EP0355939B1 - Ink ribbon cartridge - Google Patents

Ink ribbon cartridge Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0355939B1
EP0355939B1 EP89250012A EP89250012A EP0355939B1 EP 0355939 B1 EP0355939 B1 EP 0355939B1 EP 89250012 A EP89250012 A EP 89250012A EP 89250012 A EP89250012 A EP 89250012A EP 0355939 B1 EP0355939 B1 EP 0355939B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
cassette housing
carrier body
barbs
parts
support body
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP89250012A
Other languages
German (de)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0355939A3 (en
EP0355939A2 (en
Inventor
Edelbert Dipl.-Ing. Wiechert
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Siemens AG
Original Assignee
Siemens AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Siemens AG filed Critical Siemens AG
Publication of EP0355939A2 publication Critical patent/EP0355939A2/en
Publication of EP0355939A3 publication Critical patent/EP0355939A3/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0355939B1 publication Critical patent/EP0355939B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
    • B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
    • B41J17/00—Mechanisms for manipulating page-width impression-transfer material, e.g. carbon paper
    • B41J17/32—Detachable carriers or holders for impression-transfer material mechanism

Definitions

  • the invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette for an image recording device consisting of a cassette housing in which a printing roller and an ink ribbon stored on two winding spools axially parallel to the printing roller are arranged.
  • an ink ribbon cassette for an image recording device constructed as a parallel thermal transfer printer in which a line-shaped recording head is arranged within a printer housing.
  • the ink ribbon cassette which can be inserted into the printer housing through a lateral opening in the direction along the recording head, contains a printing roller and an ink ribbon on two winding spools that are parallel to the printing roller in a cartridge housing. Since the print roller and the winding spools are integral parts of the ribbon cassette, the cassette housing and the print roller are automatically replaced each time the ribbon is changed.
  • the invention has for its object to enable a ribbon change that is particularly easy to carry out manually, without having to change the cassette housing together with the Print roller is required.
  • this object is achieved in that the winding spools are held on a common support body in the ribbon cassette of the type mentioned above, that the support body is arranged in the cassette housing removably therefrom and locked by means of a locking device and that at least one actuating element on the support body is arranged for simultaneously unlocking and removing the support body from the cassette housing.
  • the main advantage of the ink ribbon cassette according to the invention is the simple interchangeability of the ink ribbon, wherein only one handle is required to remove the ink ribbon, with which the carrier body is unlocked in the cartridge housing and at the same time removed therefrom.
  • the at least one actuating element serves as a grip element for holding the support body with the winding spools, so that touching the ink ribbon is excluded; this is particularly important in the case of generally very thin and therefore correspondingly sensitive thermal transfer ribbons.
  • the carrier body consists of two side parts receiving the winding spools at their axial ends and a connecting part connecting the side parts with a recess for the printing roller, an actuating element being arranged on each of the side parts. Due to the arrangement of the actuating elements on both sides, the support body with the winding spools can be easily removed with both hands from the cassette housing.
  • the cassette housing consists of a substantially cuboid one-sided open box, the open side of which is closed by the connecting part of the carrier body when the carrier body is inserted so that touching the ribbon on the winding spools is prevented when handling the ribbon cassette.
  • a secure and correct locking of the support body with the winding spools in the cassette housing is advantageously made possible in that the pressure roller is mounted in the cassette housing between two mounting parts on which the locking parts forming barbed parts are held at their ends with barbs, and that at the Side parts of the support body in shoulder-ending ramp surfaces for the barbs are designed in such a way that when the support body is inserted into the cassette housing, the bent parts are deflected and the barbs springily engage behind the heels in the locking position.
  • the run-up surfaces additionally serve in cooperation with the barbs attached to them as a guide when inserting the support body into the cassette housing, so that damage to the ink ribbon on the winding spools is avoided, for example by tilting the support body.
  • the actuating elements are preferably designed in the form of bending elements which have ends at the ends opposite the barbs and can be moved in the direction of the barbs in the sense of their unlocking. Due to their design as bending elements, the actuating elements can advantageously be connected in one piece to the support body in the form of plastic injection molded parts.
  • the ribbon cassette In connection with the design of the actuating elements in the form of bending elements, according to a preferred development of the ribbon cassette according to the invention it is provided that two bending elements are arranged on both side parts of the support body perpendicular to the direction of removal of the support body from the cassette housing.
  • the opposite bending elements can be gripped and pressed together on both sides of the support body with thumb and forefinger, whereby the Unlocking the support body and holding it securely and conveniently with both hands between thumb and index finger for removal from the cassette housing.
  • Another advantage of this development is the fact that only an approximately finger-wide gap is required between the side parts of the support body and the inner walls of the cassette housing opposite them in order to allow access to the actuating elements (bending elements).
  • the locking device in the form of bent parts with barbs in conjunction with the design of the actuating elements as bending elements for pushing back the barbs, it is possible to form the actuating elements (bending elements) on the supporting body as close as possible to its connecting part, so that the actuating elements can be gripped does not have to be reached deep into the gap between the side parts of the support body and the inner walls of the cassette housing; the gap can therefore be made correspondingly narrow.
  • FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the ink ribbon cassette according to the invention, the essential components of which are shown here separately from one another for the sake of clarity.
  • the ribbon cassette is closed to the outside by a cassette housing 1, which consists essentially of a cuboid, open to one side box.
  • a cassette housing 1 Within the cassette housing 1, rib-shaped, curved guide elements 2 are formed which, as will be explained in more detail below, serve to guide a recording sheet to be printed.
  • the cassette housing 1 has grooves 3 and 4 on its lower inner wall delimited by guide ribs for receiving two holding parts 5 and 6, between which a pressure roller 7 is rotatably mounted.
  • the pressure roller 7 is connected in the region of its bearing in the holding part designated 6 with a drive gear 8 which meshes with two further gears 9 and 10.
  • the two mounting parts 5 and 6 have on their sides facing the inner walls of the cassette housing 1 elastic bent parts with barbs at their ends, of which in FIG. 1 the bent parts 11 and 12 with their barbs 13 and 14 are only visible on the mounting part 5.
  • the mounting parts 5 and 6 for the printing roller 7 are shown outside of the cassette housing 1 only for the sake of clarity; in fact, however, they are fitted in grooves 3 and 4.
  • an ink ribbon is stored on two winding spools 16 and 17, which are held on a common support body 18 parallel to one another.
  • the support body 18 consists of two side parts 19 and 20, which take up the winding coils 16 and 17 at their axial ends, and are connected to one another via a connecting part 21.
  • the support body 18 forms, together with the winding spools 16 and 17, an exchangeable unit which can be inserted into the cassette housing 1 of the ink ribbon cassette, the printing roller 7, in the inserted state, being partially wrapped around the section of the ink ribbon 15 lying between the winding spools 16 and 17 from a recess 22 in protrudes from the connecting part 21 and a gear 23 connected to the winding spool 16 via a slip clutch meshes with the gear 10 on the holding part 6.
  • the complete ribbon cassette can be plugged into a printer (not shown here), the printing roller 7 with the adjacent ink ribbon 15 coming to rest on a line-shaped recording head, for example a thermal printing head, which extends along the printing roller 7.
  • the carrier body 18 with the winding spools 16 and 17 can be inserted into or removed from the cassette housing 1 of the ink ribbon cassette.
  • the support body 18 with the winding spools 16 and 17 can simply be inserted into the cassette housing 1 and locked or unlocked and removed from the cassette housing 1 again, the support body 18 is on its two side parts 19 and 20 with actuating elements 26 and 27 for simultaneously unlocking and removing or holding the support body 18 Mistake.
  • FIG. 2 attaches the supporting body 18 on the bracket parts 5 and 6 in side view from the viewing direction designated by X in Figure 1.
  • the pressure roller 7 and the winding spools 16 and 17 are omitted in FIG. 2, so that only the side part 20 of the support body 18 and the holder part 6 are visible.
  • the side part designated 19 in FIG. 1 and the holding part 5 are constructed in the same way as parts 20 and 6.
  • FIG. 2 shows, two parallel bent parts 28 and 29 are held on the holding part 6, which are provided at their ends with barbs 30 and 31 facing away from one another and pointing outwards.
  • the bent parts 28 and 29 are integrally formed on a plastic body 32 which in turn is fastened to the holding part 6.
  • Each of the two side parts 19 and 20 of the support body 18 - here the side part 20 - has two contact surfaces 33 and 34 for the barbs 30 and 31 on the bent parts 28 and 29.
  • the ramp surfaces 33 and 34 form in the direction designated 35 for the insertion of the support body 18 into the cassette housing 1 a funnel-shaped extension and end in the opposite direction with the formation of paragraphs 36 and 37, so that when inserting the support body 18 into the cassette housing 1 Barbs 30 and 31 slide along the run-up surfaces 33 and 34, the bent parts 28 and 29 being increasingly deflected and finally the barbs 30 and 31 snap into a locking position engaging behind the shoulders 36 and 37.
  • This locked state is shown in Figure 2.
  • the run-up surfaces 33 and 34 in cooperation with the barbs 30 and 31 which resiliently rest on them, serve as a guide when inserting the support body 18 into the cassette housing 1, thereby preventing the support body from tilting and possibly damaging the ink ribbon 15.
  • FIG. 2 also shows using the example of the side part 20, the actuating elements 25 and 26 on the two side parts 19 and 20 each consist of two mutually opposite bending elements 38 and 39, which are molded onto the side part 20 made of plastic.
  • the two bending elements 38 and 39 are formed on the side part 20 in such a way that they can be gripped and pressed against one another at the outside grip points 40 and 41 with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, the barbs 30 and 31 lying opposite ends 42 and 43 of the bending elements 38 and 39 are pushed over paragraphs 36 and 37, pushing back barbs 30 and 31.
  • the support body 18 can thus be unlocked and removed from the cassette housing 1 in a simple manner by pressing the opposite bending elements on both sides of the support body 18 with thumb and forefinger, the support body 18 being unlocked and simultaneously with both hands is held securely and conveniently for removal from the cassette housing 1 between the thumb and index finger. It is for secure gripping of the actuators 26 and 27 or the bending elements forming them z. B. 38 and 39 only an approximately finger-wide gap between the side parts 19 and 20 of the support body and the inner wall of the cassette housing 1 is required, so that a compact structure of the ribbon cassette is achieved.

Landscapes

  • Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)

Description

Die Erfindung betrifft eine Farbbandkassette für eine Bildaufzeichnungsvorrichtung bestehend aus einem Kassettengehäuse, in dem eine Druckwalze und ein auf zwei zur Druckwalze achsparallelen Wickelspulen bevorratetes Farbband angeordnet sind.The invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette for an image recording device consisting of a cassette housing in which a printing roller and an ink ribbon stored on two winding spools axially parallel to the printing roller are arranged.

