JP3191570B2 - Tape unit - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tape unit used for recording in a thermal recording system, and more particularly, to a thermal recording material for forming a printed image and a core around which the thermal recording material is wound. It is about end tape.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Thermosensitive recording materials are compared with other practically used recording materials and systems using the other recording materials described above.
Since it is easy to handle and the heat-sensitive recording device is relatively inexpensive, it is widely used for output from computers, facsimile machines, recorders and the like.

[0003] Specifically, the thermal recording material is directly recorded on an ink ribbon used in a thermal copying system in which an image is transferred to an object to be transferred by a thermal printing head (thermal head), and directly on the thermal recording material. Thermal recording paper, thermal recording film and the like can be mentioned.

In the thermal transfer system represented by the above-mentioned ink ribbon, an ink ribbon having a predetermined width and a length of several meters is wound around a core to form a small winding state, and the small winding state is used as a printing apparatus. Used by being attached to. Then, the ink ribbon is appropriately fed out from the small winding, and is heated to a predetermined character image shape by a thermal head from the surface opposite to the ink-coated surface, so that a print image is formed on the transfer object.

[0005] A thermosensitive recording paper and a thermosensitive recording film can also form a printed image by a printing apparatus having a mechanism similar to that of an ink ribbon. However, the transfer object is not required.

[0006]

However, if printing is continued for several meters, the heat-sensitive recording material eventually runs out. When using a printing device equipped with a thermal head, no problem occurs while characters are being formed while the thermal recording material is running.However, when the thermal recording material runs out, the heat of the thermal head is concentrated in one place. Concentrates and adversely affects the surrounding members.

Specifically, when the core and the ink ribbon are not joined, when the ink ribbon ends, the ink ribbon separates from the core, is transported as it is, and is moved between the thermal head and the platen. Also does not exist. If the operator does not notice the end of the ink ribbon and continues printing as it is, the thermal head directly contacts the platen and continues to apply heat, and the contact portion becomes extremely hot. As a result, the printing condition changes due to the platen being damaged or deformed. In such a case, it is impossible to obtain good print quality again unless the platen is replaced. Further, the thermal head itself may be damaged.

However, if a mechanism for notifying that the heat-sensitive recording material has run out is attached to the printing apparatus, no problem occurs. However, such a mechanism is very expensive and has a complicated structure, so that printing is easy. It cannot be mounted inside the device.

On the other hand, similarly to the one described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-34048, when a small-wound core and an ink ribbon are joined by using an end tape, the winding length of the ink ribbon reaches the end. After printing, the end tape is fed out, and soon the tape stops running,
A phenomenon occurs in which the thermal head keeps heating at the same location on the end tape. In this case, in the conventional end tape, the end tape may be melted by heat from the thermal head and adhere to the thermal head. The deposits make it impossible for the heat from the thermal head to reach the heat-sensitive recording material, making printing impossible. It is very difficult to remove substances adhering to the thermal head, and an organic solvent or the like must be used for cleaning, which affects the material around the thermal head. In some cases, the end tape may be cut and entangled in the cassette or the printing apparatus. It is obvious that a similar problem occurs even when the thermosensitive recording material is directly joined to a small-winding reel without using an end tape.

Here, it is conceivable to use a film having extremely excellent heat resistance, which does not melt to the heat generated from the thermal head, as an end tape. Japanese Patent Application No. 6-29819 filed by the present applicant is such a device. Here, a material having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 90 ° C. or more, specifically, a film having a thickness of 25
A μm PI (polyimide) film is used. One end of the heat-sensitive recording material and one end of an end tape having the same width are firmly joined by an adhesive tape for joining, and the other end of the end tape is joined to the outer periphery of the tape spool (core) by the same adhesive tape for joining. -ing

[0011] However, such a film is very expensive, and is not suitable for processing, so that a reduction in processing yield is expected. Therefore, the end tape, which should have been originally inexpensive, becomes extremely expensive, and the price of the tape unit rises.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and a tape incorporating an inexpensive end tape which does not melt even when a phenomenon in which a thermal head continues to be heated at the same location occurs. To provide units.

