JP6808451B2 - Ink cassette - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an ink cassette containing an ink ribbon and a printing device to which the ink cassette can be attached and detached.

In recent years, printing devices for easily obtaining printed matter from image data obtained by a digital camera or the like have become widespread.

Conventionally, a thermal transfer recording method using a thermal head has been used as one of these printing devices and as a method for obtaining a high-quality image recording with a simple structure. In the thermal transfer recording method using a thermal head, an ink ribbon in which a dye is previously applied to a long film-shaped ribbon and a recording paper as a printing medium are sandwiched between the ink ribbon and the ink ribbon while being in contact with the thermal head. Generally, the recording paper is transported and printed. A plurality of heat generating elements (resistance elements) are arranged in a line on the thermal head, and by selectively energizing these heat generating elements, the printing paper, which is a printing medium, is applied to the ink ribbon and held. The dye is transferred and printing is performed on the recording paper. In particular, in a thermal transfer recording type printing device that performs full-color printing, three colors of yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) applied to the ink ribbon in order are layered in order to 0.4 to 2.0 ips (per second). It is configured to generate a full-color printed matter by printing at a constant speed of about (a inch per inch). In such a thermal transfer printing apparatus, an overcoat layer prepared in advance on an ink ribbon for the purpose of protecting an image after printing is subsequently transferred onto the image after printing, thereby forming on a printing medium. An overcoat layer is also formed on the image.

The ink ribbon generally has a structure in which a dye layer of yellow, magenta, and cyan and an overcoat layer containing an acrylic resin as a main component are formed on a base film such as polyester. The dye layer is formed by applying an ink obtained by melting a mixed material of a dye as a coloring material and a synthetic resin called a binder with an appropriate solvent on a base film and drying it.

One end of the ink ribbon is fixed to a cylindrical shaft longer than the width of the ink ribbon and then wound, and the other end is fixed to another cylindrical shaft so that both shafts can rotate and are located at a fixed distance. It is often supplied in the form of an ink cassette contained in a regulated outer case. This is to facilitate the work when the user replaces the consumable ink ribbon, and to avoid damaging the thin film-shaped ink ribbon.

As described above, in a printing device for easily printing an image from a digital camera, there is a great demand for miniaturization from the viewpoint of portability and ease of handling. In order to reduce the size of the entire printing apparatus, it is common to bend the transport path of the ink ribbon to make it a highly space-efficient path. The ink cassette may form a transport path for the ink ribbon in its housing and may include the above-mentioned bent portion. Further, a part of the ink cassette housing may be configured to also serve as a part of the paper transport path in a state of being mounted on the printing apparatus. In this way, the size of the entire printing apparatus is reduced by devising the transport path of the ink ribbon and the shape of the ink cassette.

The ink ribbon is rotatably arranged in the case of the ink cassette in a state of being wound around a cylindrical shaft. Since the ink cassette is carried in a state where it is removed from the printing device during transportation or use, an external force such as vibration may be applied to the ink cassette when it is not attached to the printing device. When an external force such as vibration is applied in the state of the ink cassette, the ink ribbon is unintentionally drawn out and slackening occurs. If slack occurs, the ink ribbon comes into contact with a part of the printing device when it is attached to the printing device, causing problems such as twisting and tearing. For this reason, in the state of a single ink cassette that is not attached to the printing apparatus, it is generally configured so that the shaft fixing the ink ribbon is locked so as not to rotate. The lock is released when the ink ribbon is attached to the printing device, and the ink ribbon can be drawn out and wound up at the time of printing.

Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for locking the shaft around which the ink ribbon is wound so as not to rotate in the ink cassette. Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for preventing the ink ribbon from loosening when locked.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 9-174985 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-315273

Patent Document 1 has a slide plate having a pair of locking portions that engage and disengage with a shaft around which an ink ribbon is wound, and the slide plate is slidably attached between a regulation position and a regulation release position. The technology to be used is disclosed.

However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a problem that the user must manually release the lock before attaching the ink cassette to the printing apparatus. Further, since the slide plate is configured to move in the radial direction with respect to the axis around which the ink ribbon is wound, there is also a problem that the size of the ink cassette seen from the axis thrust direction becomes large.

In the technique disclosed in Patent Document 2, the shaft around which the ink ribbon is wound is urged by a spring arranged in the cassette case, and a gear having an inclination angle provided at the tip of the shaft and a rib provided on the case are fitted. A technique for locking and removing the slack of the ink ribbon is disclosed. However, the shaft around which the ink ribbon is wound has a large weight, and the spring for pressing the ink ribbon against the case provided with the gear needs to generate a large load. Therefore, there is a problem that the size of the ink cassette in the axial thrust direction becomes large. In addition, the manufacturing tolerance of the spring that urges the shaft in the ink cassette and the spring that urges the shaft provided in the printing device has a large effect, and it becomes difficult to stably generate an appropriate sliding resistance. There was also a problem.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to lock the ink ribbon so that it does not loosen with a simple configuration without enlarging the printing device or the ink cassette, and the lock is automatically released by attaching the ink cassette to the printing device. It is to provide an ink cassette.

In order to achieve the above object, the ink cassette of the present invention
An ink cassette having a supply bobbin around which an ink ribbon is wound, a take-up bobbin for winding the ink ribbon, and a case for rotatably supporting the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin. The supply bobbin side lock portion that is movable in the rotation axis direction of the bobbin and the take-up bobbin and engages with an engagement portion provided on the supply bobbin to regulate the rotation of the supply bobbin, and the winding. A moving member having a take-up bobbin side lock portion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the take-up bobbin to regulate the rotation of the take-up bobbin, and urging the moving member toward the engaging portion. When the bobbin is attached to the printing device, a part of the printing device and the moving member come into contact with each other, and the moving member comes into contact with the ink cassette. The lock portion and the engaging portion are configured to be disengaged by moving, and the case has a bearing for rotatably supporting the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin, respectively. A portion is provided, and the bearing portion moves in the rotation axis direction of the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin by contacting the surface of the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin on which the engagement portion is provided. The moving member moves to a position where the lock portion provided on the moving member is separated from the engaging portion with respect to the surface of the bearing portion in contact with the surface on which the engaging portion is provided. It is characterized in that it is configured to be possible .

