JPH05318865A - Anti-idling mechanism of spool in ink ribbon cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain the anti-idling mechanism of a spool in an ink ribbon cartridge, with which the reduction of cost and man-hour is contrived and the disposability after use of which is improved. CONSTITUTION:One end parts 10 and 10' stuck out of a case acting as driven parts, to which the driving shafts of a printer are connected. Flanges 15 and 15' are formed near the one end parts 10 and 10'. At the other end parts of the respective spools, convergent locked parts 16 and 16' are provided. The tip parts 16a and 16'a are made to be tetragonal forms in cross-section. Tongue pieces 20 and 20' are formed on reinforcing walls 19a and 19'a provided near the supporting walls 17 and 17' of the respective spools. At the same time, a notch engaging with the locked part of the spool is formed at the tip of the tongue piece. When an ink ribbon cartridge is out of use, the notch of the tongue piece is engaged with the tip of the locked part and the flange of the spool is pushed by the elastic force of the tongue piece against the front wall 2a of the case, resulting in checking the spool from rotating.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spool idling prevention mechanism in a novel ink ribbon cartridge. Specifically, in an ink ribbon cartridge that stores a spool around which an ink ribbon is wound, the spool is prevented from unnecessarily rotating and the ink ribbon is not loosened while the spool is not used. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spool idling prevention mechanism in a novel ink ribbon cartridge which can be reduced.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an ink ribbon cartridge containing a spool around which an ink ribbon is wound, a means is provided to prevent the spool from accidentally rotating when not in use.

9 and 10 show an example of a spool idling prevention mechanism in a conventional ink ribbon cartridge.

FIG. 9 shows a state where the spool in the ink ribbon cartridge a is stored.

The case b of the ink ribbon cartridge a has a synthetic resin upper half c (see FIG. 10) and a lower half d.
In FIG. 9 showing the state in which the upper half c is removed, the spool storage portion e of the lower half d,
e'is a substantially cylindrical spool f, f'made of synthetic resin.
Are stored respectively.

Both ends of the ink ribbon g are fastened and wound around the spools f and f '.

Then, one ends h of the spools f and f ',
Flanges i and i'are formed on h ', and a portion near the tip of the flange projects from the case through circular holes k and k'formed in the front wall j of the case b. , H ′ are connected to drive shafts (not shown) on the printer side, respectively.

Further, projections m and m'are formed at the ends l and 1'on the opposite side of the spools f and f ', respectively.
These are rotatably fitted in circular holes o, o'formed in support walls n, n'standing in each half.

Reference characters p and p'represent metal coil springs, which are fitted onto the protrusions m and m'of the spool, respectively, and support walls n and n'and ends l and l'of the spools f and f '. It is contracted between the end face on the side.

FIG. 10A shows the state of the spool f when the ink ribbon cartridge a is not used. The flange i of the spool f contacts the front wall j of the case b by the elastic force of the coil spring p. The rotation of the spool f is restricted by the contact.

FIG. 10B shows a state in which the ink ribbon cartridge a is used. When the ink ribbon cartridge a is mounted in the printer, the drive shaft on the printer side is the end portion of the spool f. The spool f is moved to the support wall n side by the pressing force (shown by the arrow A) at the time of being connected to h, whereby the spool f becomes rotatable.

[0012]

By the way, in the above-mentioned ink ribbon cartridge a, the spool f,
Since metal coil springs p and p'are used to prevent the idling of f ', the cost is increased and the number of steps is increased because the coil springs p and p'cannot be formed integrally with other members. There is a problem of inviting.

Further, there is a problem in disposing of the ink ribbon cartridge a after the ink ribbon g has been used up.

That is, the case b of the ink ribbon cartridge a, the spools f and f ', etc. are made of synthetic resin, while the coil springs m and m'are made of metal, which hinders incineration. It will be.

