JP2005199582A - Color ink ribbon feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an ink ribbon having a storage element storing inherent information to determine the kind of an ink ribbon such as a material and a size. <P>SOLUTION: In the strip ink ribbon 30, one side of which is coated with a thermal melting ink, an ID tag 12 is embedded in the ID tag holder 11 of the end face of an ink ribbon wound around a cylindrical delivery core 14, and the inherent information (ID number and the like) concerning the ink ribbon 10 is stored in the ID tag 11. An antenna 20 to receive the information of the ID tag 12 is installed in the position facing the ID tag holder 11 of the end face of the ink ribbon of a printing device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an ink ribbon structure and a printing apparatus for optimal color control corresponding to the type of sublimation ink ribbon.

  Conventionally, in an image forming apparatus such as a copier or printer using a toner cartridge, or a printer using an ink cartridge, a memory such as an EEPROM 41 is attached to the toner cartridge or the ink cartridge, and the cartridge is attached to the image forming apparatus. A technique is known in which unique information about a cartridge is read from a memory, and whether or not a mounted toner cartridge or ink cartridge is a standard product is determined from the unique information.

JP-A-2-296259 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-149051 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 13-105625

  By the way, even in a thermal transfer type image forming apparatus that performs printing by mounting an ink ribbon or an ink ribbon cassette, if the ink ribbon or ink ribbon cassette of the correct standard is not used, good printing results cannot be obtained, or the main body side If the ink ribbon or ink ribbon cassette is equipped with a memory and the ink ribbon or ink ribbon cassette is attached to the image forming apparatus, the memory may store specific information about the ink ribbon. It is desirable to be able to determine whether or not the loaded ink ribbon or ink ribbon cassette is a standard product from the read information.

Ink ribbons also include various types of ink ribbons such as high-speed printing type and high-definition type printers, and it is preferable to print at a printing speed and thermal control suitable for each ink ribbon.
Also, there are variations among lots of ink ribbons, and it is preferable that information such as color tone and density according to lots can be read, corrected, and printed.

  The present invention has been proposed in view of the above points, and includes a storage element in which unique information about an ink ribbon is stored, and performs control in accordance with the characteristics of the ink ribbon using the unique information. The present invention provides an ink ribbon and a printing apparatus that can be used.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned object, the invention described in claim 1 is a color ink ribbon feeding device in a printer attached to a frame for feeding a color ink ribbon to be printed on printing paper. An ink ribbon holding shaft that holds a color ink ribbon that is freely attached and sequentially arranges a plurality of colors in the feed direction; an ink ribbon winding shaft that is rotatably attached to the frame and winds the color ink ribbon; Data transmitting means mounted on the ink ribbon holding shaft or the ink ribbon take-up shaft and transmitting data corresponding to the rotational position of the ink ribbon holding shaft or the ink ribbon take-up shaft by electromagnetic waves, and close to the data transmitting means And receiving the data transmitted by the data transmitting means attached to the frame and receiving the color increment. A data receiving means for detecting the type information down, and a control circuit for controlling the printer based on the type information of the color ink ribbon in which the data receiving unit detects.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the data transmitting means is an RFID ID tag, and the data receiving means is an RFID read / write module.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, the RFID ID tag is provided at the end of the ink ribbon holding shaft or the ink ribbon take-up shaft, and the RFID read / write module data is close to the end of the ink ribbon take-up shaft. It is provided facing.

  As described above, according to the ink ribbon feeding device of the present invention, since the storage element storing the information related to the ink ribbon is attached, the control according to the type of the ink ribbon can be performed.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an ink ribbon according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state where the ink ribbon is mounted on a printer, and FIG.

  The ink ribbon shown in FIG. 1 is used in a sublimation thermal transfer printing apparatus (see FIG. 2), and is accommodated in the printing apparatus. The ink ribbon 30 is formed by winding a belt-shaped ink ribbon having a predetermined length around a cylindrical feeding core 14.

  The feeding core 14 is provided with a gear, and power for applying tension to the ink ribbon is transmitted from the printing apparatus to the feeding core 14.

  An ID tag holder 11 is inserted into the end of the feeding core 14. An ID tag 12 of RFID is enclosed in a cap 13 in the ID tag holder 11 and is integrated with a feeding core 14. An ink ribbon is attached to the ribbon holders 31 and 32 attached to the printing apparatus side. An antenna 20 that is an RFID read / write module for receiving data of the ID tag 12 is provided at a position opposite to the ID tag holder 11 of the printing apparatus.

  The ID tag 12 stores unique information relating to the ink ribbon (for example, an ID number and a remaining amount of ink ribbon that can be printed), and the printing speed and thermal control are optimally controlled based on the unique information. .

A CPU 40, a ROM 41, a RAM 42, an interface circuit 43, and a memory read / write circuit 44 are connected to the built-in circuit of the printing apparatus shown in FIG.
The memory read / write circuit 44 includes the antenna 20, transmits information of the ID tag 12 provided on the ink ribbon to the CPU 40, and performs read / write operation of specific information to the ID tag 12 under the control of the CPU 40. is there.

