position for formation of a thermal transfer printing image on each of the image receiving areas.

Abstract: A cartridge detector detects information on the color of a label tape of a cartridge which is a printing medium on the basis of the shape of the cartridge. A controller determines the color of the label tape on the basis of detected information obtained from the cartridge detector. The controller controls a display through a display control unit and displays the background of a display screen in the same color as that of the label tape determined on the basis of the detected information obtained from the cartridge detector. A key-in unit inputs to the printer printing data (for example, character, illustration data, etc.) and their print color data. The controller controls the display through the display control unit to display in the print color specified by the key-in unit the printing data input from the key-in unit in the screen background having the same color as the label tape. The input printing data is printed on the label tape by a printing unit through the print control unit.

Abstract: A tape holding case is described for use with a thermal printing device which allows for more efficient cutting and feeding of tape. The cassette has a slot into which a cutting blade can pass which avoids the use of an anvil for cutting. Moreover, the cassette can have a stepped portion for providing a so-called "peel cut" at the end of the tape.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel structure of a tape cartridge accommodating a printing tape and an ink ribbon used for printing, which prevents the printing tape from being stuck in a cartridge case or the ink ribbon from being slackened. The tape cartridge of the invention has a mechanism for preventing an end of the tape from being reversely moved back into the cartridge case. A typical structure of the mechanism includes an anti-inversion system which prevents a tape core having a tape wound thereon from rotating in a reverse direction, that is, a direction opposite to a normal rotating direction for printing. The anti-inversion effects are removed when the tape cartridge is set in a printing device such as a tape writer to ensure smooth feeding of the tape for printing. When the tape is forcibly pressed back into the cartridge case, a movable platen clamps the tape between the platen and a fixed wall to prevent reverse movement of the tape.

Abstract: After an input width setting mode has been entered by operating an input width set switch, an upper-end position and a lower-end position of an input width are set by an input pen to define an input width of an input width area for inputting a graphic into a drawing area. Further, drawing area coefficients DAC.sub.y, for a transverse direction (Y-axis direction) of a tape, and DAC.sub.x, for a longitudinal direction (X-axis direction), of the tape are determined based on data about the defined input width and data about the width of the tape. Coordinate data of the graphic input within the input width area are transformed into tape coordinates based on the determined drawing area coefficients. Thus, a tape printing apparatus for inputting the graphic is capable of freely setting an input width for each graphic input on the drawing area of the graphic input panel and printing the graphic on the tape under the best possible use of the tape width, by associating the defined input width with the tape width.

Abstract: In a tape printing apparatus capable of printing character strings over a plurality of lines on a tapelike printing medium, printing, in which print positions of input lines are reversed or interchanged, can be easily performed.In printing input character strings over a plurality of lines, print data of each line is unfolded by an amount corresponding to one line of a thermal head 15 (S13, S14). When unfolding of data of all lines is completed (S15), data of each line is rearranged in a line buffer 50 according to a line-corresponding table. A print result in which the print positions are reversed or interchanged can be obtained by printing information in the line buffer.

Abstract: A tape printer capable of performing multicolor printing and permitting an already printed tape to be rewound for printing two line character trains, bold printing and adding ornamental frames beside the first printed character train. The tape printer installs therein a tape cassette in which is housed a print tape and an ink ribbon formed with different colored ink portions at a set pitch in the lengthwise direction of the print tape. An ink ribbon take up mechanism is provided for taking up ink ribbon that passes between a platen and a print element provided external to the cassette. Tape transport mechanism is provided for transporting the print tape. The tape printer is constructed so that ink ribbon and the print tape are transportable in a forward direction for printing, and the ribbon take up mechanism stops and the platen is movable away from the printing section when the tape transport mechanism reversely transports the print tape.

Abstract: A label printer for printing tape-shaped labels. The label printer includes a freely detachably mountable tape cassette housing a tape; printing device including a print head for printing symbols and alphanumeric characters on the tape; controller for controlling printing operations; a freely detachably mountable ribbon cassette independent from the tape cassette, the ribbon cassette housing an ink ribbon; detector for detecting a type of the ribbon cassette; and an operation portion for operating the detector, the operation portion being provided to the ribbon cassette in a configuration corresponding to the type of ribbon cassette.