[0015]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the spool idling prevention mechanism in the ink ribbon cartridge of the present invention solves the above-mentioned problems. In this case, the spool to which the end of the ink ribbon is fixed is made of a synthetic resin. Stored in
A spool idling prevention mechanism in an ink ribbon cartridge in which a spool is supported so as to be movable in the direction of its central axis, wherein a locked portion protruding in the axial direction is provided at one end of the spool, and the tip of the locked portion is provided. The diameter of the portion is smaller than that of the remaining portion, and the cross-sectional shape when cut along a plane orthogonal to the center axis of the spool has a polygonal shape. An elastic contact piece made of synthetic resin having a corresponding cutout is provided, and a part of the spool is brought into contact with the inner wall or partition wall of the case by the elastic force of the elastic contact piece.

[0016]

According to the present invention, when the ink ribbon cartridge is not used, the notch of the elastic contact piece provided in the case is engaged with the tip of the locked portion of the spool to lock the spool. By pressing a part of the spool against the inner wall or partition of the case with the elastic contact piece, it is possible to prevent the spool from idling, and by forming this elastic contact piece with a synthetic resin, it is possible to form it integrally with the case. It is possible to suppress an increase in cost and an increase in man-hours, and it is possible to eliminate the metal coil spring which has been a problem in incineration.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the spool idling prevention mechanism in the ink ribbon cartridge of the present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

1 and 2 show the appearance of the ink ribbon cartridge.

Case 2 of ink ribbon cartridge 1
Has two substantially cylindrical spool accommodating portions 3 and 3'opened at one end and closed at the other end, and their ends are connected by connecting portions 4 and 4 ', and they are spaced apart from each other and are parallel to each other. Are formed integrally with each other by a synthetic resin.

As a result, the window 5 for the ink ribbon is formed on the upper surface of the case 2.

Then, openings 6 and 6 '(only one of which is shown in FIG. 6) which are long in the front-rear direction are formed in the side wall of the spool housing portions 3 and 3'on opposite sides, leaving both ends. Has been done.

The case 2 as described above is formed by assembling the respective halves 7 and 8 formed in upper and lower halves by abutting the upper and lower halves together.

A pair of substantially cylindrical spools 9 and 9'made of synthetic resin are stored in the spool storage portions 3 and 3 ', respectively, and a portion 1 near one end of the spools 9 and 9'is stored.
0 and 10 'are driven parts.

That is, the driven parts 10, 10 'are circular holes 1 formed in the front wall 2a of the case 2 as shown in FIG.
The projections 1 and 11 'are projected from one end surface of the case 2, and the inner peripheral surfaces of the recesses 12 and 12' formed therein are provided with engagement protrusions 13, 13, ... Are formed with a constant angular interval.

Therefore, after the ink ribbon cartridge 1 is mounted in the printer, the drive shaft (not shown) is connected to the driven parts 10, 10 'of the spools 9, 9'in a fitting manner.

Reference numeral 14 is an ink ribbon, both ends of which are fastened to the main portions 9a and 9'a of the spools 9 and 9 ', and most of them are wound around the supply side spool 9'. ..

The spool 9 of the ink ribbon 14
And 9'is located between the spool storage portions 3 and 3 '.
Through the openings 6 and 6'and exposed from the window 5 to the outside.

FIG. 3 shows a state in which the spools 9 and 9'are stored by removing the upper half 7, and when the ink ribbon cartridge 1 is not used,
9'shows means for preventing idling.

As described above, the driven parts 10, 10 'of the spools 9, 9'project to the outside of the case 2 through the circular holes 11, 11'. Flange 15 and 15 'with a small protrusion amount
Are integrally formed with the spools 9 and 9 '.

Numerals 16 and 16 'are locked portions projectingly provided at the center of the other ends of the spools 9 and 9', and their diameters are the same as the diameters of the main portions 9a and 9'a of the spools 9 and 9 '. The tip portions 16a and 16'a are made smaller than the conventional one, and the tip portions 16a and 16'a thereof are tapered to form inclined surfaces 16b and 16'b.

