JP3041514B2 - Printing equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing apparatus comprising a printing tape cartridge containing a long printing tape on which printing is performed and a printing apparatus main body to which the printing tape cartridge is mounted.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in a printing device that prints a desired character string on a long printing sheet such as a tape, the printing tape can be detachably attached to the printing device in the form of a cartridge, thereby facilitating replacement work. And This type of printing tape cartridge stores a long printing tape in a compact form, and in order to facilitate supply to printing equipment, winds and stores the printing tape in a roll on a cylindrical tape core and prints. In such a case, a configuration is generally used in which a necessary amount is fed out and used. The feeding end of the printing tape is constantly pulled out slightly from the cartridge case so that the feeding of the printing tape is smoothly performed.

[0003]

However, when the printing tape cartridge is handled alone, there is a problem that the tape core rotates due to vibration or the like, and the leading end of the printing tape enters the cartridge case. Once the printing tape has entered the cartridge case, it has not been easy to remove it.

In order to remove the print tape that has entered the cartridge case, the cartridge case must be opened. However, a print tape cartridge usually contains a printing ink ribbon and the like. If the lid is forcibly opened, the ink ribbon may be loosened or deviate from the proper storage position, possibly damaging the cartridge itself.

[0005] Further, if the printing tape cartridge in which the leading end of the printing tape has entered the cartridge case is to be mounted on a printing device without knowing the printing tape cartridge and printing is to be performed, the printing tape cartridge is nipped and conveyed between the platen and the printing head. It has been pointed out that there is a possibility that the printing tape may be clogged in the cartridge and cause a failure of the printing device.

In such a case, assuming that a reverse rotation preventing mechanism including a ratchet and a pawl is interposed between the printing tape and the cartridge case, such a problem can be solved. However, in this type of reverse rotation prevention mechanism, since the forward rotation of the printing tape accompanying the feeding is allowed by the nail being flipped by the ratchet wheel, the feeding load of the printing tape increases,
It is assumed that a ratchet sound or a small vibration occurs.

The printing apparatus according to the present invention can solve the problem of accidental entry or clogging of the printing tape in the printing tape cartridge, as well as reducing the feeding load of the printing tape and preventing ratchet noise. Made for the purpose of making it possible.

[0008]

A printing device according to the present invention comprises a printing device main body and a tape cartridge detachably mounted in a cartridge receiving portion of the printing device main body, and is housed in the tape cartridge by the printing device main body. In a printing device that prints on a printed tape while feeding it out, a locking member provided on the cartridge case side of the tape cartridge, and a locking receiving portion provided on the tape core side of the printing tape and engaged and disengaged by the locking member. A reverse rotation preventing means for permitting normal rotation in the feeding direction of the print tape and preventing reverse rotation, and engaging with a locking member of the mounted tape cartridge provided in the cartridge receiving portion and locking. An engagement / disengagement releasing means for releasing an engagement / disengagement state of the member with respect to the engagement receiving portion is provided.

In this case, the printing tape has a tape core having a rib formed on an inner peripheral portion thereof. The printing core is rotatably supported by a cylindrical projection formed on the inner surface of the cartridge case by the tape core. Is constituted by a face ratchet formed on a rib portion of the tape core, and the locking member is slidably held in the projection in the axial direction and is engaged with and disengaged from the face ratchet. A spring portion formed integrally with the stop portion and for urging the linear locking portion toward the face ratchet. The engagement / disengagement releasing means is projected from the surface of the cartridge receiving portion, and the projection of the mounted tape cartridge is provided. It is preferable that it is constituted by a release projection which is fitted to the inner peripheral portion of the first member and presses the linear locking portion so as to be separated from the face ratchet.

