JPH0717116A - Ink ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an ink ribbon capable of being contracted in lateral dimension by forming a near end mark within a printing area. CONSTITUTION:Ink melted by heating is applied to one surface of a long film having light permeability to form an ink layer 15 and ink is applied to a part within the printing area separated from the terminal part 17 of the ink layer 15 by a specific length in such a state that shading properties become lower than those of the printing area to form a near end mark 18 detected by a light transmission type sensor 13.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon used in a thermal printer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An ink ribbon used in a thermal printer is called a one-time ribbon, and when it is used once, all the ink in that portion is transferred to a sheet and cannot be reused. In addition, a mark is formed at the end of the ink ribbon, and the end of the ink ribbon is detected by detecting this mark. However, if the ink ribbon is consumed during printing, the printing work must be interrupted.Therefore, a near end mark is formed before the end of the printing area of the ink ribbon, and this near end mark is detected. After that, only the print data currently held (for example, about one page) can be printed.

On the other hand, as a method for detecting the position of the ink ribbon, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-56369, the inks of the respective colors are detected by detecting the mark formed at the head of the ink layer of the respective colors. There is one that tries to cue the layers. Further, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-11800, a first portion for shielding or reflecting light and a second portion for transmitting light are provided at the end portion of an ink ribbon on which color marks are formed. There is a device in which the ink ribbon is formed and the state where the ink ribbon reaches the end portion is detected by detecting these first and second portions. Further, as described in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 64-1086, there is a device which detects marks formed on both sides of the ink ribbon outside the printing area.

[0004]

The purpose of detecting the near end is to enable printing within a predetermined range even after detection. For this reason, conventionally, the near-end mark is located outside the printing area of the ink ribbon. Therefore,
The width of the ink ribbon must be wider than the width of the print area. Since the ink ribbon has a long shape, widening the width of the ink ribbon causes a problem of wasting materials.

[0005]

According to the present invention, an ink layer is formed by applying ink that is melted by heat to one surface of a long film having a light-transmitting property, and a predetermined portion is formed from the end portion of the ink layer. Near end marks detected by a light-transmitting sensor were formed by applying ink to a part of the printing area separated by a length in a state where the light shielding property is lower than that of the printing area.

[0006]

The near end of the ink ribbon can be detected by detecting the difference in light transmittance between the ink layer and the near end mark formed on a part of the ink layer with a sensor. Since the near-end mark of No. 1 is formed of ink, the ink of the near-end mark can be transferred to the paper with a print density necessary for reading even if the near-end mark faces the thermal head.
Furthermore, by forming the near-end mark in the print area, the width of the long film can be reduced.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In FIG. 2, 1 is a flat base. Although not shown, a cassette case is formed by connecting the base 1 and a cover that covers the upper space thereof.
On the base 1, a supply spool 3 around which a long ink ribbon 2 is wound, a take-up spool 4 for taking up the ink ribbon 2 from the supply spool 3, and the supply spool 3 or ink on the take-up spool 4. A plurality of arms 7 that have a friction roller 5 that contacts the ribbon 2 and that rotate around a fulcrum shaft 6, and these arms 7 that supply the spool 3.
Alternatively, a spring 8 for urging the take-up spool 4 is attached. Further, the platen 10 and the thermal head 11, which face each other with the ink ribbon 2 and the recording paper 9 in between, are arranged so as to be relatively contactable and separable. Reference numeral 12 is a carrying roller for carrying the recording paper 9. A light-transmitting sensor 13 is provided on one side of the base 1 on the supply spool 3 side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ink ribbon 2 is formed by applying ink that is melted by heat to one surface of a flexible transparent film 14.
Reference numeral 15 is an ink layer coated with ink, and 16 is a transparent portion not coated with ink. The entire width of the ink layer 15 is the print area, and the width thereof is equal to the width of the film 14. Then, a near-end mark 18 formed by applying ink in a state in which the light-shielding property is lower than that of the print area is formed in a part of the print area that is separated from the end portion 17 of the ink layer 15 by a predetermined length. . Here, when the light transmittance of the transparent portion 16 is 100% and the light transmittance of the ink layer 15 is 0%, the light transmittance of the near end mark 18 is set to 20 to 50%. The light transmittance of the near-end mark 18 is set by thinning the ink coating film thickness or by coating a slightly light color ink.

