JP2024130517A - Printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a printing device provided with a tape cartridge whose attachment/detachment property has been improved.SOLUTION: A printing device 1 comprises an enclosure (a device enclosure) 3 having a cartridge storage part 40 which a tape cartridge 6 can be attached to and detached from. In the enclosure 3, an opening through which the tape cartridge 6 is attached thereto and detached therefrom is formed at an upper surface side, and a notch part 50 cut off up to a position lower than a bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 (for instance, the tape cartridge 6 whose tape width is 18 mm or less) stored in the cartridge storage part 40 is provided at an edge part in which the opening is formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

The present invention relates to a printing device.

Conventionally, printers are known that print on roll paper stored in a main body cover (device housing) and discharge the printed roll paper from an outlet. In this type of printer, for example, in order to prevent the discharged roll paper from entering through the gap between the main body cover and the top cover (opening and closing cover), a protrusion is provided in part of the area facing the roll paper in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the roll paper stored in the main body cover (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2018-144264 A

However, in the printer disclosed in Patent Document 1, the above-mentioned protrusion is provided on the inner surface of the rear wall of the main body cover so that it protrudes toward the front wall, which makes it difficult to attach and detach the roll paper.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a printing device that improves the ease of attaching and detaching tape cartridges.

In order to solve the above problems, a printing device according to the present invention comprises:
A printing device that prints on a tape supplied from a tape cartridge,
an apparatus housing having a storage section into which the tape cartridge can be detachably attached;
The device housing includes:
An opening for inserting and removing the tape cartridge is provided on the top surface side,
a notch that is cut out to a position lower than the bottom surface of the tape cartridge accommodated in the accommodating section at an edge where the opening is formed;
It is characterized by:

The present invention provides a printing device that improves the ease of attaching and detaching tape cartridges.

1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of a printing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a printing device with an access cover open and no tape cartridge housed therein; 1 is a perspective view showing a printing device with an access cover open and a tape cartridge housed therein; 1 is a side view of the printing device with the access cover open and a tape cartridge housed therein. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the housing when no tape cartridge is accommodated in the cartridge accommodating section. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a housing in a state in which a first tape cartridge is housed in a cartridge housing portion. FIG. 13 is a plan view showing the housing with a second tape cartridge accommodated in the cartridge accommodating section. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the housing in a state where a second tape cartridge with a tape width of 6 mm is housed in the cartridge housing portion. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the housing in a state where a second tape cartridge with a tape width of 18 mm is housed in the cartridge housing portion. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing the housing in a state where a second tape cartridge with a tape width of 46 mm is housed in the cartridge housing portion. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of a printing device according to the present invention with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment described below has various limitations that are technically preferable for implementing the present invention, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment and illustrated examples.

Figure 1 is an oblique view showing the appearance of the printing device 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is an oblique view showing the printing device 1 with the opening/closing cover 2 open and no tape cartridge 6 housed inside. Figure 3 is an oblique view showing the printing device 1 with the opening/closing cover 2 open and a tape cartridge 6 housed inside. Figure 4 is a side view of the printing device 1 with the opening/closing cover 2 open and a tape cartridge 6 housed inside.

In this embodiment, the direction in which the tape (hereinafter referred to as the print tape) supplied from the tape cartridge 6 is transported is referred to as the "transport direction X", the width direction of the print tape perpendicular to the transport direction X is referred to as the "width direction Y", and the thickness direction of the print tape is referred to as the "thickness direction Z". These X direction, Y direction, and Z direction are mutually perpendicular.

The printing device 1 is a label printer that heats a printing tape to print images such as characters, marks, figures, and tables. The printing device 1 has functions such as cutting the printed printing tape and communicating with external devices via a wireless LAN (Local Area Network).

The printed tape has a tape body to be printed and a release paper for the tape body. The tape body is a multi-layered tape having a laminate film, a coloring layer, a tape color layer, a base material, and an adhesive layer, which are integrally arranged from the front to the back. The laminate film is a transparent protective layer, and is made of, for example, PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate). The coloring layer is a layer that changes color when heated, and is, for example, black in color. The tape color layer is a base layer of a color (for example, white) that serves as the base (background) for the printed coloring layer of the tape body. The color of the tape color layer is not limited to white, and may be other colors, such as yellow.

