CN113386478B

CN113386478B - Ink cartridge

Info

Publication number: CN113386478B
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: 2023-04-25
Anticipated expiration: 2041-03-08
Also published as: CN113386478A; JP7456204B2; JP2021142677A

Abstract

The invention provides an ink cartridge capable of inhibiting the occurrence of defects such as twisting or breakage on a tape. The ink cartridge is mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion of a tape printing apparatus, and includes: an ink cartridge case; a tape path provided in the cartridge case and into which a tape is inserted from one edge portion in the tape width direction; and a tape pressing portion capable of pressing the tape inserted onto the tape path against the first side wall portion of the tape path, the tape pressing portion pressing 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 cartridge

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an ink cartridge mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion of a tape 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 tube is conveyed, there is a possibility that a defect such as twisting or breakage occurs on the tube.

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication 2016-190352

Disclosure of Invention

The ink cartridge of the present invention is mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion of a tape printing apparatus, and includes: an ink cartridge case; a tape path provided in the ink cartridge case and into which a tape is inserted from one edge portion in the width direction of the tape; and a tape pressing portion capable of pressing the tape inserted on the tape path against a side wall portion of the tape path, the tape pressing portion pressing the tape against the side wall portion when the ink cartridge is mounted on the ink cartridge mounting portion and the tape is conveyed along the tape path.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a view of the tape printing apparatus in a state where the ink ribbon cartridge is not mounted, from the +z direction.

Fig. 2 is a view of the tape printer in a state where the ink ribbon cartridge is mounted, 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 from the-Z direction.

Fig. 5 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge when the slide is in the open position from the +z direction.

Fig. 6 is a view showing the ink ribbon cartridge shown in fig. 5 with the slide and the wall portion of the second front housing on the front side removed.

Fig. 7 is a view of the ink ribbon cartridge when the slide is positioned at the closed position from the +z direction.

Fig. 8 is a view showing the ink ribbon cartridge shown in fig. 7 with the slide and the wall portion of the second front housing on the front side removed.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, a ribbon cartridge 101 as an embodiment of the ink cartridge will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 or the direction of the ink ribbon printing apparatus 1 to which the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is attached will be described with reference to the directions determined by the XYZ orthogonal coordinate system shown in the drawings, but these directions are merely directions determined for convenience of description, and the following embodiments are not limited in any way.

Outline of ribbon printing device and ribbon cartridge

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

The mounting portion cover 5 is rotatably mounted at an end portion in the device case 3+y direction, and opens and closes the ink cartridge mounting portion 11. The ink cartridge mounting portion 11 is detachably mounted with the ink ribbon cartridge 101. The ink cartridge mounting portion 11 is formed in a concave shape that is opened in the +z direction. A head 14 is provided on a mounting bottom surface 13 that is a bottom surface of the ink 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, a unwind shaft 19, and a wind-up shaft 21 are provided.

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

Further, an insertion convex portion 23 protrudes in the +z direction from the mounting bottom surface 13. The insertion convex portion 23 is formed in a columnar shape having a large diameter in the-Z direction and a small diameter in the +z direction, with a substantially stepped height. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, the insertion projection 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 for accommodating 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. The tape printing apparatus 1 can also wind the ink ribbon 111 back onto the winding core 105 by rotating the winding 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 unreeling shaft 19, and the reeling shaft 21 are inserted into the head insertion hole 113, the platen roller 103, the unreeling core 105, and the reeling core 107, respectively.

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

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

In the ribbon path 115, the ribbon 201 is inserted by a user from one edge portion in the width direction of the ribbon 201, that is, the edge portion in the-Z direction, to the-Z direction before the ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11. The ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11 in a state where the ribbon 201 is inserted onto the ribbon path 115.

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

Ink box shell

As shown in fig. 3, the cartridge case 109 includes a first near-front case 116, a second near-front case 118, and a deep-side case 120. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the first near-front side case 116 and the second near-front side case 118 become near-front sides in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101, and the deep side case 120 becomes deep sides in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101. The mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is a direction in which the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, that is, the-Z direction, and is parallel to the direction in which the spool 17 extends. The front side in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is referred to as the +z direction, and the deep side in the mounting direction of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is referred to as the-Z direction.