Aus der DE-OS 35 39 526 ist eine derartige Farbbandkassette für eine als parallel arbeitender Thermotransferdrucker ausgebildete Bildaufzeichnungsvorrichtung bekannt, bei der innerhalb eines Druckergehäuses ein zeilenförmiger Aufzeichnungskopf angeordnet ist. Die Farbbandkassette, die durch eine seitliche Öffnung in Richtung längs zu dem Aufzeichnungskopf in das Druckergehäuse einführbar ist, enthält in einem Kassettengehäuse eine Druckwalze und ein Farbband auf zwei zur Druckwalze achsparallelen Wickelspulen. Da die Druckwalze und die Wickelspulen integrale Bestandteile der Farbbandkassette sind, erfolgt bei jedem Farbbandwechsel automatisch auch ein Austausch des Kassettengehäuses und der Druckwalze.From DE-OS 35 39 526, such an ink ribbon cassette for an image recording device constructed as a parallel thermal transfer printer is known, in which a line-shaped recording head is arranged within a printer housing. The ink ribbon cassette, which can be inserted into the printer housing through a lateral opening in the direction along the recording head, contains a printing roller and an ink ribbon on two winding spools that are parallel to the printing roller in a cartridge housing. Since the print roller and the winding spools are integral parts of the ribbon cassette, the cassette housing and the print roller are automatically replaced each time the ribbon is changed.

Der Erfindung liegt die Aufgabe zugrunde, einen manuell besonders einfach durchführbaren Farbbandwechsel zu ermöglichen, ohne daß hierzu ein Wechsel des Kassettengehäuses mitsamt der Druckwalze erforderlich ist.The invention has for its object to enable a ribbon change that is particularly easy to carry out manually, without having to change the cassette housing together with the Print roller is required.

Gemäß der Erfindung wird diese Aufgabe dadurch gelöst, daß bei der Farbbandkassette der eingangs angegebenen Art die Wickelspulen an einem gemeinsamen Tragkörper gehalten sind, daß der Tragkörper in dem Kassettengehäuse aus diesem herausnehmbar angeordnet und mittels einer Verriegelungseinrichtung verriegelt ist und daß an dem Tragkörper zumindest ein Betätigungselement zum gleichzeitigen Entriegeln und Herausnehmen des Tragkörpers aus dem Kassettengehäuse angeordnet ist.According to the invention, this object is achieved in that the winding spools are held on a common support body in the ribbon cassette of the type mentioned above, that the support body is arranged in the cassette housing removably therefrom and locked by means of a locking device and that at least one actuating element on the support body is arranged for simultaneously unlocking and removing the support body from the cassette housing.

Der wesentliche Vorteil der erfindungsgemäßen Farbbandkassette besteht in der einfachen Austauschbarkeit des Farbbandes, wobei zum Entfernen des Farbbandes nur ein Handgriff erforderlich ist, mit dem der Tragkörper in dem Kassettengehäuse entriegelt und zugleich aus diesem herausgenommen wird. Das zumindest eine Betätigungselement dient dabei als Griffelement zum Halten des Tragkörpers mit den Wickelspulen, so daß ein Berühren des Farbbandes ausgeschlossen wird; dies ist insbesondere bei in der Regel sehr dünnen und daher entsprechend empfindlichen Thermotransferfarbbändern von Bedeutung.The main advantage of the ink ribbon cassette according to the invention is the simple interchangeability of the ink ribbon, wherein only one handle is required to remove the ink ribbon, with which the carrier body is unlocked in the cartridge housing and at the same time removed therefrom. The at least one actuating element serves as a grip element for holding the support body with the winding spools, so that touching the ink ribbon is excluded; this is particularly important in the case of generally very thin and therefore correspondingly sensitive thermal transfer ribbons.

Entsprechend einer bevorzugten Ausbildung der erfindungsgemäßen Farbbandkassette besteht der Tragkörper aus zwei, die Wickelspulen an ihren Achsenden aufnehmenden Seitenteilen und einem die Seitenteile verbindenden Verbindungsteil mit einer Aussparung für die Druckwalze, wobei an beiden Seitenteilen jeweils ein Betätigungselement angeordnet ist. Durch die beidseitige Anordnung der Betätigungselemente ist der Tragkörper mit den Wickelspulen auf einfache Weise beidhändig aus dem Kassettengehäuse herausnehmbar. Das Kassettengehäuse besteht dabei aus einem im wesentlichen quaderförmigen einseitig offenen Kasten, dessen offene Seite bei eingesetztem Tragkörper durch das Verbindungsteil des Tragkörpers soweit verschlossen wird, daß beim Hantieren mit der Farbbandkassette ein Berühren des Farbbandes auf den Wickelspulen verhindert wird.According to a preferred embodiment of the ribbon cassette according to the invention, the carrier body consists of two side parts receiving the winding spools at their axial ends and a connecting part connecting the side parts with a recess for the printing roller, an actuating element being arranged on each of the side parts. Due to the arrangement of the actuating elements on both sides, the support body with the winding spools can be easily removed with both hands from the cassette housing. The cassette housing consists of a substantially cuboid one-sided open box, the open side of which is closed by the connecting part of the carrier body when the carrier body is inserted so that touching the ribbon on the winding spools is prevented when handling the ribbon cassette.

