JPH0319887A - Bidirectional transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To print in both directions thereby to increase the printing speed by a single printing head by providing an ink ribbon which prints while a carriage is moved right and an ink ribbon which prints while a carriage is moved left, and facing a hole of said ribbon not printing to a printing head portion. CONSTITUTION:A carrier part of a printer is moved right and left in parallel to a platen 2, and is provided with an ink ribbon cassette 10 consisting of a black ink ribbon 4, a take-up roller 6, a color ink ribbon 5 and a take-up roller 7, a ribbon feed part, reflecting sensors 8, 9 and a printing head 3. Holes 11-13 are formed a predetermined distance on the ink ribbons 4, 5. In the forward movement, the hole portion 13 of the ink ribbon 6 is detected by the reflecting sensor 9, which is then stopped at the position of the printing head 3. While the ink ribbon 4 is wound up by the take-up roller 6, printing is performed. On the other hand, when the ink ribbon is fed in the reverse direction, the hole portion 11 of the ink ribbon 4 is detected by the reflecting sensor 8, and then the hole portion 11 is stopped at the position of the printing head 3 and printing is performed while the ink ribbon 6 is wound up by the take-up roller 7.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to transfer printers, and more particularly to bidirectional printers.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, in transfer printers, bidirectional printing has been performed using two ribbon cassettes each having a print head.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

The above-mentioned conventional printing mechanism requires two print heads, which increases the cost, and if it is forced to use only one print head, the structure becomes complicated. [Means for Solving the Problem] The printer of the present invention arranges two ink ribbons having holes at regular intervals in front of a print head, and winds up one ink ribbon to feed from right to left. Hold the roller on one side, and hold the take-up roller on the other side in order to feed the other ink ribbon from left to right. When the carrier moves, the ink ribbon that is not being printed is placed in its hole in the print head. Printing is performed by facing the ink ribbon and feeding the other ink ribbon. [Example] Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the present invention. The carrier section of the printer according to one embodiment of the present invention moves horizontally parallel to the platen 2. As shown in FIG.

A ribbon cassette 10 consisting of a black ink ribbon 4, a take-up roller 6, a color ink ribbon 5, and a take-up roller 7;
A ribbon feed section (not shown), conventional reflective sensors 8 and 9, and a head 3 constitute a carrier section of the printer. The ink ribbon 4.5 has holes 11 to 13 at regular intervals as shown in FIG. For example, in the F (forward) direction of the arrow, the conventional reflective sensor 9 detects the sixth section 13 of the ink ribbon 5, and then feeds the ink ribbon 5 a certain amount to stop the sixth section 13 at the position of the print head 3, and the ink ribbon 4 Printing is performed while feeding by driving the take-up roller 6. In the R (reverse) direction, after the six parts 11 of the ink ribbon 4 are detected by the reflective sensor 8, the ink ribbon 4 is fed a certain amount, the six parts 11 are stopped at the position of the print head 3, and the ink ribbon 5 is moved to the take-up roller. Printing is performed while driving and feeding 7. If the sensor detects a hole in the ribbon on the printing side, that part will be skipped and printing will continue.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention has an ink ribbon for printing while the carrier moves from left to right, and an ink ribbon for printing while the carrier moves from right to left, and the ink ribbon for printing while the carrier moves from right to left. By arranging the holes in the ribbon to face the print head and feeding the ink ribbon on the printing side, bidirectional printing can be performed, which has the effect of increasing printing speed with one print head.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an ink ribbon used in the embodiment of the present invention.

Claims (1)

[Claims] Two ink ribbons having holes at regular intervals are arranged in front of the print head, and a take-up roller feeds one of the two ink ribbons from right to left, and the other one The ink ribbon is equipped with a take-up roller that feeds the ink ribbon from left to right, and the ink ribbon that is not used for printing has its hole facing the print head part, and printing is performed by feeding the other ink ribbon. A bidirectional printing transfer printer.