[Printing Device Configuration]
First, the configuration of a printing device 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the printing device 1 has an opening/closing lid 2 and several buttons (a power button 31, a wireless LAN switching button 32, a cut button 33, and a lid opening/closing button 34) on the top surface of a box-shaped housing (device housing) 3.

The power button 31 is a button that accepts pressing input to turn the printer 1 on and off.

The wireless LAN switching button 32 is a key that accepts a press input to switch between access point mode and client mode as the wireless LAN communication mode of the printing device 1. The access point mode is a mode in which the printing device 1 functions as a wireless LAN access point and performs wireless LAN communication directly with external devices. The client mode is a mode in which the printing device 1 performs wireless LAN communication with external devices via a wireless LAN access point.

The cut button 33 is a button that accepts a press input to cut and feed the print tape supplied from the tape cartridge 6.

The lid opening/closing button 34 is a button that opens the opening/closing lid 2. Note that in this embodiment, the lid opening/closing button 34 only opens the opening/closing lid 2, and when closing the opening/closing lid 2, the user manually closes the opening/closing lid 2.

The opening/closing cover 2 is arranged so as to be freely opened and closed so as to cover the opening formed on the top surface of the housing 3 and the opening formed by the cutout portion 50 (described later).

As shown in Figures 1 to 4, the opening and closing cover 2 has a top surface portion 21, a side surface portion 22, a window portion 23, a protrusion portion 24, a locking claw 25, and a pressing member 26.

The top surface portion 21 is a portion that covers an opening formed on the top surface side of the housing 3, and has a shape (approximately rectangular) that corresponds to the opening. A window portion 23, which will be described later, is provided on the top surface portion 21.

The side surface portion 22 is connected to the end of the top surface portion 21 and covers the opening formed by the notch portion 50 in the side surface of the housing 3. The side surface portion 22 has a shape corresponding to the notch portion 50, and is disposed so as to face the notch portion 50 when the opening/closing cover 2 is closed.

The window 23 allows visual confirmation of whether or not a tape cartridge 6 is stored inside the housing 3 (the cartridge storage section 40 (described below)) even when the opening/closing cover 2 is closed.

The protrusion 24 is arranged to engage with an open/close detector 36 (see Figures 2 and 3) provided on the housing 3 when the opening/closing cover 2 is closed. When the protrusion 24 engages with the open/close detector 36, the open/close detector 36 electrically detects the closed state of the opening/closing cover 2.

The locking claw 25 is arranged to lock into a locking recess 37 (see Figures 2 and 3) provided in the housing 3 when the opening/closing cover 2 is closed. The locking claw 25 locks into the locking recess 37, preventing the opening/closing cover 2 from being opened accidentally.

The pressing member 26 is a member that presses the top surface of the tape cartridge 6 stored inside the housing 3 (cartridge storage section 40) when the opening/closing cover 2 is closed. The pressing member 26 includes an elastic member, and the pressing force is adjusted so that excessive pressure is not applied to the tape cartridges 6, which have various thicknesses, by the elastic force of the elastic member. In addition, when the opening/closing cover 2 is opened, the pressing member 26 plays a role in lifting the opening/closing cover 2 by the restoring force of the contracted elastic member. In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing member 26 is arranged so that it overlaps with the side portion 22 and cannot be seen when the printing device 1 is viewed from the "thickness direction Z" when the opening/closing cover 2 is open.

As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the housing 3 includes the above-mentioned buttons, the open/close detector 36, and the locking recess 37, as well as a cartridge storage section 40 that stores the tape cartridge 6.

An outlet 38 is formed on the side of the housing 3 at a portion located downstream in the "transport direction X" of the print tape supplied from the tape cartridge 6. After printing by the thermal head 11 in the printing device 1 is completed, the print tape is discharged from the device through the outlet 38.

Although not shown, the housing 3 is provided with a power cord connection terminal, an external device connection terminal, a storage medium insertion port, etc. If the printing device 1 is powered by an internal power source such as a battery, the power cord connection terminal may not be provided.

[Configuration of Cartridge Storage Section]
Next, the configuration of the cartridge receiving portion 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.
5 is a plan view showing the housing 3 in a state where no tape cartridge 6 is housed in the cartridge housing portion 40. Here, the cartridge housing portion 40 of this embodiment is capable of housing both a first tape cartridge 6A having a relatively large external dimension in the XZ plane defined by the "transport direction X" and the "thickness direction Z", and a second tape cartridge 6B having an external dimension smaller than that of the first tape cartridge 6A.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the housing 3 with the first tape cartridge 6A housed in the cartridge housing section 40. Figure 7 is a plan view of the housing 3 with the second tape cartridge 6B housed in the cartridge housing section 40. In the following, when it is not necessary to distinguish between the first tape cartridge 6A and the second tape cartridge 6B, they will be described as including both as the tape cartridge 6.

As shown in FIG. 5, the cartridge storage section 40 is provided with a thermal head 11 and a platen roller 12. The thermal head 11 is a print head that prints on the print tape supplied from the tape cartridge 6, and has multiple heating elements (not shown) whose energized state is independently controlled. A thermistor (not shown) is also embedded in the thermal head 11. The thermistor functions as a measuring means for measuring the temperature of the thermal head 11. The platen roller 12 is a transport roller that transports the print tape while sandwiching the print tape between the thermal head 11 and the platen roller 12. The platen roller 12 transports the print tape in the "transport direction X" toward the discharge port 38.

The cartridge storage section 40 is also provided with a first space forming section 41, a second space forming section 42, a step section 43, an ink ribbon winding drive shaft 44, a first support section 45, a second support section 46, a third support section 47, a number of tape width detection switches 48, a push button 49, and a notch section 50.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first space forming portion 41 is provided in the center of the cartridge storage portion 40 and is configured to form the deepest space in the cartridge storage portion 40 (see FIG. 2).

5, the second space forming portion 42 is provided at a corner of the cartridge storage portion 40 (top right in the figure), and is configured to form the second deepest space in the cartridge storage portion 40 (see FIG. 2). In other words, the bottom surface of the second space forming portion 42 is located at a higher position than the bottom surface of the first space forming portion 41, and is located at a lower position than the step portion 43 described below. Also, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the second space forming portion 42 is configured to form a space into which the user's finger (e.g., the index finger of the right hand) can be inserted in the negative direction of the "width direction Y" when removing the tape cartridge 6 stored in the cartridge storage portion 40.

5, the step portion 43 is provided at one end (upper side in the figure) of the cartridge storage section 40, and is formed at a position higher than the bottom surface of the second space forming section 42 (see FIG. 2). Also, as shown in FIG. 6, the step portion 43 plays a role in supporting the locking portion 62 provided at the end (upper side in the figure) of the first tape cartridge 6A when the first tape cartridge 6A is stored in the cartridge storage section 40.

The ink ribbon winding drive shaft 44 is a drive shaft for engaging the ink ribbon winding core 61 of the tape cartridge 6, as shown in Figures 6 and 7.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the first support portion 45 is vertically attached to the bottom surface of the first space forming portion 41. The first support portion 45 is a portion that supports the locking portion 62 (see Figures 8 to 10) provided at a corner (the lower left corner in the figures) of the tape cartridge 6 when the tape cartridge 6 is stored in the cartridge storage portion 40. The height of the upper surface of the first support portion 45 is configured to be the same height as the height of the upper surfaces of the step portion 43 and the second support portion 46 and third support portion 47 described below.

As shown in Figures 5 to 7, the second support portion 46 is vertically attached to the bottom surface of the second space forming portion 42. The second support portion 46 is a portion that supports the locking portion 62 provided at a corner (upper right corner in the figure) of the tape cartridge 6 when the tape cartridge 6 is stored in the cartridge storage portion 40. The height of the upper surface of the second support portion 46 is configured to be the same height as the height of the upper surfaces of the step portion 43, the first support portion 45, and the third support portion 47 described below.