[0013]

To achieve the above object, a tape unit according to the present invention comprises a long heat-sensitive recording material used for forming a printed image by a heat-sensitive recording system using a thermal printing head; The present invention is directed to a device having a core used to bring the heat-sensitive recording material into a wound state, and an end tape connecting the end portion of the heat-sensitive recording material and the core. It is formed by bonding a plastic film to heat-resistant paper provided on the side that comes into contact with the print head.

Further, the end tape may have a length such that at least a part thereof is discharged to the outside of a printing apparatus through a conveying means for conveying the thermosensitive recording material from the core. Good.

[0015] Further, the end tape has at least
It may have a length from the core to the thermal print head.

[0016]

[Function] By forming an end tape by laminating a heat-resistant paper and a plastic film, the heat-sensitive recording material does not run where the heat-sensitive recording material has been printed until the end of the winding length, and the thermal printing head is located at the same location. Even if a phenomenon occurs that the heating continues, the heat- resistant paper comes into contact with the thermal print head, so the heat from the thermal print head does not melt the end tape, and there is no fusion or adhesion to the thermal print head It is. Therefore, cleaning of the head is not required. Further, since paper is used, the end tape can be made inexpensive.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, the present invention is applied to a tape unit used in a tape printer for printing a large number of characters such as characters and symbols on a tape-shaped medium.

First, FIG. 1 shows the heat-sensitive recording material 1 of this embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration of a tape small volume U according to a fifth embodiment. The tape small volume U corresponding to the tape unit of the present invention includes an end tape 14, a heat-sensitive recording material 15, a tape spool 23 corresponding to the core of the present invention, and a bonding adhesive tape 16.

As shown in FIG. 2, the end tape 14 is formed by laminating a plastic film T on a heat-resistant paper S.

The heat-resistant paper S does not burn or melt due to the heat from the thermal head, and must generate as little paper dust as possible. Glassine paper, condenser paper, or the like is used.

When the end tape is made of only the heat-resistant paper S, the plastic film T is difficult to handle because it is stiff and has a low tensile strength. use. Examples of the plastic film T include a polyethylene film, a polypropylene film, a polyvinyl alcohol film, a polystyrene film, a vinyl chloride film,
Examples include a cellulose film, a polycarbonate film, a polyester film, a polyamide film, and a cellulose film.

The above-mentioned heat-resistant paper S and plastic film T
Is extrusion lamination, dry lamination,
Lamination is performed by a known laminating process such as non-solvent dry lamination, hot melt lamination, thermal lamination, and wet lamination. In the present embodiment, glassine paper (40 g / Honshu Paper)
m2) and polyester film (Toyobo E5100; 12μ)
m) were attached by wet lamination to form an end tape 14.

The heat-sensitive recording material used in this example is paper or plastic film, that is, polyester, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride and its copolymer, polymethacrylate and its copolymer, polyethylene, polypropylene and the like, and leuco. Dye, leuco dye, a color developer that causes a color development reaction when heated to form a leuco dye, a color development accelerator that promotes the color development reaction between these leuco dye and the color developer, and a leuco dye and a color developer are combined A heat-sensitive sheet coated with a heat-sensitive coloring layer composed of a binder, an auxiliary agent, and the like, and an ink ribbon formed by coating a hot-melt ink or a heat-sublimable ink on a plastic film such as polyester or capacitor paper. In this example, a commercially available thermal paper (Shin Oji Paper's plain thermax) was used.

Further, a pressure-sensitive adhesive is applied to the back surface (one surface of the base material) of the heat-sensitive sheet, and a release paper having a silicon coating on one side is stuck thereon with the silicon-coated surface facing down. ing.

