JPH0245013Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an improvement in a power transmission mechanism to an ink cassette in thermal transfer type color printing and the like.

Background of the technology Conventionally, the content displayed on a display has been copied and output as is, but in the past it was difficult to convert the content into color when copying, so even when a color display was used, copies were output in black and white. All I could do was To this end, various studies have been conducted, and as a result, a device has been developed that prints in color by repeatedly overprinting using thermal transfer ink sheets of three primary colors.

An example of its configuration is shown in FIG.

In Figure 1, CA is a cassette, R1, R2
is the ink roller, R3 is the paper feed roller, H is the heating head, PR is the platen, ISE is the ink sheet, PA
is the paper, and HU is the housing of the printer body.

In FIG. 1, the ink sheet ISE is fed out from the ink roller R1 on the supply side around which the ink sheet is wound, and is wound up on the ink roller R2 on the take-up side.
On the other hand, the paper PA is also fed out from the paper feed roller R3,
It is made to run in the direction of arrow B so as to pass between the platen PR and tension roller R4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the ink sheet ISE has areas of three primary colors, yellow Y, magenta M, and cyan C, sequentially and repeatedly formed using thermal transfer ink.

With the above configuration, in order to print, the heat generating head H
is moved in the direction of arrow A, and in cooperation with platen PR, paper PA and ink sheet ISE are stacked and brought into close contact between them. In this state, both paper PA and ink sheet ISE are run in the direction of arrow B. As a result, the thermal transfer ink impregnated into the ink sheet ISE in the portion heated by the heat of the heat generating head H is transferred and printed onto the paper.

To explain in more detail, first, the ink sheet
Print using the yellow Y area of ISE.

Next, move the heating head H in the direction of arrow A' to change the close contact state to the released state, and then
4 and platen PR to rewind only the paper PA in the direction of arrow B'. Transfer this amount of paper PA to paper feed roller R3.
Drive to rewind. The length of rewinding is naturally equal to the distance traveled in the direction of arrow B during printing. Ink rollers R1 and R2 are in a standby state.

When rewinding is completed, move the heat generating head H again in the direction of arrow A and separate the paper PA and ink sheet.
Transfer printing is performed using the magenta M area by running the ISE in close contact with the platen PR.

When printing in this area M is completed, the heat generating head H is moved again in the direction of arrow A' to release the contact, and the ink sheet ISE is placed in a standby state and the paper PA
2. Rewind the chisel in the direction of arrow B' as described above.

After rewinding, move the heat generating head H again in the direction of arrow A and place the paper PA and ink sheet on the platen.
Transfer printing is performed using the cyan C area by running in close contact between PRs.

Conventional technology and problems Conventionally, as a power transmission mechanism for rotating the ink roller, a gear is provided on the ink cassette side, and this gear is meshed with a gear on the printer main body side, or a structure is used in which the mechanism is fitted to a spline shaft. The use of mechanisms, etc. was being carried out.

However, in all of these configurations, the ink cassette has a complicated configuration, and the ink cassette requires various parts, resulting in increased costs.

Purpose and structure of the invention This invention was made in view of the above points.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a transmission mechanism capable of transmitting power and achieving a standby stopped state without making any special modifications to an ink cassette.

Structure of the invention The above object is a power transmission mechanism for an ink cassette that feeds an ink sheet consisting of a plurality of color regions by a pair of rotatable ink rollers, the ink rollers having one side surface attached to the ink cassette. A friction plate is provided at the tip of a lever that is engaged by the pressure of a spring and can be moved in the axial direction of the ink roller. It is rotatably coupled to the rotation of the rotary clutch, and when the drive system rotates in reverse to rewind only the printing paper a predetermined length in order to sequentially overprint multiple colors, the rotation of the ink roller is stopped as a rotation inhibiting force. This is achieved by an ink cassette power transmission mechanism characterized by the following.