According to the present invention, the printing device and the ink cassette are not enlarged with a simple configuration, the ink ribbon is locked so as not to loosen, and the lock is automatically released by mounting the ink cassette on the printing device. Ink cassettes can be provided.

It is a figure which shows the appearance structure of the printing apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment, and the ink cassette 300 used for the printing apparatus 100. It is a developed view of the ink ribbon 114 which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the operation of the printing apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which showed the flowchart of the printing operation which concerns on this embodiment. It is an exploded view of the ink cassette 300 which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the ink cassette 300 which concerns on this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the state of the ink cassette 300 in the process of being attached to the printing apparatus 100. It is a figure which shows the state of the ink cassette 300 when it is not completely attached to the printing apparatus 100. It is a figure which shows the state of the ink cassette 300 when it is completely attached to the printing apparatus 100. It is a figure which shows the state of the ink cassette 300 when it is completely attached to the printing apparatus 100. It is a figure which shows the state of the printing apparatus 100 and the ink cassette 300 when it is completely mounted on the printing apparatus 100. It is sectional drawing of the ink cassette 300 which concerns on this embodiment.

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

Hereinafter, the printing apparatus 100 and the ink cassette 300 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 11.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an external configuration of a printing device 100 and an ink cassette 300 used in the printing device 100 according to the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the printing apparatus 100 includes a cassette cover 111-1 supported to be opened and closed on its side surface, and ink which is an opening provided in a chassis 110 in the cassette cover 111-1. The ink cassette 300 is detachable in the direction of arrow A via the mounting portion 110-1. The ink cassette 300 contains an ink ribbon 114 coated with sublimable ink, and the ink ribbon 114 is conveyed by the power distributed to the printing apparatus and used for printing. The details of the structure of the ink cassette 300 will be described later.

An operation unit 103 composed of a display unit 102 and various switches and buttons is arranged above the main body case 101 of the printing apparatus. Further, the printing device 100 is provided with an interface such as a USB terminal or an SD card connector (not shown), and image data can be obtained by inserting an SD card containing image data or connecting to an external memory device with a USB cable. Is configured to receive. The display unit 102 is composed of a display means such as an LCD, displays image data to be printed, and displays a menu for inputting setting data necessary for printing. The operation unit 103 includes a power switch 104 for instructing ON / OFF of the power of the printing device, and a selection switch 105 for selecting various menus displayed on the display unit 102. Further, in the vicinity of the selection switch 105, an up / down / left / right switch 106 for moving the cursor displayed on the display unit 102 to a desired position and a print switch 107 are arranged. When a desired image is selected by the up / down / left / right switches 106, the user presses the print switch 107, and the printing device 100 starts printing.

A tray cover 111-2 that is pivotally supported so as to be openable and closable is arranged on the front surface of the printing apparatus 100, and the paper tray 112 can be mounted by opening the tray cover 111-2. The printing paper 113 cut to a specified scale is set in the paper tray 112 in advance by the user, and at the time of printing, only one sheet is pulled out from the paper tray 112 by the paper feeding mechanism arranged in the printing apparatus 100, and ink is used. The yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) color inks applied to the ribbon 114 and the colorless and transparent overcoat (OC) for protecting the printing screen are transferred by the thermal head of the printing device to achieve full color. Printing is done. The tray top cover 112-1 is a cover rotatably supported by the paper tray 112, and is rotated in the opening direction by the user in advance when it is attached to the printing apparatus 100. When the tray top cover 112-1 is attached to the printing device 100, it has a function of loading the printing paper 113 discharged from the printing device 100 after the printing is completed.

Next, the configuration of the ink ribbon 114 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a developed view of the ink ribbon 114 according to the present embodiment. The ink ribbon 114 is an ink ribbon in which yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) are arranged, and a full-color image can be formed by superimposing each color on the printing paper 113 for printing. After printing yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C) to form a full-color image, the ink ribbon is subsequently provided with a colorless and transparent overcoat (OC) surface to further protect the printing surface. Has been done. Overcoat (OC) printing (transfer) is performed on the entire surface of the full-color image printed with yellow (Y), magenta (M), and cyan (C). Between each color, marking 114-1, which is a black band-shaped printing to detect the beginning position of each color, is applied, and the marking indicating the beginning of the yellow (Y) surface is marked to distinguish it from other colors. Two are given. The sublimation type ink ribbon in the present embodiment uses a highly heat-resistant film such as a polyethylene teflate film having a thickness of about 2 to 10 microns as a base material, and is made of yellow (Y), magenta (M), or cyan (C). For each color, a sublimative ink prepared by mixing a dye, a binder, a plasticizer, a binder, etc. on the film is applied to a thickness of about 0.2 to 5 μm, and the colorless and transparent overcoat surface is a styrose derivative. , A styrene resin, a styrene copolymer resin, a binder and the like are applied to a thickness of about 0.5 to 5 μm to form the film. In addition, on the surface opposite to the surface to which the ink is applied, a lubricant for reducing frictional resistance with the sliding part and stabilizing the running of the ink ribbon, and polishing for polishing and cleaning the surface of the thermal head. An agent or the like is applied.

Next, the printing operation of the printing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 4. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the operation of the printing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the printing operation according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3A shows a printing standby state, FIG. 3B shows a paper feeding state, FIG. 3C shows a cueing state of the ink ribbon 114, and FIG. 3D shows a printing operation. Indicates the state. When the user attaches the paper tray 112 in which the ink cassette 300 and the printing paper 113 are set to the printing device 100 and presses the power switch 104, the printing device enters the printing standby state shown in FIG. 3A. After the image data supplied by an SD card or the like (not shown) is read into the printing device and displayed on the display unit 102, the image data to be printed is designated by using the selection switch 105 or the up / down / left / right switches 106. The printing apparatus 100 is provided with a platen roller 203 and a thermal head 201. The thermal head 201 is rotatably supported by a thermal head rotation shaft 202 and urged by a coil spring 204 in the clockwise direction in the drawing. There is. In the printing standby state, the thermal head 201 is rotated clockwise in the figure by the urging force of the coil spring 204 so as not to interfere with the ink cassette 300 at the time of insertion and removal, and the distance from the platen roller 203 is set as wide as possible. It is regulated.

Then, when the print switch 107 is pressed, the printing apparatus 100 starts the printing operation (S101). When the printing operation is started, the thermal head 201 provided in the printing apparatus 100 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing around the thermal head rotation shaft 202 against the urging force of the coil spring 204 by a power source (not shown). Let me. Then, as shown in FIG. 3B, the platen roller 203 moves to an intermediate position between the platen roller 203 and the printing position to be nipped (S102). When the movement of the thermal head 201 is completed, the printing apparatus 100 starts the paper feeding operation (S103). When the paper feeding operation is started, the pressure plate 205 provided in the printing apparatus 100 rotates clockwise around the pressure plate rotation shaft 207 by a power (not shown), and the mark loaded in the paper tray 112. The drawing paper 113 is pushed up and pressed against the paper feed roller 206. The paper feed roller 206 rotates counterclockwise in the drawing by a power (not shown) to convey the loaded printing paper 113 toward the inside of the printing apparatus 100. The printing paper 113 abuts on the separation plate 208 provided in the printing apparatus 100, and conveys only one sheet of printing paper 113 loaded on the uppermost portion. Subsequently, the conveyed printing paper 113 is detected by the paper detection sensor 209, and it is confirmed that there is no paper feeding operation failure. When it is confirmed that there is no paper feeding operation failure, the pressure plate 205 is driven by a power (not shown) in FIG. 3A so that the paper in the paper tray 112 is not accidentally conveyed into the printing apparatus 100. It rotates to the position in the standby state shown in. The printing paper 113 subsequently conveyed by the paper feed roller 206 is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing by pushing the switching plate 211 rotatably supported by the switching plate rotating shaft 210, and is conveyed with the conveying roller 212. It rushes between the nips of the driven roller 213. The transport roller 212 is formed with a plurality of minute protrusions that pierce the back surface of the printing paper 100, so that the printing paper 113 can be accurately transported. Further, the transport roller 212 is driven by a stepping motor (not shown), which enables accurate control of the feed amount. The printing paper 113 is continuously conveyed by the conveying roller 212 and the conveying driven roller 213, and after the rear end of the printing paper 113 passes through the paper detection sensor 209, a predetermined amount is conveyed and stopped at the printing start position (S104). .. When the paper feeding operation is completed and the printing paper 113 stops at the printing start position, the yellow (Y) cueing operation of the ink ribbon 114 is performed (S105). The ribbon cueing operation will be described below.

When the paper is conveyed to the position shown in FIG. 3C and the transfer to the printing start position is completed, the ink ribbon 114 stored in the ink cassette 300 is wound up. That is, the tip of the rotating shaft 301-3 of the take-up bobbin 301 arranged in the ink cassette 300 engages with the engaging portion provided in the printing device 100, and is rotated counterclockwise in the drawing by a power (not shown). The ink ribbon 114 that is moved and wound around the supply bobbin 302 is wound around the winding bobbin 301. As shown in FIG. 2, a black band is provided at the beginning of each color of the ink ribbon 114, and in particular, two black bands are provided at the beginning of yellow (Y). The printing apparatus 100 is provided with an ink ribbon sensor 214 which is a reflection type optical sensor, and stops the transportation of the ink ribbon by detecting that the reflected light is blocked by the black band provided on the ink ribbon 114. I'm cueing. At the time of cueing yellow (Y), it is determined whether two black bands can be detected (S106). If one or a black band cannot be detected within the specified time during the yellow (Y) cueing operation, an error is displayed on the display unit 102 as an abnormality of the ink cassette 300 (S107), and the thermal head 201 is shown in FIG. 3 (a). ) Is moved to the standby position (S127), and the printing operation is terminated.

During the ribbon cueing operation, the ink ribbon is conveyed at a speed faster than that of the printing in order to shorten the time required for the printing. That is, the speed at which the supply bobbin 302 rotates increases and the inertia becomes large. As described above, when the black band provided on the ink ribbon 114 is detected, the transportation of the ink ribbon 114 is stopped, but the supply bobbin 302 rotates due to its own weight and the inertia due to the weight of the wound ink ribbon 114. Try to continue. If the rotation of the supply bobbin 302 is continued, the unnecessary ink ribbon 114 will be fed out, which will cause problems such as ink ribbon jam. In order to prevent this, the supply bobbin 302 is provided with a sliding portion so as to generate a minute rotational resistance. Details of the sliding portion provided on the supply bobbin 302 that generates a minute rotational resistance will be described later.