Then, as shown in FIG. 4, the tip portion 16a
Has a square cross section when cut along a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the spool 9.

The locked portion 16 'has the same shape as the locked portion 16.

Reference numerals 17, 17 and 17 ', 17' denote supporting walls projecting from each half (only those formed on the lower half 8 are shown in FIG. 3), and these have semicircular notches. 17a, 17a, 17'a, 17'a are formed in the circular holes 18, 18 '(see FIGS. 6 and 8) formed between the opposing support walls, and the locked portions of the spools 9, 9'are locked. 1
6, 16 'are inserted.

Reference numerals 19a, 19b and 19'a, 19'b are reinforcing walls connected to the support wall 17 of the lower half 8.

The reinforcing walls 19a and 19b are formed integrally with the spool housing portion 3 of the lower half 8 and are provided with the spool 9
A reinforcing wall 19a provided at a position closer to the opening 6 with respect to the central axis of the above extends vertically to the support wall 17 and is erected up to the rear wall of the lower half 8.

The height of the reinforcing wall 19a is slightly higher than the height of the supporting wall 17, and a portion near the upper end of the reinforcing wall 19a is
The tongue piece 20 is formed integrally with the reinforcing wall 19a.

The tongue piece 20 is the support wall 17 of the reinforcing wall 19a.
The ink ribbon cartridge 1 extends obliquely from a position closer to the tip 16a of the spool 9
The triangular engaging notch 21 (see FIGS. 3, 5, and 7) formed in the tip portion 16a of the tongue piece 20 is disposed so as to be engaged with the tip portion 16a of the spool 9 when not used. ing.

A biasing force is applied to the spool 9 so that the rotation of the spool 9 is restricted by the elastic force of the tongue piece 20.

The other reinforcing wall 19b is erected on the side opposite to the reinforcing wall 19a with respect to the center axis of the spool 9, extends perpendicularly to the support wall 17 and parallel to the reinforcing wall 19a.

Reinforcing wall 1 formed in the spool storage portion 3 '
9'a and 19'b are the reinforcing walls 19 described above with respect to the window 5.
It is provided symmetrically with a and 19b.

That is, the tongue piece 2 having the engaging cutout 21 'is formed at the upper end of the reinforcing wall 19'a provided near the opening 6'.
0'is formed, and the other reinforcing wall 19'b is formed.
Are arranged parallel to the reinforcing wall 19'a.

FIG. 5 shows the positional relationship between the tip portion 16a of the spool 9 and the tongue piece 20 when the ink ribbon cartridge 1 is not used.

The tip 16a of the spool 9'and the tongue 2
The relationship with 0'can be described in exactly the same way by replacing the reference numerals by adding "'" to the reference numerals indicating the respective members in the following description. Therefore, in order to avoid duplication of explanation, the spool 9'will be described. The description is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 5 (a), the tip end portion 16a of the spool 9 is in contact with the tip end portion of the tongue piece 20, and when viewed from the rear side, as shown in FIG. 5 (b). The tongue piece 20 has a tip portion 16a having a rectangular cross section.
The rotation of the spool is restricted by being engaged with the engagement notch 21 formed at the tip of the.

Since the spool 9 receives a force in the direction of arrow F due to the elasticity of the tongue piece 20, the flanges 15 and 15 'of the spool 9 are attached to the front wall 2a of the case 2 as shown in FIG. It is pressed, which prevents the spool 9 from idling.

When the ink ribbon cartridge 1 is used, the drive shaft of the printer is connected to the driven portion 10 of the spool 9 and the pressing force of the printer causes the spool 9 to move.
As indicated by an arrow G in FIG. 7A, the tongue piece 20 is moved against the elastic force.

As a result, the tip portion of the tongue piece 20 is shown in FIG.
As shown in (b), the locked portion 16 is in contact with the inclined surface 16b.

