JP2586108Y2 - Two-stage ribbon cassette for printing - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

[Industrial application] The present invention uses two different ink ribbons.
The present invention relates to a two-stage printing ink ribbon cassette wound around a stage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional ink ribbon cassette has a ribbon core of an ink ribbon rotatably supported by a bobbin adapter provided in a printing apparatus such as a time recorder. 2. Description of the Related Art A two-stage ink ribbon cassette that includes two stages of ink ribbons of different red / black and performs two-color printing by moving the ink ribbon cassette up and down is known. However, in the configuration in which the ink ribbons are provided in the upper and lower stages, the frequency of use of the upper and lower ink ribbons is different, so the diameters of the two ink ribbons are also different. Therefore, when the upper and lower ink ribbons have the same rotation amount, one of them becomes slack.
For this reason, this two-stage ink ribbon cassette has a configuration in which bobbin adapters are provided in upper and lower stages, and the ribbon cores of the ink ribbons of the respective colors correspond to the bobbin adapters in each stage.

However, in such a configuration in which the bobbin adapter and the ribbon core are separately provided vertically, if the positions of the engaging projections of the upper and lower bobbin adapters and the engaging projections of the ribbon core are shifted in the rotation direction, the ink ribbon cassette is vertically moved. When the ribbon cassette is moved, the engaging projection of the bobbin adapter comes into contact with the upper surface of the engaging projection of the ribbon core, so that the ribbon cassette cannot be moved up and down well, and two-color printing cannot be performed.

[0004]

The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and in particular, by making the bobbin core integral with the upper and lower ribbon cores, the ribbon cassette can be reliably moved up and down in the printing apparatus, and the ink ribbon is loosened. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a two-stage printing ribbon cassette that can be wound up without any trouble.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a two-stage printing ribbon cassette according to the present invention is provided with two different ink ribbons provided in two upper and lower stages of a pair of left and right common bobbin cores provided in a casing. The two torsion coil springs are arranged in an inner and outer double contact state between the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin core and the inner peripheral surface of the upper and lower ribbon cores, which are rotatably supported on the left and right sides, respectively. Each end of the torsion coil spring and the outer torsion coil spring is engaged with the bobbin core and the ribbon core, respectively, and the winding direction of the torsion coil spring from the one end is set to the inner torsion coil spring on the winding side of the ink ribbon. The winding direction is the same as the rotation direction of the bobbin core, and the outer torsion coil spring is wound in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the bobbin core. In the take-up side, the inner side of the torsion coil spring as the rotation direction opposite to the winding direction of the ribbon core, characterized in that the outer torsion coil spring and the same winding direction as the rotation of the ribbon core.

[0006]

According to the above configuration, when the ink ribbon cassette is mounted on the bobbin adapter of the printing apparatus,
The bobbin adapter and the bobbin core of the ink ribbon cassette are integrally formed integrally with the upper and lower ribbon cores on the left and right sides. Therefore, since the bobbin adapter and the bobbin core always rotate integrally, there is no deviation in the rotation direction, so that the ribbon cassette can always be moved up and down smoothly, and printing with the selected ink ribbon is reliably realized. be able to.

In addition, printing is performed from one side to the other side, and the ink ribbon is wound on one bobbin core. In this case, the bobbin adapter on the winding side of the ink ribbon is driven to rotate. Rotate in the ribbon winding direction. At this time, since the inner torsion coil spring is also wound in the winding direction, the diameter of the inner torsion coil spring expands as the bobbin core rotates, and is pressed against the outer torsion coil spring. For this reason, the frictional force between the two torsion coil springs increases, so that the ribbon core follows the rotation of the bobbin core, and the ink ribbon is wound up.

At this time, on the side where the ink ribbon is wound, the ribbon core also rotates in the same direction. However, since the outer torsion coil spring is wound in the same direction as the rotation direction of the ribbon core, the diameter of the outer torsion coil spring expands as the ribbon core rotates, and comes into pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface of the ribbon core. Therefore, the frictional force with the inner torsion coil spring is reduced, and the ribbon core rotates while the outer torsion coil spring slides on the inner torsion coil spring. Accordingly, since an appropriate back tension is applied to the ink ribbon, the ink ribbon does not loosen during winding.

When printing is performed from one side to the other side on the left and right sides, the ink ribbon is wound up in the same manner by the action of a torsion coil spring which is reverse inside and outside of the case described above.

