Esselte N.v.

Esselte Dymo N.v.

Robert Charles Day

Charles Robert Sims

Richard William Ware

Mathew Richard Palmer

Michael Roger Cane

Geert Heyse

Andrew R Halket

Costa Panayi

Sam Cockerill

Jonathan Peter Tremlett

Martin Christopher Edwards

Alan R Cooper

Ian P Collins

Andrew Buchanan Halket

Stijn Jans

Tony Dunn

Erik Opgenhaffen

The present invention relates to a refillable tape cassette for accomodating a supply of printable tape. In order to avoid the need for different tape cassettes for different tape widths the tape cassette is capable of selectively housing supplies of tapes of different widths. Alternatively or additionally, the tape cassette can have a housing comprising a base on which the tape supply can be releasably fixed, and a lid fixed to the base, wherein the lid is pivotally mounted to the base by means of a hinge, Further, according to the invention, the windings of refill tape units are held together by means of a strip of adhesive or by means of wax on the axial ends of the units, or by scuffing the backing layer of an image receiving tape which is broader than the image receiving layer.

Refillable tape cassette

Tape printing apparatus and tape holding cases

The invention relates to a printer which can print both text and bar code data on an elongated web-like tape. The printer is provided with a display having a first display mode in which both text data and bar code data are displayed. A bar code display unit is provided to advise the user when the cursor is assigned to bar code data in the first display mode. A second display mode can also be provided. In the second display mode, only the bar code data is displayed and only it can be entered and edited. When characters comprising either text data or bar code data are entered, they are placed sequentially in an input buffer, which comprises a first area of a storage device. The start and end positions of the bar code data within the input buffer are stored in a second area of the storage device. During printing operations, the position of each character in the input buffer is compared to the start and end positions to determine whether that particular character is to be printed as text or as a bar code.

Tape printer for bar code printing

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.

Cassette for a thermal printer

A printing device (2) for printing an image receiving medium has a printing mechanism and a keyboard (4) having a plurality of data entry keys (6) for entering data for controlling the printing mechanism and a user key (16). Storage means for holding data accessible in response to the data entered at the keyboard (4) is provided. A controller defines an image to be printed on an image receiving medium in dependence on the data accessed in response to the data entered at the keyboard (4) so that the controller operates selectively in one of a plurality of modes of operation. The modes of operation include a normal mode of operation in which at least some of the keys (6) have predetermined functions associated therewith to access predetermined data associated with the predetermined functions. There is also a user determination mode which is entered by activation of the user key (16) in which the user is able to define a user function associated with one or more of the data keys (6) so that the user defined data is held in the storage means to implement the user function. There is also a user defined mode in which the data entry keys (6) are operable to define a label to be printed in accordance with the user defined data.

Printing apparatus having user keys

A cutting mechanism for a printing apparatus is described. The cutting mechanism is particularly suitable for tape printers. In the cutting mechanism, one of a cutting blade and an anvil is mounted for rolling motion with respect to the other so that as the rolling motion occurs a cut is made through the tape. Moreover, the cutting mechanism can be actuated by a handle which lies flush with the printer casing and which can be actuated externally of the casing.

Cutting mechanism

The present invention relates to a printing device having a baseplate with a flat base portion and upstanding elements. The flat base portion and upstanding elements are provided as a unitary part which may be formed from die casting, injection molding, outsert molding, or similar construction techniques.

Printing device construction

An apparatus for separating tape at a cut edge is described in which a bend is formed in the tape and in which a wall portion acts against the cut edge of the tape so that as the tape is drawn to straighten it, there is resilience in an upper layer of the tape which overcomes the adhesive strength between upper and lower layers and causes them to separate at the cut edge of the tape.

Tape cutting apparatus

A printing device has a simple mechanism for ensuring that a cassette having tape of a proper width is inserted into it for printing and for advising a microprocessor of the width of the tape. This is achieved by providing a switch with an actuating part which can be accommodated by a cassette of one type but not by a cassette of a different type.

Printing device for receiving at least two different types of tape

Tape cassette for a label printer

A tape cutting apparatus is described for cutting off a portion of tape (4) comprising first and second layers (4a,4c) secured one to another by an adhesive layer (4b). The apparatus comprises an anvil (40) and a cutter support member (31) carrying a blade (30), the cutter support member and the anvil being mounted for relative movement to bring the blade into contact with a facing surface of the anvil. The facing surface has a stepped portion (40) over which the tape is bent during cutting such that when the tape is released the first and second layers tend to separate from one another at the cut edge.

A blade protection device is described for protecting a cutting blade in a printing device which is actuatable so that a blade protection member is movable by insertion of a cassette into the printing device. A printing device has a cassette receiving bay for receiving a cassette of tape and a cutting blade for receiving a cassette of tape and a cutting blade for cutting the tape after printing. The printing device incorporates a blade protection device such as described above. Cassettes are also described which are adapted to actuate the blade protection device described above when inserted into a printing device. One cassette has an aperture which receives an upstanding part of the blade protection member. Another cassette has a depending part which locates a surface of the blade protection member to actuate the blade protection device when the cassette is inserted into a printing device.

A cutting mechanism for printing tape is described wherein the tape is bent over an arcuate surface during cutting so that when the tape is cut layers of the tape secured to one another by an adhesive layer tend to separate.

Growing community of inventors

Cambridge, United Kingdom

Robert Charles Day