JP2539953Y2 - Thermal transfer ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ribbon cassette mounted on a printer for running a thermal transfer ink ribbon to perform printing, and more particularly to a thermal transfer ribbon cassette capable of removing static electricity.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a ribbon cassette in which a thermal transfer ink ribbon is attached to a printer to perform printing by running the thermal transfer ink ribbon, the thermal transfer ink ribbon is charged with static electricity, and if the accumulated static electricity causes a spark, the printer head or the like is damaged. And often hindered ribbon travel. In particular, in the case of a wide ribbon, the frequency is large, and measures for removing the static electricity have become essential requirements. As a countermeasure, there has been a method in which a static elimination sheet is attached to a case or a static elimination brush is provided to flow the frame contact on the printer side. However, in the former case, the static electricity removing sheet is expensive, and in the latter case, there is a possibility that the brush may come off when there is an impact or the like. In some cases, pins protruding from the printer side are inserted into the cassette and contact the ink ribbon to cause static electricity to flow.However, since the cassette is not necessarily perpendicular to the pins, the ink ribbon may meander. there were.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal transfer ribbon cassette which can reliably remove static electricity and does not cause the ink ribbon to meander or run.

[0004]

According to the present invention, in order to achieve the above object, a thermal transfer ribbon cassette is accommodated in a case main body having an opening, a lid covering the case main body, and accommodated in the case main body to run through the opening. A ribbon cassette including a thermal transfer ink ribbon to be transferred and a pass roller for changing the traveling direction of the ink ribbon, wherein the case body and the lid are electrically conductive.
Instead, the pass roller is made of conductive metal
Insert both ends into the main body and lid, and insert the pass roller.
One end of the conductive elastic member with the pass roller
Touch, and make its free end protrude from the case body,
When the ribbon cassette is installed in the printer, the free end
Are formed so as to be pressed against and elastically deformed to a frame of a printer having conductivity .

The elastic member having conductivity in the present invention can be a metal coil spring or conductive rubber. To fix the elastic member to the path roller, a groove is formed by projecting the end of the path roller out of the case as shown in FIG. 2, and a coil spring is engaged with the groove. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 3, a two-stage hole is provided, the end of the path roller is fitted into the large-diameter hole, and a coil spring having two stages at the large-diameter portion and the small-diameter portion is inserted into the two-stage hole. It may be inserted, one end thereof may be pressed against the end face of the pass roller, and its free end may protrude from the case. Note that the two-stage coil springs may be replaced with conductive rubber having substantially the same outer shape.

[0006]

The feature of the present invention is that the path roller is made of metal, an elastic member having conductivity is fixed to the end of the path roller, and the free end of the elastic member is projected out of the case. hand,
This is in contact with the frame of the printer. Therefore, the static electricity charged on the thermal transfer ink ribbon flows through the frame of the printer via the metal pass roller and the conductive elastic member, and the static electricity of the ink ribbon is removed. Further, since both ends of the pass roller are fitted into the holes, it is possible to always maintain accurate verticality with respect to the case and prevent the ribbon from meandering.

The thermal transfer ribbon cassette of the present invention can be applied to both narrow and wide thermal transfer ink ribbons.
When used in a cassette for a wide ribbon having a width of 50 mm or more, the ribbon can be prevented from meandering by the function of removing static electricity and maintaining the verticality of the path roller accurately.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG.
Is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 of another embodiment. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the ribbon cassette 1 comprises a case body 2 and a cover 3 which covers the case body 1, and two cores 4, 5 are rotatable in the case body 1. The cores 4 and 5 have a width of about 60mm
Both ends of the ink ribbon 6 for thermal transfer are fixed and wound. The ink ribbon 6 between the cores 4 and 5 runs on the ribbon route in the case main body 2 and the opened concave portion 7, and is printed by the thermal head 8.