Therefore, according to the present invention, the ribbon cassette can always be moved up and down smoothly, so that printing with the selected ink ribbon can be reliably realized, and the ink ribbon does not slack during winding. .

[0011]

1 and 2 are a plan view and a sectional view, respectively, of a two-stage ink ribbon cassette. This ink ribbon cassette is composed of a pair of left and right bobbin cores 2a, 2b provided in a casing 1 in two vertical stages. And rotatably supporting ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b of ink ribbons a and b of different colors, respectively. A bobbin adapter 5 provided in a printing device such as a time clock (not shown) is provided.
The bobbin cores are fitted to the bobbin cores 2a, 2b.
Is mounted on a printing device by engaging with an engaging groove 7 formed on the inner peripheral surface of the printing device.
Is configured to be located in a concave portion 9 formed in the casing 1.

The printing apparatus has a drive mechanism for vertically moving the bobbin adapters 5a and 5b so that the print head 8 can select the upper ink ribbon a or the lower ink ribbon b. Card etc.)
, And can be printed in both directions from left to right and right to left. The ink ribbons a and b are multi-time ribbons that can be used repeatedly.

Next, the bobbin cores 2a, 2b are integrally formed on the right and left sides, and the ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b are rotatably arranged outside the upper and lower two stages. An annular space S is formed between the outer peripheral surface 9 of the bobbin cores 2a and 2b facing each other and the inner peripheral surface 10 of the upper and lower ink ribbons a and b.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, two torsion coil springs 11 and 12 are provided in each of the upper and lower annular spaces S.
Are arranged to face the inside and outside twice. The bobbin cores 2a, 2b and the ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b are provided with engagement holes 1 for inner and outer torsion coil springs 11, 12, respectively.
3 and 14 are formed, and the engagement holes 1 of the bobbin cores 2a and 2b are formed.
One end 11a of the inner torsion coil spring 11 is engaged with 3 and one end 12a of the outer torsion coil spring 12 is engaged with the engagement hole 12 of the ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b. The other ends of the torsion coil springs 11 and 12 are free. The torsion coil springs 11 and 12 are in contact with each other. In the drawings (especially FIGS. 3, 5, and 6), there is shown a gap between the two torsion coil springs 11 and 12 for the sake of easy understanding of the structure. It is in the state of pushing while pushing.

In the above-described spring mounting structure, when the bobbin core or the ribbon core is rotated, a large rotational force acts on the one ends 11a and 12a of the torsion coil springs 11 and 12, but the rotational force on the other ends is small. . Therefore, the bobbin cores 2a and 2b or the ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b are
When rotating in the same direction as the winding direction from one end 11a, 12a of the second 2, a force acts to rewind the torsion coil springs 11, 12 as a whole, the spring diameter increases, and when rotating in the opposite direction, A force acts to further wind the torsion coil springs 11 and 12, and the overall spring diameter decreases.

For this reason, the torsion coil springs 11, 1
2, the torsion coil spring 11 on the inner left side in FIG.
The outer torsion coil spring 12 is wound clockwise.
On the other hand, the inner torsion coil spring 11 on the right side is wound clockwise and the outer torsion coil spring 12 is wound counterclockwise in FIG. Specifically speaking, bobbin core 2
a and 2b and the ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a and 4b are on the winding side or the winding side of the ink ribbons a and b, respectively. On the winding side of the ink ribbons a and b, the inner torsion coil spring 11 has the same winding direction as the rotation direction of the bobbin cores 2a and 2b, and the outer torsion coil spring 12 has the same winding direction as the bobbin core 2a.
On the winding side, the inner torsion coil spring 11 has a winding direction opposite to the rotation direction of the ribbon cores 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, and the outer torsion coil spring 12 is the ribbon core 3
a, 3b, 4a, and 4b are set to be the same winding direction as the rotation direction.

According to the above configuration, first, when the ink ribbon cassette is mounted on the bobbin adapters 5a and 5b of the printing apparatus, the bobbin adapters 5a and 5b and the bobbin cores 2a and 2b of the ink ribbon cassette are connected to the left and right sides as shown in FIG. Is formed integrally with the upper and lower ribbon cores. Therefore, since the bobbin adapters 5a and 5b and the bobbin cores 2a and 2b always rotate integrally, there is no deviation in the rotation direction. Since the piece 6 does not hit the bobbin cores 2a and 2b, the ribbon cassette can always be smoothly moved up and down, and printing with the selected ink ribbon a or b can be reliably realized.

