A tape cartridge detachably installed on a cartridge installation portion of a tape printing apparatus having a first shaft and a second shaft on the cartridge installation portion. The tape cartridge includes a tape accommodation area in which a printing tape and a tape core are accommodated. A platen has a first reception portion in which the first shaft is inserted when the tape cartridge is installed, and a second reception portion into which the second shaft is inserted when the tape cartridge is installed in the cartridge installation portion. When seen from an attaching direction of the tape cartridge, the tape cartridge has an appearance that is formed in an L-shape and of which a base end at a right side surface slightly projects. The first reception portion and the second reception portion are arranged each other from opposite side of the tape accommodation portion.

A feeder, for which carrier tape is reliably inserted to a specified position without contacting engaging protrusions of sprocket, is provided. The feeder includes an entrance retaining member that pushes the carrier tape inserted into a tape insertion section towards a tape feeding path, a rotatable lever that raises the entrance retaining member when the carrier tape is inserted into the tape insertion section, and a contact prevention device that prevents contact between the carrier tape inserted into the tape insertion section and the engaging protrusions when the entrance retaining member is raised by the rotation of the lever.

A feeder, for which carrier tape is reliably inserted to a specified position without contacting engaging protrusions of sprocket, is provided. The feeder includes an entrance retaining member that pushes the carrier tape inserted into a tape insertion section towards a tape feeding path, a rotatable lever that raises the entrance retaining member when the carrier tape is inserted into the tape insertion section, and a contact prevention device that prevents contact between the carrier tape inserted into the tape insertion section and the engaging protrusions when the entrance retaining member is raised by the rotation of the lever.

A method of positioning a tape that includes determining an estimated position of a test element on the tape and rotating a spool that carries the tape in order for the test element to be positioned at a reading station. The estimated position of the test element is determined based on detected rotation of the spool, which can be measured at any shaft in the drive train. Also disclosed is a testing process for testing a sample deposited on a test element of a tape held on a spool of a cassette, a system for determining an estimated position of a test element on a tape which is carried by a cassette, and a memory storage medium associated with an in vitro diagnostic test cassette.

The printing apparatus includes a ribbon laid between spools, and DC motors for rotating these spools. A CPU drives the motor without tension, calculates the rotation velocity of the motor based on the rotation amount of the motor, applies the calculated rotation velocity and supplies current in driving the motor, by calculating a drive current for providing the DC motor with a same rotation velocity as a rotation velocity of a reference DC motor based on a difference between a rotation speed of the DC motor in driving the DC motor at a predetermined supply current in a state in which the ribbon is broken, or the ribbon is separated from the supply spool, and a rotational speed of the reference DC motor in driving the reference DC motor at the predetermined supply current, and controls the motor driver to supply the calculated drive current.

An inter-roller conveyance control device conveying an object to be conveyed between a speed shaft roller driven by a speed shaft motor and a tension shaft roller driven by a tension shaft motor while providing tension to the object includes a gain table that stores a plurality of pairs of a conveyance condition variable changing while the object to be conveyed is conveyed and affecting an appropriate value of a control parameter and a control parameter candidate value that is an appropriate control parameter where, when the conveyance condition variable is changed, the device performs calculation on the basis of the conveyance condition variable and a gain calculation result and writes, into the gain table, the control parameter candidate value and the conveyance condition variable in association with each other when the calculation is completed.

The roller-to-roller conveyance control apparatus includes an amplitude target setting unit that sets an amplitude target value of the tension deviation; an adjustment execution command generation unit that provides a command to adjust the control gain; an adjustment manipulated-variable output unit that outputs an adjustment manipulated variable; a manipulated-variable amplitude determination unit that increases the amplitude of the adjustment manipulated variable until the amplitude of the tension deviation becomes larger than the amplitude target value; and a control-gain calculation device that calculates the control gain from the amplitude and the vibration period of the tension deviation. A tension-shaft speed controller controls a tension-control-shaft motor on the basis of the line speed reference and the adjustment manipulated variable during the adjustment of the control gain.

An electrode sheet rewinding apparatus for rewinding an electrode sheet includes a bobbin having a PET film wound therearound, a bobbin holder configured to hold the bobbin, a base plate located under the bobbin holder and configured to support the bobbin holder, a roller type touch roll configured to press an electrode sheet rewound around the bobbin above the bobbin to prevent meandering of the electrode sheet, a vertical plate located at one side of the base plate, the touch roll attached to the vertical plate, and an idle roller unit configured to form a tangential line to the electrode sheet rewound around the bobbin together with the touch roll. The idle roller unit includes an idle roller configured to maintain tension of the electrode sheet and to form a tangential line to the electrode sheet and two driving mechanisms configured to change the position of the idle roller.

An electrode sheet rewinding apparatus for rewinding an electrode sheet includes a bobbin having a PET film wound therearound, a bobbin holder configured to hold the bobbin, a base plate located under the bobbin holder and configured to support the bobbin holder, a roller type touch roll configured to press an electrode sheet rewound around the bobbin above the bobbin to prevent meandering of the electrode sheet, a vertical plate located at one side of the base plate, the touch roll attached to the vertical plate, and an idle roller unit configured to form a tangential line to the electrode sheet rewound around the bobbin together with the touch roll. The idle roller unit includes an idle roller configured to maintain tension of the electrode sheet and to form a tangential line to the electrode sheet and two driving mechanisms configured to change the position of the idle roller.

A tape cartridge detachably installed on a cartridge installation portion of a tape printing apparatus having a first shaft and a second shaft on the cartridge installation portion. The tape cartridge includes a printing tape wound on a tape core, two grasping portions that allow the tape cartridge to be grasped when the tape cartridge is installed to or detached from a tape printing apparatus and are disposed at two opposite places on a side surface of the tape cartridge, a platen that has a first reception portion in which the first shaft is inserted when the tape cartridge is installed and a second reception portion into which the second shaft is inserted when the tape cartridge is installed in the cartridge installation portion. The first reception portion is disposed on an opposite side of the tape core to the second reception portion.