Eine sichere und lagerichtige Verriegelung des Tragkörpers mit den Wickelspulen in dem Kassettengehäuse wird in vorteilhafter Weise dadurch ermöglicht, daß die Druckwalze in dem Kassettengehäuse zwischen zwei Halterungsteilen gelagert ist, an denen die Verriegelungseinrichtung bildende Biegeteile mit Widerhaken an ihren Enden gehalten sind, und daß an den Seitenteilen des Tragkörpers in Absätzen endende Auflaufflächen für die Widerhaken in der Weise ausgebildet sind, daß beim Einfügen des Tragkörpers in das Kassettengehäuse die Biegeteile ausgelenkt werden und in Verriegelungsstellung die Widerhaken die Absätze federnd hintergreifen. Dabei dienen die Auflaufflächen zusätzlich im Zusammenwirken mit den an ihnen anliegenden Widerhaken als Führungshilfe beim Einsetzen des Tragkörpers in das Kassettengehäuse, so daß eine Beschädigung des Farbbandes auf den Wickelspulen beispielsweise durch Verkanten des Tragkörpers vermieden wird.A secure and correct locking of the support body with the winding spools in the cassette housing is advantageously made possible in that the pressure roller is mounted in the cassette housing between two mounting parts on which the locking parts forming barbed parts are held at their ends with barbs, and that at the Side parts of the support body in shoulder-ending ramp surfaces for the barbs are designed in such a way that when the support body is inserted into the cassette housing, the bent parts are deflected and the barbs springily engage behind the heels in the locking position. The run-up surfaces additionally serve in cooperation with the barbs attached to them as a guide when inserting the support body into the cassette housing, so that damage to the ink ribbon on the winding spools is avoided, for example by tilting the support body.

Zur Entriegelung des Tragkörpers in dem Kassettengehäuse sind die Betätigungselemente vorzugsweise in Form von Biegeelementen ausgebildet, die an ihren Enden den Widerhaken gegenüberliegende Ansätze aufweisen und in Richtung auf die Widerhaken zu im Sinne ihrer Entriegelung bewegbar sind. Aufgrund ihrer Ausbildung als Biegeelemente können die Betätigungselemente herstellungstechnisch in vorteilhafter Weise als Kunststoff-Spritzgußteile einstückig mit dem Tragkörper verbunden sein.To unlock the support body in the cassette housing, the actuating elements are preferably designed in the form of bending elements which have ends at the ends opposite the barbs and can be moved in the direction of the barbs in the sense of their unlocking. Due to their design as bending elements, the actuating elements can advantageously be connected in one piece to the support body in the form of plastic injection molded parts.

Im Zusammenhang mit der Ausbildung der Betätigungselemente in Form von Biegeelementen ist entsprechend einer bevorzugten Weiterbildung der erfindungsgemäßen Farbbandkassette vorgesehen, daß an beiden Seitenteilen des Tragkörpers jeweils zwei Biegeelemente senkrecht zur Herausnahmerichtung des Tragkörpers aus dem Kassettengehäuse aufeinanderzubewegbar angeordnet sind. Zum Entriegeln und Herausnehmen des Tragkörpers aus dem Kassettengehäuse lassen sich auf beiden Seiten des Tragkörpers die dort gegenüberliegenden Biegeelemente jeweils mit Daumen und Zeigefinger greifen und aufeinanderzudrücken, wobei der Tragkörper entriegelt wird und gleichzeitig mit beiden Händen jeweils zwischen Daumen und Zeigefinger sicher und bequem zum Herausnehmen aus dem Kassettengehäuse gehalten wird. Ein weiterer Vorteil dieser Weiterbildung ist darin zu sehen, daß zwischen den Seitenteilen des Tragkörpers und den ihnen gegenüberliegenden Innenwänden des Kassettengehäuses lediglich ein etwa fingerbreiter Spalt erforderlich ist, um einen Zugriff an die Betätigungselemente (Biegeelemente) zu ermöglichen. Außerdem ist es durch die Ausbildung der Verriegelungseinrichtung in Form von Biegeteilen mit Widerhaken in Verbindung mit der Ausbildung der Betätigungselemente als Biegeelemente zum Zurückdrücken der Widerhaken möglich, die Betätigungselemente (Biegeelemente) an dem Tragkörper möglichst nahe zu dessen Verbindungsteil auszubilden, so daß zum Greifen der Betätigungselemente nicht tief in den Spalt zwischen den Seitenteilen des Tragkörpers und den Innenwänden des Kassettengehäuses hineingegriffen werden muß; der Spalt kann daher entsprechend eng ausgebildet sein.In connection with the design of the actuating elements in the form of bending elements, according to a preferred development of the ribbon cassette according to the invention it is provided that two bending elements are arranged on both side parts of the support body perpendicular to the direction of removal of the support body from the cassette housing. To unlock and remove the support body from the cassette housing, the opposite bending elements can be gripped and pressed together on both sides of the support body with thumb and forefinger, whereby the Unlocking the support body and holding it securely and conveniently with both hands between thumb and index finger for removal from the cassette housing. Another advantage of this development is the fact that only an approximately finger-wide gap is required between the side parts of the support body and the inner walls of the cassette housing opposite them in order to allow access to the actuating elements (bending elements). In addition, by designing the locking device in the form of bent parts with barbs in conjunction with the design of the actuating elements as bending elements for pushing back the barbs, it is possible to form the actuating elements (bending elements) on the supporting body as close as possible to its connecting part, so that the actuating elements can be gripped does not have to be reached deep into the gap between the side parts of the support body and the inner walls of the cassette housing; the gap can therefore be made correspondingly narrow.

Zur Erläuterung der Erfindung wird im folgenden auf die Figuren der Zeichnung Bezug genommen; im einzelnen zeigen

  • Figur 1 ein bevorzugtes Ausführungsbeispiel der erfindungsgemäßen Farbbandkassette und
  • Figur 2 eine Teilansicht der Farbbandkassette nach Figur 1 aus der mit X bezeichneten Blickrichtung.
To explain the invention, reference is made below to the figures of the drawing; show in detail
  • Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the ribbon cassette according to the invention and
  • Figure 2 is a partial view of the ribbon cartridge of Figure 1 from the viewing direction marked X.

Figur 1 zeigt ein Ausführungsbeispiel der erfindungsgemäßen Farbbandkassette, deren wesentliche Bestandteile hier aus Gründen der übersichtlicheren Darstellung voneinander getrennt dargestellt sind. Die Farbbandkassette ist nach außen hin durch ein Kassettengehäuse 1 abgeschlossen, das im wesentlichen aus einem quaderförmigen, nach einer Seite hin offenen Kasten besteht. Innerhalb des Kassettengehäuses 1 sind rippenförmige, in Bögen verlaufende Leitelemente 2 ausgebildet, die, wie untenstehend noch näher erläutert wird, zur Führung eines zu bedruckenden Aufzeichnungsblattes dienen. Das Kassettengehäuse 1 weist an seiner unteren Innenwand durch Führungsrippen begrenzte Nuten 3 und 4 zur Aufnahme von zwei Halterungsteilen 5 und 6 auf, zwischen denen eine Druckwalze 7 drehbar gelagert ist. Die Druckwalze 7 ist im Bereich ihrer Lagerstelle in dem mit 6 bezeichneten Halterungsteil mit einem Antriebszahnrad 8 verbunden, das mit zwei weiteren Zahnrädern 9 und 10 kämmt. Die beiden Halterungsteile 5 und 6 weisen auf ihren den Innenwänden des Kassettengehäuses 1 zugewandten Seiten elastische Biegeteile mit Widerhaken an ihren Enden auf, von denen in Figur 1 nur am Halterungsteil 5 die Biegeteile 11 und 12 mit ihren Widerhaken 13 und 14 sichtbar sind. In Figur 1 sind die Halterungsteile 5 und 6 für die Druckwalze 7 nur aus Gründen der übersichtlicheren Darstellung außerhalb des Kassettengehäuses 1 dargestellt; tatsächlich sind sie jedoch in den Nuten 3 und 4 eingepaßt.FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of the ink ribbon cassette according to the invention, the essential components of which are shown here separately from one another for the sake of clarity. The ribbon cassette is closed to the outside by a cassette housing 1, which consists essentially of a cuboid, open to one side box. Within the cassette housing 1, rib-shaped, curved guide elements 2 are formed which, as will be explained in more detail below, serve to guide a recording sheet to be printed. The cassette housing 1 has grooves 3 and 4 on its lower inner wall delimited by guide ribs for receiving two holding parts 5 and 6, between which a pressure roller 7 is rotatably mounted. The pressure roller 7 is connected in the region of its bearing in the holding part designated 6 with a drive gear 8 which meshes with two further gears 9 and 10. The two mounting parts 5 and 6 have on their sides facing the inner walls of the cassette housing 1 elastic bent parts with barbs at their ends, of which in FIG. 1 the bent parts 11 and 12 with their barbs 13 and 14 are only visible on the mounting part 5. In Figure 1, the mounting parts 5 and 6 for the printing roller 7 are shown outside of the cassette housing 1 only for the sake of clarity; in fact, however, they are fitted in grooves 3 and 4.

Als weiterer Bestandteil der Farbbandkassette ist ein Farbband auf zwei Wickelspulen 16 und 17 bevorratet, die an einem gemeinsamen Tragkörper 18 achsparallel zueinander gehalten sind. Der Tragkörper 18 besteht aus zwei, die Wickelspulen 16 und 17 an ihren Achsenden aufnehmenden Seitenteilen 19 und 20, die über ein Verbindungsteil 21 miteinander verbunden sind. Der Tragkörper 18 bildet zusammen mit den Wickelspulen 16 und 17 eine in das Kassettengehäuse 1 der Farbbandkassette einsetzbare, austauschbare Einheit, wobei im eingesetzten Zustand die Druckwalze 7 von dem zwischen den Wickelspulen 16 und 17 liegenden Abschnitt des Farbbandes 15 teilweise umschlungen aus einer Aussparung 22 in dem Verbindungsteil 21 herausragt und ein mit der Wickelspule 16 über eine Rutschkupplung verbundenes Zahnrad 23 mit dem Zahnrad 10 an dem Halterungsteil 6 kämmt. Die komplette Farbbandkassette läßt sich an einen hier nicht gezeigten Drucker stecken, wobei die Druckwalze 7 mit dem anliegenden Farbband 15 an einen sich längs zur Druckwalze 7 erstreckenden zeilenförmigen Aufzeichnungskopf, beispielsweise einen Thermodruckkopf zu liegen kommt. Im einzelnen ist dies in der eingangs genannten älteren deutschen Patentanmeldung P 37 21 231.1 beschrieben und wird daher im folgenden nur kurz erläutert. Zum Bedrucken eines hier nicht gezeigten Aufzeichnungsblattes (Papier) wird dieses mit seinem Blattanfang in einen Spalt zwischen der Unterkante 24 des Verbindungsteils 21 und der Wandung des Kassettengehäuses 1 in die Farbbandkassette eingeführt und gelangt dabei unter Führung der bogenförmigen Leitelemente 2 an die Druckwalze 7, mittels der es unter Zwischenlage des Farbbandes 15 an dem Aufzeichnungskopf vorbeigeführt und durch diesen bedruckt wird; danach gelangt das Aufzeichnungsblatt entlang der Leitelemente 2 durch den Spalt zwischen der Oberkante 25 des Verbindungsteils 21 und der Wandung des Kassettengehäuses 1 aus der Farbbandkassette wieder heraus.As a further component of the ink ribbon cassette, an ink ribbon is stored on two winding spools 16 and 17, which are held on a common support body 18 parallel to one another. The support body 18 consists of two side parts 19 and 20, which take up the winding coils 16 and 17 at their axial ends, and are connected to one another via a connecting part 21. The support body 18 forms, together with the winding spools 16 and 17, an exchangeable unit which can be inserted into the cassette housing 1 of the ink ribbon cassette, the printing roller 7, in the inserted state, being partially wrapped around the section of the ink ribbon 15 lying between the winding spools 16 and 17 from a recess 22 in protrudes from the connecting part 21 and a gear 23 connected to the winding spool 16 via a slip clutch meshes with the gear 10 on the holding part 6. The complete ribbon cassette can be plugged into a printer (not shown here), the printing roller 7 with the adjacent ink ribbon 15 coming to rest on a line-shaped recording head, for example a thermal printing head, which extends along the printing roller 7. This is specifically in the earlier German patent application mentioned at the beginning P 37 21 231.1 and is therefore only briefly explained below. To print a recording sheet (paper), not shown here, this is inserted with its beginning of the sheet into a gap between the lower edge 24 of the connecting part 21 and the wall of the cassette housing 1 in the ink ribbon cassette and reaches the printing roller 7 by guiding the arcuate guide elements 2 which it passes with the interposition of the ink ribbon 15 on the recording head and is printed by this; then the recording sheet comes out of the ink ribbon cassette along the guide elements 2 through the gap between the upper edge 25 of the connecting part 21 and the wall of the cassette housing 1.