When the cueing of yellow (Y) is completed, the thermal head 201 further rotates counterclockwise in the drawing about the thermal head rotation shaft 202, and the ink ribbon 114 and the photographic paper 113 are placed between the platen roller 203. It moves to the printing position to be sandwiched (S108). When the thermal head 201 completes the movement to the printing position, the printing paper 113 and the ink ribbon 114 are sandwiched between the thermal head 201 and the platen roller 203 as shown by FIG. 3D, and are indicated by arrows B in the drawing. It is conveyed in the printing direction. The printing paper 113 and the ink ribbon 114 are conveyed, and the ink applied to the ink ribbon 114 is heated by the thermal head 201 and transferred to the printing paper 113 to perform printing (S109). During the printing operation, the ink ribbon 114 and the printing paper 113 are conveyed at the same speed as described above. For this reason, the ink ribbon transport mechanism provided in the printing apparatus 100 incorporates a torque limiter mechanism (not shown) that slips when a load of a certain torque or more is applied. When printing is performed by heating the ink ribbon 114 and the printing paper 113 with the thermal head 201, the ink ribbon 114 and the printing paper 113 are conveyed while maintaining a close contact state for a certain distance, and then are conveyed in a direction away from each other. That is, the printing paper 113 is conveyed in the direction of arrow A by the conveying roller 212, and the ink ribbon 114 is a guide shaft arranged in the ink cassette 300 while sliding on the release plate 215 integrally arranged on the thermal head 201. It is transported toward 303. Although the ink ribbon 114 is attached to the printing paper 113 by heating for printing by the thermal head 201, it is conveyed to the position of the release plate 215 and peeled off from the printing paper 113. When the image to be printed has high gradation, a large amount of heat is given from the thermal head 201 in order to diffuse and move more dye to the printing paper 113 because high density is required.

When the amount of heat is applied to the ink ribbon 114, shrinkage occurs because the ink ribbon 114 is made of a polyethylene teflate film as described above. In particular, when printing a high-gradation region, a large amount of heat is applied to the ink ribbon 114 and the ink ribbon 114 contracts significantly. Then, the ink ribbon wound around the supply bobbin 302 is pulled out by shrinkage, which causes twisting, loosening, wrinkles, and the like of the ribbon. When twisting or wrinkling occurs, problems such as color loss occur and the printing quality deteriorates. In order to prevent such an event that deteriorates the printing quality, an appropriate rotational resistance is applied to the supply side shaft so that the ink ribbon 114 on the supply side is not easily pulled out by the action of a relatively small force such as shrinkage. The configuration that causes the above is effective. As described above, the supply shaft is configured to generate a minute rotational resistance. The configuration that causes such rotational resistance not only prevents the ink ribbon 114 from loosening when the cueing operation is stopped, but also has a function of improving wrinkle resistance.

The distance between the peeling plate 215 and the heating element arranged on the thermal head 201 is optimized to a value required for the dye diffused and transferred from the ink ribbon 114 to the printing paper 113 to be sufficiently cooled and fixed. ..

When the printing on the printing area of the yellow image on the printing paper 113 is completed, the power provided in the printing device 100 (not shown) is driven to rotate the thermal head 201 and retract it to the position shown in FIG. 3C. (S110). After that, the printing paper 113 is conveyed to the position shown in FIG. 3C in the direction opposite to the printing operation and moved to the printing start position (S111). After that, the ink ribbon 114 is stopped and stopped at the printing start position by detecting the marker 114-1M in the same manner as the yellow (Y) printing operation, and magenta (M) printing is performed (S112 to 116). Similarly, the markers 114C and 114OC are detected, the ribbon is cueed, and cyan (C) and overcoat (OC) are printed (S117 to 125). When the printing up to OC is completed, the printing paper 113 is further conveyed in the direction indicated by the middle arrow A in FIG. 3D, and after the rear end of the paper has passed through the conveying roller 212, printing is performed by the conveying force of the paper feed roller 206. Paper is discharged onto the paper tray 112, which is outside the device 110 (S126). When the paper ejection is completed, the thermal head 201 is rotated to the standby position shown in FIG. 3A by a power (not shown), and printing is completed (S127).

As described above, the printing operation in which the inks are superimposed and transferred in the order of yellow, magenta, cyan, and overcoat layer is completed.

Next, the configuration details of the ink cassette 300 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the ink cassette 300 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the ink ribbon 114 is wound around the supply bobbin 302, and the other end is housed in the cassette case 304 in a state of being attached to the winding bobbin 301. For the cassette case 304, a general-purpose molding material such as ABS or an engineering plastic such as PC is used. The take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are parts having the same shape, and are injection-molded products using a high-sliding material of a general-purpose resin such as ABS and PS. The cassette case 304 has a shape in which two substantially semi-cylinders are connected, and the semi-cylinders are covered with a supply side case 305 and a take-up side case 306, respectively, and a substantially cylindrical supply shaft storage portion and a take-up shaft storage are provided. Forming a part. The supply side case 305 and the take-up side case 306 are integrated with the cassette case 304 by the supply side case engaging claw 305-1 and the take-up side case engaging claw 306-1, respectively. Further, the supply side case 305 and the take-up side case 306 are resin injection molded products similar to the cassette case 304. The supply bobbin 302 and the take-up bobbin 301 are housed in a substantially cylindrical storage portion composed of a cassette case 304, a supply side case 305, and a take-up side case 306, respectively. The supply bobbin 302 and the take-up bobbin 301 are rotatably supported by a bearing portion arranged in the storage portion. In the ink ribbon 114, the transport path of the ink ribbon is bent by the guide shaft 303 rotatably supported by the cassette case 304, and an opening provided between the supply side case 305 and the take-up side case 306 and the cassette case 304 is provided. It is arranged to pass through. The guide shaft 303 is manufactured by injection molding of PBT-G 30%, which is a high-strength resin, and has a small diameter provided at both ends of the large diameter portion 303-2 coaxially with the large diameter portion 303-2 in contact with the ink ribbon 114. It is composed of a part 303-1. The take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are provided with a flange 301-1 at the tip thereof. The flange 301-1 is provided with a plurality of protrusions 301-2 that are concentric with the rotating shaft 303-1 and have a convex shape in the axial direction of the rotating shaft 303-1 with respect to the flange 301-1. The supply bobbin 302 is also provided with a flange, a protrusion, and a rotation shaft in the same manner as the take-up bobbin 301. Since the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 have the same shape, the supply bobbin 302 will be described using the same reference numerals as the take-up bobbin 301 (flange 301-1, protrusion 301-2, rotary shaft 301-3).