In the normal state (when the push button 49 is not pressed down), the third support portion 47 is arranged to protrude from the step portion 43 in the positive direction of the "transport direction X". On the other hand, when the push button 49 is pressed down, the third support portion 47 slides in the negative direction of the "transport direction X" and is stored in the space below the step portion 43. Here, the height of the upper surface of the third support portion 47 is configured to be the same height as the height of the upper surfaces of the step portion 43, the first support portion 45, and the second support portion 46.

As shown in FIG. 7, when the second tape cartridge 6B is accommodated in the cartridge accommodation section 40, the third support section 47 is disposed in a position protruding from the stepped section 43 in the positive direction of the "transport direction X" because the push button 49 is not pressed down. This allows the third support section 47 to support the locking section 62 provided at the corner of the second tape cartridge 6B (the upper left corner in the figure) (see FIGS. 8 to 10).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, when the first tape cartridge 6A is housed in the cartridge housing 40, the third support portion 47 is configured so that the push button 49 is pressed down by the locking portion 62 provided at the end (upper side in the figure) of the first tape cartridge 6A. As a result, the third support portion 47 slides in the negative direction of the "transport direction X" and is housed in the space below the step portion 43. Therefore, when the first tape cartridge 6A is housed in the cartridge housing 40, the space of the first space forming portion 41 expands by the amount that the third support portion 47 slides, so that the main body of the first tape cartridge 6A can be inserted into the first space forming portion 41 without being locked by the third support portion 47.

The tape width detection switches 48 are detection units that detect the width of the print tape based on the shape of the tape cartridge 6. The tape width detection switches 48 are provided on the upper surface of each of the first support part 45 and the second support part 46. The tape cartridges 6 with different tape widths are configured to press the tape width detection switches 48 in different combinations. The printing device 1 identifies the type of tape cartridge 6 from the combination of pressed tape width detection switches 48 and detects the width of the print tape (tape width).

In this embodiment, the tape width detection switch 48 can detect five different tape widths for the first tape cartridge 6A, for example, 6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm, and 24 mm. Also, for the second tape cartridge 6B, it can detect eight different tape widths, for example, 3.5 mm, 6 mm, 9 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm, 24 mm, 36 mm, and 46 mm.

As described above, the push button 49 is a button for sliding the third support portion 47 in the negative direction of the "transport direction X." The push button 49 is provided on the upper surface of the step portion 43 at a position that abuts against the locking portion 62 provided at the end of the first tape cartridge 6A when the first tape cartridge 6A is accommodated in the cartridge accommodating portion 40.

As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the cutout portion 50 is formed in a roughly V-shape and exposes a portion of the side end of the tape cartridge 6 (first tape cartridge 6A) housed in the cartridge housing portion 40 to the outside of the printing device 1, thereby allowing the exposed side end to be supported by the user's fingers. More specifically, the cutout portion 50 exposes, for example, the side surface 65 of the tape cartridge 6 (first tape cartridge 6A) housed in the cartridge housing portion 40 to the outside when the opening/closing cover 2 is open, as shown in Figures 2 to 4.

Next, the height position of the second tape cartridge 6B accommodated in the cartridge accommodating portion 40 will be described with reference to FIGS.
Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the housing 3 in a state where the second tape cartridge 6B having a tape width of 6 mm is housed in the cartridge housing portion 40. Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the housing 3 in a state where the second tape cartridge 6B having a tape width of 18 mm is housed in the cartridge housing portion 40. Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the housing 3 in a state where the second tape cartridge 6B having a tape width of 46 mm is housed in the cartridge housing portion 40. Note that the dashed lines (V-shaped dashed lines) shown superimposed on each of the cross-sectional views of Figs. 8 to 10 indicate the formation position (outline) of the cutout portion 50.

As shown in Figs. 8 to 10, the second tape cartridges 6B with different tape widths are accommodated so that the center positions (central positions) of the supplied print tape in the "width direction Y" are the same position (height position) in the "width direction Y". Specifically, the second tape cartridges 6B are provided with the locking portions 62 so that the lower surfaces (surfaces that abut against the first support portion 45, the second support portion 46, and the third support portion 47) of the locking portions 62 provided at the ends of the second tape cartridges 6B are arranged at predetermined positions based on the center positions of the second tape cartridges 6B in the "width direction Y". Note that Figs. 8 to 10 only show three types of tape widths, 6 mm, 18 mm, and 46 mm, but the second tape cartridges 6B and the first tape cartridges 6A with other tape widths are also accommodated so that the center positions (central positions) of the supplied print tape in the "width direction Y" are the same position (height position) in the "width direction Y".

