CN113386478A

CN113386478A - Ink box

Info

Publication number: CN113386478A
Application number: CN202110249588.4A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 石本章雄; 佐佐木泰志; 中岛贤一
Original assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Current assignee: Seiko Epson Corp
Priority date: 2020-03-11
Filing date: 2021-03-08
Publication date: 2021-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2041-03-08
Also published as: CN113386478B; JP7456204B2; JP2021142677A

Abstract

The invention provides an ink cartridge capable of restraining the condition of the bad conditions of twisting or breaking on a belt. The ink cartridge is mounted in an ink cartridge mounting part of a tape printing apparatus, and includes: an ink cartridge housing; a tape path provided in the cartridge case and through which the tape is inserted from one edge in a width direction of the tape; and a tape pressing portion that can press the tape inserted into the tape path against the first side wall portion of the tape path, wherein the tape pressing portion presses the tape against the first side wall portion when the ink ribbon cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion and the tape is conveyed along the tape path.

Description

Ink box

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion with a printing apparatus.

Background

Conventionally, a printing apparatus is known which includes a tube mounting portion to which a tube to be printed is mounted as disclosed in patent document 1.

In the conventional printing apparatus, a member for applying tension to the tube to be conveyed in the tube mounting portion is not particularly provided. Therefore, when the pipe is conveyed, there is a possibility that a trouble such as twisting or breaking may occur in the pipe.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-

Disclosure of Invention

An ink cartridge according to the present invention is mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion of a tape printing apparatus, and includes: an ink cartridge housing; a tape path provided in the cartridge case and through which a tape is inserted from one edge in a width direction of the tape; and a belt pressing portion that can press the belt inserted into the belt path against a side wall portion of the belt path, the belt pressing portion pressing the belt against the side wall portion when the ink cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion and the belt is conveyed along the belt path.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view of the tape printing apparatus in a state where no ink ribbon cartridge is attached, as viewed from the + Z direction.

Fig. 2 is a view of the tape printing apparatus in a state where the ink ribbon cartridge is mounted, as viewed from the + Z direction.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ink ribbon cartridge.

Fig. 4 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge viewed from the-Z direction.

Fig. 5 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge in a state where the slider is located at the open position, as viewed from the + Z direction.

Fig. 6 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge shown in fig. 5 with the slider and a wall portion on the near side of the second near side case removed.

Fig. 7 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge in a state where the slider is at the closed position, as viewed from the + Z direction.

Fig. 8 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge shown in fig. 7 with the slider and a wall portion on the near side of the second near side case removed.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an ink ribbon cartridge 101 as an embodiment of the ink cartridge will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In the following, the direction of observation from the ink ribbon cartridge 101 or the direction of observation from the tape printing apparatus 1 to which the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is attached will be described using the directions specified by the XYZ rectangular coordinate system shown in each drawing, but these directions are merely directions specified for convenience of explanation, and the following embodiments are not limited at all.

Tape printing apparatus and outline of ink ribbon cartridge

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the tape printing apparatus 1 includes an apparatus housing 3 and an attachment cover 5. The device case 3 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. An apparatus-side tape inlet 7 is provided on the surface of the apparatus case 3 in the + X direction, and an apparatus-side tape outlet 9 is provided on the surface of the apparatus case 3 in the-X direction. A tape 201 unwound from a tape roller (not shown) provided outside the tape printing apparatus 1 is introduced into the apparatus casing 3. That is, the tape 201 unwound from the tape roll is introduced into the apparatus casing 3 through the apparatus-side tape inlet 7 and discharged to the outside of the apparatus casing 3 through the apparatus-side tape outlet 9. The band 201 is not limited to a band-shaped material, and may be a tubular material.

