JPH01317783A - Ink ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To extend the life of a cassette and to set residual amount of ink at the time of replacement to almost the same degree with respect to each color, by providing the second transfer means for transferring the ink infiltrated in the second member at the position where the ink of a predetermined color is transferred by the first ink transfer means. CONSTITUTION:A supply roller8 and a roller 9 are rotated in the direction shown by an arrow with the running of an ink ribbon 2, and ink impregnating bodies 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, ink absorbing bodies 4a, 4b, 4c and an ink impregnating body 4d are also rotated in the direction shown by the arrow. By this method, the ink of the ink impregnating body 3 is transferred to the ink ribbon 2 through the supply roller 8 to be infiltrated therein. That is, the ink impregnation amount of the ink ribbon 2 passing through a printing head 16 to return to a cassette case 1 is various. The ink of the ink ribbon 2 is absorbed by the ink absorbing bodies 4a, 4b, 4c through the roller 9. The ink impregnation amounts of the parts 2a, 2b, 2c of the ink ribbon 2 passing the roller 9 become almost uniform but black ink is supplied to the part 2d of the ink ribbon 2 by the ink impregnating body 4d.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette for supplying ink to impact printers and the like.

2. Description of the Related Art Impact printers have traditionally been the mainstream printers used as output devices for computers and the like because of their practicality and ability to make copies. The ink ribbon cassette used in this impact printer has been improved to have a longer lifespan and to provide color. Conventional ink ribbon cassettes are endless ink ribbons made of nylon cloth, etc., with tracks for different colors, and each track is impregnated with multiple inks such as black, yellow, blue, red, etc., and this ink ribbon cassette is used for printing. Printing in a desired color was performed by moving the head up and down.

Although the problem that the invention aims to solve, the conventional ink ribbon cassette has no choice but to replace the entire ink ribbon cassette when the amount of black ink used most often decreases and the print density becomes lighter. Ta. In this case, the only ink that was running low was black, and the other red and yellow inks were thrown away without being used much, making it uneconomical.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve this problem, the present invention provides a first member in which each of a plurality of ink absorbers is impregnated with ink of a plurality of different colors; a second member impregnated with ink of the same color as the predetermined color, the ink of each color impregnated in the first member is transferred to different positions of the ink ribbon, and the ink impregnated in the second member is transferred to the ink ribbon. It consists of a structure that transfers to the same position.

By varying the amount of ink of each color contained in the working ink ribbon cassette according to the color, the amount of ink of each color remaining when replacing the ink ribbon cassette is made to be approximately the same.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view of an ink ribbon cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention with the lid opened, FIG. FIG. In Figure 1, 1
is the cassette case that forms the exterior of the ink ribbon cassette,
2 is an ink ribbon, and as shown in FIG.
They are colored 2b, 2c, and 2d and are impregnated with ink. Here, 2a is yellow, 2b is blue, 2C is red, and 2d is black. 3 is an ink-impregnated body made of foamed urethane or the like that supplies ink to the ink ribbon 2; 3a is yellow;
B is impregnated with blue ink, 3C is impregnated with red ink, and 3d is impregnated with black ink. 4 is an ink absorber 4a which is also molded from urethane foam or the like and which is not impregnated with ink as shown in FIG.
This is a black ink-impregnated body 4d impregnated with s4b%4c and black ink. Reference numeral 5 represents a drive roller that causes the ink ribbon 2 to travel in the direction of the arrow, and reference numeral 6 represents a driven roller. 8 transfers the ink from the ink-impregnated body 3 to the ink ribbon 2
A supply roller 9 supplies ink from the ink ribbon 2 to the ink absorbers 4as+b.

This is a roller that absorbs ink into the ink ribbon 4c or supplies ink to the ink ribbon 2 from the black ink-impregnated body 4d. As shown in FIG. 2, in the case of color printing, these are inserted into the cassette case support shaft 19 and constructed in multiple layers. 7 is a roller 8 that supplies the ink impregnated body 3 and the ink absorbent body 4.
10 is a back tension spring that prevents the ink ribbon 2 from loosening during running, and 12 is a pressure spring for the driven roller 6 that presses the ink ribbon 2 against the drive roller 5. Reference numeral 11 denotes an ink ribbon pocket in which the ink ribbon 2 is stored. 13.14
1 is a guide roller for guiding the ink ribbon 2, and 15 is a spindle for holding the cassette case 1 in the printer carriage (not shown) and rotating it in the direction of the page for color selection. This support shaft is integrally formed with the cassette case 1. Reference numeral 16 denotes a print head of the printer that prints dots on the paper 17 via the ink ribbon 2 in accordance with print data signals from the computer. A platen 18 serves as a base for the paper 17 and receives the dots of the print head 16.

The operation of the ink ribbon cassette constructed as described above will be explained. First, when the drive roller 5 rotates in the direction of the arrow, the ink ribbon 2 held between the driven roller 6 and the ink ribbon pocket 11 is fed into the ink ribbon pocket 11 .

At the same time, the ink ribbon 2 runs in the direction of the arrow inside the cassette case 1.