The first near front housing 116 and the deep side housing 120 are combined together. Likewise, the second near-front side housing 118 and the deep side 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 near-front side case 116 is disposed in the-Y direction with respect to the tape path 115, and the second near-front side case 118 is disposed in the +y direction with respect to the tape path 115. A tape insertion port 121 is provided at an end portion in the +z direction of the tape path 115, and the tape insertion port 121 is inserted with the tape 201 from an edge portion in the-Z direction.

As shown in fig. 4, the deep-side case 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 substantially stepped height. When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted in the cartridge mounting portion 11, the insertion protrusion 23 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 131.

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 in the tape path 115 against the first proximal housing 116, that is, against the first side wall portion 127 which is a side wall of the tape path 115 in the-Y direction. The side wall in the +y direction of the tape path 115 is referred to as a second side wall portion 129.

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

The arm support shaft 135 protrudes in the +z direction from the deep side case 120. The arm support shaft 135 rotatably supports the arm 139.

The arm 139 is formed in a substantially L-shape when viewed from the +z direction. The arm 139 is rotatably supported by the arm support shaft 135 at one end, and is provided with a belt pressing portion 141 at the other end. Further, an arm concave portion 147 is provided on the surface of the arm 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, by providing the arm portion 139 with the arm recess 147, interference between the arm portion 139 and the insertion protrusion 23 inserted into the tubular portion 131 can be suppressed 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 coefficient of friction 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 further away 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 139 in a direction to move the belt pressing portion 141 provided on the arm 139 to the pressing position. That is, the belt pressing portion 141 is biased toward the pressing position by the belt pressing spring 143 via the arm 139. The belt pressing spring 143 is provided in the arm support shaft 135, one end of the belt pressing spring 143 is locked to the arm 139, and the other end of the belt pressing spring 143 is locked to the deep-side housing 120. As the belt pressing spring 143, for example, a torsion spring can be used.

The slide 145 forms a housing of the ink ribbon cartridge 101 together with the cartridge housing 109, and is slidable in the Y direction with respect to the cartridge housing 109. That is, the slide 145 can slide in the Y direction between a closing position (see fig. 7) where the tape insertion port 121 is partially closed and an opening position (see fig. 5) where the tape insertion port 121 is opened. The slider 145 may be configured to close the whole of the tape insertion port 121 at the closing position. Further, the slider 145 is provided with a finger contact portion 149 protruding in the +z direction. The user can easily slide the slider 145 in the Y direction by putting a finger on the finger contact portion 149.

The slide 145 engages with the arm 139. When the user moves the slide 145 to the open position, the arm 139 pressed against the slide 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, the slide 145 moved to the open position is engaged with a case-side engaging portion (not shown) provided in the second near-front case 118, so that the user can hold the finger in the open position against the belt pressing spring 143 even when the user moves the finger away from the finger contact portion 149. When the user moves the slide 145 to the closed position, the arm 139 rotates counterclockwise when viewed from the +z direction by the belt pressing spring 143, and the belt pressing portion 141 is displaced to the pressing position.

The slide 145 is engaged with the platen 103. That is, the slide 145 is provided with a near-front roller engaging portion 151 that is opened in a substantially circular shape, and the near-front roller engaging portion 151 engages with an end portion of the platen roller 103 in the +z direction. The end of the platen roller 103 in the-Z direction is engaged with a deep-side roller engagement portion 153 (see fig. 4) provided in the deep-side housing 120. When the slide 145 moves to the closed position, as shown in fig. 7 and 8, the platen 103 will be in an upright posture in which the axis of the platen 103 is parallel to the Z direction. When the slide 145 moves to the open position, the front-side roller engagement portion 151 is located closer to the +y direction than the deep-side roller engagement portion 153. Therefore, as shown in fig. 5 and 6, the platen roller 103 is inclined in the +y direction, that is, in a direction away from the ink ribbon 111, as compared with the end in the-Z direction of the platen roller 103.

When the user moves the slide 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 103 is tilted. Therefore, the user can easily insert the belt 201 between the belt pressing portion 141 and the first side wall portion 127 located at the non-pressing position, and between the platen roller 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 in the cartridge mounting portion 11 in a state where the ribbon 201 inserted onto the ribbon path 115 is pressed by the ribbon pressing portion 141 so as not to fall off.