Examples of ideas Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained based on examples.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the diagram, FR1 and FR2 are friction plates, LE is a lever,
SP is spring, SI is side plate, SPR is sprocket, OW is one-way clutch, BE is belt,
The same parts as in FIG. 1 are given the same reference numerals.

To explain the configuration, the side plate of the printer body
Lever LE with friction plate FR1 attached to the tip of SI
will be provided. This lever LE is biased in the direction of arrow A with a spring SP interposed therebetween.

On the other hand, a sprocket SPR is arranged on the same axis facing the lever LE.
A belt BE is attached to the SPR, and power is transmitted from a motor (not shown). Also, the sprocket
The SPR is equipped with a one-way clutch OW, which is a one-way rotating clutch, that is, a clutch that transmits rotational power in one direction and idles when rotating in the opposite direction. A friction plate FR2 is fixed to the axis AX of the one-way clutch OW, facing the friction plate FR1. OH is cassette CA case CSE
This is the opening in which the paper PA and ink sheet are connected by the head H and platen PR shown in Figure 1.
ISE is superimposed.

With the above configuration, when setting the cassette CA in the printer, pull the lever LE in the direction of arrow B to widen the distance between the friction plates FR1 and FR2. In this state, when the cassette CA is inserted between them and the lever LE is released, both sides of the take-up side ink roller R2 are pressed and connected between the friction plates FR1 and FR2 by the force of the spring SP.

The belt BE is driven by a drive motor (not shown), and the sprocket SPR is moved to the ink roller R2.
When the ink sheet ISE is rotated in the winding direction (feed direction), the ink roller R2 is rotated in the direction of winding the ink sheet ISE due to the frictional force between the ink roller R2 and the friction plates FR1 and FR2. This can be avoided by appropriately controlling the force of the spring SP, so that the ink sheet ISE does not bend or is stretched too much.
You can wind up ISE.

In order to perform color printing, it is necessary to rewind only the paper PA as described above, but in Figure 1, the heating head H is moved in the direction A' and the platen PR and ink roller R3 are rewinded. In order to rotate in the direction B', the drive motor (not shown) is rotated in the opposite direction (ie, in the opposite direction to the feed direction). This reverse rotation drives belt BE in a similar manner, causing sprocket SPR to rotate in the same direction.

This sprocket SPR is equipped with a one-way clutch OW, so it spins idly without rotating the shaft AX in the same direction. What is important here is that both ends of the ink roller R2 are pressed against each other by friction plates FR1 and FR2, and this pressure contact is carried out by a spring.
Pressurized by SP. Therefore, a rotation inhibiting force acts as a braking force to prevent ink roller R2 from rotating together with sprocket SPR,
It is in a stopped state where it does not rotate. That is, only the paper PA can be rewound by reversing only the drive motor.

Effects of the Invention As explained above, according to the present invention, the ink sheet can be driven in the feed direction according to the forward and reverse rotation of one drive motor, and the ink sheet can be driven in the paper rewinding direction without any modification to the ink cassette itself. The practical effects are remarkable, such as being able to transmit power that allows the ink roller and sheet to be in a non-rotating standby state.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a thermal transfer printer using an ink cassette according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an ink sheet, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, CA is the ink cassette, R1 and R2 are the ink rollers, FR1 and FR2 are the friction plates, LE is the lever, SP is the spring, SPR is the sprocket,
OW stands for one-way clutch.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A power transmission mechanism for an ink cassette that feeds an ink sheet consisting of a plurality of color regions by a pair of rotatable ink rollers, the ink roller being engaged with one side of the ink roller by the pressure of a spring. a friction plate at the tip of a lever that can be moved in the axial direction of the ink roller;
The rotation in the feed direction is rotationally coupled with the rotation of the one-way rotation clutch of the drive system by the pressure contact force, and the drive system is used to rewind only the printing paper a predetermined length in order to sequentially overprint multiple colors. An ink cassette power transmission mechanism characterized in that when the ink roller rotates in reverse, the rotation of the ink roller is stopped as a rotation inhibiting force.