JPH05201113A - Serial printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate exchanging ribbon cassettes by applying tension to a ribbon through a motor for moving a carrier and by forming a ribbon guide and card holder into an integral body. CONSTITUTION:A carrier 14 reciprocates by a motor while being guided by a main guide shaft 15 and support shaft 16, and stops at a predetermined position. At that time, the driving force of the motor is caused to interlock with a ribbon cassette 10 so that tension is applied to a ribbon 200. A ribbon guide 12 is formed of a pair of plate members integrally erected at the fixed part 11a of a card holder 11 so as to be located on both sides of the tip of a print head 13 when the card holder 11 is fixed at the carrier 14. Thus, the ribbon is automatically set in front of the print head when the ribbon cassette is merely fitted in.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a serial printer using a harmonica type ribbon cassette.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When a harmonica type ribbon cassette is mounted on a serial printer, it is necessary to fit the ribbon cassette body into a cassette holder and set the ribbon at the tip of the print head. Therefore, when installing a harmonica type ribbon cassette in a conventional serial printer, the ribbon cassette body was fitted into the cassette holder, and then the ribbon was pulled out appropriately with a hand or a tool and then set on the tip of the print head. .

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional serial printer, when the harmonica type ribbon cassette was mounted, the ribbon had to be set on the print head by hand or by a tool. Therefore, there is a problem in that it takes time and effort to mount the harmonica type ribbon cassette, and the ribbon cassette cannot be easily replaced.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a serial printer in which the ribbon cassette can be easily replaced.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a pair of ribbon guides located on both sides of a print head and having guide portions on the side facing a card holder, and a tension on the ribbon. And a tension unit for applying a tension, and preferably, the guide portion is formed by continuously forming a first vertical portion, an inclined portion inclined toward the card holder, and a second vertical portion. The tension means for applying tension to the ribbon is a motor for moving the carrier, and the ribbon guide and the card holder are integrally formed.

[0006]

According to the serial printer of the present invention described above,
Simply by mounting the ribbon cassette in the cassette holder, the ribbon is guided by the ribbon guide and set at the tip of the print head.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of the serial printer of this embodiment, and FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a card holder and a ribbon guide of the serial printer in FIG.

1 and 2, reference numeral 10 denotes a serial printer of this embodiment, which includes a card holder 11, a ribbon guide 12, a print head 13, a carrier 14, a main guide shaft 15, a support shaft 16, a cassette holder 17, and a platen. It is composed of 18. Also,
Reference numeral 100 denotes a harmonica type ribbon cassette, which includes a ribbon 200. The card holder 11 holds the printing paper on the platen 18 when the print head 13 prints.
The fixing portion 11a is fixed to the carrier 14 with a screw (not shown).

The ribbon guide 12 is the card holder 1 described above.
When the card holder 11 is fixed to the carrier 14, the ribbon guide 12 is formed by a pair of plate-shaped members integrally provided on the fixed portion 11a of the print head 1.
It is located on both sides of the tip of No. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, on the side of the ribbon guide 12 facing the card holder 11,
A first vertical portion 12a from the upper portion to the lower portion, an inclined portion 12b inclined from the first vertical portion 12a toward the card holder 11, and a second vertical portion 12 continuous to the lower end of the inclined portion.
A guide portion consisting of c and c is formed.

The print head 13 is fixed on the carrier 14, and the front end provided with the printing portion is the ribbon guide 1.
Located between the two. The carrier 14 is movably supported by a main guide shaft 15 and a support shaft 16 provided in parallel with the platen 18, and the card holder 11 and the print head 13 are mounted on the upper surface of the carrier 14. Also,
When the power of the serial printer 10 is turned on, the carrier 14 is guided by the main guide shaft 15 and the support shaft 16 by a motor (not shown) to reciprocate, and is positioned and stopped at a predetermined position. Further, the driving force of the motor at this time is interlocked with the ribbon cassette 10 to apply tension to the ribbon 200. The cassette holder 17 is for fixing the ribbon cassette 100 so that the ribbon 200 is located in front of the print head 13.

Next, the ribbon loading operation in the serial printer of the present embodiment having the above-mentioned configuration will be described with reference to the drawings. 3, 4, and 5 are side views for explaining a series of movements of the ribbon when the ribbon cassette is fitted into the cassette holder. 3 shows a state of the ribbon before the ribbon cassette is fitted into the cassette holder, FIG. 4 shows a state in which the ribbon is locked on the inclined portion of the ribbon guide, and FIG. 5 shows the ribbon set in front of the print head. This is a state in which this is done.

The ribbon cassette 100 in the state shown in FIG.
When the tape is lowered toward the cassette holder 17, the lower end of the ribbon 200 contacts the inclined portion 12b of the ribbon guide 12, whereby the ribbon 200 is inclined along the inclined portion 12b and locked on the inclined portion 12b. To do. As the ribbon cassette 100 is lowered, the ribbon cassette 100 is inserted into the cassette holder 17 while the ribbon 200 is being pulled out (FIG. 4).

Next, in the state shown in FIG. 4, when the serial printer 10 is turned on, the motor operates and the carrier 14 is guided by the main guide shaft 15 and the support shaft 16 to reciprocate. At this time, the driving force of the motor is interlocked with the ribbon cassette 100, and tension is applied to the ribbon 200. Ribbon 2 with tension
00 slides down to the second vertical portion 12c along the inclined portion 12b of the ribbon guide 12, is arranged in front of the printing portion of the print head 13, and is ready for printing (FIG. 5).

According to the serial printer of this embodiment having the above-described structure, the ribbon is guided by the ribbon guide and set in front of the print head simply by fitting the ribbon cassette into the cassette holder.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, if the contact portion between the inclined portion of the ribbon guide and the second vertical portion is tapered, the ribbon can be guided more smoothly.

[0016]

As described above, according to the serial printer of the present invention, the ribbon cassette can be simply inserted.
The ribbon is automatically set in front of the printhead. Therefore, the harmonica type ribbon cassette can be easily replaced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a main part of a serial printer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing a card holder and a ribbon guide of the serial printer shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a state before the ribbon cassette is fitted into the cassette holder.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing a state in which the ribbon is locked on the ribbon guide inclined portion.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a state in which the ribbon is set in front of the print head.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10 ... Serial printer 11 ... Card holder 12 ... Ribbon guide 12a ... First vertical surface 12b ... Inclined surface 12c ... Second vertical surface 13 ... Print head 14 ... Carrier 15 ... Main guide shaft 16 ... Support shaft 17 ... Cassette holder 18 ... Platen

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A printhead located on each side of the printhead, and
A serial printer comprising: a pair of ribbon guides having guide portions on the side facing the card holder; and a tensioning means for applying tension to the ribbon. 2. The guide portion, a first vertical portion, an inclined portion inclined from the first vertical portion toward the card holder,
The serial printer according to claim 1, wherein the tension means for forming a tension on the ribbon is a motor for moving the carrier, the tension means being formed by a second vertical portion continuous with the inclined portion. 3. The serial printer according to claim 1, wherein the ribbon guide and the card holder are integrally formed.