JPH05177894A - Ribbon cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To correctly discriminate the type of a ribbon even when the ribbon is incorrectly replaced by a method wherein a case replaceably holds rolls, and the roll is provided with a ribbon identification means indicating the type of a ribbon. CONSTITUTION:In a connecting member 26A, a projected knob 30 is formed on an intermediate part between bearing parts 24A and 24C. A ribbon cartridge 20 can be pulled out of a video printer by gripping the knob 30. Thus, the ribbon cartridge 20 can be easily replaced. Furthermore, the connecting member 26A on the side of the knob 30 is pulled apart from a connecting member 26B by gripping the knob 30 to be separated from a bottom plate 28. Rolls T and S are rotatably supported by bearing parts 24B and 24D. By pulling apart the roll holding part 32 from a case body 34, the rolls T and S are disengaged from the bearing parts 24B and 24D. In this manner, in the ribbon cartridge 20, a ribbon 6 can be replaced integrally with the roll holding part 32 by pulling apart the roll holding part 32 from the case body 34.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

[Table of Contents] The present invention will be described in the following order. Industrial Application Conventional Technology (FIGS. 6 to 9) Problems to be Solved by the Invention (FIGS. 6 to 9) Means for Solving the Problems (FIGS. 1 and 4) Operation (FIGS. 1 and 4) ) Example (1) First Example (FIGS. 1 and 2) (2) Second Example (FIGS. 3 and 4) (3) Third Example (FIG. 5) (4) Others Example Effect of the invention

[0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ribbon cartridge and can be applied to a thermal transfer type video printer or the like.

[0003]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a video printer has been designed so that an image desired by a user can be printed. At this time, a ribbon cartridge can be replaced as needed to print an image in black and white, color or the like. It is done like this.

That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the video printer 1 has a ribbon cartridge insertion opening 2 on its side surface, and a ribbon cartridge 4 is inserted into the insertion opening 2. As shown in FIG. 7, in the ribbon cartridge 4 here, the ribbon 6 wound around the supply-side reel S can be wound up by the winding-side reel T. Side reel S
The ribbon 6 supplied from is pressed against the platen 8. In this state, in the video printer 1, the pinch roller 1
The printing paper 14 is supplied between the ribbon 6 and the platen 8 at 0 and 12, and the thermal head 16 is pressed from the ribbon 6 side. As a result, in the video printer 1, the ribbon 6
The desired dye can be printed by sublimating the dye and thermally transferring the dye onto the printing paper 14.

The ribbon cartridge 4 is for black and white,
Three types are available, one for color and one for projector, and each has its own ribbon. That is, in the color ribbon cartridge 4, ribbons are formed so that yellow, magenta, and cyan films are repeated one screen at a time, whereby yellow, magenta, and cyan images are sequentially formed on one sheet of photographic paper. And finally 16
It is designed to be able to form color images of about 700,000 colors.

On the other hand, in the ribbon cartridge 4 for projector, a yellow, magenta, and cyan film is formed by a dye adapted to efficiently transmit transmitted light, which is printed on a transparent photographic paper. Color image can be formed. On the other hand, in the black-and-white ribbon cartridge 4, a ribbon is formed of a black film so that the dye of the ribbon can be thermally transferred to form a black-and-white image.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 8, in the video printer 1, the identification seal 5 is attached to the back surface of the ribbon cartridge 4 and the identification seal 5 is optically detected to detect the ribbon cartridge 4. It is designed to identify the type of. This allows the video printer 1
In this case, for example, when the user operates a desired black and white image, the color ribbon cartridge 4 or the projector ribbon cartridge 4 is erroneously not printed.

As shown in FIG. 9, in the video printer 1, a ribbon cartridge 4 is used instead of the identification seal 5.
It is also proposed to provide a group of protrusions 9 on the outer shape of the ribbon cartridge so that the type of the ribbon cartridge 4 can be identified.

[0009]

By the way, in the conventional ribbon cartridge 4, it is necessary to replace the entire ribbon cartridge 4 when the ribbon 6 is consumed. In this case, if it is possible to replace only the ribbon 6 in the ribbon cartridge 4, it is considered convenient because the portion other than the ribbon can be reused.

However, when the ribbon 6 is replaced in this way, the black and white ribbon may be erroneously stored in the color storage case 20. In this case, in the conventional ribbon cartridge 4, the ribbon 6 replaced by the video printer 1 is used.
There is a problem that the type cannot be discriminated, and even though the user desires to print a color image, a black and white image is eventually printed.

As a method for solving this problem, a method of forming an identification area such as a bar code on the ribbon itself can be considered (Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 64-34262), but a ribbon which can be printed by the identification area is printed. Has the drawback of being short.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and it is an object of the present invention to propose a ribbon cartridge which can correctly determine the type of ribbon even when the ribbon is replaced by mistake.