Here, the lowest end of the notch 50 (the valley of the V-shape) has a height of about 1 to 2 cm from the bottom surface of the first space forming portion 41. As shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, when a tape cartridge 6 with a relatively narrow tape width (for example, a tape width of 18 mm or less) is stored, the lowest end of the notch 50 is located at a position lower than the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, when a tape cartridge 6 with a tape width of 6 mm is stored, the user's fingers inserted from the notch 50 can be inserted between the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 and the bottom surface of the first space forming portion 41 and hooked on the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 to support the tape cartridge 6. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, when a tape cartridge 6 with a tape width of 18 mm is stored, the user's fingers inserted from the notch 50 can be hooked on the edge portion between the bottom surface and the side surface of the tape cartridge 6 to support the tape cartridge 6. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, when a tape cartridge 6 with the widest tape width (46 mm width) is stored, the bottom end of the cutout 50 is located below the center of the tape cartridge 6. Therefore, the tape cartridge 6 can be stably supported by the user's fingers placed below the center of the tape cartridge 6.

Next, a method for removing the first tape cartridge 6A housed in the cartridge housing portion 40 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, in the cartridge storage section 40, the notch 50 is formed at a position facing one side surface (left side in the figure) of the first tape cartridge 6A. On the other hand, the second space forming section 42 is formed at a position facing the side surface (right side in the figure) opposite to the one side surface. Therefore, when removing the first tape cartridge 6A stored in the cartridge storage section 40, the user can hook his/her fingers on the two opposite sides of the first tape cartridge 6A and firmly grip the first tape cartridge 6A. This allows the first tape cartridge 6A to be lifted stably, and the first tape cartridge 6A can be easily removed from the printing device 1. In addition, even when the first tape cartridge 6A is stored in the cartridge storage section 40, the first tape cartridge 6A can be stored in a state where it is firmly gripped, so that, for example, a problem such as the first tape cartridge 6A being stored in the cartridge storage section 40 in a tilted state can be avoided.

Next, a method for removing the second tape cartridge 6B housed in the cartridge housing portion 40 will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 7, in the cartridge storage section 40, the notch 50 is formed at a position facing one side surface (left side in the figure) of the second tape cartridge 6B, in the same manner as when the first tape cartridge 6A is stored. On the other hand, the second space forming section 42 is formed at a position facing the side surface (right side in the figure) opposite to the one side surface. Therefore, when removing the second tape cartridge 6B stored in the cartridge storage section 40, the user can hook his/her fingers on the two opposite side surfaces of the second tape cartridge 6B to firmly grasp the second tape cartridge 6B. This allows the second tape cartridge 6B to be stably lifted, and therefore the second tape cartridge 6B can be easily removed from the printing device 1.

When the second tape cartridge 6B is stored in the cartridge storage section 40, a space is formed between the side of the housing 3 where the notch 50 is formed and one side of the second tape cartridge 6B (left side in the figure) facing the side of the housing 3 into which the user's fingers (for example, thumb) can be inserted, making it easy to hook the fingers on one side of the second tape cartridge 6B. Furthermore, when the second tape cartridge 6B is stored in the cartridge storage section 40, a space is also formed above the step section 43. Therefore, a user who inserts his thumb into the space where the notch 50 is formed and hooks his thumb on the second tape cartridge 6B can freely place the remaining fingers in the space formed in the second space forming section 42 and the space formed above the step section 43. Such a high degree of freedom in finger placement has the advantage that usability is not easily affected by the size of the hand, and a structure that makes it easy for many users to lift and remove the second tape cartridge 6B can be provided.