The mounting portion cover 5 is rotatably mounted on an end portion of the apparatus casing 3 in the + Y direction, and opens and closes the cartridge mounting portion 11. The ink ribbon cartridge 101 is detachably mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 11. The cartridge mounting portion 11 is formed in a concave shape with the + Z direction opened. A head portion 14 is provided on a mounting bottom surface 13 which is a bottom surface of the cartridge mounting portion 11. The head 14 includes a thermal head 15 and a head cap 16. The thermal head 15 includes a heating element (not shown). The head cap 16 covers a part of the thermal head 15. Further, on the mounting bottom surface 13, a drum shaft 17, an unwinding shaft 19, and a winding shaft 21 are provided.

The amount of protrusion of the headcap 16 and the drum shaft 17 in the Z direction is larger than that of the unwinding shaft 19 and the winding shaft 21. The head cover 16 and the platen shaft 17 are inserted into a head insertion hole 113 and a platen 103, which will be described later, respectively, when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, and guide the mounting of the ink ribbon cartridge 101.

Further, an insertion convex portion 23 protrudes from the mounting bottom surface 13 in the + Z direction. The insertion convex portion 23 is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape having a large diameter in the-Z direction and a small diameter in the + Z direction with a step. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the insertion projection portion 23 is inserted into a cylindrical portion 131 (see fig. 6) described later.

As shown in fig. 2, the ink ribbon cartridge 101 includes a platen 103, an unwinding core 105, a winding core 107, and a cartridge case 109 housing these components. An ink ribbon 111 is wound around the unwinding core 105. The ink ribbon 111 unwound from the unwinding core 105 is wound up on the winding core 107. In addition, the tape printing apparatus 1 can also wind the ink ribbon 111 back to the unwinding core 105 by rotating the unwinding shaft 19. The cartridge case 109 is provided with a head insertion hole 113 so as to penetrate in the Z direction. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the head 14, the drum shaft 17, the unwinding shaft 19, and the winding shaft 21 are inserted into the head insertion through hole 113, the platen roller 103, the unwinding core 105, and the winding core 107, respectively.

An annular member 110 is provided on a wall portion of the cartridge case 109 in the + Z direction. The user can easily take out the ink ribbon cartridge 101 from the cartridge mounting portion 11 by putting his or her finger on the ring member 110 and lifting the ink ribbon cartridge 101.

The cartridge case 109 is provided with a groove-like tape path 115 opened in the + Z direction. The belt path 115 extends obliquely with respect to the X direction. The end of the tape path 115 in the + X direction is referred to as a cartridge-side tape inlet 123, and the end of the tape path 115 in the-X direction is referred to as a cartridge-side tape outlet 125. The tape 201 introduced into the apparatus case 3 from the apparatus-side tape introduction port 7 is introduced into the tape path 115 from the cartridge-side tape introduction port 123. The tape 201 guided to the tape path 115 is discharged from the cartridge-side tape discharge port 125 toward the apparatus-side tape discharge port 9. The tape path 115 passes between the head insertion hole 113 and the platen roller 103.

In the tape path 115, the tape 201 is inserted by the user from one edge portion in the width direction of the tape 201, that is, an edge portion in the-Z direction toward the-Z direction before the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11. The ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11 with the tape 201 inserted on the tape path 115.

After the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, if the mounting portion cover 5 is closed, the thermal head 15 is moved toward the platen shaft 17 by a head moving mechanism (not shown). Thereby, the tape 201 and the ink ribbon 111 are sandwiched between the thermal head 15 and the platen 103. In this state, the tape printer 1 performs a printing process based on print data generated by an input operation of characters or the like to the tape printer 1 or print data received by the tape printer 1 from an external device such as a personal computer. That is, the tape printer 1 prints a print image based on print data on the tape 201 by heating the thermal head 15 while the tape 201 and the ink ribbon 111 are transported by the platen 103.

Ink box shell

As shown in fig. 3, the ink cartridge case 109 includes a first front case 116, a second front case 118, and a depth case 120. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the first near side case 116 and the second near side case 118 are near sides in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101, and the depth side case 120 is a depth side in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101. The mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is the direction in which the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, i.e., the-Z direction, and is parallel to the direction in which the drum shaft 17 extends. The front side in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is the + Z direction, and the depth side in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is the-Z direction.