[0010]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, in the tape cartridge in the non-mounted state, the locking member provided on the cartridge case side is locked on the locking receiving portion provided on the tape core side of the printing tape. When the tape rotates forward, the locking member is flipped by the locking receiving portion to permit normal rotation of the printing tape. Conversely, when the printing tape rotates in the reverse direction, the locking member is locked in the locking receiving portion, and receives the cartridge case to prevent the printing tape from rotating in the reverse direction. Therefore, the printing tape can be pulled out of the cartridge case, but the printing tape is not accidentally drawn into the cartridge case. On the other hand, when the tape cartridge is mounted on the cartridge receiving portion of the printing apparatus main body, the engagement / disengagement releasing means provided on the cartridge receiving portion engages with the locking member to release the engagement / disengagement state with the locking receiving portion. in this way,
When the locking member is disengaged from the locking receiving portion,
The printing tape can be freely rotated. That is, there is no rotational contact between the locking member and the locking receiving portion, and the load due to the reverse rotation preventing means in the tape feeding becomes zero. Further, ratchet noise and minute vibration due to the rotational contact do not occur.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, when the tape cartridge is mounted on the cartridge receiving portion, the release protrusion protruding from the surface of the cartridge receiving portion is fitted to the inner peripheral portion of the protrusion of the tape cartridge, and the tape cartridge is connected to the tape cartridge. Separate the hooks from the face ratchet. That is, by the mounting operation of the tape cartridge, the contact between the linear locking portion and the face ratchet is released, and at the same time, the positioning of the tape cartridge with respect to the cartridge receiving portion is performed. In particular, in this positioning, since the urging force of the spring portion is applied in the axial direction of the release projection, the accuracy of the positioning is not impaired by the spring portion.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In order to further clarify the structure and operation of the present invention described above, first, the entire structure including a printing device for mounting a printing tape cartridge and performing a printing operation will be described.

1 to 4 show the same embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is an overall view corresponding to all embodiments of the present invention.

In FIG. 5, reference numeral 9 denotes a printing device main body;
A power supply electric circuit, a tape drive mechanism, and the like are built therein.
The printing operation is performed while watching the display panel 9c and using the keyboard 9d.
This is executed based on the data input by. The rotating shaft 9a receives the rotating power from the built-in motor, rotates the platen in the tape cartridge 1, and sends the tape portion after printing out of the case while holding the printing tape between the head 9b and the platen. In the present embodiment, the platen is built in the tape cartridge 1, but there is also a type in which the platen is installed in the printing device main body 9. The invention of the print tape cartridge 1 used in the above system will be described with reference to FIGS.

1 to 4, a print tape cartridge 1 has a case (cartridge case) including an upper case (case lid) 1a and a lower case (case body) 1b.
, In which components as described below are incorporated and held. Reference numeral 2 denotes a tape core that winds the printing tape 3 in a roll shape. After being integrated with the printing tape 3, the tape core is guided to the lower case 1b while being guided about the projection 1c in the lower case 1b as a central axis. Reference numeral 4 denotes a reverse rotation preventing spring which is an important component of the present invention.
It is mounted while being guided on the inner peripheral surface of the projection 1c of b.

The reverse rotation preventing spring 4 is a coil spring made of a coil-shaped wire, and has a linear locking portion 4a formed by bending the wire and extending linearly at the lower end. The linear locking portion 4a traverses the coil portion in the radial direction and extends forward, and the linear locking portion 4a is fitted into the vertical groove 1d of the projection 1c. The vertical groove 1d has 180
゜ Two points are formed at point symmetric positions, and the tape core 2 is cut to a position lower than the ratchet groove (claw wheel) 2a of the mounted tape core 2. Therefore, when the reverse rotation preventing spring 4 is inserted into the projection 1c of the lower case 1b with the linear locking portion 4a positioned in one vertical groove 1d, the linear locking portion 4a is placed on the ratchet groove 2a, Further, when the upper case 1a is mounted in this state, the reverse rotation preventing spring 4 is compressed, and the linear locking portion 4a is pressed against the ratchet groove 2a.

[0017]

Reference numeral 5 denotes a platen which receives the driving force of the printing device, sends out the printing tape 3 and receives the head pressure during printing. 6 is an ink ribbon for printing,
Reference numeral 7 denotes an ink ribbon core for winding the ink ribbon 6. Reference numeral 8 denotes a tape cartridge receiver formed on the printing apparatus main body 9, and has a function of receiving the tape cartridge 1 and performing vertical positioning. In addition, the tape cartridge 1 is carried and the printing device main body 9 with the feeding end of the printing tape 3 slightly pulled out from the case.
Is mounted on the tape cartridge receiver 8.