When printing is performed from left to right in printing, the ink ribbons a and b wound around the right ribbon core 3a (4a) around the left bobbin cores 2a and 2b rotating counterclockwise are used. It is wound up. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, the left bobbin adapter 5a is driven to rotate, and the left bobbin core 2a rotates counterclockwise (winding direction). At this time, the inner torsion coil spring 11
Is also wound in the counterclockwise direction, so that the diameter of the inner torsion coil spring 11 expands as the bobbin core 2a rotates, and presses against the outer torsion coil spring 12. As a result, the frictional force between the inner and outer torsion coil springs 11 and 12 increases, and the rotation of the bobbin core 2a causes the ribbon core 3a to rotate.
(4a) follows and rotates counterclockwise, and the ink ribbons a and b are wound up.

At the same time, the right (winding side) ribbon core 3b (4b) also rotates counterclockwise. However, since the outer torsion coil spring 12 is also wound in the counterclockwise direction, the diameter of the torsion coil spring 12 expands as the ribbon core 3b (4b) rotates counterclockwise, and the torsion coil spring 12 becomes inconsistent with the ribbon core 3b (4b). ) Comes into pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface 10. For this reason, the frictional force with the inner torsion coil spring 11 becomes small, so that the ribbon core 3b (4
In b), the outer torsion coil spring 12 rotates while sliding on the inner torsion coil spring 11. Therefore, since an appropriate back tension is applied to the ink ribbons a and b, the ink ribbon does not loosen during winding.

On the other hand, printing is performed from right to left,
When winding the ink ribbon around the bobbin core 2b on the right side, the torsion coil springs 11 and 12 on the inside and outside opposite sides act. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the right bobbin adapter 5b
At the same time, the right bobbin core 2b rotates clockwise (winding direction). As the bobbin core 2b rotates, the diameter of the inner torsion coil spring 11 wound in a clockwise direction expands, and comes into pressure contact with the outer torsion coil spring 12, so that the frictional force between the two torsion coil springs 11 and 12 increases. The ribbon core 3b (4b) rotates clockwise following the rotation, and the ink ribbons a and b are wound up.

At the same time, the left (winding side) ribbon core 3a (4a) also rotates clockwise. At this time, since the outer torsion coil spring 12 is wound clockwise,
The diameter expands and comes into pressure contact with the inner peripheral surface 10 of the ribbon core 3a (4a). For this reason, the frictional force with the inner torsion coil spring 11 is reduced, so that the ink ribbon rotates while the outer torsion coil spring 12 slides on the inner torsion coil spring 11. At this time, the ink ribbon a,
Since an appropriate back tension is applied to b, the ink ribbon does not loosen during winding.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of the inside of a two-stage printing ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a part of the inside of the ink ribbon cassette in cross section.

FIG. 3 is a plan view illustrating an arrangement state of a torsion coil spring between a bobbin core and a ribbon core.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view illustrating an arrangement state of a torsion coil spring between a bobbin core and a ribbon core.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a state in which the ink ribbon is wound around one side.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a state in which the ink ribbon is wound on the opposite side.

[Explanation of symbols]

 a ink ribbon b ink ribbon 2a bobbin core 2b bobbin core 3a ribbon core 3b ribbon core 4a ribbon core 4b ribbon core 11 inner torsion coil spring 11a one end (inner torsion coil spring) 12 outer torsion coil spring 12a one end (outer torsion coil spring)

Claims (1)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. An ink ribbon ribbon core having different ink ribbons is rotatably supported on upper and lower two stages of a pair of left and right common bobbin cores provided in a casing, and the outer peripheral surface of the bobbin core and the upper and lower ribbon cores facing each other on the left and right sides. Two torsion coil springs are arranged between the inner peripheral surface and the inner to outer double contact with each other, and each end of the inner torsion coil spring and the outer torsion coil spring is engaged with the bobbin core and the ribbon core, respectively, On the winding side of the ink ribbon, the winding direction of the torsion coil spring from each one end is the same as the rotation direction of the bobbin core, and the outer torsion coil spring is the winding direction opposite to the rotation direction of the bobbin core. On the winding side, the inner torsion coil spring is wound in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the ribbon core. A two-stage printing ribbon cassette, wherein the outer torsion coil spring has the same winding direction as the rotation direction of the ribbon core.