JPH0473384B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Technical Field) The present invention relates to an ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer, and in particular, for a serial printer, the ink ribbon cartridge containing multicolor ink ribbons is attached to and detached from a bearing member provided in a printer frame. The present invention relates to an ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer, which is configured so that it can be freely attached and the printing color can be switched to a specified color by the swinging movement of a ribbon cartridge.

(Prior art) The ink ribbon of a serial printer, which is used as an output device for information equipment systems such as personal computers and word processors, is mounted on a carrier that carries a print head so that it is integrated with the print head. One type performs spacing movements from side to side, and the other is mounted directly on the main frame of the printer, and an ink ribbon is stretched over the entire printing width, and the printing head prints while performing spacing movements from side to side inside the ink ribbon. Two types of methods are used. These two ink ribbon mounting methods each have their own advantages, but the latter method in particular allows the width of the ribbon cartridge to be the same as the width of the printer, so the ink ribbon that can be accommodated is Since the length of the printer can be increased, it is suitable for printers for output devices of information processing systems that have a relatively high frequency of output printing and a large number of output characters, and is actually widely used.

On the other hand, in recent years, color CRT display devices that are capable of displaying multiple colors have come into widespread use in CRT display devices used as display devices in information processing systems. has become desirable.

In order to satisfy these demands, we use a multicolored ink ribbon in which the same ink ribbon is separated into two or more layers (top and bottom) and each layer is colored in a different color, and this multicolored ink ribbon is packaged in a ribbon cartridge. Many serial printers are now being used which are equipped with an ink ribbon switching mechanism that allows printing in a desired color by changing the mounting angle of the ribbon cartridge relative to the print head. Ta. The conventional ink ribbon switching mechanism having the above-mentioned configuration changes the desired color by changing the mounting angle of the ribbon cartridge relative to the print head with the support shaft provided on the side of the ribbon cartridge as the center of rotation. A means for positioning the ink ribbon at a position corresponding to the print head is used, but with such means it is difficult to accurately position each color of the ink ribbon relative to the print head (in order to ensure accurate positioning, (This requires increasing the dimensional accuracy of each part that makes up the ink ribbon switching mechanism, which increases costs.) During printing, some of the colors of adjacent areas are printed, resulting in a so-called color mixing phenomenon. It has the disadvantage of poor printing quality.

(Object of the Invention) An object of the present invention is to eliminate such drawbacks in the conventional ink ribbon switching mechanism, and to eliminate the problem of the printing head when switching printing colors even if there is some error in setting the mounting angle of the ribbon cartridge. To provide an ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer capable of accurately holding the switching position of an ink ribbon in a portion corresponding to the area, preventing mixed color printing, and maintaining excellent printing quality.

(Structure of the Invention) According to the present invention, an ink ribbon cartridge containing multicolor ink ribbons of two or more colors is swingably held in the main frame of a printer, and the ink ribbon is stretched over substantially the entire printing width. In a serial printer, in which a print head with a carrier mounted on the inside performs printing while making left and right spacing movements, the first mechanism uses a drive device attached to one side of the frame to swing the ink ribbon cartridge up and down. and a drive shaft that is rotatably supported on substantially both sides of the main frame of the printer and bridges between the side frames, and a drive sleeve that is rotatably held by the carrier section, the drive sleeve being rotatably supported on the axis of the drive shaft. a second mechanism for moving a ribbon lift mechanism mounted on the carrier up and down by sliding the ribbon in the spacing direction in conjunction with the operation of the carrier and rotating the drive shaft by the drive device; An ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer is obtained, characterized in that the first mechanism and the second mechanism are synchronized to perform ribbon switching.