FIG. 6A is a top view of the ink cassette 300, and is a view when the ink cassette 300 is viewed from arrow C when the cassette is assembled in FIG. 5. FIG. 6B is a perspective view of the cross section of the position defined by EE in FIG. 6A when viewed from the arrow D side. Note that FIGS. 6A and 6B show a state in which the ink cassette 300 is not attached to the printing apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 6B, the rotating shaft 301-3 of the take-up bobbin 301 is rotatably instructed by the bearing portion 304-2 of the cassette case 304 and the bearing portion 306-2 of the take-up side case 306. There is. Further, the rotating shaft 301-3 of the supply bobbin 302 is rotatably instructed by the bearing portion 304-2 of the cassette case 304 and the bearing portion 305-2 of the supply side case 305. The cassette case 304 is integrally provided with a resin spring 308 that can be elastically deformed. One resin spring 308 is provided for each of the storage portion of the take-up bobbin 301 and the storage portion of the supply bobbin 302. The resin spring 308 has a substantially U-shape, and one end thereof is fixed to the cassette case 304. The resin spring 308 on the take-up bobbin 301 side has a shape that is substantially specularly reflected on the orthogonal line at the center of the line connecting the take-up bobbin 301 and the center of the supply bobbin 302 with respect to the resin spring 308 on the supply bobbin 302 side. Has been done. That is, the resin spring 308 has a shape in which the inside between the winding bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 is a free end, and the outside of each shaft is a fixed end. As described above, since the resin spring (308) is provided integrally with the cassette case 304, it is made of the same material as the cassette case 304. The cassette case 304 according to this embodiment is formed by injection molding PC (polycarbonate) which is a synthetic resin. In general, it is known that a shape formed of a synthetic resin is deformed when it is deformed by stress for a long time, and the deformation is not completely restored even if the stress is released. This is called a creep phenomenon, and it is also known that the amount of deformation increases as the high temperature environment and the applied stress increase. As described above, since the resin spring 308 is integrally formed with the cassette case 304, the minimum required thickness is secured so that the shape can be formed by injection molding. If the thickness is set below a certain level, the plasticized resin injected into the mold cannot reach the details and the shape cannot be formed. This is a phenomenon generally called short molding, and is known as a defect in injection molding. The resin spring 308 according to this embodiment is set to a minimum thickness of 0.8 mm at which short molding does not occur, and has a substantially U-shape as described above. The substantially U-shaped free end side 3081 is configured to abut the slide member 307 and urge the slide member 307. This is because the stress generated is minimized and the amount of deformation (creep amount) is suppressed. That is, the spring multiplier is reduced by configuring the ink cassette 300 and the printing apparatus 100 so as to be deformed in as long a shape as possible without increasing the size. Further, by integrally forming the substantially U-shaped resin spring 308 with the cassette case 304 in this way, it is not necessary to add a member such as a metal coil spring, which contributes to cost reduction.

A slide member 307 is arranged between the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302, and the slide member 307 is provided with a regulation unit 307-1 that enters between the protrusions 301-2 and regulates the rotation of both shafts. One regulation unit 307-1 is provided for each of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302. The free end 308-1 of the resin spring 308 is in contact with the vicinity of each regulation portion 307-1. That is, the resin spring 308 urges the slide member 307 in the direction indicated by the arrow B in the drawing, that is, in the direction parallel to the rotation axes of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 and toward the flange 301-1 side. doing. The slide member 307 is made of a polyacetal resin having good slidability and high hardness. The slide member 307 is sandwiched by the cassette case 304, the supply side case 305, and the take-up side case 306, and moves in the directions indicated by arrows C and F (directions parallel to the rotation axes of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302). It is held possible.

Further, the slide member 307 has a contact surface 307-2 that comes into contact with the contact surface 110-2 of the printing device when the ink cassette 300 is mounted on the printing device 100. The slide member 307 is provided with an arm portion 307-3 from the contact surface 307-2 toward the regulation portion 307-1, and the arm portion 307-3 is provided on the supply side and the winding side, respectively. ing. The arm portion 307-3 is fitted so as to be sandwiched between the guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304, the guide portion 305-3 of the supply side case 305, and the guide portion 306-3 of the take-up side case 306. It is movably held in the direction indicated by the arrow C in the figure.

FIG. 7A shows the process of mounting the ink cassette 300 on the printing apparatus 100. Further, FIG. 7B shows the state of the take-up bobbin 301 (supply bobbin 302) and the slide member 307 in the state of FIG. 7A. Further, FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the inside of the ink cassette 300 in the state of FIG. 7. FIG. 8 is a view when the ink cassette 300 is viewed from the direction of the arrow G in FIG. 7, and the supply side case 305 and the take-up side case 306 are omitted in order to show the internal state. In the state shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the slide member 307 abuts on the contact portion 308-1 on the free end side of the resin spring 308 and is urged toward the flange 301-1 side, and the regulation portion 307-1. Enters between the plurality of protrusions 301-2. The resin spring 308, the regulating portion 307-1, and the protrusion 301-2 are provided on both the take-up bobbin 301 side and the supply bobbin 302 side, respectively. Further, the regulation unit 307-1 is provided between the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302. This is because one slide member 307 is provided with a regulation portion 307-1 on the supply side and a 307-1 on the take-up side, so that the slide member 307 is made smaller. By configuring 307-1 so as to be arranged between the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302, the influence of the force applied to the slide member 307 by the rotation of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 is also reduced. I have to. As described above, in the state where the ink cassette 300 is not mounted on the printing apparatus 100, the regulation unit 307-1 is inserted between the plurality of protrusions 301-2, so that the winding bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are in the rotation direction. Movement is restricted. Even if an external force is applied to the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302, both shafts do not rotate due to the interference between the regulation portion 307-1 and the protrusion 301-2. In this way, since the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 do not rotate, the ink ribbon 114 is not pulled out, and a state such as loosening does not occur. Further, since the take-up bobbin 301 and the flange 301-1 of the supply bobbin 302 are urged by the resin spring 308 in the rotation axis direction via the regulation portion 307-1, they normally move in the rotation axis direction as well. There is nothing to do.

