JP2000272785A - Film cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store a film supply bobbin and a film winding bobbin in closed conditions when a film is not used. SOLUTION: A film cassette 10 for storing a film supply bobbin 20 and a film winding bobbin 22 includes a bobbin storage having a discharge opening 40 for discharging the film supply bobbin 20 and a shutter 16 for opening/closing the discharge opening 40. The shutter 16 is slid between an open position and a close position of the bobbin storage. When the shutter 16 is at the open position, the film supply bobbin 20 is discharged from the discharge opening 40 so that the film 30 is developed between both bobbins 20, 22 and exposed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a film cassette for storing a film supply bobbin for supplying a thermal transfer film and a film winding bobbin for winding the thermal transfer film from the film supply bobbin.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a thermal transfer film is used for a printer or the like, and when a thermal head of the printer comes into contact with the film, a dye and a pigment of the film are thermally transferred to a printing material superimposed on the film to perform printing. It is. Such a thermal transfer film is supplied from a film supply bobbin and wound up on a film winding bobbin.

[0003] Some printers perform printing by directly contacting a thermal head with a thermal light-emitting paper as a printing material without using a thermal transfer film.

[0004] Such a film supply bobbin and a film winding bobbin are accommodated in a film cassette.

[0005]

A conventional film cassette accommodates a film supply bobbin and a film winding bobbin. It is necessary to press a film extending between the two bobbins by a thermal head of a printer. For this reason, the film cassette is provided with an opening through which the thermal head enters.

However, when a film cassette is used, dust or oil may adhere to the film by touching the film from the opening of the cassette. Further, when transporting the film cassette containing both bobbins, the film between the bobbins may be loosened and come out of the opening of the film cassette. Furthermore, the space at the opening is wasted. When color paper is used for the printer, it is not necessary to use a thermal transfer film.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such a point, the film supply bobbin and the film winding bobbin can be hermetically closed except when the film is used, and further space saving can be achieved. It is an object of the present invention to provide a film cassette that can be formed and has no looseness during transport.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a film cassette for housing a film supply bobbin for supplying a film and a film winding bobbin for winding the film from the film supply bobbin. And the film winding bobbin
Of the film supply bobbin and film winding bobbin,
A bobbin housing provided with a discharge opening for discharging at least one of the openings, and an opening / closing member provided on the bobbin housing and sliding between a closed position for closing the discharge opening and an open position for opening the discharge opening. It is a film cassette characterized by the above-mentioned.

According to the present invention, when the film is not used, the shutter is brought to the closed position to cover the discharge opening of the bobbin housing. When using the film, the shutter is brought to the open position, at least one bobbin is discharged from the discharge opening, and the film is stretched between the bobbins to be exposed to the outside.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 are views showing an embodiment of a film cassette according to the present invention.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a film cassette 10 includes a film supply bobbin 20 for supplying a film 30 such as a thermal transfer film, and a film winding bobbin for winding the film 30 from the film supply bobbin. 22 are stored.

Such a film cassette is mounted in a printer having a thermal head 31, and the thermal head 31 is brought into contact with the film 30 to print on a paper 32 as a printing object.

As shown in FIG. 1, a film cassette 10
Is a discharge opening 40 for accommodating the film supply bobbin 20 and the film winding bobbin 22, and for discharging one of the film supply bobbin 20 and the film winding bobbin 22, for example, the film supply bobbin 20.
And a shutter (opening / closing member) provided to cover the discharge opening 40 of the bobbin housing 11
16 are provided. The bobbin housing 11 is an elliptical cylindrical housing body 11a for housing the bobbins 20, 22.
A pair of side plates 12, which cover both sides of the housing body 11a,
13, each side plate 12, 13 has a support opening 14, 1 for supporting a shaft 23 of a film winding bobbin 22.
4 are provided.

At least one of the side plates 12, 13 such as the side plate 13 is provided so as to be detachable from the housing body 11a. The housing body 11a is provided with a fitting projection 25 and an openable / closable spring engaging portion 19, and the side plate 13 is provided with a fitting hole 2 into which the fitting projection 25 fits.
8 and a fitting groove 26 into which the spring engaging portion 19 is fitted. The side plate 13 is detached from the main body 11a by fitting the fitting projection 25 and the spring engaging portion 19 of the main body 11a into the fitting hole 28 and the fitting groove 26 of the side plate 13. It can be fixed freely.

The shutter 16 provided on the bobbin housing 11 slides between a closed position for closing the discharge opening 40 of the bobbin housing 11 and an open position for opening the discharge opening 40. In this case, guide protrusions 17 are provided on both sides of the shirt 16 and a pair of side plates 1 are provided.
2 and 13 are guide grooves 1 in which guide projections 17 and 17 are engaged.
When the shutter 16 slides, the guide projections 17, 17 form guide grooves 18, 18 of the pair of side plates 12, 13.
It moves along 18.

The bobbin housing 11 further includes a shutter 1
When the shutter 6 comes to the open position, a shutter housing space 41 for housing the shutter 16 is formed.