The ink ribbon switching mechanism of the present invention accommodates multicolor ink ribbons of two or more colors, is swingably held by a printer frame on both sides, and has a cam follower on at least one side. An ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer that is freely held and includes a cam driven by a stepping motor attached to the printer frame and engaged with the cam follower, a gear that operates in synchronization with the cam, and the gear. A motion transmission mechanism that transmits rotational motion to a drive shaft extending between side frames of the printer driven by At the tip end, the multicolor ink ribbon is held and the ribbon is lifted by the rotational movement of a drive sleeve that can slide in the spacing direction on a drive shaft transmitted by the rotational movement. It is configured with a mechanism that performs the operation.

(Example) Next, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the invention. In FIG. 1, one embodiment of the present invention accommodates multicolor ink ribbons 60 of two or more colors and has printer frames 62 on both sides.
This is an ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer that removably and swingably holds an ink ribbon cartridge 2 by means of a printer frame 6.
A first mechanism that swings the ink ribbon cartridge 2 in the vertical direction by a driving device such as a stepping motor 17 attached to the main frame of the printer; The drive shaft 23 extends over a spacing width of 40 mm, and the drive sleeve 41 is rotatably held in the carrier portion.
3 in the spacing direction in conjunction with the operation of the carrier 40, and a second mechanism that moves the ribbon shift mechanism mounted on the carrier 40 up and down by rotating the drive shaft 23 by the drive device 17. include.

The ribbon cartridge 2 is a ribbon cartridge containing ink ribbons 60 colored in four colors, and support shafts 4 are provided on both sides of the ribbon cartridge 2, and the ribbon cartridge 2 is attached to a printer frame 62. Support spring 63
It is inserted into a bearing hole and supported.

A cam follower 3 is provided on the left side of the ribbon cartridge 2, and a roller 5 is provided at the tip of the cam follower 3. This roller 5 engages with the outer cam surface 12 of the cam 11 fixed to the same shaft as the gear 14 which meshes with the pinion 18 attached to the main shaft of the step motor 17 attached to the printer frame 62. By the operation of the stepping motor 17, the position of the cam follower 3 is determined by following the outer circumferential cam surface 12. In addition, in the cam follower 3, a protrusion 6 attached to the tip of a protrusion protruding in the reaction direction and the attachment part of the roller 5 cooperates with a sensor 7 attached to the printer frame 62 to detect the type of ribbon cartridge 2. The sensor 7 is configured to be inoperative in the case of a ribbon cartridge containing a monochromatic ink ribbon.

Further, the pick-up 15 provided near the outer peripheral surface of the cam 11 is connected to a sensor 16 provided on the printer frame 62 (usually a magnetic, electrical, or optical sensor can be used as the sensor 16). They work together to detect the return of the cam 11 to its home position and to notify the controller.

A gear 14 is formed on the side surface of the cam 11, and this gear 14 is connected to a drive gear provided on a drive shaft 23 that is rotatably supported on both sides of the printer frame 62 (the other side is not shown). 22, so that the rotation of the pulse motor 17 can rotate the drive shaft 23 via the pinion 18 and the gear 14. The drive shaft 23 has a square cross section as shown in FIG. The drive sleeve 41 is configured to be able to transmit rotation to a drive sleeve 41 rotatably supported by a ribbon bracket 42. In FIG. 2b, the drive sleeve 41
is held slidably along the drive shaft 23 when the carrier 40 moves in the left-right spacing direction. Ribbon bracket 42 extends upwardly from both sides of the elongated portion of print head 65, and pulleys 43a, 43b are mounted for rotation on pivot shafts 44a, 44b. Timing belts 45a and 45b are connected to pulleys 44a and 44b, respectively, and drive sleeves 41, and as shown in FIG. 2c, a ribbon lift plate 47 is fixed to the timing belts with a holding plate 48.

Ribbon guide posts 49a, 49b, 49c, 49 are provided at the bent portions of the ribbon lift plate 47.
d is provided, and is a member for winding the ink ribbon 60 as shown in FIG.