When the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 11 with the slide 145 in the open position, the slide 145 is disengaged from the housing-side engagement portion by the rigidity of the drum shaft 17 inserted into the inclined platen 103, and the slide 145 is moved to the closed position. Further, the tape pressing portion 141 is displaced toward the pressing position with the movement of the slide 145 toward the closing position. Therefore, even in the case where the user forgets to return the slide 145 to the closed position before the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, the slide 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 platen 103 rotates to convey the ribbon 201 after the ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, the ribbon 201 is pressed against the first side wall portion 127 by the ribbon pressing portion 141 located at the pressing position, and therefore tension is applied to the ribbon 201 by friction between the ribbon 201 and the ribbon pressing portion 141. Thus, even in the case of the belt 201 having a small width, for example, the belt 201 having a width of 9mm or less, or the belt 201 having a weak viscosity, that is, a low rigidity, such as the tubular heat-shrinkable belt 201, when the belt 201 is conveyed, it is possible to suppress occurrence of a problem such as twisting or breakage on the belt 201.

Other modifications

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

The belt pressing portion 141 is not limited to the structure that is not rotatable with respect to the arm 139, but may be rotatable with respect to the arm 139. In order to enable the ribbon pressing portion 141 to rotate, when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11, it is preferable to have a configuration in which the ribbon pressing portion is constituted by a rotation shaft parallel to the rotation shaft 17 and a drum integrally rotating with the rotation shaft. Further, a member having elasticity may be used on the outer circumferential surface of the drum. Accordingly, when the belt 201 is conveyed, the printed surface of the belt 201 can be pressed against the first side wall portion 127 while tension can be applied to the belt 201, and thus, defects such as offset of the printed surface of the belt 201 can be reduced.

The pressing force with which the ribbon 201 is pressed against the first side wall portion 127 by the ribbon pressing portion 141 is not limited to a constant one, and may be, for example, a smaller pressing force when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11 than when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is not mounted on the cartridge mounting portion 11. This structure can be realized, for example, by the arm 139 engaging with the insertion protrusion 23 to rotate the arm 139 and slightly separating the ribbon pressing portion 141 from the first side wall portion 127 to the extent that the pressing force is not zero when the ink ribbon cartridge 101 is mounted to the cartridge mounting portion 11.

Additional note

Hereinafter, the ink cartridge will be described with additional reference.

The ink cartridge is mounted in an ink cartridge mounting portion of the tape printing apparatus, and includes: an ink cartridge case; a tape path provided in the cartridge case and into which a tape is inserted from one edge portion in the tape width direction; and a tape pressing portion capable of pressing the tape inserted onto the tape path against the side wall portion of the tape path, the tape pressing portion pressing the tape against the side wall portion when the ink cartridge is mounted in the ink cartridge mounting portion and the tape is conveyed along the tape path.

According to this structure, when the belt is conveyed along the belt path, the belt is pressed by the belt pressing portion, whereby tension is applied to the belt. This can suppress occurrence of defects such as twisting and breakage in the belt.

In this case, it is preferable to provide an operation 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 is farther from the side wall portion than the pressing position.

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

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

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

According to this configuration, the user can press the tape by the tape pressing portion by moving the operation portion to the closed position, and it is possible to suppress the entry of foreign matter on the tape path. Further, the user can easily insert the tape from the opened tape insertion port between the tape pressing portion and the side wall portion by moving the operation portion to the open position.

Symbol description

1 … tape printing apparatus; 11 … cartridge mounting portion; 101 … ink cartridge; 109 … cartridge housing; 115 … tape path; 121 … with an insertion opening; 127 … first side wall portions; 141 … with a pressing portion; 145 … slide; 201 … belt.

Claims

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

an ink cartridge case;

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

a tape pressing portion capable of pressing the tape inserted onto the tape path with respect to a side wall portion of the tape path,

the belt pressing portion presses 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.

2. The ink cartridge according to claim 1, wherein,

the belt pressing device is provided with an operation 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 is further away from the side wall portion than the pressing position.

3. The ink cartridge according to claim 2, wherein,

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

the operation part can move between a closing position for closing at least a part of the tape insertion opening and an opening position for opening the tape insertion opening,

the belt pressing portion is displaced toward the pressing position by the movement of the operation portion toward the closing position, and is displaced toward the non-pressing position by the movement of the operation portion toward the opening position.