As described above, the printing device 1 of this embodiment comprises a housing (device housing) 3 having a cartridge storage section 40 into which the tape cartridge 6 can be attached and detached, and the housing 3 has an opening on its upper surface for attaching and detaching the tape cartridge 6, and the edge where the opening is formed has a notch 50 that is cut out to a position lower than the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 (e.g., a tape cartridge 6 with a tape width of 18 mm or less) housed in the cartridge storage section 40.
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, since the printing device 1 has the notch 50 cut out to a position lower than the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 housed in the cartridge housing 40, the user can insert their fingers through the notch 50 and place them on the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 or on the edge portion between the bottom surface and the side surface to support the tape cartridge 6. As a result, the tape cartridge 6 can be firmly supported, improving the ease of attachment and detachment of the tape cartridge 6.

In addition, when a tape cartridge 6 (e.g., a tape cartridge 6 having a tape width of 6 mm or less) is accommodated in the cartridge accommodating section 40 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment, a space is formed between the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 and the bottom surface of the cartridge accommodating section 40 into which a user's finger can be inserted.
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, when a tape cartridge 6 (for example, a tape cartridge 6 with a tape width of 6 mm or less) is stored, a space into which a user's fingers can be inserted is formed between the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 and the bottom surface of the cartridge storage section 40, so that the user's fingers inserted through the cutout section 50 can be securely hooked on the underside of the tape cartridge 6 to support the tape cartridge 6. As a result, the tape cartridge 6 can be securely supported, improving the ease of attachment and detachment of the tape cartridge 6.

In addition, the cutout portion 50 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided at a position where, when viewed from the side of the housing 3, a portion of the space into which a user can insert their finger is exposed between the bottom surface of the tape cartridge 6 (e.g., a tape cartridge 6 having a tape width of 6 mm or less) and the bottom surface of the cartridge accommodating section 40 (see Figure 8).
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, the cutout 50 is provided at a position where a part of the space is exposed, so that the user can smoothly insert his/her fingers into the space, thereby further improving the ease of attachment and detachment of the tape cartridge 6.

Further, the cutout portion 50 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment is provided so that a part (a part of the side surface) of the tape cartridge 6 housed in the cartridge housing portion 40 is exposed in a side view of the housing 3 .
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, the cutout portion 50 is provided so as to expose a part (a part of the side surface) of the tape cartridge 6 housed in the cartridge housing portion 40. In other words, since the other parts of the tape cartridge 6 are covered by the housing 3, it is possible to prevent foreign matter such as dust from entering the inside of the printing device 1 from the side of the housing 3.

Moreover, the cutout portion 50 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment is formed in a V shape.
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, by making the shape of the cutout portion 50 a simple shape such as a V-shape, it is possible to reduce production costs.

In addition, the cartridge storage section 40 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment has support sections (first support section 45, second support section 46, third support section 47) that support the tape cartridge 6 so that the central position (center position) of the "width direction Y" of the printing tape supplied from the stored tape cartridge 6 is at the same position in the "width direction Y" of the printing tape within the cartridge storage section 40 when each of multiple types of tape cartridges is stored.
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, the tape cartridge 6 is stored so that the center of the print tape in the "width direction Y" is at a fixed position, regardless of the type of the tape cartridge 6. Therefore, by setting the position (height position) of the bottom end of the cutout portion 50 to a specified position below this fixed position, the printing device 1 can expose the side of the tape cartridge 6 stored in the cartridge storage portion 40, regardless of the type of tape cartridge 6.

In addition, the printing device 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an opening/closing lid 2 attached to the housing 3 in a manner that allows the opening on the top side of the housing 3 to be opened and closed, and the opening/closing lid 2 has a top surface portion 21 that covers the opening, and a side surface portion 22 that covers the opening formed by the cutout portion 50.
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, when the opening/closing cover 2 is closed, the opening on the top surface of the housing 3 and the opening formed by the cutout portion 50 are not exposed, thereby preventing foreign matter such as dust from entering the interior of the printing device 1 during printing.

In addition, the opening/closing cover 2 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment has a top surface 21 and a side surface 22 that are connected together, so that the opening on the top surface of the housing 3 and the opening formed by the cutout portion 50 can be opened and closed simultaneously.

In addition, the opening/closing lid 2 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment has a pressing member 26 on the surface of the upper surface 21 that faces the tape cartridge 6 accommodated in the cartridge accommodating section 40 when closed (in the closed state), which presses the tape cartridge 6 toward the lower side of the device 1.
Therefore, according to the printing device 1 , by having the pressing member 26 , it is possible to prevent the tape cartridge 6 housed in the cartridge housing portion 40 from shifting in position, floating up, or the like.