As the ink ribbon 2 runs, the supply roller 8 and the roller 9 rotate in the direction of the arrow, and the ink-impregnated body 3a13bs 3C%
3d, the ink absorber 4as 4bs 4C%, and the ink impregnated body 4d also rotate in the direction of the arrow. As a result, the ink in the ink-impregnated body 3 is transferred and impregnated into the ink ribbon 2 via the supply roller 8. At the same time, the ink ribbon 2 whose ink has been transferred to the paper 17 by the print head 16 enters the cassette case 1 again, but all of the ink impregnated in the ink ribbon 2 by the print head 16 is transferred to the paper 17. However, depending on the space, ink may enter the paper 17 without being transferred at all. Alternatively, when printing black characters, most of the ink impregnated into the ink ribbon 2 may be transferred to the paper 17 and returned. In other words, the ink ribbon 2 passing through the print head 16 and returning to the cassette case 1
The amount of ink impregnated in the ink ribbon 2 varies.
b Absorb by %4c. The amount of ink impregnated in portions 2a, 2b, and 2c of the ink ribbon 2 that has passed through the roller 9 is almost uniform, but black ink is supplied to the portion 2a by the ink-impregnated body 4d. Next, the operation of color printing will be explained. In the case of color printing, the ink ribbon 2 has color stripes 2a and 2b as shown in FIG.
% 2c12d and a predetermined color scheme, each of which is impregnated with ink. When the ink ribbon 2 is loaded into the cassette case 1, as shown in FIG.
It is configured to face 13d.

Note that the relationship among the ink absorber 4a s 4 b s 4c, the ink impregnated member 4d, the roller 9, and the ink ribbon 2 is also configured in the same manner as in FIG. 2. When the cassette case 1 is rotated in the direction of the page with the support shaft 15 of the cassette case 1 shown in FIG. Color printing is performed. By impregnating the ink-impregnated body 4d shown in FIG. 2 with ink from the beginning and making it the same as the ink-impregnated body 3d, the ink is supplied without absorbing the black ink from the black stripe 2d of the ink ribbon 2. Ink is transferred from the next ink-impregnated bodies 3a, 3b, and 3c, and is absorbed into the ink absorbers 4as, 4b, and 14c via the ink ribbon 2, supply roller 8, and roller 9, and the ink is impregnated as shown in FIG. At the time point P when the ink impregnation amounts of the bodies 3a, 3b, 3c and the ink absorbers 4as, 4bs, 4C become the same, the ink-impregnated bodies 3a, 3b, 3c and the ink absorbers 4a%4b%4c are in the Q region of FIG. As shown, each of them repeatedly supplies and absorbs ink to the ink ribbon 2, and controls the amount of ink impregnated with each other in a well-balanced manner.

In the above description of the embodiment, the black ink-impregnated body 4d
In the above explanation, the ink absorbers 4as 4b and 4c are provided superimposed on the ink absorbers 4as 4bs 4c.
The present invention is effective even when there is no. It goes without saying that the color of the ink impregnated into the ink-impregnated body 4d may be other than black.

Effects of the Invention The present invention provides a member impregnated with ink of a predetermined color in addition to a member impregnated with ink of a plurality of colors.
By using the colors used, the life of the ink ribbon cassette can be extended, and the amount of residual ink when replacing the cassette can be made to be approximately the same for each color, making it possible to provide an economical ink ribbon cassette.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an ink ribbon cassette that is an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the ink impregnated body and the main parts of the ink absorber shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the ink ribbon. FIG. 4 is a graph showing a print density characteristic curve. 1... Cassette case 2... Ink ribbon 3 a % 3 b 13 c s 3 d "" Ink-impregnated body 4as 4bs 40%... Ink absorber 4d... Black ink-impregnated body Name of agent Patent attorney Toshio Nakao 1 person / 11 case 1 Figure 8-- Chair consultation Figure 2 Figure 4 Iimo (N)

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1) An endless ink ribbon formed by looping a band-shaped ribbon, a first member in which each of a plurality of ink-impregnated bodies is impregnated with ink of a plurality of different colors, and the first member is impregnated with ink of a plurality of different colors. a first ink transfer means for transferring ink to different positions of the ink ribbon; and a second ink transfer means impregnated with ink of the same color as a predetermined color among the plurality of color inks impregnated in the first member.
An ink ribbon cassette comprising: a member; and a second transfer means for transferring ink impregnated in the second member to a position to which the ink of the predetermined color is transferred by the first ink transfer means. 2) An endless ink ribbon made of a looped ribbon, a first member in which each of a plurality of ink absorbers is impregnated with ink of a plurality of different colors, and the ink impregnated in the first member is applied to the ink ribbon. The first to be transferred to different positions from each other
an ink transfer means, a second member impregnated with ink of the same color as a predetermined color among the plurality of color inks impregnated in the first member, an ink absorber not impregnated with ink, and the first ink transfer member. a second transfer means for transferring ink impregnated in the second member to a position where the ink of the predetermined color is transferred by the means, and transferring residual ink after printing on the ink ribbon to the ink absorber; An ink ribbon cassette comprising: