A printing device includes a housing, a printing head, and an input unit. The housing includes a cassette accommodating portion to which a tape cassette accommodating a roll of a printing tape is detachably attachable. The cassette accommodating portion has an insertion opening through which the tape cassette can be inserted in an insertion direction. The printing head includes heat-generating elements arrayed in a scanning direction crossing an imaginary plane perpendicular to the insertion direction. The housing has: a principal surface at which the input unit is provided; a side surface crossing the principal surface and the imaginary plane; and a discharge opening formed in the side surface. The insertion opening is positioned above the input unit. At the discharge opening, a normal direction of a printed surface of the printing tape and a normal direction of the principal surface define an interior angle of less than 45 degrees therebetween.

A printing device includes a housing, a printing head, and an input unit. The housing includes a cassette accommodating portion to which a tape cassette accommodating a roll of a printing tape is detachably attachable. The cassette accommodating portion has an insertion opening through which the tape cassette can be inserted in an insertion direction. The printing head includes heat-generating elements arrayed in a scanning direction crossing an imaginary plane perpendicular to the insertion direction. The housing has: a principal surface at which the input unit is provided; a side surface crossing the principal surface and the imaginary plane; and a discharge opening formed in the side surface. The insertion opening is positioned above the input unit. At the discharge opening, a normal direction of a printed surface of the printing tape and a normal direction of the principal surface define an interior angle of less than 45 degrees therebetween.

A cassette tape includes: a cassette case; a first tape roll and a second tape roll accommodated in the cassette case and rotatably supported thereby; and an RFID tag disposed at one of an upper wall and a lower wall of the cassette case. The first tape roll includes a first tape wound about a first winding axis extending in an axial direction. The second tape roll includes a second tape wound about an axis different from the first winding axis and extending in the axial direction. The second tape roll has a smaller diameter than the first tape roll. The RFID tag includes an antenna and a storage element for radiocommunication to read and write data. A part of the RFID tag is positioned to overlap with a part of the first tape roll in a predetermined direction parallel to the axial direction.

A cassette tape includes: a cassette case; a first tape roll and a second tape roll accommodated in the cassette case and rotatably supported thereby; and an RFID tag disposed at one of an upper wall and a lower wall of the cassette case. The first tape roll includes a first tape wound about a first winding axis extending in an axial direction. The second tape roll includes a second tape wound about an axis different from the first winding axis and extending in the axial direction. The second tape roll has a smaller diameter than the first tape roll. The RFID tag includes an antenna and a storage element for radiocommunication to read and write data. A part of the RFID tag is positioned to overlap with a part of the first tape roll in a predetermined direction parallel to the axial direction.

The present invention embraces printers such as hand-held printers and mobile/portable printer. One exemplary embodiment includes “print as you glide” (PAYG) devices. Such printers may comprise a modular print engine that is removable from the printer and may allow a user to easily access and load the ribbon in the mobile print engine. The modular print engine may comprise a modular print head and an encoder that may determine the movement of the print head relative to a stationary media. When a printer is pressed against the media, the print head's burn line may be resting on the media. When the printer is stationary relative to the media, the encoder may not trigger the printing. Once PAYG is being slid or glided across the media, the encoder may start to rotate and then send a signal to a processor, causing the printer to start printing.

The present invention embraces printers such as hand-held printers and mobile/portable printer. One exemplary embodiment includes “print as you glide” (PAYG) devices. Such printers may comprise a modular print engine that is removable from the printer and may allow a user to easily access and load the ribbon in the mobile print engine. The modular print engine may comprise a modular print head and an encoder that may determine the movement of the print head relative to a stationary media. When a printer is pressed against the media, the print head's burn line may be resting on the media. When the printer is stationary relative to the media, the encoder may not trigger the printing. Once PAYG is being slid or glided across the media, the encoder may start to rotate and then send a signal to a processor, causing the printer to start printing.

A printing device includes a thermal head, a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction and rotatably supported, a pivot member connected to the rotation shaft and configured to pivot integrally with the rotation shaft about the rotation shaft, a biasing unit configured to bias the thermal head upward, a first pivot shaft supported by the pivot member, extending parallel to the axial direction, located below the rotation shaft, and configured to pivot integrally with the pivot member about the rotation shaft, a support member supported by the first pivot shaft to be movable along the first pivot shaft and to be pivotable about the first pivot shaft, the support member including a lower end portion located below the rotation shaft, and a pressing portion provided on the lower end portion of the support member and configured to press the thermal head downward.

A printing device includes a thermal head, a rotation shaft extending in an axial direction and rotatably supported, a pivot member connected to the rotation shaft and configured to pivot integrally with the rotation shaft about the rotation shaft, a biasing unit configured to bias the thermal head upward, a first pivot shaft supported by the pivot member, extending parallel to the axial direction, located below the rotation shaft, and configured to pivot integrally with the pivot member about the rotation shaft, a support member supported by the first pivot shaft to be movable along the first pivot shaft and to be pivotable about the first pivot shaft, the support member including a lower end portion located below the rotation shaft, and a pressing portion provided on the lower end portion of the support member and configured to press the thermal head downward.

A printing device includes a main body, and a cassette attached to and detached from the main body. A locating shaft is provided on a back surface of the cassette. A ball that can protrude toward an outer side is provided in the locating shaft. A cylindrical guide body is provided at a position facing the locating shaft on a front surface of the main body. The cylindrical guide body guides and locates the locating shaft to a predetermined position on a side of the main body along an axis direction. When the locating shaft is located at the predetermined position, the ball engages with an engaged hole provided in the cylindrical guide body. The locating shaft is locked to the cylindrical guide body. A release button is pressed down by a user to release locking performed by the ball.

A tape cassette includes a cassette case, a tape roll, an ink ribbon, an arm portion, a long hole, and a ribbon take-up spool. A first distance, which is a length of the long hole in a left-right direction, is larger than a second distance, which is a length from a right side surface of the cassette case to a right side end portion of the long hole. A center of gravity of the tape cassette is located in a specific area, which is an area whose both end positions in the left-right direction are the same as both left and right side end portions of the long hole, and which extends in a front-rear direction of the cassette case. The right side end portion of the long hole is located further to the right than a center of the ribbon take-up spool.