End Tape 14 and Thermal Recording Material 1
5 is formed in a long tape shape having a predetermined width of 9 mm, 12 mm, 18 mm, 24 mm, etc., and one end of the heat-sensitive recording material 15 and one end of an end tape 14 having the same width as the bonding tape are bonded. The tape 16 is firmly joined. The other end of the end tape 14 is connected to a tape spool 23.
Are also joined by an adhesive tape 16 for joining. The end tape 14 and the thermal recording material 15 are wound around a tape spool 23 such that the release paper of the thermal recording material 15 is on the outside. In this case, the surface on which the thermal recording is performed is on the inner side, and it is possible to protect from heat, light, and the like.

Further, a seal 40 coated with an adhesive over the upper end surface and the lower end surface of the thermosensitive recording material 15 wound around the tape spool 23 is provided on the adhesive coated surface and the upper and lower end surfaces of the thermosensitive recording material 15. (Only the seal 40 attached to the upper end surface of the small volume of the thermosensitive recording material 15 is shown in FIG. 1). Such a seal 40 is
Thermal recording material 15 wound around tape spool 23
Is maintained in a wound state so as not to be loosened.

A spool hole 24 is formed at the center of the tape spool 23. The inner diameter of the spool hole 24 is L
It is set to 2. Also, a cassette body 10 described later
The outer diameter of the tape support shaft 22 erected from the bottom wall is set to L1. The inner diameter L of the spool hole 24
The gap S1 generated by the difference between the outer diameter L1 of the tape support shaft 22 and the tape
0 is fitted. Here, the wall thickness of the cap 30 is
(L2-L1) and the tape spool 23
Are fitted in the gap S1 so that the tape can be rotated around the tape support shaft 22. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, colors such as characters that can be colored by the thermosensitive recording material wound on the tape spool 23 are displayed on the upper surface of the cap 30.

Next, the tape cassette CS for accommodating the tape small volume U will be described with reference to FIGS.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tape cassette CS. The tape cassette CS has a cassette body 10 and a cassette lid 11 which is detachably mounted on the cassette body 10 via a detachable portion 13 and a claw member. It is composed of
At the center of the cassette lid 11, a tape checking section 12 made of a transparent resin plate is provided. The tape checking unit 12 allows the remaining amount of the heat-sensitive recording material 15 stored in the tape cassette CS, the formed color, and the like to be checked from the outside. Further, the tape checking unit 12
Is provided with a viewing portion 29 for viewing the upper surface of the cap 30 fitted to the top of the tape spool 23, and the tape spool 23 is provided through the viewing portion 29.
The cap 30 located on the top of the is visible.

A projecting portion 5 is formed on the bottom wall of the cassette body 10, and the projecting portion 5 is fitted to a step portion 4 provided on a tape cassette mounting portion 1 of a tape printing apparatus described later. It is.

Next, the internal structure of the tape cassette CS will be described. Referring to FIG.
A tape storage unit 21 is formed at the upper left position of
A tape support shaft 22 (FIG. 5) is formed at the center of the tape storage section 21 from the bottom wall. A tape spool 23 around which the thermosensitive recording material 12 is wound is rotatably inserted into the tape supporting shaft 22 through a spool hole 24. The heat-sensitive recording material 12 on the tape spool 23 stored in the tape storage unit 21 includes a tape guide 25,
The tape guide roller 26 is guided toward the tape discharge section A through 26, 27, and 28, and cooperates with the tape feed roller 19 and a tape feed auxiliary roller 31 described later in the vicinity of the tape discharge section A to move the tape cassette CS out of the tape cassette CS. Is discharged to the public.

In the recess B provided in the vicinity of the tape guide 28, a thermal head TH standing upright in the tape cassette mounting section 1 shown in FIG.
Is inserted along with the tape cassette mounting portion 1 in the tape cassette mounting portion 1.

Next, an outline of a tape printing apparatus using a tape small volume U according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. Here, FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing the tape cassette mounting portion, and FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view schematically showing the tape cassette mounting portion in the tape writer P. Note that the tape writer P corresponds to the printing device of the present invention.