As shown in FIG. 8, since the flange 15 of the spool 9 is separated from the front wall 2a of the case 2, the spool 9 is in a rotatable state.

The locked portion 16 of the spool 9 and the tongue piece 2
The positional relationship between the two is regulated so that the rotation of the spool 9 is not hindered by the resistance caused by the contact with 0.

[0050]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, when the ink ribbon cartridge is not used, the notch of the elastic contact piece provided in the case is engaged with the tip of the locked portion of the spool. The spool is locked by being fitted together, and the spool can be prevented from idling by pressing a part of the spool against the inner wall or partition wall of the case by the elastic contact piece, and the elastic contact piece is formed of synthetic resin. As a result, it can be formed integrally with the case, the cost and man-hours can be reduced, and the spool can be prevented from idling without using a metal coil spring which has been a problem in incineration.

It should be noted that the structure and shape of each part in each of the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the embodiment in implementing the spool idling prevention mechanism in the ink ribbon cartridge of the present invention. The technical scope of the present invention should not be limitedly interpreted.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, the spool having a locked end portion having a square cross-section is exemplified. Generally, however, this cross-section has a polygonal shape, and the elastic contact piece has a notch. However, it is needless to say that various technical aspects can be included in the technical scope of the present invention without departing from the gist of the present invention. ..

[Brief description of drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the ink ribbon cartridge is viewed from a direction different from that in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a stored state of a spool in the ink ribbon cartridge.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of essential parts showing the relationship between the tip of the locked portion of the spool and the tongue piece.

5A and 5B are diagrams showing the positional relationship between the tip of the locked portion of the spool and the tongue when the ink ribbon cartridge is not used, FIG. 5A is a plan view of a main portion, and FIG. 5B is a rear view of the main portion. Is.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the spool when the ink ribbon cartridge is not used.

7A and 7B are diagrams showing a positional relationship between a tip of a locked portion of a spool and a tongue when an ink ribbon cartridge is used, FIG. 7A is a plan view of a main portion, and FIG. 7B is a rear view of the main portion. is there.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing a state of the spool when the ink ribbon cartridge is used.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a spool idling prevention mechanism in a conventional ink ribbon cartridge.

10A and 10B are cross-sectional views showing a stored state of a spool in a conventional ink ribbon cartridge, in which FIG. 10A shows a state when not in use, and FIG. 10B shows a state when used.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Ink Ribbon Cartridge 2 Case 2a Case Inner Wall 9, 9'Spool 14 Ink Ribbon 15, 15 'Part of Spool 16, 16' Locked Part 16a, 16'a Tip of Locked Part 20, 20 'Elastic Contact Piece 21, 21 'Notch

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An idling prevention of a spool in an ink ribbon cartridge in which a spool to which an end portion of an ink ribbon is fixed is housed in a case made of synthetic resin, and the spool is supported so as to be movable in a central axis direction thereof. (B) A mechanism in which a locked portion that protrudes in the axial direction is provided at one end of the spool, and the tip of the locked portion has a smaller diameter than the remaining portion and is orthogonal to the central axis of the spool. The cross-sectional shape when cut by is polygonal, (b) the elastic contact piece having a notch that engages with the tip of the locked portion of the spool is provided when the ink ribbon cartridge is not mounted, A spool idling prevention mechanism in an ink ribbon cartridge characterized by: 2. When not mounted, the notch of the elastic contact piece engages with the tip of the locked portion of the spool to lock its rotation, and the elastic contact piece presses the spool to partially cover the spool. The mechanism for preventing idling of a spool in an ink ribbon cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the mechanism is adapted to abut against an inner wall or a partition of the case. 3. The ink according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cross-sectional shape of the locked portion when the tip portion of the locked portion is cut along a plane orthogonal to the central axis of the spool has a quadrangular shape. A spool idling prevention mechanism in a ribbon cartridge. 4. A mechanism for preventing the idle rotation of a spool in an ink ribbon cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the elastic contact piece is formed integrally with the case.