JP2003266864A - Recorder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a cable connected to a recording head for transmitting recording signals from being damaged also by a move of a carriage which loads the recording head. <P>SOLUTION: In a recorder in which the recording head 18 loaded on the carriage 19 movable back and forth records images to sheets on the basis of recording signals transmitted from a control board part via a flexible flat cable 36 connected between the recording head and the control board part, the flexible flat cable is pressed and guided in touch with a ribbon cartridge 38 fitted in a recorder body. At the same time, a protecting tape 41 having a superior abrasion resistance is attached to a surface 36A of the flexible flat cable at the side in touch with the ribbon cartridge, and a reinforcing tape 42 having a superior rigidity is attached to a rear face 36B at the opposite side. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording apparatus provided with a recording signal transmitting cable for transmitting a recording signal to a recording head.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a recording apparatus, while a recording head is running in the axial direction of a platen, a plurality of recording wires of the recording head are struck via an ink ribbon onto a sheet located on the front peripheral surface of the platen. There is a dot impact printer that records an image on this sheet.

The ink ribbon is contained in a carriage on which a recording head is mounted or in a ribbon cartridge detachably mounted on a frame body. FIG. 5 shows a ribbon cartridge 10 mounted on the frame body.
Indicates 0.

On the other hand, in the above printer, the recording head 10
A control board portion is arranged at the rear of the main body of the printing apparatus including 1 and the platen, and the control board portion and the print head 101 are connected by a flexible flat cable (FFC) 102. A recording signal is transmitted from the control board unit to the recording head 101 via the flexible flat cable 102.

The flexible flat cable 102
Is a portion held by the frame 103 and the recording head 1
It is bent into a U shape with the carriage 104 on which 01 is mounted, and is guided by being pressed against the back surface of the ribbon cartridge 100 so that the bent portion 105 does not vibrate as the recording head 101 runs. Accordingly, the bent portion 105 of the flexible flat cable 102 is
Does not swell beyond a certain value, and its vibration is suppressed.

However, the recording head 101 and the carriage 1
Since the bent portion 105 of the flexible flat cable 102 is in sliding contact with the ribbon cartridge 100 during traveling of 04, in order to ensure the wear resistance of the bent portion 105, as shown in FIG. 6, a protective tape having excellent wear resistance is provided. It is proposed that 106 is attached to the flexible flat cable 102.

[0007]

However, in the flexible flat cable 102 having the protective tape 106 as shown in FIG. 6, the flexible flat cable 102 and the protective tape 106 are
The weight may cause the frame 103 to bend (broken line in FIG. 6). In this case, since frictional resistance is generated between the bent portion 105 of the flexible flat cable 102 and the ribbon cartridge 100,
The flexible flat cable 102 and the protective tape 106 that have been flexibly deformed may be caught in the traveling carriage 104 as shown in FIG. 7, and may be damaged in case of emergency.

The object of the present invention was made in consideration of the above circumstances, and prevents the recording signal transmission cable connected to the recording head from being damaged even when the carriage carrying the recording head is moved. It is to provide a recording device that can perform.

[0009]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a reciprocating recording head is transmitted from the control board section through a recording signal transmitting cable connected to the control board section. In the recording device for recording an image on a sheet based on the recording signal, the recording signal transmission cable is guided by being pressed into contact with a guide member mounted on the main body of the recording device and at the side contacting with the guide member. It is characterized in that a first tape having excellent abrasion resistance is adhered to the surface, and a second tape having excellent rigidity is adhered to the opposite surface.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the first tape is attached to an area where the recording signal transmitting cable comes into contact with the guide member. Is.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the first or second aspect of the invention, the recording signal transmitting cable is held by a holding member in the recording apparatus main body, and the second tape has a recording head mounted thereon. When the carriage moves to a position farthest from the holding member, the recording signal transmitting cable is attached to a region from a position where the recording signal transmitting cable comes into contact with the guide member to the vicinity of the carriage.

The invention according to a fourth aspect is the first to the third aspects.
In any one of the above-mentioned inventions, the first tape or the second tape is continuously adhered to each surface of the recording signal transmitting cable.