Furthermore, the pressing member 26 of the printing device 1 of this embodiment is arranged so as to overlap the side surface portion 22 when the side surface portion 22 of the opening/closing cover 2 is viewed from the side opposite the side surface portion 22 .
Therefore, according to the printing device 1, when the side portion 22 of the opening/closing lid 2 is viewed from the side opposite the side portion 22, the pressing member 26 is hidden behind the side portion 22 and cannot be seen, thereby improving the appearance of the printing device 1.

Although the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the shape of the cutout portion 50 is V-shaped, but it may be other shapes (e.g., U-shaped, rectangular concave, etc.) as long as it is possible to expose a part of the side of the tape cartridge 6 stored in the cartridge storage portion 40, regardless of the type of tape cartridge 6.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but includes the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1 Printing device 11 Thermal head 12 Platen roller 2 Opening/closing cover 21 Top surface portion 22 Side surface portion 23 Window portion 24 Protrusion portion 25 Locking claw 26 Pressing member 3 Housing 31 Power button 32 Wireless LAN switching button 33 Cut button 34 Cover opening/closing button 36 Opening/closing detection portion 37 Locking recess 38 Discharge port 40 Cartridge storage portion 41 First space forming portion 42 Second space forming portion 43 Step portion 44 Ink ribbon winding drive shaft 45 First support portion 46 Second support portion 47 Third support portion 48 Tape width detection switch 49 Push button 50 Notch portion 6 Tape cartridge 6A First tape cartridge 6B Second tape cartridge 61 Ink ribbon winding core 62 Locking portion

Claims (11)

A printing device that prints on a tape supplied from a tape cartridge,
an apparatus housing having a storage section into which the tape cartridge can be detachably attached;
The device housing includes:
An opening for inserting and removing the tape cartridge is provided on the top surface side,
a notch that is cut out to a position lower than the bottom surface of the tape cartridge accommodated in the accommodating section at an edge where the opening is formed;
A printing device comprising: The storage section includes:
When the tape cartridge is accommodated, a space into which a user's finger can be inserted is formed between a bottom surface of the tape cartridge and a bottom surface of the accommodation portion.
2. The printing device according to claim 1. The cutout portion is
The space portion is provided at a position where a part of the space portion is exposed in a side view of the device housing.
3. The printing device according to claim 2. The cutout portion is
a part of the tape cartridge accommodated in the accommodating portion is exposed in a side view of the device housing;
2. The printing device according to claim 1. The cutout portion is
It is formed in a V shape.
2. The printing device according to claim 1. the storage section is formed to be capable of storing a plurality of types of tape cartridges each having a different outer dimension in a width direction of the tape,
when the storage section stores a tape cartridge other than the tape cartridge having the largest outer dimension among the plurality of types of tape cartridges, the space is formed between a bottom surface of the tape cartridge and a bottom surface of the storage section;
3. The printing device according to claim 2. The storage section includes:
a support section that supports the tape cartridge so that a predetermined position in the width direction of the tape supplied from the accommodated tape cartridge is the same position in the width direction of the tape within the accommodation section when each of the plurality of types of tape cartridges is accommodated;
7. The printing apparatus according to claim 6. an opening/closing cover attached to the device housing in a manner that allows the opening to be opened and closed;
The opening and closing cover is
A top surface portion covering the opening and a side surface portion covering the opening formed by the notch portion.
2. The printing device according to claim 1. The opening and closing cover is
The upper surface portion and the side surface portion are connected to each other.
9. The printing apparatus according to claim 8. The opening and closing cover is
a pressing member for pressing the tape cartridge toward a lower side of the device on a surface of the top portion that faces the tape cartridge accommodated in the accommodating portion when the device is in a closed state;
10. The printing apparatus according to claim 8 or 9. The pressing member is
The opening/closing cover is provided so as to overlap with the side surface portion when the side surface portion of the opening/closing cover is viewed from the side opposite the side surface portion.
11. The printing device according to claim 10.

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