Next, the operation of the ink ribbon switching mechanism configured as described above will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, when the ink ribbon cartridge 2 is first installed, the sensor 7 is actuated by the protrusion 6, and the printer controller ( (not shown). In this state, when the ribbon cartridge 2 is not at the home position, the stepping motor 17 is operated in response to a command from the printer control section to rotate the cam 11, and when the sensor 16 is actuated by the pick-up 15, the stepping motor 17 is stopped and the ribbon cartridge is set to the home position. Normally, the home position can be set to any of the four layers of the ink ribbon, but it is usually set at position 2a (the ribbon cartridge is tilted most downward) as shown in Figure 3 to make it easier to see the characters after printing. , the position where the color of the top layer of the ink ribbon corresponds to the print head). Once the ribbon cartridge 2 has been set to the home position, the printer starts output printing, but if it becomes necessary to change the print color during printing, the stepping motor 17 may be activated by the printer control unit. and rotates the cam 11.

Due to the rotation of the cam 11, the cam follower 3 is pushed up by the outer peripheral cam surface 12, and the ribbon cartridge 2 changes its mounting angle around the support shaft 4 to the position 2b or 2c shown in FIG.
Or take position 2d. Simultaneously with the operation of the ink ribbon cartridge 2 as described above, the drive gear 22 is rotated by the gear 14, the drive shaft 23 and the drive sleeve 41 are rotated, and the ribbon lift plate attached to the timing belts 45a and 45b is raised to lift the ribbon. Guide post 4
The ink ribbon 60 guided by 9a, b, c, and d is at a position where the desired color corresponds to the print head 65. Therefore, the ink ribbon switching mechanism can accurately match a desired color to the print head in response to a print color switching command from the printer control section.

When the ink ribbon is lowered, the movement is in the reaction direction as described above, but the same effect can be obtained.

(Effects of the Invention) As explained above, the present invention provides ink for serial printers that can avoid mixed color printing and maintain excellent printing quality by moving the ribbon shift mechanism mounted on the carrier up and down. This has the effect of providing a ribbon switching mechanism.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 a is a diagram showing the ribbon lift mechanism of this embodiment, FIG. 2
Figure c is a side view of Figure 2 b, and Figure 3 is a side view of Figure 1.
FIG. 3 is a side view showing the relationship between the ribbon cartridge shown in the figure, the platen, and the print head. 2... Ribbon cartridge, 3... Cam follower, 4... Support shaft, 5... Roller, 7... Sensor, 11... Cam, 12... Outer cam, 14...
Gear, 15...Pickup, 16...Sensor,
17...Stepping motor, 18...Pinion, 22...Drive gear, 23...Drive shaft, 40...Carrier, 41...Drive sleeve, 42...Ribbon bracket, 43...Pulley, 44...Pivot Shaft, 45...Timing belt, 47...Ribbon lift plate, 48...
...Press plate, 49...Ribbon guide post, 60...
... Ink ribbon, 62 ... Printer frame, 6
3... Support spring, 64... Platen, 65... Print head.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink ribbon cartridge containing two or more multicolor ink ribbons is swingably held in the printer's main frame, and the ink ribbon is stretched over almost the entire print width, with the print head mounted on the carrier inside the cartridge. , a serial printer that prints while making left and right spacing movements, has a first mechanism that swings the ink ribbon cartridge up and down by a drive device attached to one side of the frame, and a drive device that swings the ink ribbon cartridge up and down, and a A drive shaft is rotatably supported on both sides and bridges between the side frames, and a drive sleeve is rotatably held by a carrier part, and the drive sleeve slides along the axis of the drive shaft in conjunction with the movement of the carrier. a second mechanism that moves a ribbon lift mechanism mounted on the carrier up and down by sliding in the pacing direction and rotating the drive shaft by the drive device, the first mechanism and the second mechanism; An ink ribbon switching mechanism for a serial printer, characterized in that ribbon switching is performed by synchronizing the mechanisms.