The invention according to a fifth aspect is the first to the fourth aspects.
In the invention described in any one of above, the first tape is a tape having a glass cloth.

The invention according to a sixth aspect is the first to fifth aspects.
In any one of the above-mentioned inventions, the second tape is a tape having an acetate cloth.

The invention according to claim 7 is the same as claims 1 to 6.
In the invention described in any of 1,
An image is recorded on the sheet by adhering the ink of the ink ribbon to the sheet, and the guide member is a ribbon cartridge that houses the ink ribbon.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printer body of a dot impact printer to which an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the printer body of FIG.

The printer 10 as the recording device shown in these figures prints dots by striking a large number of recording wires (not shown) of the recording head 18 onto the sheet S via the ink ribbon 31 to record dots. The dot impact printer records an image including the image. Here, the sheet S is a passbook, a postcard, an envelope, or the like, in addition to plain paper such as cut paper or continuous paper. In particular, the cut sheet includes cut copy paper, and the continuous paper includes continuous copy paper.

The printer 10 is, as shown in FIG.
A printer main body 11 as a recording apparatus main body, a push tractor unit 12 and a discharge unit 13 detachably attached to the printer main body 11, and a sheet supply guide 34 also detachably attached to the printer main body 11.
(FIG. 2), and an upper case and a lower case (not shown) that cover the upper and lower sides of the printer body 11, respectively.

The printer body 11 includes a base frame 14 and a sheet guide frame 15 as body frames.
(FIG. 2), a left side frame 16 and a right side frame 17, a print mechanism unit 20 including a recording head 18 and a carriage 19, a sheet conveyance including a platen 21, a sheet guide 22, and a pinch roller 25 (FIG. 2). Mechanical part 23
And are configured.

As shown in FIG. 2, the left side frame 16 and the right side frame 17 are erected and fixed on both ends of the base frame 14 and the seat guide frame 15, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, a carriage guide shaft 24 is bridged between the left side frame 16 and the right side frame 17, and is rotatably supported by the platen 21.
Are bridged over and rotatably arranged. The seat guide 22 includes a left side frame 16 and a right side frame 17.
And is fitted and fixed to the sheet guide frame 15. Further, a tractor unit mounting portion and a discharging unit mounting portion (not shown) to which the push tractor unit 12 and the discharging unit 13 can be mounted respectively are provided on the rear and upper portions of the left side frame 16 and the right side frame 17, respectively. There is.

The push tractor unit 12 shown in FIG.
Feeds the continuous paper as the sheet S to the sheet conveying mechanism section 23, and the sheet supply guide 34 one by one the cut sheets as the sheet S (one by one in the case of the continuous cut sheets).
The sheet is fed to the sheet transport mechanism section 23. Further, the discharge unit 13 pulls out the continuous paper or the cut sheet from the sheet conveying mechanism section 23 to the outside of the printer 10.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the rotation of the tractor belt 26 of the push tractor unit 12 causes
Due to the action of the pin 27 of the tractor belt 26, the continuous paper is guided to the sheet guide 22 of the sheet conveying mechanism section 23, and passes through the sheet conveying path 28 formed between the sheet guide 22 and the platen 21 to cause the platen 21 to move. , And is fed in the direction of arrow α. When the push tractor unit 12 is not in operation, it is possible to feed the cut sheets one by one (or one by one) from the sheet feeding guide 34 to the front of the platen 21 via the sheet conveying path 28.
Further, by the rotation of the discharge roller 29 of the discharge unit 13, the continuous paper or the cut sheet on which characters and the like are recorded by the recording head 18 is pulled out from the platen 21 of the sheet conveying mechanism portion 23 in the arrow β direction, as described later. . As a result, the continuous paper or the cut sheet is conveyed in the sub-scanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction, which will be described later, of the carriage 19.

The carriage 19 shown in FIG. 1 is slidably inserted in a carriage guide shaft 24 and carries a recording head 18. Since the carriage guide shaft 24 is arranged parallel to the platen 21, the carriage 19
Are the platen 21 and the carriage guide shaft 24.
It is provided so as to be movable (running) in the main scanning direction that coincides with the axial direction of.