Abstract: 1. A tape-shaped label printing device for use with a plurality of freely detachable ribbon cassettes each housing a different colored ink ribbon, the label printing device comprising: a keyboard for inputting text, such as characters and symbols, and for inputting a variety of commands; a data memory for storing inputted text data; a print mechanism including a print head for printing on a print tape in colors of the ink ribbons in the ribbon cassettes; an order setting unit for setting a printing order for printing text stored in the data memory means in a first plurality of colors using corresponding ones of the different colored ink ribbons; and a print control unit for driving the print means to print in the print order set by the order setting means.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for printing and dispensing labels for precise and accurate placement on an article. The present invention also minimizes label queue and the distance between the point of printing and the point of label dispensing. The invention has a retractable print head for printing information on a label while the label moves from a preprinting position to a fixed label dispensing position. The print head is movable to a dispensing position thereby allowing access to the printed label at the fixed label dispensing point by a transfer device. A dispenser having a stripper plate is provided to receive the web having the printed label thereon from the print head while in a printing position. The stripper plate strips the liner from the printed label after the transfer device comes in positive contact with the printed label by moving to a dispensing position. The printed label can then be placed on an article with extreme accuracy.

Abstract: When different tape cartridges accommodating printing tapes having different hardness, thicknesses or widths are exchangeably mounted in the same printing apparatus, excellent printing can be obtained using the present embodiment. In a platen 12 provided in a tape cartridge 10, the harder, thicker or wider the tape T accommodated in the tape cartridge 10, the softer a platen rubber provided on a surface of the platen. The platen rubber 14 having a hardness corresponding to the properties of the tape T is used so as to obtain an ideal contact state between a printing head and the tape T regardless of the properties of the tape T when the tape cartridge 10 is mounted in a tape writer 1. Accordingly, the tape T can be properly conveyed by the platen 12 and a tape guide pin 26 regardless of its properties, and can be brought into contact with a printing head through an ink ribbon R in an ideal and consistent contact state.

Abstract: Either when the tape cassette is loaded in the tape-shaped label producing device or directly after power is turned on, the tape and the ink ribbon are fed in synchronization in a printing direction. At this time, with using the distinction marks, the ink color of the ribbon is detected at a standard position that is predetermined distance upstream from the print head. From this, it is possible to determine the ink color at a printing position, based on the ink color that has been detected either when the tape cassette is loaded in the tape-shaped label producing device or directly after power is turned on, and a post-detection ink ribbon feed amount.

Abstract: A tape holding case is described for use with a thermal printing device which allows for more efficient cutting and feeding of tape. The cassette has a slot into which a cutting blade can pass which avoids the use of an anvil for cutting. Moreover, the cassette can have a stepped portion for providing a so-called "peel cut" at the end of the tape.

Abstract: Either when the tape cassette is loaded in the tape-shaped label producing device or directly after power is turned on, the tape and the ink ribbon are fed in synchronization in a printing direction. At this time, with using the distinction marks, the ink color of the ink ribbon is detected at a standard position that is a predetermined distance upstream from the print head. From this, it is possible to determine the ink color at a printing position, based on the ink color that has been detected either when the tape cassette is loaded in the tape-shaped label producing device or directly after power is turned on, and a post-detection ink ribbon feed amount.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tape printing device for printing a desirable series of characters on a tape and cutting the tape to a label of a desirable length, and also a tape cartridge used in the tape printing device. The tape cartridge has a characteristic element readably storing specific information on the tape such as a width of the tape. The tape printing device reads the characteristic element to control printing conditions according to the type of the tape cartridge. More specifically, the tape printing device determines a variety of parameters including a number of lines and character sizes of the character series printed on the tape as well as lengths of left and right margins. When a tape of a relatively large width is set in the tape cartridge, the device increases a rotation torque of a platen for feeding the tape.

Abstract: A thin tape printing apparatus is provided which requires less operation space when a tape cassette is loaded and unloaded and is suitable for integration into a variety of apparatuses. The tape printing apparatus includes a cassette insertion slot provided on the front side of a main unit, a cassette loading section which is connected to the cassette insertion slot so that a tape cassette having at least a platen roller and a platen drive gear for rotating the platen roller can be loaded and unloaded from the side of the main unit, a print head for performing printing on a tape-shaped recording medium, and a drive motor for driving the platen roller via the platen drive gear.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel structure of a tape cartridge accommodating a printing tape and an ink ribbon used for printing, which prevents the printing tape from being stuck in a cartridge case or the ink ribbon from being slackened. The tape cartridge of the invention has a mechanism for preventing an end of the tape from being reversely moved back into the cartridge case. A typical structure of the mechanism includes an anti-inversion system which prevents a tape core having a tape wound thereon from rotating in a reverse direction, that is, a direction opposite to a normal rotating direction for printing. The anti-inversion effects are removed when the tape cartridge is set in a printing device such as a tape writer to ensure smooth feeding of the tape for printing. When the tape is forcibly pressed back into the cartridge case, a movable platen clamps the tape between the platen and a fixed wall to prevent reverse movement of the tape.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of printing characters and symbols either vertically or horizontally on an elongated recording medium adjusts the position of vertically printed characters and symbols so that the vertically printed characters and symbols are evenly spaced on the recording medium. When a vertical printing is to be accomplished, dot pattern data in a data development buffer is rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise, and transferred to a vertical data development buffer. The rotated dot pattern data for each character is then moved in the longitudinal direction of the recording medium, as necessary, to ensure that each character will be positioned in the middle of its character pitch. The longitudinal adjustment ensures that the upper and the lower margin of each character are equal.