Wie obenstehend bereits erläutert, ist der Tragkörper 18 mit den Wickelspulen 16 und 17 in das Kassettengehäuse 1 der Farbbandkassette einsetzbar bzw. aus diesem herausnehmbar. Dabei bilden die Biegeteile 11 und 12 mit ihren Widerhaken 13 und 14 an dem Halterungsteil 5 und die entsprechenden in Figur 1 nicht sichtbaren Biegeteile mit Widerhaken an dem Halterungsteil 6 eine Verriegelungseinrichtung für den Tragkörper 18. Um bei einem Farbbandwechsel den Tragkörper 18 mit den Wickelspulen 16 und 17 einfach in das Kassettengehäuse 1 einsetzen und verriegeln bzw. entriegeln und aus dem Kassettengehäuse 1 wieder herausnehmen zu können, ist der Tragkörper 18 an seinen beiden Seitenteilen 19 und 20 mit Betätigungselementen 26 und 27 zum gleichzeitigen Entriegeln und Herausnehmen bzw. Halten des Tragkörpers 18 versehen. Zur näheren Erläuterung der Betätigungselemente 26 und 27 und ihres Zusammenwirkens mit den Biegeteilen 11 und 12 und deren Widerhaken 13 und 14 an dem Halterungsteil 5 bzw. den entsprechenden Biegeteilen an dem Halterungsteil 6 wird im folgenden auf Figur 2 Bezug genommen, die den Tragkörper 18 aufgesteckt auf den Halterungsteilen 5 und 6 in Seitenansicht aus der in Figur 1 mit X bezeichneten Blickrichtung zeigt. Zur Vereinfachung sind in Figur 2 die Druckwalze 7 und die Wickelspulen 16 und 17 weggelassen, so daß lediglich das Seitenteil 20 des Tragkörpers 18 und das Halterungsteil 6 sichtbar sind. Das in Figur 1 mit 19 bezeichnete Seitenteil und das Halterungsteil 5 sind ebenso wie die Teile 20 und 6 aufgebaut.As already explained above, the carrier body 18 with the winding spools 16 and 17 can be inserted into or removed from the cassette housing 1 of the ink ribbon cassette. The bent parts 11 and 12 with their barbs 13 and 14 on the holding part 5 and the corresponding bent parts with barbs on the holding part 6, which are not visible in FIG. 1, form a locking device for the support body 18. In order to change the ribbon 18, the support body 18 with the winding spools 16 and 17 can simply be inserted into the cassette housing 1 and locked or unlocked and removed from the cassette housing 1 again, the support body 18 is on its two side parts 19 and 20 with actuating elements 26 and 27 for simultaneously unlocking and removing or holding the support body 18 Mistake. For a more detailed explanation of the actuating elements 26 and 27 and their interaction with the bent parts 11 and 12 and their barbs 13 and 14 on the holding part 5 or the corresponding bent parts on the holding part 6, reference is made below to FIG. 2, which attaches the supporting body 18 on the bracket parts 5 and 6 in side view from the viewing direction designated by X in Figure 1. For simplification, the pressure roller 7 and the winding spools 16 and 17 are omitted in FIG. 2, so that only the side part 20 of the support body 18 and the holder part 6 are visible. The side part designated 19 in FIG. 1 and the holding part 5 are constructed in the same way as parts 20 and 6.