The first proximal housing 116 and the depth housing 120 are combined together. Likewise, the second proximal housing 118 and the depth housing 120 are combined together. Between the first proximal housing 116 and the second proximal housing 118, a tape path 115 is provided. That is, the first front side housing 116 is disposed in the-Y direction with respect to the belt path 115, and the second front side housing 118 is disposed in the + Y direction with respect to the belt path 115. A tape insertion port 121 is provided at an end portion of the tape path 115 in the + Z direction, the tape insertion port 121 being for insertion of the tape 201 from an edge portion in the-Z direction.

As shown in fig. 4, the depth-side housing 120 is provided with a cylindrical portion 131 protruding in the + Z direction. The cylindrical portion 131 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a large diameter in the-Z direction and a small diameter in the + Z direction with a step. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the insertion convex portion 23 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 131.

Belt pressing mechanism

As shown in fig. 5 to 8, the ink ribbon cartridge 101 includes a ribbon pressing mechanism 133. The tape pressing mechanism 133 presses the tape 201 inserted into the tape path 115 against the first proximal housing 116, that is, the first side wall 127 which is a side wall in the-Y direction of the tape path 115. In addition, a side wall in the + Y direction of the tape path 115 is referred to as a second side wall portion 129.

The tape pressing mechanism 133 includes an arm support shaft 135, an arm 139, a tape pressing portion 141, a tape pressing spring 143, and a slide piece 145.

The arm fulcrum 135 protrudes in the + Z direction from the depth side housing 120. The arm pivot 135 rotatably supports the arm 139.

The arm portion 139 is formed in a substantially L shape when viewed from the + Z direction. The arm portion 139 is rotatably supported by the arm support shaft 135 at one end portion, and is provided with a belt pressing portion 141 at the other end portion. Further, an arm recess 147 is provided on the surface of the arm portion 139 in the-Y direction. The arm recess 147 is formed in a groove shape extending in the Z direction, and has a substantially semicircular shape when viewed from the + Z direction. The arm recess 147 is a mechanism for avoiding the insertion protrusion 23 inserted into the cylindrical portion 131 when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11. That is, the arm portion 139 is provided with the arm recess 147, so that the insertion projection 23 inserted into the cylindrical portion 131 can be prevented from interfering with the arm portion 139 when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11.

The belt pressing portion 141 is formed of a material having a high friction coefficient such as rubber, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape. The belt pressing portion 141 is provided so as not to rotate with respect to the arm portion 139. The belt pressing portion 141 is displaceable between a pressing position (see fig. 7 and 8) at which the belt 201 is pressed against the first side wall portion 127, and a non-pressing position (see fig. 5 and 6) at which the belt is farther from the first side wall portion 127 than the pressing position. When the belt pressing portion 141 is displaced to the pressing position, the belt 201 is pressed against the first side wall portion 127 by the belt pressing portion 141. When the belt pressing portion 141 is displaced to the non-pressing position, the pressing of the belt 201 by the belt pressing portion 141 is released.

The belt pressing spring 143 applies a force to the arm portion 139 in a direction to move the belt pressing portion 141 provided on the arm portion 139 to the pressing position. That is, the belt pressing portion 141 is urged toward the pressing position via the arm portion 139 by the belt pressing spring 143. The tape pressing spring 143 is provided on the arm support shaft 135, one end of the tape pressing spring 143 is locked to the arm portion 139, and the other end of the tape pressing spring 143 is locked to the depth side housing 120. Further, as the belt pressing spring 143, for example, a torsion spring can be used.

The slide piece 145 constitutes a casing of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 together with the cartridge casing 109, and is slidable in the Y direction with respect to the cartridge casing 109. That is, the slider 145 can slide in the Y direction between a closed position (see fig. 7) at which the tape insertion port 121 is partially closed and an open position (see fig. 5) at which the tape insertion port 121 is open. The slider 145 may be configured to close the entire tape insertion port 121 at the closed position. Further, the slider 145 is provided with a finger contact portion 149 protruding in the + Z direction. The user can easily slide the slide piece 145 in the Y direction by putting a finger on the finger contact portion 149.