[0013]

In order to solve such a problem, in the first invention, a ribbon 6 coated with a predetermined dye, rolls S and T around which the ribbon 6 is wound, and a roll S,
In a ribbon cartridge 40 having a case 42 for holding T, the case 42 holds rolls S, T exchangeably, and the rolls S, T have ribbon identification means AR1, AR2, AR3 representing the type of ribbon 6. To do so.

Further, in the second invention, a ribbon 6 coated with a predetermined dye, a roll S around which the ribbon 6 is wound,
In the ribbon cartridge 20 having T and the case 22 holding the rolls S and T, the case 22 is formed by a roll holding part 32 holding the rolls S and T and a case body 34, and the roll holding part 32 is a roll. The case main body 34 holds S and T and has ribbon identifying means 36 and 38 indicating the type of the ribbon 6 wound around the rolls S and T, and the case main body 34 integrally replaces the roll holding portion 32 and the rolls S and T. The roll holder 32 is held so that it can be moved.

[0015]

The rolls S and T are held in the case 22 so that they can be exchanged with each other, and at this time, ribbon identification means AR indicating the type of the ribbon 6 is provided.
If the rolls S and T are provided with 1, AR2 and AR3, the ribbon identification means AR1 and AR1 can be replaced even if the ribbon 6 is replaced by mistake.
The type of ribbon 6 can be correctly determined based on AR2 and AR3.

The roll holding portion 32 and the rolls S and T are integrally replaced so that the roll holding portion 32 can be replaced integrally.
If the ribbon holding means 32 is provided with ribbon identifying means 36, 38 representing the type of the ribbon 6, the ribbon identifying means 36, 3 will be provided even if the ribbon 6 is replaced by mistake.
The type of ribbon can be correctly determined based on 8.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(1) First Embodiment In FIG. 1, reference numeral 20 designates a ribbon cartridge as a whole, and a case 22 is separated to replace the ribbon 6.

That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the case 22 is
The winding-side roll T is supported by the bearings 24A and 24B, and the supply-side roll S is supported by the bearings 24C and 24D. Further, the case 22 connects the bearings 24A and 24C, 24B and 24D at both ends of the rolls T and S with predetermined connecting members 26A and 26B, and the connecting members 26A and
26B are connected by the bottom plate 28.

The bottom plate 28 has a rectangular window 28W.
As a result, in the ribbon cartridge 20, the ribbon 6 wound around the supply-side roll S is wound around the roll T while the rolls T and S are supported in parallel, and at this time, the ribbon 6 is wound through the window 28W. The ribbon 6 can be pressed against the printing paper.

Here, in the connecting member 26A, a convex grip 30 is formed at an intermediate portion between the bearing portions 24A and 24B, so that the grip 30 can be grasped and pulled out from the video printer in the ribbon cartridge 20. The ribbon cartridge 20 can be easily replaced. Further, the connecting member 26A on the handle 30 side can be separated from the bottom plate 28 by gripping the handle 30 and separating it from the connecting member 26B.

As a result, the case 22 is connected to the connecting member 2
6A, the roll holding portion 32 formed by the bearing portions 24A and 24C, and the case main body 34 formed by the bottom plate 28, the connecting member 26B, and the bearing portions 24B and 24D, and the roll holding portion 32. And the case body 34
Can be separated.

In the bearing portions 24A and 24C, the rolls T and S are rotatably supported and the roll holding portion 32 is provided.
The rolls T and S are held so that the rolls T and S do not fall out even if the rolls are separated from the case body 34. On the other hand, in the bearing portions 24B and 24D, similarly, the rolls T and S are rotatably supported, and the roll holding portion 32
Is separated from the case body 34, the bearings 24B and 2
The rolls T and S fall off the 4D.

As a result, in the ribbon cartridge 20, the roll holder 32 can be separated from the case body 34 and the ribbon 6 can be integrally replaced with the roll holder 32.

In the connecting member 26A, columnar protrusions 36 and 38 are formed on the bearing portion 24C side when the ribbon 6 is for color, and when the ribbon 6 is for black and white, protrusions are provided on the bearing portion 24C side. Only 36 are formed. Further, in the connecting member 26A, when the ribbon 6 is for a projector, a protrusion 38 is formed on the bearing portion 24C side.
Only are formed.

Correspondingly, in the video printer 1, when the ribbon cartridge 20 is housed and the lid is closed, the pressing switch arranged on the lid is projected 36 and 3.
It is configured to be able to detect the presence or absence of the projections 36 and 38 by hitting against 8. Thus ribbon 6
In the roll holding part 32 designed to be integrally replaced with
By forming the protrusions 36 and 38 according to the type of the ribbon 6, even if the ribbon is replaced by mistake, the type of the ribbon can be correctly determined, thereby preventing erroneous printing of the video printer. You can

According to the above construction, the ribbon 6 can be exchanged integrally with the roll holding part, and the ribbon identifying projections 36 and 38 are formed on the roll holding part.
Even if the ribbon is replaced by mistake, the type of the ribbon can be correctly determined, and thus it is possible to prevent erroneous printing of the video printer.