FIG. 9A shows a state in which the ink cassette 300 is attached to the printing apparatus 100. Further, FIG. 9B shows the state of the take-up bobbin 301 (supply bobbin 302) and the slide member 307 in the state of FIG. 9A. Further, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the inside of the ink cassette 300 in the state of FIG. 9. 10 is a view when the ink cassette 300 is viewed from the direction of arrow G in FIG. 9, and the supply side case 305 and the take-up side case 306 are omitted in order to show the internal state.

When the ink cassette 300 is mounted on the printing apparatus 100 by the user so as to change from the state of FIGS. 7 and 8 to the state of FIGS. 9 and 10, the ink cassette 300 is first provided at the tip of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302. The concave shape (not shown) is engaged with the take-up engaging portion 216 and the supply engaging portion 217 provided in the printing apparatus 100. The take-up engagement portion 216 and the supply engagement portion 217 are attached to the ink cassette 300 indicated by the arrow F from the printing device 100 by the take-up engagement portion spring 216-1 and the supply engagement portion spring 217-1, respectively. It is being pushed. Since the resin spring 308 is set so that the slide member 307, which is a relatively small component, can be moved, the load generated is small. In the present embodiment, the load by the resin spring 308 is set to about 30 gf in a state where the regulating portion 307-1 is in contact with the flange 301-1. On the other hand, the take-up engagement part spring 216-1 and the supply engagement part spring 217-1 also carry a urging force for ejecting the ink cassette 300 from the printing apparatus 100, so that the load is relatively large. .. In the present embodiment, the take-up engagement portion spring 216-1 and the supply engagement portion spring 217-1 are the take-up engagement portion 216 and the supply in a state where the ink cassette 300 is not mounted, which is shown in FIG. Each of the engaging portions 217 is urged at about 200 gf. The ink cassette 300 is inserted by the user against the urging force of the take-up engaging portion spring 216-1 and the supply engaging portion spring 217-1. The urging force of the take-up engaging portion spring 216-1 and the supply engaging portion spring 217-1 is sufficiently larger than the urging force of the resin spring 308. Therefore, the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 move in the direction of the arrow F against the urging force of the resin spring 308. The take-up bobbin 301 and the flange 301-1 of the supply bobbin 302 come into contact with the bearing portion 304-2 of the cassette case, the bearing portion 305-2 of the supply side case, and the bearing portion 306-2 of the take-up side case. The positions of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are restricted. That is, the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are held in a state where a minimum axial gap for holding them rotatably is provided, but when they are mounted on the printing apparatus 100, they are offset in the cassette 300. It will be in the state of being printed.

As the ink cassette 300 is further inserted, the contact surface 307-2 of the slide member 307 and the contact surface 110-2, which is a part of the chassis 110, come into contact with each other. The contact surface 110-2 also serves as a part of the ink mounting portion 110-1.

The slide member 307 is arranged between the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302. The distance between the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 is set to a distance that allows the thermal head 201 to penetrate for printing as described above, and is relatively large. Therefore, the slide member 307 can come into contact with the chassis 110 on a relatively large surface, and the posture is stably maintained. After the position is restricted by the contact surface 307-2 of the slide member 307 abutting on the contact surface 110-2, the ink cassette 300 is further inserted in the direction of arrow D by the user. Since the position of the slide member 307 is restricted by the contact surface 110-2, the slide member 307 resists the urging force of the resin spring 308 integrally provided on the cassette case 304. That is, the slide member 307 moves in the direction of arrow F with respect to the cassette 300 while deforming the resin spring 308 against the urging force of the resin spring 308.