The slide piece 145 engages with the arm 139. When the user moves the slider 145 to the open position, the arm 139 pressed against the slider 145 rotates clockwise as viewed from the + Z direction against the tape pressing spring 143, and the tape pressing portion 141 is displaced to the non-pressing position. Further, by engaging the slider 145 moved to the open position with a case-side engaging portion (not shown) provided in the second near-front case 118, the user holds the slider in the open position against the belt pressing spring 143 even if the user separates the finger from the finger contact portion 149. When the user moves the slider 145 to the closed position, the arm 139 is rotated counterclockwise as viewed from the + Z direction by the tape pressing spring 143, and the tape pressing portion 141 is displaced to the pressing position.

Further, the slider 145 engages with the platen 103. That is, the slide plate 145 is provided with a near-side roller engaging portion 151 that is opened in a substantially circular shape, and the near-side roller engaging portion 151 engages with an end portion of the platen roller 103 in the + Z direction. Further, the end of the platen 103 in the-Z direction is engaged with a depth-side roller engaging portion 153 (see fig. 4) provided in the depth-side housing 120. When the slider 145 moves to the close position, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, the platen 103 is in an upright posture in which the axis of the platen 103 is parallel to the Z direction. When the slide piece 145 moves to the open position, the front-side drum engagement portion 151 is positioned closer to the + Y direction than the depth-side drum engagement portion 153. Therefore, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the platen 103 is inclined such that the end of the platen 103 in the + Z direction is inclined in the + Y direction, i.e., in a direction away from the ink ribbon 111, with respect to the end in the-Z direction.

When the user moves the slider 145 to the open position to open the tape insertion port 121 before the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, the tape pressing portion 141 is displaced to the non-pressing position and the platen roller 103 is tilted. Therefore, the user can easily insert the tape 201 between the tape pressing portion 141 located at the non-pressing position and the first side wall portion 127, and between the platen 103 and the ink ribbon 111 in the inclined posture.

When the user moves the slider 145 to the closing position after inserting the tape 201 into the tape path 115, the tape pressing portion 141 is displaced to the pressing position, and the tape 201 is pressed against the first side wall portion 127 by the tape pressing portion 141. Therefore, the user can mount the ink ribbon cartridge 101 on the cartridge mounting portion 11 while being pressed by the tape pressing portion 141 so that the tape 201 inserted into the tape path 115 does not fall off.

When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting section 11 with the slider 145 in the open position, the slider 145 is disengaged from the housing-side engagement section by the rigidity of the roller shaft 17 inserted into the inclined platen 103, and the slider 145 is moved to the closed position. Further, the tape pressing portion 141 is displaced to the pressing position in accordance with the movement of the slider 145 to the closing position. Therefore, even if the user forgets to return the slider 145 to the closed position before the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the slider 145 can be automatically returned to the closed position, and the tape pressing portion 141 can be automatically displaced to the pressing position.

When the tape 201 is transported by rotating the platen roller 103 after the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the tape 201 is pressed against the first side wall portion 127 by the tape pressing portion 141 located at the pressing position, and therefore, tension is applied to the tape 201 by the frictional force between the tape 201 and the tape pressing portion 141. Thus, even if the belt 201 is thin, for example, the belt 201 having a width of 9mm or less, or the belt 201 having low viscosity, that is, low rigidity, such as the tubular heat-shrinkable type belt 201, it is possible to suppress occurrence of a trouble such as twisting or breaking of the belt 201 when the belt 201 is conveyed.

Other modifications

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various configurations can be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the above embodiment can be modified as follows in addition to the above embodiment. Further, the embodiments and the modifications may be combined.