Wie Figur 2 zeigt, sind an dem Halterungsteil 6 zwei parallele Biegeteile 28 und 29 gehalten, die an ihren Enden mit voneinander abgewandten und nach außen gerichteten Widerhaken 30 und 31 versehen sind. Die Biegeteile 28 und 29 sind dabei zusammenhängend an einem Kunststoffkörper 32 ausgebildet, der seinerseits an dem Halterungsteil 6 befestigt ist. Jedes der beiden Seitenteile 19 und 20 des Tragkörpers 18 - hier also das Seitenteil 20 - weist zwei Auflaufflächen 33 und 34 für die Widerhaken 30 und 31 an den Biegeteilen 28 und 29 auf. Die Auflaufflächen 33 und 34 bilden in der mit 35 bezeichneten Richtung für das Einsetzen des Tragkörpers 18 in das Kassettengehäuse 1 eine trichterförmige Erweiterung und enden in entgegengesetzter Richtung unter Bildung von Absätzen 36 und 37, so daß beim Einsetzen des Tragkörpers 18 in das Kassettengehäuse 1 die Widerhaken 30 und 31 an den Auflaufflächen 33 und 34 entlanggleiten, wobei die Biegeteile 28 und 29 in zunehmendem Maße ausgelenkt werden und schließlich die Widerhaken 30 und 31 in eine die Absätze 36 und 37 hintergreifende Verriegelungsstellung schnappen. Dieser Verriegelungszustand ist in Figur 2 dargestellt. Die Auflaufflächen 33 und 34 dienen im Zusammenwirken mit den an ihnen elastisch anliegenden Widerhaken 30 und 31 als Führungshilfe beim Einsetzen des Tragkörpers 18 in das Kassettengehäuse 1, wodurch ein Verkanten des Tragkörpers und eine daraus möglicherweise resultierende Beschädigung des Farbbandes 15 vermieden wird.As FIG. 2 shows, two parallel bent parts 28 and 29 are held on the holding part 6, which are provided at their ends with barbs 30 and 31 facing away from one another and pointing outwards. The bent parts 28 and 29 are integrally formed on a plastic body 32 which in turn is fastened to the holding part 6. Each of the two side parts 19 and 20 of the support body 18 - here the side part 20 - has two contact surfaces 33 and 34 for the barbs 30 and 31 on the bent parts 28 and 29. The ramp surfaces 33 and 34 form in the direction designated 35 for the insertion of the support body 18 into the cassette housing 1 a funnel-shaped extension and end in the opposite direction with the formation of paragraphs 36 and 37, so that when inserting the support body 18 into the cassette housing 1 Barbs 30 and 31 slide along the run-up surfaces 33 and 34, the bent parts 28 and 29 being increasingly deflected and finally the barbs 30 and 31 snap into a locking position engaging behind the shoulders 36 and 37. This locked state is shown in Figure 2. The run-up surfaces 33 and 34, in cooperation with the barbs 30 and 31 which resiliently rest on them, serve as a guide when inserting the support body 18 into the cassette housing 1, thereby preventing the support body from tilting and possibly damaging the ink ribbon 15.

Wie Figur 2 am Beispiel des Seitenteils 20 ferner zeigt, bestehen die Betätigungselemente 25 und 26 an den beiden Seitenteilen 19 und 20 jeweils aus zwei einander gegenüberliegenden Biegeelementen 38 und 39, die an dem aus Kunststoff bestehenden Seitenteil 20 angegossen sind. Dabei sind die beiden Biegeelemente 38 und 39 in der Weise an dem Seitenteil 20 ausgebildet, daß sie sich an außen liegenden Griffstellen 40 und 41 mit dem Daumen und Zeigefinger einer Hand greifen und aufeinanderzudrücken lassen, wobei den Widerhaken 30 und 31 gegenüberliegende Ansätze 42 und 43 der Biegeelemente 38 und 39 über die Absätze 36 und 37 geschoben werden und dabei die Widerhaken 30 und 31 zurückdrängen. Der Tragkörper 18 läßt sich also in einfacher Weise in dem Kassettengehäuse 1 entriegeln und aus diesem herausnehmen, indem auf beiden Seiten des Tragkörpers 18 die dort einander gegenüberliegenden Biegeelemente jeweils mit Daumen und Zeigefinger aufeinanderzugedrückt werden, wobei der Tragkörper 18 entriegelt wird und gleichzeitig mit beiden Händen jeweils zwischen Daumen und Zeigefinger sicher und bequem zum Herausnehmen aus dem Kassettengehäuse 1 gehalten wird. Dabei ist zum sicheren Greifen der Betätigungselemente 26 und 27 bzw. der sie bildenden Biegeelemente z. B. 38 und 39 lediglich ein etwa fingerbreiter Spalt zwischen den Seitenteilen 19 und 20 des Tragkörpers und der Innenwandung des Kassettengehäuses 1 erforderlich, so daß ein kompakter Aufbau der Farbbandkassette erreicht wird.As FIG. 2 also shows using the example of the side part 20, the actuating elements 25 and 26 on the two side parts 19 and 20 each consist of two mutually opposite bending elements 38 and 39, which are molded onto the side part 20 made of plastic. Here are the two bending elements 38 and 39 are formed on the side part 20 in such a way that they can be gripped and pressed against one another at the outside grip points 40 and 41 with the thumb and forefinger of one hand, the barbs 30 and 31 lying opposite ends 42 and 43 of the bending elements 38 and 39 are pushed over paragraphs 36 and 37, pushing back barbs 30 and 31. The support body 18 can thus be unlocked and removed from the cassette housing 1 in a simple manner by pressing the opposite bending elements on both sides of the support body 18 with thumb and forefinger, the support body 18 being unlocked and simultaneously with both hands is held securely and conveniently for removal from the cassette housing 1 between the thumb and index finger. It is for secure gripping of the actuators 26 and 27 or the bending elements forming them z. B. 38 and 39 only an approximately finger-wide gap between the side parts 19 and 20 of the support body and the inner wall of the cassette housing 1 is required, so that a compact structure of the ribbon cassette is achieved.