Further, when the ink cassette 300 is moved in the direction of arrow D and the slide member 307 is moved in the direction of arrow F with respect to the ink cassette, the restricting portion 307-1 provided on the slide member 307 eventually becomes a flange 301-1. It is separated from the protrusion 301-2. Since the restricting portion 307-1 is integrally formed with the slide member 307 and the moving distances to the winding bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are substantially the same, the rotation restriction to the winding bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 is released substantially at the same time. Will be done. That is, only one of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 is not locked or unlocked for a long time.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the ink cassette 300 is completely mounted on the printing apparatus 100, the regulating portion 307-1 is completely separated from the protrusion 301-2. During the mounting of the ink cassette 300, the take-up bobbin 301 and the flange 301-1 of the supply bobbin 302 are positioned by the bearings 304-2, 305-2, 306-2, and the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 are positioned. Be biased. Here, the slide member 307 moves to the side where the regulation portion 307-1 is separated from the protrusion 301-2 from the surface of the bearing portions 304-2, 305-2, 306-2 that abuts with the flange 301-1. It is configured to be possible. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, in the state where the ink cassette 300 is completely mounted on the printing apparatus 100, the regulation unit 307-1 is the flange 301- of the bearing units 304-2, 305-2, and 306-2. It moves to the side of arrow F from the surface that comes into contact with 1. Therefore, the regulation unit 307-1 is completely separated from the flange 301-1. Therefore, the urging force of the resin spring 308 does not act on the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302. When the supply bobbin 302 rotates in the printing operation, rotational resistance due to friction is generated only by the force of the supply engaging portion spring 217-1. When the ink cassette 300 is completely attached to the printing apparatus 100 as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the amount of deformation of the resin spring 308 is larger than that when the ink cassette 300 is not attached. That is, the stress generated by the resin spring 308 becomes relatively large. Further, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the resin spring 308 is arranged for each of the winding bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302, and the slide member 307 has a contact portion in a relatively wide area between the two shafts. It is supported by 110-2. Therefore, the posture of the slide member 307 is stably maintained even if the slide member 307 is pressed by the resin spring 308 with a large force. FIG. 11A is a side view of the state in which the ink cassette 300 is completely mounted on the printing device 100, and shows only the main parts of the ink cassette 300 and the printing device 100. 11 (b) is a cross-sectional view taken along the line HH in FIG. 11 (a). In the state shown in FIG. 511 (a), the engaging portion 304-3 provided in the cassette case 304 engages with the locking member 218 provided in the printing device 100, and the ink cassette 300 is placed in the printing device 100. Hold in the specified position. More specifically, the locking member 218 is movably supported with respect to the chassis 110 in the directions of arrows C and G, and is urged by the locking spring 218-1 in the direction of arrow C, that is, toward the ink cassette 300. The cassette case 304 is inserted into the printing apparatus 100 while pushing up the locking member 218 against the urging force of the locking spring 218-1. When the ink cassette 300 is inserted to the position shown in FIG. 511 (b), the locking member 218 moves in the direction of arrow C by the urging force of the locking spring 218-1, and the position of the ink cassette 300 is restricted. In the state where the ink cassette 300 is held at the specified position in the printing apparatus 100 (the state shown in FIGS. 9 and 10), the regulating unit 307-1 is completely axial to the supply bobbin 302 with respect to the protrusion 301-2. It is separated. Therefore, the force received by the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 is only the force due to the take-up engagement portion spring 216-1 or the supply engagement portion spring 217-1, respectively. That is, the force of each spring causes sliding resistance, and the variation in urging force becomes small. Therefore, it becomes easy to manage the rotational resistance applied to the take-up engaging portion 216 and the supply engaging portion 217, and the printing quality can be stably improved.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can unlock the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 only by inserting the ink cassette 300 into the printing apparatus 100. Further, in the ink cassette 300 of the present embodiment, a resin spring 308 is used to urge the regulation unit 307-1 for restricting the rotation of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302. Since the resin spring 308 is integrally provided in the cassette case 304 constituting the ink cassette 300, the number of parts can be reduced.

The ink cassette 300 can be removed from the printing device 100 by the user operating the locking member 218 provided in the printing device 100. When the ink cassette 300 is removed from the printing device 100 by the user, the take-up bobbin 301, the supply bobbin 302, and the slide member 307 are in the cassette case 304, the supply side case 305, and the take-up side in the reverse order of the mounting. It moves relative to the case 306 and the regulation portion 307-1 engages with the protrusion 301-2. That is, the user can lock the rotation of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 by removing the ink cassette 300 from the printing device 100 without performing any special operation.

Further, as described above, the printing apparatus 100 is provided with a mechanism for supporting the rollers for conveying the printing paper 113 and a mechanism for holding the paper tray 112. These mechanisms have to be arranged outside the width direction of the printing paper 113. That is, the size of the printing device 100 in the width direction is determined by the holding mechanism of the paper tray 112 and the like. The slide member 307, the flange 301-1 and the rotating shaft 301-3 provided in the ink cassette 300 are arranged within a range in which the width dimension of the printing apparatus 100 does not expand. That is, the mechanism for locking the rotation of the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 does not affect the size of the printing device 100 in the width direction.

FIG. 12 shows a cross-sectional view when the ink cassette 300 is not mounted on the printing apparatus 100, and shows a cross-sectional view of the positions defined by EE in FIG. 6A. However, for the sake of explanation, the resin spring 308 is omitted.

When an external force is applied to the ink cassette 300 and the take-up bobbin 301 tries to rotate, the protrusion 301-2 of the take-up bobbin 301 first interferes with the lock portion 307-1. An arm portion 307-3 exists in the vicinity of the lock portion 307-1 in the rotation outer peripheral direction, and the arm portion 307-3 is a guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304 and a guide portion 306 of the winding side case 306. It is sandwiched between -3 and held. Therefore, the force received by the lock portion 307-1 from the take-up bobbin 301 is applied to the guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304 or the guide portion 306-3 of the take-up side case 306 via the nearby arm portion 307-3. Will receive. It is possible to prevent the lock portion 307-1 from being deformed in the direction of pushing back the resin spring 308 even if it comes off from the protrusion 301-2, and to realize a highly reliable locking mechanism.

For example, when the take-up shaft rotates in the direction of arrow J in FIG. 12, the protrusion 301-2 on the take-up bobbin 301 side interferes with the lock portion 307-1, and the lock portion 307-1 on the take-up side is in the direction of arrow C. Receive the power of. Since a force in the direction of arrow C also acts on the arm portion 307-3 on the take-up side provided near the lock portion 307-1 on the take-up side, the guide portion 306-3 of the take-up side case 306 is indicated by an arrow. Receives force in the C direction. This is because the sliding member 307 as a whole exerts a rotational force with the contact portion of the take-up side case 306 with the guide portion 306-3 as a fulcrum. A force in the direction of arrow G acts on the arm portion 307-3 on the supply side, and the guide portion 304-3 on the supply side of the cassette case 304 receives this force. Therefore, the posture of the slide member 307 does not fluctuate significantly and the lock portion does not come off.