When the carriage drive motor 35 shown in FIG. 3 rotates forward or backward, the carriage 19 is guided by the carriage guide shaft 24 via the timing belt 30 (FIG. 2) to face leftward or rightward in FIG. 1 in the main scanning direction. Will be driven to.

The recording head 18 has a large number of recording wires, and the ink ribbon 31 is located in front of the recording wires in the protruding direction. While the recording head 18 travels in the main scanning direction together with the carriage 19, the recording wire is ejected and hits the ink ribbon 31, so that the ink ribbon 31
The ink is attached to a sheet S (continuous paper or cut sheet) conveyed between the platen 21 and the ink ribbon 31, and an image including characters is recorded on the sheet S.

This recording operation by the recording head 18 is performed by the recording wire of the recording head 18 for one line while the carriage 19 travels leftward or rightward in the main scanning direction. If the sheet S is continuous paper, the sheet conveying mechanism unit 2 shown in FIG.
The platen 21, the push tractor unit 12, and the discharge unit 13 of FIG. 3, and when the sheet S is a single-cut sheet, the platen 21, the pinch roller 25, and the discharge unit 13 of the sheet transport mechanism unit 23 respectively locate the sheet S. It is carried out by transporting a fixed amount (usually the space between lines) and repeating these operations.

Reference numeral 32 shown in FIG. 2 is formed so as to open between the base frame 14 and the sheet guide frame 15, and the sheet conveying mechanism portion 23 is provided from below the printer 10.
A bottom sheet supply port for supplying the sheet S into the inside.

The drive control of the platen 21, the push tractor unit 12, and the ejection unit 13, the traveling control of the carriage 19, and the control of the recording operation by the recording wire of the recording head 18 are performed by the control board unit 3 as a control device.
3 (FIG. 2). The control board unit 33 is
For example, it is arranged below the sheet guide frame 15 behind the printer body 11.

The control board portion 33 and the recording head 18 are connected by a flexible flat cable 36 (FFC) shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 as a recording signal transmitting cable. This flexible flat cable 36
Is extended from the control board portion 33, is routed and attached to the main body frame (seat guide frame 15, left side frame 16 or right side frame 17, base frame 14), and is then attached to the base frame 14 as a holding member. It is held by using a holder 37, and the portion from the position of the cable holder 37 to the recording head 18 is bent and arranged in a U shape. A recording signal is transmitted from the control board unit 33 to the recording head 18 via the flexible flat cable 36, and the recording head 18 records an image on the sheet S based on the recording signal.

The ink ribbon 31 shown in FIG. 2 is housed in the ribbon cartridge 38 shown in FIGS. The ribbon cartridge 38 as the guide member is
It is detachably mounted between the left side frame 16 and the right side frame 17 so as to face the base frame 14.

As shown in FIG. 4, a flexible flat cable 36 is disposed between the ribbon cartridge 38 and the base frame 14 while being bent into a U-shape. In the flexible flat cable 36, the U-shaped bent portion 39 is pressed against the ribbon cartridge 38 via the protective tape 41 (described later) due to its elasticity, and when the recording head 18 and the carriage 19 travel back and forth, the ribbon cartridge 38. Guided by 38.

The flexible flat cable 36 is provided with a protective tape 41 as a first tape having excellent abrasion resistance on the surface 36A on the side in contact with the flexible flat cable 36. The protective tape 41 is a tape having, for example, a glass cloth having a thickness of about 0.19 mm. This protective tape 41 is provided on the surface 36A of the flexible flat cable 36,
The flexible flat cable 36 is continuously attached to a region in contact with the ribbon cartridge 38 when the recording head 18 travels back and forth as the carriage 19 travels.

In this way, the protective tape 41 is attached to the flexible flat cable 36, and when the recording head 18 and the carriage 19 travel back and forth, the protective tape 41 contacts the ribbon cartridge 38, whereby the flexible flat cable by the ribbon cartridge 38. The wear of the cable 36 is prevented, the flexible flat cable 36 is protected, and damage such as wiring breakage can be prevented.