The tape cartridge (case) at the feeding end of the printing tape 3 which is the most important point in the present invention.
The following embodiment will be described as a measure for preventing pull-in into the device 1 (reverse rotation prevention mechanism). 1 to 4, a disk-shaped portion (rib portion) rotatably supported by the projection 1c of the lower case 1b is formed at a middle position of the inner peripheral portion of the tape core 2. Ratchet grooves 2a are formed in a planar manner on both front and back surfaces of the shape portion. Each ratchet groove 2a is formed of a planar ratchet wheel formed in a sawtooth shape in one rotation direction as shown in the figure. By forming the ratchet grooves 2a on both the front and back surfaces of the disc-shaped portion in this way, the front and back surfaces of the tape core 2 itself are eliminated (the front and back surfaces are completely the same), and it is not necessary to consider the winding direction of the printing tape 3 around the tape core 2. .

When the linear locking portion 4a of the reverse rotation preventing spring 4 engages with the ratchet groove 2a, the tape core 2
Rotation in the A direction is prevented, while rotation in the A direction is allowed. That is, due to the ratchet structure of the tape core 2 and the reverse rotation preventing spring 4, the tape core can rotate only in the direction A, so that the feeding end of the printing tape 3 is not drawn into the case. Since the linear locking portion 4a of the reverse rotation preventing spring 4 is engaged with the vertical groove 1d of the projection 1c provided on the lower case 1b of the tape cartridge 1, it cannot rotate integrally with the tape core 2. Absent.

Although the effects of the present invention are sufficient only with the above contents, the present invention is further completed by using the following structure in combination.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a release projection 8a is formed on a part of the tape cartridge receiver 8,
When the tape cartridge 1 is set, the release projection 8
a is fitted to the inner peripheral surface of the projection 1c of the tape cartridge 1 from below. As a result, the tape cartridge 1 is positioned in the tape cartridge receiver 8, and the upper end of the release projection 8a presses the reverse rotation preventing spring 4 from below, thereby engaging the linear locking portion 4a with the ratchet groove 2a. solve. Therefore, when the tape cartridge is set in the tape cartridge receiver 8, the linear locking portion 4a is separated from the ratchet groove 2a, and the tape core 2 can rotate in a completely free state.

In the first place, the retreat phenomenon of the feeding end of the printing tape 3 occurs when the tape cartridge is transported or dropped by itself, and when the printing device is mounted, the lock is released to reduce the torque load at the time of feeding. There are benefits. Also, it is possible to prevent a ratchet noise.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the locking member for preventing reverse rotation is a coil-shaped spring called a reverse rotation preventing spring as shown in the figure, but this is constituted by a leaf spring or another shape member. Needless to say, the present invention can be embodied in various modes.

Further, another embodiment of the present invention will be described in three points.

First, in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, three clutch members 69 are provided on the surface of the tape core and the tape core guide surface of the case (a member corresponding to the projection 1c). More specifically, the clutch member 69 is a pin having a small diameter and a substantially cylindrical shape.
Wedge-shaped groove 6 formed on one side of the tape core guide surface
1a is accommodated with play. Tape core 62
When trying to rotate in the direction A in the figure, the clutch member does not enter the narrow part inside the wedge, and it rotates freely,
Conversely, when trying to rotate in the direction B, the clutch member 69 is driven to the narrow portion of the groove 61a, so that the rotation can be prevented by the wedge effect. That is, a friction type one-way clutch mechanism (freewheel) is formed between the tape core and the projection, and the reverse rotation of the tape core 62 is prevented.

The third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 uses a clutch action by radial interference of a coil spring (winding spring). One end 79a of the coil spring 79 is connected to the tape core 72.
The coil spring 79 has its inner diameter wound around the shaft of the tape cartridge case 71 with a tight allowance. Since the coil spring 79 has a feature that its diameter can be expanded by rotating only in a certain direction, the tape core can be rotated only in a certain direction in this case as well. That is, even if the tape core 72 attempts to rotate in the reverse direction in which the coil spring 79 is tightened, the coil spring 79 strongly tightens the shaft, so that the frictional force between the two prevents the tape core 72 from rotating in the reverse direction.

In the fourth embodiment shown in FIG. 8, a part of the tape cartridge case is cut out to form a lock claw 81a having a spring action, and is engaged with a groove 82a formed in the tape core 82. . In this case, the lock claw 81a
By forming a slope inclined in a certain direction on one or both of the claw portion and the tape core groove 82a, a ratchet effect is generated, and rotation only in a certain direction becomes possible. That is, normal rotation of the tape core 72 is allowed, and reverse rotation is prevented.

[0029]

As described above with reference to the embodiments, the printing tape cartridge of the printing apparatus according to the present invention has an excellent effect that the problem that the tape enters the cartridge case can be solved. Therefore,
When the printing tape cartridge is detached from a printing device, storage and handling of the printing tape cartridge become simple. These advantages are particularly great in a printing device that is based on the assumption that the printing tape cartridge needs to be replaced. Further, by the engagement / disengagement release means of the printing apparatus main body, it is possible to reduce the load in feeding the tape and to prevent unpleasant ratcheting vibration.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a tape cartridge showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the tape cartridge according to the embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a printing apparatus main body.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an exploded state of the tape cartridge in the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional perspective view of a tape core according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a relationship between a tape cartridge and a printing apparatus main body according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view showing a tape cartridge according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view showing a tape cartridge according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a partial sectional view showing a tape cartridge according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 tape cartridge (case) 1a upper case 1b lower case 1c lower case protrusion 1d lower case protrusion vertical groove 2 tape core 2a ratchet groove 3 printing tape 4 reverse rotation preventing spring 4a linear locking portion of reverse rotation preventing spring 5 platen 6 Ink ribbon 7 Ink ribbon core 8 Tape cartridge receiver 8a Tape cartridge receiver release projection 9 Printing equipment main body 9a Platen drive shaft 9b Head 9c Display panel 9d Keyboard 61, 71, 81 Case 62, 72, 82 Tape core 69 Clutch member 79 Coil spring

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-6-122239 (JP, A) JP-A-57-11073 (JP, A) JP-A 4-135558 (JP, U) JP-A 62-122 108356 (JP, U) Actual opening 60-81959 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 3/36-3/37 B41J 15/04 B65H 16/00- 16/10

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A printing apparatus main body and a tape cartridge detachably mounted in a cartridge receiving portion of the printing apparatus main body, and the printing apparatus main body feeds out a printing tape accommodated in the tape cartridge and prints out the tape. In a printing device that performs, a locking member provided on the cartridge case side of the tape cartridge, provided on the tape core side of the printing tape,
A reverse rotation preventing means having a lock receiving portion to which the locking member is engaged and disengaged, allowing forward rotation in the feeding direction of the print tape and preventing reverse rotation, and provided in the cartridge receiving portion; And a lock release means for engaging the lock member of the tape cartridge and releasing the lock member from the lock receiving portion. Wherein said printing tape has the tape core forming a rib portion on the inner periphery, is rotatably supported on the cylindrical protrusion formed on the inner surface of the cartridge case in the tape core, wherein The locking receiving portion is constituted by a face ratchet formed on a rib portion of the tape core, and the locking member is slidably held in the axial direction by the projection and is engaged with and disengaged from the face ratchet. A locking portion, and a spring portion formed integrally with the linear locking portion and biasing the linear locking portion toward the face ratchet, wherein the engagement / disengagement releasing means includes a cartridge receiving portion. And a release projection that protrudes from the surface of the tape cartridge, is fitted to the inner peripheral portion of the projection of the mounted tape cartridge, and presses the linear locking portion so as to be separated from the face ratchet. The printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing device is configured.