In these figures, a tape cassette insertion portion 1 for mounting a plurality of types of tape cassettes CS is provided at the right rear of the tape writer P.

As shown in FIG. 6, a tape feed shaft 2 rotated and driven by a tape feed motor (not shown) is disposed in the tape cassette mounting section 1 at a lower left position of the tape cassette mounting section 1. I have. A drive cam 18 is fixed to the tape feed shaft 2. The drive cam 18 is rotatably disposed in each tape cassette CS when the tape cassette CS is mounted on the tape cassette mounting section 1. Is engaged with the tape feed roller 19 (see FIG. 4). Further, a tape feed assist roller 31 is provided at a position opposite to the tape feed roller 19, so that the heat-sensitive recording material 15 stored in the tape cassette CS can be transferred to the tape feed roller 19 and the tape feed auxiliary. It is gripped by the roller 31. The tape feed roller 19 is rotated by the drive of the tape feed shaft 2, and the thermal recording material 15 is conveyed while being held by the two rollers. The tape feed shaft 2 and the drive cam 1
8, tape feed roller 19, tape feed auxiliary roller 31
Corresponds to the transport means of the present invention.

A thermal head TH corresponding to the thermal print head of the present invention is fixedly provided upstream of these transport paths, and a platen 32 is disposed at a position facing the thermal head TH. A force for urging the thermal head TH is applied to the platen 32. As described above, the heat-sensitive recording material 15 fed by the tape feed roller 19 or the like is pressed against the thermal head TH by the platen 32, and characters and the like are printed by the heat of the thermal head TH while being conveyed.

At a position near the center of the tape cassette mounting section 1, there is provided a drive shaft 3 which is rotated in conjunction with the tape feed shaft 2 via a gear mechanism (not shown) and the like. 3 is fitted with a noise reduction spool 20 (see FIG. 4) provided in the tape cassette CS. The drive shaft 3
Is used as a winding shaft for an ink ribbon housed in a conventional tape cassette. In each of the tape cassettes CS according to the present embodiment, a tape T is used.
It is provided to reduce the driving noise generated with the rotation of the driving shaft 3 because it does not participate in the feeding operation of the driving shaft 3.

The tape cassette mounting section 1 is formed with a step 4 (see FIG. 7).
When the wide tape cassette CS2 is mounted on the tape cassette mounting section 1, the projection 5 formed on the bottom surface of the wide tape cassette CS2 is received.

At the rear position of the tape cassette mounting section 1,
A lid 6 is attached to the tape writer P so as to be openable and closable, and a window 7 is formed at a substantially central position of the lid 6. The window 7 is located above the tape checking unit 12 of the tape cassette CS mounted on the tape cassette mounting unit 1, and is used for seeing through and checking the type and remaining amount of the storage tape.

A rotary lock member 8 is provided at a position in front of the tape cassette mounting portion 1. The rotary lock member 8 opens and closes the lid 6 via a lock structure (not shown). Further, a keyboard K having various keys is provided in front of the tape cassette mounting section 1, and a liquid crystal display 9 is disposed diagonally above the keyboard K. As a result, characters, symbols, and the like input from each key on the keyboard K are displayed on the liquid crystal display 9 while the thermal head T
H (see FIG. 3) is used to edit characters and the like to be printed.

Next, the operation of the present embodiment using the tape small volume U, the tape cassette CS, and the tape writer P will be specifically described.

An end tape 14 in which glassine paper (40 g / m 2 manufactured by Honshu Paper) and a polyester film (E5100 manufactured by Toyobo; 12 μm) are bonded by wet lamination is cut into a length of 20 cm. Is cut to a length of 2 m, these are cut to a width of 12 mm, and these are wound around a tape spool 23 having an outer diameter and a height of 12 mm to form a small tape U. Tape cassette C of the above tape writer P (P-touch, manufactured by Brother Industries, Ltd.)
S, and a printing test was performed using the tape writer P.