(2) Second Embodiment In FIG. 3, reference numeral 40 denotes a ribbon cartridge, and in this embodiment, the rolls S and T are removed from the case 42 and the ribbon 6 is replaced. Therefore, in the case 42, one end of the rolls S and T can be inserted into the bearings 44A and 44B, and the other end can be inserted into the bearings 44C and 44D so that the rolls S and T can be mounted.
After mounting, the rolls S and T are pressed and held from the bearing portions 44A and 44B side.

At this time, in the bearing portions 44C and 44D, the rolls S and T are axially supported by the through holes, so that the end faces of the rolls S and T can be observed through the bearing portions 44C and 44D. Has been done. Corresponding to this, as shown in FIG. 4, on the end surface of the supply side reel S, the identification mark recording areas AR1, AR are formed in a ring shape.
2 and AR3 are formed, and the identification mark recording areas AR1, AR2 and AR3 are colored white or black depending on the type of the ribbon 6.

Correspondingly, in the video printer, reflection sensors 48, 49 and 50 are arranged so that the respective identification mark recording areas AR1, AR2 and AR3 can be irradiated with a light beam and the reflected light can be detected. Has been done. As a result, in the video printer, the reflection sensor 4
The coloring of the identification mark recording areas AR1, AR2, AR3 can be detected based on the output signals of 8, 49, 50. Therefore, in the video printer 1, by detecting the type of the ribbon 6 based on the detection result, erroneous printing can be prevented.

According to the structure shown in FIG. 4, the roll is held so that it can be exchanged, and the roll is provided with the ribbon identification means for indicating the type of the ribbon, so that the type of the ribbon can be correctly determined even if the ribbon is replaced by mistake. This makes it possible to prevent erroneous printing from the video printer.

(3) Third Embodiment FIG. 5 shows a ribbon cartridge according to the third embodiment. In this embodiment, the rolls S and T are removed from the case and the ribbon is replaced. At this time, the ribbon cartridge 60 is formed such that the lengths of the rolls S and T are different depending on the type of ribbon, and correspondingly, in the video printer, three sets of light emitting elements 61 are formed.
A, 61B, 61C and light receiving elements 62A, 62B, 62
The length of the rolls S and T is detected by C.

Therefore, in the video printer, the type of the ribbon 6 can be detected based on the detection result, and erroneous printing can be prevented in advance.

According to the configuration of FIG. 5, the roll is held in a replaceable case and the length of the roll is set according to the type of ribbon, so that the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained. You can

(4) Other Embodiments In the above-described first embodiment, the case where the projections 36 and 38 are formed on the bearing portion 24C side of the connecting member 26A to indicate the type of ribbon has been described. The invention is not limited to this, and a recess may be formed instead of the protrusion, and a protrusion may be formed on the bearing portion 24A side, the central portion of the connecting member 26A, and the like.

Further, in the above-mentioned second embodiment, the identification mark recording areas AR1, AR2, AR are formed on the end surface of the roll.
Although the case of forming 3 has been described, the present invention is not limited to this, and the ribbon may be formed on the side surface of the roll while avoiding the ribbon.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiments, the case where the present invention is applied to the ribbon cartridge of the video printer has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and ribbon cartridges of various image printing devices, printing devices and the like. Can be widely applied to.

[0038]

As described above, according to the present invention, the roll is held in a replaceable manner, and at this time, by providing the roll with the ribbon identification means for indicating the type of the ribbon, even if the ribbon is replaced by mistake, The ribbon type can be correctly determined based on the ribbon identification means, and thus a ribbon cartridge can be obtained that can effectively avoid erroneous printing.

Further, when the roll holding portion and the roll are held so that they can be exchanged as a unit, a ribbon identifying means indicating the kind of ribbon is provided in the roll holding portion, so that the ribbon type can be determined based on the ribbon identifying means. It is possible to obtain a ribbon cartridge which can make a correct decision and can effectively avoid erroneous printing.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a ribbon cartridge according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a ribbon cartridge according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an end surface of the roll.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a roll of a ribbon cartridge according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a video printer.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the printing mechanism.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional ribbon cartridge.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing another conventional ribbon cartridge.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Video printer, 4, 20, 40, 60 ... Ribbon cartridge, 6 ... Ribbon, 22, 42 ... Case, S, T ... Roll.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A ribbon cartridge having a ribbon coated with a predetermined dye, a roll wound with the ribbon, and a case holding the roll, wherein the case holds the roll exchangeably, A ribbon cartridge, wherein the roll has a ribbon identifying means that indicates the type of the ribbon. 2. A ribbon cartridge having a ribbon coated with a predetermined dye, a roll around the ribbon, and a case for holding the roll, wherein the case is a roll holding portion for holding the roll and a case. The roll holder holds the roll and has a ribbon identification means that indicates the type of ribbon wound around the roll, and the case body integrally includes the roll holder and the roll. A ribbon cartridge which holds the roll holding portion so that it can be replaced.