  The CPU 40, ROM 41, RAM 42 and interface circuit 43 function as a so-called microcomputer. The ROM 41 stores data such as a calculation processing program related to operation control of the printing apparatus, a list of ID numbers of ink ribbons, and an initial value of the remaining amount of ink. The CPU 40 reads out a necessary arithmetic processing program from the ROM 41 to the RAM 42 and controls the operation of the printing apparatus by executing the arithmetic processing program.

  Further, when a new ink ribbon is set, the CPU 40 reads the ID number from the ID tag 12 into the RAM 42, reads out the list of ID numbers from the ROM 41, and compares the two to obtain a standard ink ribbon. Whether or not the ink ribbon type is determined. If it is a non-standard product, the CPU 40 prohibits the subsequent printing operation, the message indicating that the ink ribbon set on the display panel is different from the standard product, the print result is not good, or the print head A message indicating that there is a risk of adversely affecting the service life is displayed. Even if a non-standard ink ribbon is set, the printing operation may be performed for the time being.

  Further, when a new ink ribbon is set, the CPU 40 reads the remaining amount data of the ink ribbon from the ID tag 12 to the RAM 42, and thereafter the amount of the ink ribbon consumed in the printing process is calculated each time the printing process is performed. The consumption state of the ink ribbon is monitored by subtracting from the remaining amount of the ink ribbon. Then, when the ink ribbon remaining amount becomes 0, a process for notifying the user of the replacement of the ink ribbon is performed.

  In addition, the CPU 40 reads out an optimum color table from the ROM 41 based on the ID tag information and performs print control.

  Next, reading / writing processing of information of the ID tag 12 will be described.

  First, when a new ink ribbon is set in the printing apparatus, the CPU 40 detects the ID tag 12. If there is the ID tag 12, the CPU 40 reads out the ID number and the ink ribbon remaining amount information from the ID tag 12 via the memory reading / writing circuit 44.

  Subsequently, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the ink ribbon set from the read ID number is a standard product, and if it is a standard product, sets the read ink ribbon remaining amount in the RAM 42 and sets a standby state for a print instruction. Become.

  If it is not a standard product, a warning message such as a message indicating that the ink ribbon set on the display is not a standard product is displayed, and then a print instruction standby state is entered.

  When printing processing is required in the print standby state, the CPU 40 feeds the paper, and starts printing by driving the thermal head at the timing when the paper is fed to the printing position. When printing is completed, the CPU 40 subtracts the ink ribbon consumption from the ink ribbon remaining amount to calculate the current ink ribbon remaining amount.

  Subsequently, the CPU 40 writes the current in-ribbon remaining amount in the ID tag 12 via the memory read / write circuit 44.

  Subsequently, the CPU 40 determines whether or not the current ink ribbon remaining amount is 0, and if the current ink ribbon remaining amount is 0, the printing cannot be continued, so the display or the like is displayed to the user. A message prompting the user to replace the ink ribbon is displayed and the printing process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if the current ink ribbon remaining amount is not 0, the CPU 40 determines whether or not there is next print data. If there is next print data, the CPU 40 performs print processing. When all the printing processes are completed, the print standby state is entered.

  In the above embodiment, the ink ribbon has been described. However, the same effect as that of the ink ribbon can be obtained for an ink ribbon cassette in which the ink ribbon is housed in a box-shaped frame (cartridge).

It is a perspective view of the ink ribbon which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the state which mounted | wore the ink ribbon. It is a block diagram of the printer electrical unit.

Explanation of symbols

11 ID tag holder 12 ID tag 13 cap 14 winding core 20 antenna 30 ink ribbon

Claims (3)

  A color ink ribbon feeding device in a printer attached to a frame for feeding a color ink ribbon to be printed on printing paper, wherein the color ink is rotatably attached to the frame and sequentially arranged in a feeding direction. An ink ribbon holding shaft that holds a ribbon; an ink ribbon winding shaft that is rotatably attached to the frame and winds up the color ink ribbon; and the ink ribbon that is attached to the ink ribbon holding shaft or the ink ribbon winding shaft. Data transmitting means for transmitting data corresponding to the rotational position of the ribbon holding shaft or the ink ribbon take-up shaft by electromagnetic waves, and data transmitted from the data transmitting means attached to the frame in the vicinity of the data transmitting means Data receiving means for receiving and detecting the type information of the color ink ribbon; and Color ink ribbon feeding device in a printer, characterized in that it comprises a control circuit means for controlling the printer based on the type information of the color ink ribbon has been detected.   2. The color ink ribbon feeding device for a printer according to claim 1, wherein the data transmitting means is an RFID ID tag, and the data receiving means is an RFID read / write module.   The RFID ID tag is provided at the end of the ink ribbon holding shaft or the ink ribbon take-up shaft, and the RFID read / write module data is provided in close proximity to the end of the ink ribbon take-up shaft. 3. The color ink ribbon feeding device for a printer according to claim 2, wherein the color ink ribbon feeding device is a printer.

Images