An auxiliary tape cassette includes a roll configured of a wound auxiliary tape and a case housing the roll. The auxiliary tape is for printing on a printing tape. The case has a discharge port for discharging the printing tape and a guide surface for guiding the printing tape toward the discharge port. The guide surface is defined on an inner surface or an outer surface of the case. The printing tape is wrapped around the guide surface to form a spiral portion whose angle of rotation about a central axis of the spiral portion is greater than or equal to 180 degrees. The central axis is parallel to a winding axis of the roll. The guide surface includes a curved surface for guiding at least a portion of the spiral portion on an upstream side of the discharge port in a discharging direction of the printing tape.

An auxiliary tape cassette includes a roll configured of a wound auxiliary tape and a case housing the roll. The auxiliary tape is for printing on a printing tape. The case has a discharge port for discharging the printing tape and a guide surface for guiding the printing tape toward the discharge port. The guide surface is defined on an inner surface or an outer surface of the case. The printing tape is wrapped around the guide surface to form a spiral portion whose angle of rotation about a central axis of the spiral portion is greater than or equal to 180 degrees. The central axis is parallel to a winding axis of the roll. The guide surface includes a curved surface for guiding at least a portion of the spiral portion on an upstream side of the discharge port in a discharging direction of the printing tape.

A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer includes: a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis; a pulley affixed to the shaft; and a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first or second direction responsive to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, wherein rotation of a spindle supported on the shaft in the first direction dispenses inside-coated ribbon toward a printhead, and rotation of the spindle in the second direction dispenses outside-coated ribbon toward the printhead.

A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer includes: a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis; a pulley affixed to the shaft; and a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first or second direction responsive to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, wherein rotation of a spindle supported on the shaft in the first direction dispenses inside-coated ribbon toward a printhead, and rotation of the spindle in the second direction dispenses outside-coated ribbon toward the printhead.

Proposed is a dye-sublimation printer, and more particularly to a dye-sublimation printer that can systematically control upward and downward movements of a pick-up roller, upward and downward movements of a platen roller, and driving of a take-up reel gear according to forward and backward movements of a slide plate.

A ribbon reeling mechanism includes: a gear supporting member that supports a clutch gear rotatably and is configured to move between a mesh position at which the clutch gear supported by the gear supporting member is in mesh with a first reeling-side gear and a non-mesh position at which the clutch gear supported by the gear supporting member is not in mesh with the first reeling-side gear; a clutch impeding spring that causes a clutch impeding force of impeding movement from the mesh position to the non-mesh position to act on the gear supporting member when a feed motor starts rotating in the second rotation direction; a drive member engaged with the gear supporting member; and a clutch drive mechanism that causes the gear supporting member to move to the non-mesh position against the clutch impeding force when the feed motor rotates in the second rotation direction.

A ribbon reeling mechanism includes: a gear supporting member that supports a clutch gear rotatably and is configured to move between a mesh position at which the clutch gear supported by the gear supporting member is in mesh with a first reeling-side gear and a non-mesh position at which the clutch gear supported by the gear supporting member is not in mesh with the first reeling-side gear; a clutch impeding spring that causes a clutch impeding force of impeding movement from the mesh position to the non-mesh position to act on the gear supporting member when a feed motor starts rotating in the second rotation direction; a drive member engaged with the gear supporting member; and a clutch drive mechanism that causes the gear supporting member to move to the non-mesh position against the clutch impeding force when the feed motor rotates in the second rotation direction.

The disclosure discloses a printer including a memory. The memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the printer to perform a first process, a second process, and a third process. In the first process, an N-th determination target value is calculated, from an N-th pulse count index value and an (N+1).sup.th pulse count index value. In the second process, a mean value of a plurality of consecutive pulse count index values within a predetermined range is calculated. In the third process, a comparison value is calculated by comparing (N−1).sup.th the determination target value with the mean value. The first process to the third process are performed while increasing N one by one. A first determination step includes determining whether the elongated medium has reached a consumption completion status or not, on the basis of a magnitude relation between the comparison value and a first threshold value.

The disclosure discloses a printer including a memory. The memory stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the printer to perform a first process, a second process, and a third process. In the first process, an N-th determination target value is calculated, from an N-th pulse count index value and an (N+1).sup.th pulse count index value. In the second process, a mean value of a plurality of consecutive pulse count index values within a predetermined range is calculated. In the third process, a comparison value is calculated by comparing (N−1).sup.th the determination target value with the mean value. The first process to the third process are performed while increasing N one by one. A first determination step includes determining whether the elongated medium has reached a consumption completion status or not, on the basis of a magnitude relation between the comparison value and a first threshold value.

A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer includes: a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis; a pulley affixed to the shaft; and a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first or second direction responsive to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, wherein rotation of a spindle supported on the shaft in the first direction dispenses inside-coated ribbon toward a printhead, and rotation of the spindle in the second direction dispenses outside-coated ribbon toward the printhead.