In such a structure, the ink ribbon 2 and the recording paper 9 are provided between the platen 10 and the thermal head 11.
, The platen 10 and the transport roller 12 are driven to transport the recording paper 9 to the left, and the take-up spool 4 is driven counterclockwise to supply the supply spool 3
The ink ribbon 2 is wound at the same speed as the conveyance speed of the recording paper 9, and the ink applied to the ink ribbon 2 is transferred to the recording paper 9 by the heat of the thermal head 11 in this process. When the near end mark 18 reaches the sensor 13,
A voltage is output from the light receiving element of the sensor 13. The output at this time detects the near end of the ink ribbon 2. Printing is possible from the time of this detection until the end portion 17 of the ink layer 15 reaches the thermal head 11. When the transparent portion 16 reaches the sensor 13, the voltage output from the sensor 13 becomes high and the output time also becomes long, and the end of the ink ribbon 1 can be detected by the detection voltage in that state. .

In the printing process after the near-end detection, the near-end mark 18 faces a part of the thermal head 11, but the near-end mark 18 is formed of an ink film even if it allows light to pass therethrough. The ink of the near-end mark 18 can be transferred onto the paper 9 with various printing densities. Along with this, the near end mark 18
Can be formed in the print area, and thus the width of the long film 14 can be reduced.

Next, a modified example of the near-end mark will be described. The near-end mark 19 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is obtained by applying the ink having the same density as that of the ink layer 15 other than the near-end mark 19 in a diagonal grid pattern so that the ink density (light transmittance) is pseudo-level. It was changed according to the key. Of course, as shown in FIG. 5, the near-end mark 20 may be formed by applying ink in a grid pattern along the longitudinal direction and the width direction of the film 14. FIG. 6A shows a near-end mark 21 in which the ink density (light transmittance) is changed by pseudo gradation by applying the ink in a checkered pattern, and FIG. 6B shows the circle. The state of the part 22 is expanded and shown. Near end mark 1 by pseudo gradation
In the case of forming 9, 20, and 21, it goes without saying that in any case, the gradation is expressed with a density smaller than the density of the printed pixels.

[0012]

According to the present invention, an ink layer is formed by applying ink which is melted by heat to one surface of a long film having a light-transmitting property, and the ink layer is separated from the end portion of the ink layer by a predetermined length. Ink layer and its ink layer are formed because a near-end mark detected by a light transmissive sensor is formed by applying ink in a part of the print area in a state where the light-shielding property is lower than that of the print area. It is possible to detect the near end by detecting the difference in light transmittance with the near end mark formed on a part of the sensor, and because the near end mark in the printing area is formed by ink, Even if the near-end mark faces the thermal head, the ink of the near-end mark can be transferred to the paper with the print density required for reading, and the near-end mark is formed in the print area. It is thereby possible to reduce the width of the long film.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a part of an ink ribbon showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a mounted state of an ink ribbon.

FIG. 3 is a partial explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the ink ribbon.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of an end mark.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of an end mark.

FIG. 6A is an explanatory diagram showing a modified example of the end mark;
(B) is an enlarged view of a part thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

 13 sensor 14 film 15 ink layer 17 end part 18-21 near end mark

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink layer is formed by applying ink that is melted by heat to one surface of a long film having a light-transmitting property, and an ink layer is formed in a print area separated from an end portion of the ink layer by a predetermined length. An ink ribbon characterized in that a near end mark which is detected by a light transmissive sensor is formed by applying ink in a state where the light-shielding property is lower than the print area.