In addition, the flexible flat cable 36
A reinforcing tape 42 as a second tape having excellent rigidity is attached to the back surface 36B opposite to the front surface 36A. The reinforcing tape 42 is a tape having, for example, an acetate cloth having a thickness of about 0.25 mm. The reinforcing tape 42 is provided on the back surface 36B of the flexible flat cable 36 so that the recording head 18 and the carriage 19 are
Is moved farthest from the cable holder 37, the flexible flat cable 36 (protective tape 4
1) is continuously attached to a region from the position where the ribbon cartridge 38 contacts the ribbon cartridge 38 to the vicinity of the carriage 19 (that is, a region where the flexible flat cable 36 is apt to bend due to the temperature described later).

As shown in FIG. 7, the flexible flat cable 36 and the protective tape 41 bend toward the side of the base frame 14 depending on changes in the temperature, and the carriage 1
There may occur a situation in which the carriage 19 is caught in the carriage 19 while the recording head 9 and the recording head 18 are running. However, as described above, the back surface 36B of the flexible flat cable 36 is
By attaching the reinforcing tape 42 to the flexible flat cable 36 including the reinforcing tape 42,
It is possible to suppress the phenomenon in which the base frame 14 is bent toward the side of the base frame 14 even when the temperature changes. As a result, it is possible to reliably prevent the flexible flat cable 36 from being damaged by being caught in the traveling carriage 19.

Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this.

For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the guide member is the ribbon cartridge 38 has been described, but it may be another member that presses and guides the bent portion 39 of the flexible flat cable 36. Further, the present invention may be applied to an inkjet printer, a copying machine, or the like.

[0039]

According to the recording apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the recording signal transmission cable connected to the recording head from being damaged by the movement of the carriage on which the recording head is mounted.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a printer body of a dot impact printer to which an embodiment of a recording apparatus according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing the printer body of FIG.

3 is an enlarged perspective view showing a part of the printer body of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a view on arrow IV in FIG.

FIG. 5 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a flexible flat cable in a conventional dot impact printer.

FIG. 6 is a view corresponding to FIG. 4, showing a flexible flat cable in another conventional dot impact printer.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a situation in which the flexible flat cable of FIG. 6 is caught in a moving carriage.

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Printer (Recording Device) 18 Recording Head 19 Carriage 33 Control Board Section 36 Flexible Flat Cable (Recording Signal Transmission Cable) 36A Front Surface 36B Back Side 37 Cable Holder (Holding Member) 38 Ribbon Cartridge (Guide Member) 39 Bending Section 41 Protective Tape (First tape) 42 Reinforcing tape (Second tape)

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A recording in which a reciprocally movable recording head records an image on a sheet based on a recording signal transmitted from the control board section via a recording signal transmission cable connected to the control board section. In the apparatus, the recording signal transmission cable is guided by being pressed against a guide member mounted on the recording apparatus main body, and a first tape having excellent wear resistance is attached to a surface of the side contacting the guide member. A recording device, wherein the second tape having a high rigidity is attached to the opposite surface. 2. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tape is attached to a region where the recording signal transmitting cable comes into contact with the guide member. 3. The recording signal transmission cable is held by a holding member in the main body of the recording apparatus, and the second tape is the recording signal when the carriage carrying the recording head moves to a position farthest from the holding member. 3. The transmission cable is attached to a region from a position where the transmission cable comes into contact with the guide member to the vicinity of the carriage, wherein the transmission cable is attached.
The recording device according to 1. 4. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tape or the second tape is continuously attached to each surface of the recording signal transmitting cable. . 5. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first tape is a tape having a glass cloth. 6. The recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second tape is a tape having an acetate cloth. 7. The recording head records an image on the sheet by adhering the ink of the ink ribbon to the sheet, and the guide member is a ribbon cartridge for accommodating the ink ribbon. Item 7. The recording device according to any one of items 1 to 6.