Claims (5)

  1. A colour ribbon cartridge for an image recording device consisting of a cassette housing (1), in which is arranged a printing roller (7) and a colour ribbon stored on two winding bobbins (16) and (17) axially parallel to the printing roller (7), characterised in that the winding bobbins (16, 17) are held on a common carrier body (18), in that the carrier body (18) is arranged in the cassette housing (1) so that it can be removed from this and is locked by means of a locking device (11 to 14) and in that arranged on the carrier body (18) there is at least one actuating element (26, 27) for simultaneous unlocking and extraction of the carrier body (18) from the cassette housing (1).
  2. A colour ribbon cartridge according to claim 1, characterised in that the carrier body (18) consists of two side parts (19,20) accommodating the winding bobbins (16) and (17) on their axle ends and a connecting part (21) connecting the side parts (19,20) with a recess (22) for the printing roller (7) and in that on both side parts (19,20) there is arranged in each case an actuating element (26, 27).
  3. A colour ribbon cartridge according to claim 2, characterised in that the printing roller (7) in the cassette housing (1) is mounted between two holder parts (5,6), on which bending parts (11,12;28,29) forming the locking device are held with barbs (13,14;30,31) at their ends and in that formed on the side parts (19,20) of the carrier body (18) there are abutting surfaces (33,34) terminating in shoulders (36,37) for the barbs (30,31) in such a manner that when inserting the carrier body (18) into the cassette housing (1) the bending parts (28,29) are deflected and in that in the locked position the barbs (30,31) grip behind the shoulders (36,37) in an elastic manner.
  4. A colour ribbon cartridge according to claim 3, characterised in that the actuating elements (26, 27) are designed in the form of bending elements (38,39) which have at their ends projections (42,43) opposing the barbs (30,31) and are able to be moved in the direction of the barbs (30,31) for the purposes of unlocking them.
  5. A colour ribbon cartridge according to claim 4, characterised in that on both side parts (19,20) of the carrier body (18) two bending elements (38,39) are arranged in each case perpendicular to the extracting direction (35) of the carrier body (18) and so that they can move towards each other from the cassette housing (1).
EP89250012A 1988-08-26 1989-08-04 Ink ribbon cartridge Expired - Lifetime EP0355939B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE3829445 1988-08-26
DE3829445A DE3829445A1 (en) 1988-08-26 1988-08-26 RIBBON CASSETTE

Publications (3)

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EP0355939A2 EP0355939A2 (en) 1990-02-28
EP0355939A3 EP0355939A3 (en) 1990-05-09
EP0355939B1 true EP0355939B1 (en) 1993-01-20

Family

ID=6361917

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP89250012A Expired - Lifetime EP0355939B1 (en) 1988-08-26 1989-08-04 Ink ribbon cartridge

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US (1) US5011310A (en)
EP (1) EP0355939B1 (en)
DE (2) DE3829445A1 (en)

Families Citing this family (9)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPH04126276A (en) * 1989-07-21 1992-04-27 Canon Inc Ink sheet cartridge and recorder on which the ink sheet cartridge can be loaded
DE4035598A1 (en) * 1990-11-06 1992-05-07 Siemens Ag Thermal printing ink web supply device - uses removal spacer defining relative spacing of ink web supply and take=up reels
JPH0569624A (en) * 1990-11-29 1993-03-23 Canon Inc Ink sheet cartridge and recorder using said ink sheet cartridge
DE4117798A1 (en) * 1991-05-30 1992-12-03 Mannesmann Ag Ink ribbon cartridge for printing - has hinged cover unit that can be swung clear to allow access to ribbon spools for replacement
IE69331B1 (en) * 1992-02-25 1996-10-16 Balmaha Ltd A Printer
US5447380A (en) * 1992-06-01 1995-09-05 Nai Technologies, Inc. Thermal printer
GB2282568B (en) * 1993-09-22 1998-04-22 Asahi Optical Co Ltd Thermal line printer
EP0679524B1 (en) * 1994-04-29 1998-03-11 Agfa-Gevaert N.V. Storage box for a cassette for a thermal printer
US5769548A (en) * 1996-10-07 1998-06-23 Illinois Tool Works Inc. Hot stamp imprinting system with latchable ink ribbon cassette & handle

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4493573A (en) * 1982-03-19 1985-01-15 Ricoh Company, Ltd. Printing apparatus
JPH07106657B2 (en) * 1984-05-15 1995-11-15 株式会社東芝 Ribbon storage cassette
US4702631A (en) * 1984-11-08 1987-10-27 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Thermal ribbon cassette and housing therefore
NL8501540A (en) * 1985-05-30 1986-12-16 Philips Nv MULTIFUNCTIONAL CASSETTE FOR A PRESSER.
US4673304A (en) * 1985-08-13 1987-06-16 Sanders Associates, Inc. Thermal printer ribbon cartridge for wide ribbons
JPH061823Y2 (en) * 1986-04-11 1994-01-19 三菱電機株式会社 Printer
DE3721231A1 (en) * 1987-06-24 1989-01-05 Siemens Ag DEVICE FOR RECORDING IMAGE INFORMATION ON A RECORDING SHEET

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Publication number Publication date
DE3829445A1 (en) 1990-03-01
US5011310A (en) 1991-04-30
EP0355939A3 (en) 1990-05-09
DE58903333D1 (en) 1993-03-04
EP0355939A2 (en) 1990-02-28

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