On the contrary, when the take-up shaft rotates in the direction of arrow K in FIG. 12, the protrusion 301-2 on the take-up bobbin 301 side interferes with the lock portion 307-1, and the lock portion 307-1 on the take-up side is indicated by arrow G. Receives directional force. Since the force in the direction of arrow G also acts on the arm portion 307-3 on the take-up side provided in the vicinity of the lock portion 307-1 on the take-up side, the guide portion 304-3 on the take-up side of the cassette case 304 , Receives the force in the direction of arrow G. This is because the sliding member 307 as a whole exerts a rotational force with the contact portion with the guide portion 304-3 on the winding side of the cassette case 304 as a fulcrum. A force in the direction of arrow C acts on the arm portion 307-3 on the supply side, and the guide portion 305-3 of the supply side case 305 receives this force. Therefore, the posture of the slide member 307 does not fluctuate significantly and the lock portion does not come off.

The case where the supply bobbin 302 rotates is the same as the case of the take-up shaft. Even if the take-up bobbin 301 or the supply bobbin 302 rotates, the take-up side and supply side guide portions 304-3 of the cassette case 304, the take-up side case 306 guide portion, and the supply side case 305 guide portion 305-3 As a result, a highly reliable locking mechanism can be realized.

In this way, the force acting on either of the two ribbon shafts is configured to receive the slide member not only in the case on the side where the rotation occurred but also in the case on the other side, so that the reliability is high. A lock mechanism can be realized.

In order to prevent the slide portion 307 from becoming larger, the take-up side and supply-side guide members 304-3 of the cassette case 304, the guide portion of the take-up side case 306, and the guide portion 305-3 of the supply-side case 305 are taken up. It is arranged between the shaft and the supply shaft. The lock portion 307-1 locks the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 by engaging with the protrusion 301-2 provided on the flange 301-1 between the take-up side and the supply shaft. Therefore, between the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302, the take-up side and supply-side guide portions 304-3 of the cassette case 304, the guide portion of the take-up side case 306, and the guide portion 305-3 of the supply-side case 305. The slide member 307 can be further miniaturized by providing the above. Further, by making the slide member 307 smaller, the influence of the force when the rotational force is applied to the slide member 307 can be reduced.

Further, the arm portion 307-3 of the slide member 307 is connected to the lock portion 307-1 from the contacted portion 307-2, and has a shape extending in the slide direction of the slide member. The arm portion 307-3 is equal to or larger than the thickness of the guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304 and the guide portion 306-3 of the take-up side case 306 or the guide portion 305-3 of the supply side case. Fitted with width. By fitting with a width equal to or larger than the plate thickness of the contacted portion in the slide direction, it is possible to prevent the slide member 307 from falling in the I direction shown in FIG. Further, the guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304, the guide portion 306-3 of the take-up side case 306, and the guide portion 305-3 of the supply side case may have a slidable width of the slide member. By providing the slideable width, the guide members 304-3, 306-3, and 305-3 can guide the slide movement of the slide member 307 and enable stable slide movement.

Further, the take-up side guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304 and the guide portion 306-3 of the take-up side case 306 are engaged with the cassette case 304 and the take-up side case 306 by the take-up side case engaging claw 306-1. It is provided near the joint. The supply-side guide portion 304-3 of the cassette case 304 and the guide portion 305-3 of the supply-side case 305 are located in the vicinity of the engagement portion between the cassette case 304 and the supply-side case 305 by the supply-side case engaging claw 305-1. It is provided in. In the vicinity of the engaging portion, the force of engaging the cassette case 304 with the take-up side case 306 or the supply side case 305 is strong. Therefore, when a force due to the rotation of the ribbon shaft acts, the influence on the cassette case 304, the take-up side case 306, and the supply side case 305 can be reduced. In this way, when the ink cassette 300 is not mounted on the printing apparatus, the take-up bobbin 301 and the supply bobbin 302 do not rotate, so that the ink ribbon 114 is not pulled out, causing problems such as loosening. There is no such thing as.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and modifications can be made within the scope of the gist thereof.

Claims (5)

An ink cassette having a supply bobbin around which an ink ribbon is wound, a take-up bobbin for winding the ink ribbon, and a case for rotatably supporting the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin.
The supply bobbin side lock portion that is movable in the rotation axis direction of the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin and engages with an engagement portion provided on the supply bobbin to regulate the rotation of the supply bobbin. A moving member having a winding bobbin side lock portion that engages with an engaging portion provided on the winding bobbin to regulate the rotation of the winding bobbin.
It has an urging portion for urging the moving member toward the engaging portion.
When the ink cassette is attached to the printing device, a part of the printing device and the moving member come into contact with each other, and the moving member moves with respect to the ink cassette to engage the lock portion. It is configured to disengage the part ,
The case is provided with bearings for rotatably supporting the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin, respectively.
The bearing portion abuts on the surface provided with the engaging portion of the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin to regulate the movement of the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin in the rotation axis direction.
The moving member is configured so that the lock portion provided on the moving member can be moved to a position away from the engaging portion with respect to the surface of the bearing portion in contact with the surface on which the engaging portion is provided. ink cassette characterized in that has. The ink cassette according to claim 1, wherein the urging portion is provided on the supply bobbin side and the take-up bobbin side, respectively. The ink cassette according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the urging portion is an elastically deformed portion integrally formed with the case. The urging portion has a substantially U-shape, and the end portion on the side not connected to the case abuts on the moving member to urge the moving member. The ink cassette according to claim 3, wherein the ink cassette is characterized in that. The ink cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the lock portion is arranged between the rotation shaft of the supply bobbin and the rotation shaft of the take-up bobbin.

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