The belt pressing portion 141 is not limited to a structure that is not rotatable with respect to the arm portion 139, and may be a structure that is rotatable with respect to the arm portion 139. In order to allow the tape pressing portion 141 to rotate, when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 11, it is preferable to configure the ink ribbon cartridge to include a rotation shaft parallel to the drum shaft 17 and a drum that rotates integrally with the rotation shaft. Further, a member having elasticity may be used on the outer circumferential surface of the drum. Accordingly, when the tape 201 is conveyed, the tape 201 can be tensioned and the printing surface of the tape 201 can be pressed against the first side wall portion 127, thereby reducing the possibility of the printing surface of the tape 201 becoming dirty.

The pressing force of the tape pressing portion 141 pressing the tape 201 against the first side wall portion 127 is not limited to a constant one, and for example, the pressing force may be reduced when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11 as compared with when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is not mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11. This structure can be realized, for example, by engaging the arm 139 with the insertion projection 23 to rotate the arm 139 when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, and slightly separating the tape pressing portion 141 from the first side wall portion 127 to such an extent that the pressing force is not zero.

Supplementary note

Hereinafter, the ink cartridge will be described in additional detail.

The ink cartridge is mounted in an ink cartridge mounting part with a printing device, and is provided with: an ink cartridge housing; a tape path provided in the cartridge case and through which the tape is inserted from one edge in a width direction of the tape; and a belt pressing portion that can press the belt inserted into the belt path against the side wall portion of the belt path, the belt pressing portion pressing the belt against the side wall portion when the ink cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion and the belt is conveyed along the belt path.

According to this configuration, when the belt is conveyed along the belt path, the belt pressing portion presses the belt, thereby applying tension to the belt. This can prevent the occurrence of defects such as twisting and breaking of the tape.

In this case, it is preferable to provide an operating portion that displaces the belt pressing portion between a pressing position at which the belt is pressed against the side wall portion and a non-pressing position at which the belt pressing portion is farther from the side wall portion than the pressing position.

According to this configuration, the tape pressing portion is displaced to the non-pressing position by the user operating the operation portion, and the tape can be easily inserted between the tape pressing portion and the side wall portion.

Further, the slider 145 is an example of an "operation portion".

In this case, it is preferable that the tape path has a tape insertion port into which the tape is inserted from one edge portion in the width direction of the tape, the operating portion is movable between a closed position at which at least a part of the tape insertion port is closed and an open position at which the tape insertion port is open, the tape pressing portion is displaced to the pressing position by the movement of the operating portion to the closed position, and the tape pressing portion is displaced to the non-pressing position by the movement of the operating portion to the open position.

According to this configuration, the user can press the belt by the belt pressing portion by moving the operation portion to the closing position, and can suppress entry of foreign matter on the belt path. Further, the user can easily insert the tape from the opened tape insertion opening into the space between the tape pressing portion and the side wall portion by moving the operation portion to the open position.

Description of the symbols

1 … tape printing device; 11 … ink cartridge mounting part; 101 … ink ribbon cartridge; 109 … cartridge case; 115 … belt path; 121 … strap insertion opening; 127 … first sidewall portion; 141 … belt pressing part; 145 … slide sheet; 201 … belt.

Claims

1. An ink cartridge mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion of a tape printing apparatus, comprising:

an ink cartridge housing;

a tape path provided in the cartridge case and through which a tape is inserted from one edge in a width direction of the tape;

a tape pressing portion capable of pressing the tape inserted into the tape path against a side wall portion of the tape path,

the tape pressing portion presses the tape against the side wall portion when the ink cartridge is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion and the tape is conveyed along the tape path.

2. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 1,

the belt pressing portion is displaced between a pressing position at which the belt is pressed against the side wall portion and a non-pressing position at which the belt is farther from the side wall portion than the pressing position.

3. The ink cartridge as claimed in claim 2,

the tape path has a tape insertion opening through which the tape is inserted from one edge portion in a width direction of the tape,

the operation portion is movable between a closed position for closing at least a part of the tape insertion port and an open position for opening the tape insertion port,

the band pressing portion is displaced to the pressing position by the movement of the operating portion to the closing position, and is displaced to the non-pressing position by the movement of the operating portion to the opening position.