Abstract: A tape print device for printing bar codes on a print tape includes: an input unit for inputting data indicative of a bar code desired to be printed on a tape; a data storage unit for temporarily storing the inputted data; an increment unit for serially incrementing at least a part of the data stored in the data storage means at least one time, in accordance with a predetermined order, to thereby produce at least one incremented data indicative of at least one incremented bar code, the thus produced at least one incremented data being stored in the data storage means; a print data generating unit for producing print data for the desired bar code and the at least one incremented bar code, based on the data stored in the data storage means; and a printing unit for receiving the print data and for printing images of the desired bar code and the at least one incremented bar code on a print tape.

Abstract: In a tape printing device, pressing the print execution key when print data and size data are stored on the memory causes the tape printing device to perform a calculation to obtain the total character height based on the number of print lines L and the vertical size of the print image. The tape printing device further performs a calculation to obtain the total blank space width based on the total height and the print allowance area and distributes the total width into the upper blank space width, the lower blank space width and the blank space width between the print lines based on the result of the calculation. The blank spaces are positioned according to the blank widths. The dot pattern data is spread along the base lines and positioned in the process.

Abstract: A thermal printing device comprises a label tape printer and tape and ink ribbon cartridge for horizontal insertion into the printer. The cartridge housing includes an upper cover and a base which are joined by telescoping hubs and posts. The cartridge contains a supply of tape and ink ribbon wound on supply spools, a ribbon or rewind spool and a roller platen all supported for rotation. The platen and the rewind spool are formed with gears which engage one another. The platen gear is disposed proximate the cartridge tape port and an opening for admitting the printer print head. When the cartridge is horizontally inserted :into a printer openings the print head bears against the tape and ink ribbon which abuts the platen for controlled printing and advancement of the tape and ribbon. The platen gear partially extends from the front of the cartridge for driving engagement with a printer motor drive gear. In an alternate embodiment the rewind spool gear engages the printer motor drive gear.

Abstract: When a tape cassette having a special tape, such as a lettering tape, is mounted into a tape printing device, which normally permits user set margins, for printing image data on a tape by driving a thermal head and a tape feed motor until all image data is printed out, the user set margin is disregarded and the tape is automatically fed for predetermined amount for setting a predetermined rear margin behind the print end portion. The tape is then automatically fed further for the same amount prior cutting the tape, at the rear end of the margin by driving a tape cutter mechanism. Thus, a rear margin is provided for the cut tape and a front margin established before the next print start portion. The amount the tape is fed is an amount that is long enough to hold the lettering tape when an image printed on the tape is transferred onto the image receiving medium.

Abstract: The document data of a plurality of blocks are input and an auto size is set. After this, when a print key is operated, the data concerning the width of a tape is read out by a cassette distinction sensor. Then, the block number is calculated based on the document data stored in the text memory, and further, the linage of the first block is calculated. The print size is calculated based on the size table corresponding to the tape width data and the linage to be printed. The base line position of each print line is calculated based on the print size, the document data, the tape width data and the linage. The dot pattern data in each line which is formed based on the print size and the document data is developed into the print buffer based on the base line position. When the processing in each block is completed, the print processing is executed. Thus, various blocks of print on the tape may be set to different sizes.

Abstract: In a tape printer apparatus, tape cassettes containing tape members of different widths are selectively mounted, and input printing data is printed on the tape member of the mounted tape cassette. The tape cassettes are provided with notches indicating the widths of the contained tape members. The presence or absence of the notch of the mounted cassette case is detected by ON or OFF of switches disposed in a cassette mounting portion of an apparatus case. Based on a result of this detection, the tape width is determined, and a printing matching with the tape width is performed.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a main body in which a sheet-like printing medium or a tape-like printing medium contained in a cassette can be mounted, a printing head capable of printing an image either on the sheet-like printing medium or the tape-like printing medium, and a control unit for, when an image is printed on the sheet-like printing medium, controlling the printing head and the sheet-like printing medium to make them move relative to each other and cause the printing head to print the image on the sheet-like printing medium, and for, when an image is printed on the tape-like printing medium, controlling the printing head and the tape-like printing medium to make them move relative to each other and cause the printing head to print the image on the tape-like printing medium.