In the case body 1 near the opening 7, two path rollers 9, 9 are erected in parallel with the cores 4, 5 and opposed to each other, so that the running direction of the ink ribbon 6 is changed. I try to change it. The path roller 9 is made of stainless steel and is formed in a roller shape having short and long small-diameter portions 10 and 11 at both ends, and the short small-diameter portion 10 is inserted into the hole 12 of the lid 3 and into a long hole. Small diameter part 11
Are fitted into the holes 13 in the bottom piece of the case body 2, respectively. The long small-diameter portion 11 protrudes from the outer surface of the case body 2, and has an annular groove 14 formed at the tip thereof. One end of a coil spring 15, which is a conductive elastic body, is fitted into the groove 14. And the free end is further extended. The coil spring 15 is so long that the free end of the coil spring 15 can contact the frame 16 of the printer while being compressed and deformed when the cassette 1 is mounted on a printer (not shown).

When the ribbon cassette 1 is mounted on a printer (not shown), the free end of the coil spring 15 comes into contact with the frame 16 of the printer while being compressed and deformed, so that the thermal transfer ink ribbon 6 is charged during printing. The generated static electricity is passed to the frame 16 through the metal pass roller 9 and the coil spring 15 which is a conductive elastic member, and the static electricity of the ink ribbon 6 is removed. Further, since the pass roller 9 has both ends 10 and 11 fitted in the holes 12 and 13, the correct perpendicularity to the ribbon cassette 1 is always maintained, and the ink ribbon 6 does not meander.

The thermal transfer ink ribbon 6 was narrowed to about 13 mm and housed in a cassette having the same configuration except that the height was low, and mounted on a printer for printing.
Performed the same action.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, both ends of the path roller 9 'are made short, and the hole in the bottom piece of the case body 2 is made a large-diameter hole 17.
And a small-diameter hole 18 and a coil spring 15 'having a large-diameter portion and a small-diameter portion. One end of the path roller 9' is fitted into the large-diameter hole 17 and the remaining portion of the large-diameter hole 17 is formed. And a coil spring 15 ′ inserted into the small-diameter hole 18. The large diameter portion of the coil spring 15 ′ presses the end face of the path roller 9 ′, and the free end of the small diameter portion protrudes from the outer surface of the case body 2.
Other configurations and operations are the same as those of the above-described embodiment.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the same effect can be obtained even if the two-stage coil spring 15 'is replaced with a conductive rubber having substantially the same outer dimensions.

[0014]

According to the present invention, the pass roller is made of metal, an elastic member having conductivity is fixed to the end of the pass roller, and the free end of the elastic member is protruded out of the case, and is pressed against the frame of the printer. Is elastically deformed.
Even without providing a separate charging mechanism, only the free end of the elastic member
Static electricity charged to the thermal transfer ink ribbon during printing only by elastic deformation is passed to a printer frame via a metal pass roller and a conductive elastic member to remove static electricity from the ink ribbon. Further, since the pass roller can always maintain the correct verticality with respect to the case, the thermal transfer ribbon cassette does not meander the ribbon or cause a running defect.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view corresponding to FIG. 2 of another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal transfer ribbon cassette 2 Case main body 3 Lid 6 Thermal transfer ink ribbon 7 Opening 8 Head 9 Pass roller 15 Conductive elastic body 16 Frame

Claims (3)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A case body (2) having an opening (7).
A cover (3) to cover the case body (2), a thermal transfer ink ribbon (6) housed in the case body (2) and running through the opening (7), and a running direction of the ink ribbon (6). A ribbon cassette provided with a changing path roller (9), wherein a case body (2) and a lid (3) have conductivity.
The pass roller (9) is made of conductive metal.
Insert both ends of the base body (2) and the lid (3)
One end of the conductive elastic member (15 ) is brought into contact with the pass roller (9) at the place where the roller (9) is fitted ,
When the free end of the other end protrudes from the case body (2) and the ribbon cassette is mounted on the printer, the free end of the elastic member (15) is pressed against the conductive frame (16) of the printer and elastically. Formed to deform ,
Thermal transfer ribbon cassette. 2. The thermal transfer ribbon cassette according to claim 1, wherein the conductive elastic member is formed by a metal coil spring. 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member has a large diameter portion and a small diameter portion.
And the inner surface of the bottom piece of the case body (2)
2 steps with large hole (17) and small hole (18) continuous
And a two-stage elastic part is provided in two-stage holes (17, 18).
Insert material (15) and pass roller into large diameter hole (17)
One end of (9) is inserted into the large diameter portion of the elastic member (15).
Contact and free end of the elastic member (15)
Made to protrude from the scan body (2), according to claim 1 or 2 thermal transfer ribbon cassette according.