Further, a pair of side plates 12 of the bobbin housing 11,
13, a support opening portion 15a is formed.
6 are formed with support opening portions 15b on both sides, and between the support opening portions 15a and 15b, the film supply bobbin 2
Thus, a support opening 15 for supporting the shaft 21 is formed.

At the end of the shutter 16, there is provided a contact plate 27 for contacting the bobbin housing 11.

By forming a stop aperture 18a for stopper at the lower end of the guide grooves 18, 18 of the side plates 13, 14, the guide projections 17, 17 of the shutter at the closed position are formed by the aperture 18a. It can be locked (FIG. 3).

The operation of the present embodiment having the following configuration will be described.

First, the film supply bobbin 20 and the film winding bobbin 22 are inserted into the housing body 11a, and the shutter 16 is fitted into the housing body 11a. In this case, the guide projection 17 of the shutter 16 is provided in the guide groove 18 on the side plate 12 side.
Is inserted, and then the shutter 16 is moved to the main body 11 for storage.
a.

Next, a side plate 13 is provided on the side of the housing body 11a.
Is inserted. At this time, the guide projection 17 of the shutter 16 is inserted into the guide groove 18 on the side plate 13 side, and then the fitting projection 25 and the spring engagement portion 19 on the storage body 11a side.
Are fitted into the fitting holes 28 and the fitting grooves 26 on the side plate 13 side, whereby the side plate 13 can be fixed to the housing body 11a.

In this way, the bobbins 20, 22 are separated from the housing body 11a, the side plates 12, 13 and the shutter 16.
Can be manufactured.

In use, when the film cassette 10 containing the bobbins 20 and 22 is transported, the shutter 16 is in the closed position, covers the discharge opening 40 of the bobbin housing 11, and seals the bobbins 20 and 22. In this state, it can be stored by the film cassette 10 (FIG. 2).
(A)).

Next, when the film cassette 10 is mounted on the printer, the shutter 16 slides to the open position by an operation mechanism (not shown) on the printer side, and the shutter 16 is moved into the shutter housing space 41 of the bobbin housing 11. Get into it.
At this time, the guide projections 17 on the shutter 16 side are
The shutter 16 moves along the inside of the guide grooves 18, 18 so that the shutter 16 can be smoothly moved into the shutter storage space 41.

Thereafter, the film supply bobbin 20 is discharged outward through the discharge opening 40, and the film 3 is moved between the film supply bobbin 20 and the film winding bobbin 22.
0 is elongated and exposed outward (FIG. 2B). Thereafter, the paper 32 is superimposed on the film 30, and the thermal head 31 of the printer presses the film 30 to thermally transfer dyes and pigments from the film 30 to the paper 3.
2 is printed.

When the paper 32 used in the printer is a heat-sensitive luminescent paper, the thermal head 31
, And the film 30 becomes unnecessary. In this case, the film supply bobbin 20 is returned from the discharge opening 40 into the bobbin housing 11, and the shutter 1
6 slides to the closed position to close the discharge opening 40.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the film 30 is not used, the shutter 16 is arranged at the closed position, and the film supply bobbin 20 and the film winding bobbin 22 are placed in the film cassette 10. It can be stored in a sealed state. When the film 30 is used, the shutter 16 is disposed at the open position, and the film supply bobbin 20 is used.
From the discharge opening 40 to expose the film 30 to the outside.

[0029]

As described above, according to the present invention, when the film is not used, the shutter is brought to the closed position, the discharge opening is closed, and the film supply bobbin and the film winding bobbin are stored in a sealed state. can do. In the case of using a film, the shutter can be brought to the open position, the discharge opening is opened, and at least one bobbin is discharged from the discharge opening, whereby the film can be stretched between the bobbins and exposed to the outside.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view showing an embodiment of a film cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the operation of a film cassette.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state where a throttle for stopper is provided in a guide groove.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Film cassette 11 Bobbin storage body 12, 13 Side plate 16 Shutter 17 Guide protrusion 18 Guide groove 20 Film supply bobbin 22 Film winding bobbin 30 Film 40 Ejection opening

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A film cassette containing a film supply bobbin for supplying a film and a film winding bobbin for winding a film from the film supply bobbin, wherein the film supply bobbin and the film winding bobbin are provided. And a bobbin housing provided with a discharge opening for discharging at least one of the film supply bobbin and the film winding bobbin; a closing position and a discharge opening provided in the bobbin housing to close the discharge opening; And an opening / closing member that slides between an open position to open the film cassette. 2. The bobbin housing has a shutter housing portion into which the shutter enters, the shutter has guide protrusions on both sides, and the shutter housing portion has guide grooves on both sides thereof with which the guide protrusions of the shutter engage. 2. The film cassette according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A bobbin storage body comprising: an oval cylindrical storage main body;
2. The film cassette according to claim 1, comprising a pair of side plates, wherein at least one side plate is detachable from the housing body.