When the printing operation is started, the tape spool 2
3, the thermosensitive recording material 15 is fed out, and the guide member 2
The tape passes through the thermal head TH while being guided by 5, 26, 27, and 28, and is sent from the tape discharge unit A to the outside. 2
When printing is performed about m times, the heat-sensitive paper runs out at that point, and the end tape 14 is fed out from the spool 23. When the end tape 23 has been fed out by 20 cm, the end tape 23 runs out and the conveyance stops. However, since the end tape 14 is longer than the conveyance distance m2 from the tape spool 23 to the tape discharge section A, the thermal head TH uses
4 and stops in a state where a part of the end tape 14 is discharged from the tape discharge unit A to the outside of the tape writer P.

The printing operation was repeated 20 times while the thermal head TH was in contact with the end tape 14 in the above state.
When heat was applied to the end tape 14, the end tape 1
No melting of 4 occurred. After completion of the test, the thermal head TH was observed, and no problems such as adhesion of foreign matter to the head TH were found. After completion of the test, the thermal head TH was observed, but no defect such as adhesion of foreign matter to the head TH was found. When a printing test was performed again using the head TH, a good printed image could be formed without any problem. (Comparative Example) When a printing test was performed using a polyester film having a thickness of 25 µm as an end tape in the same manner as described in the examples, the molten PET adhered to the thermal head.
When the printing test was performed again using the above head,
Some dots could not be formed. Furthermore, it was very difficult to clean the head deposits.

As described in detail above, in the tape small-volume U according to the present embodiment, an end tape is formed by laminating a heat-resistant paper and a plastic film. Even when heat is applied, the thermal head TH is not contaminated by melting and adhering, and is not cut and entangled with surrounding members. Therefore, the safety of the tape writer P can be assured even when the thermal recording material 15 is completed.

In this embodiment, the end tape 1
Since the length m1 is longer than the conveying path m2, the end tape 14 is discharged from the tape discharge unit A to the outside when the heat-sensitive recording material 15 ends. The user can reliably recognize the end of the thermosensitive recording material 15 by the end tape 14.

[0048]

As is apparent from the above description, since the end tape of the present invention is formed by laminating a heat-resistant paper and a plastic film, printing is possible until the end of the winding length of the thermosensitive recording material. in the place, the heat-sensitive recording material is not running, even if the phenomenon of thermal print head continues to heat is generated in the same place, because the paper to the thermal print head with a heat resistance contacts, by the heat from the thermal print head The end tape does not melt and nothing fuses or adheres to the thermal print head. Therefore, cleaning of the head is not required. Further, since paper is used, the end tape can be made inexpensive. As a result, the tape unit can be made inexpensive.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing the configuration of a small tape wound around a heat-sensitive recording material used in a tape writer.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of an end tape.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the tape cassette.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the tape cassette with a cassette lid removed.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating a state of a tape cassette accommodating a small tape.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged plan view showing a tape cassette mounting portion.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view schematically showing a tape cassette mounting portion of the tape writer.

[Explanation of symbols]

 U Tape small volume S Heat resistant paper T Plastic film 14 End tape 15 Thermal recording material 16 Adhesive tape for bonding 23 Tape spool (core)

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B41J 32/00 B41J 3/36 B41J 15/16 B41J 31/00

Claims (3)

(57) [Claims] 1. A long heat-sensitive recording material used for forming a print image by a heat-sensitive recording method using a thermal print head; a core used for winding the heat-sensitive recording material into a wound state; In a tape unit having an end tape that connects an end portion of a recording material and the core, the end tape is formed by bonding a plastic film to heat-resistant paper provided on a side that comes into contact with the thermal printing head. A tape unit characterized in that: 2. The end tape according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the end tape has a length such that the end tape is discharged to the outside of a printing apparatus through a conveying means for conveying the thermosensitive recording material. The tape unit according to claim 1. 3. The tape unit according to claim 1, wherein the end tape has a length at least from the core to the thermal print head.