JPH0717117A - Ink ribbon cassette for forming label - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide the ink ribbon cassette mounted on a printer used as a thermal transfer printer for a word processor and capable of forming a label even by a printer low in contact pressure. CONSTITUTION:A tape 3 to be transferred after printing is guided in the direction separated from a platen 14 by the guide 13 positioned on the downstream side of a printing position and further separated from an opening 16 to be led out of a ribbon cassette.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette for label production, and more particularly to an ink ribbon cassette for label production which is mounted on a thermal transfer printer and used for printing on a label tape by a thermal transfer system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a label having desired image information printed on a label having an adhesive and pasted on the spine of a file, used as an index of an audio (video) cassette, or having a name written on one's belongings A label printer and an ink ribbon cassette for producing the label have been proposed which can produce a label such as a sticking label.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main part of a conventionally used label producing ink ribbon cassette. The ink ribbon cassette is composed of three substantially cylindrical cores 2 rotatably supported in a ribbon cassette case 1 having a substantially rectangular plane.
a, 2b, 2c are arranged. Of these three cores, a transfer tape 3 as a label tape on which characters, images, etc. are thermally transferred is wound around the core 2a, and one of the remaining two cores 2b is used for thermal transfer. The ink ribbon 4 is wound, and the other core 2c is arranged for winding the ink ribbon 4 for thermal transfer. The transfer-receiving tape 3 is composed of three layers of a release paper, an adhesive portion, and a printing portion, and a guide roller 5a and a guide roller 5b, which are rotatably supported in the transfer paths of the ink ribbon 4 and the transfer-receiving tape 3, respectively. 5c is provided.

A plurality of key grooves 6 are circumferentially arranged on the inner peripheral surfaces of the core 2a around which the tape 3 to be transferred is wound and the core 2c around which the ink ribbon 4 is wound. A core that is formed in a spline shape with a space therebetween, and on which the inner peripheral surface of a core 2c arranged for winding the ink ribbon 4 on the left side of the drawing and the transfer target tape 3 on the right side of the drawing are wound. The inner peripheral surface of 2a is configured so that the winding bobbin 9 and the delivery bobbin 10 projecting on the carriage 8 of the thermal transfer printer 7 shown in FIG. 5 can engage with each other.

Further, the ribbon cassette case 1 has a concave portion 1 in which a thermal head 11 as a print head provided on a carriage 8 of a thermal transfer printer 7 is arranged.
2 is formed, and an intermediate portion of the ink ribbon 4 and the transfer-receiving tape 3 is led out from the ribbon cassette case 1 in the recess 12. The transfer target tape 3 is once drawn out of the ribbon cassette case 1 from the core 2a around which the transfer target tape 3 is wound, through the guide roller 5a and the opening 15 of the recess 12, and then again from the opening 16 of the recess 12 to the ribbon cassette. Introduced in the case.

On the other hand, the ink ribbon 4 is once drawn out of the ribbon cassette case 1 through the core 2b around which the ink ribbon is wound, the guide roller 5b, and the opening 15 of the recess 12 and then the opening 16 of the recess 12 again. Is introduced into the ribbon cassette case, and is wound around the core 2c via the guide roller 5c.

The transfer tape 3 and the ink ribbon 4 are disposed between the platen 14 and the thermal head 11 of the thermal transfer printer 7 between the openings 15 and 16 of the recess 12.
Since they are arranged so that they can overlap each other, the so-called printing operation is performed in which the ink of the ink ribbon 4 is thermally transferred to the transfer-receiving tape 4 by the thermal head 11 at this position.

In the vicinity of the opening 16 of the concave portion 12 of the cassette case 1, a guide portion 13 for guiding the transfer tape 3 introduced into the cassette case 1 through the opening 16 is formed.

[0009]

However, in such a thermal transfer printer in which the head contact pressure is weak, when the transferred tape is drawn into the ribbon cassette at a steep angle in the vicinity of the head, the transferred tape is transferred to the ribbon cassette. There was a problem that the head was pushed back by the strength of the waist and an appropriate pressure contact pressure could not be obtained, and the print was faint.

Further, in the case of a printer in which the pressure contact pressure of the head is weak, it is necessary to widen the pull-out port of the transfer-target tape so that the load is as low as possible because the pull-out force of the transfer-target tape is weak. When the pressure contact of the head is released when the amount of tape becomes small, the wound transfer target tape is wound as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6 and the transfer target tape near the head enters the ribbon cassette. There was a problem of being lost.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon cassette for label production which can produce a label even with a printer having a weak pressure contact pressure. .

[0012]

In order to achieve the above object, the label producing ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1 of the present invention is a printing method in which printing is performed on a label tape by thermal energy of a thermal head. The label tape is separated from the platen of the thermal transfer printer not only on the downstream side in the direction in which the label tape is conveyed but also on the downstream side of the opening provided for housing the printed ink ribbon in the case. It is characterized in that a guide portion for guiding in the direction is provided.

Further, in the label producing ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention, the label tape is provided on the upstream side in the direction in which the label tape is conveyed with respect to the printing portion where the label tape is printed by the thermal energy of the thermal head. The tape is characterized in that a reversion preventing member is provided to prevent the tape from reversing.

[0014]

In the label producing ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention, the label tape is separated from the platen of the thermal transfer printer further downstream from the opening provided for housing the printed ink ribbon in the case. By providing the guide portion for guiding in the direction, the label tape is separated from the platen at a gentle angle.

In the label forming ink ribbon cassette according to the second aspect, the label tape is prevented from being rewound and entering the ribbon cassette by providing the reversion preventing member.

[0016]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part of an ink ribbon cassette for label production according to the present invention, and FIGS. 2 and 3 are enlarged views of the main part near the head. The same parts as those in the conventional example described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The ink ribbon cassette of this embodiment is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, a transfer tape 3 as a label tape on which an image or the like is thermally transferred is wound in a ribbon cassette case 1 having a substantially rectangular plane, and the transfer tape 3 and the ink ribbon 4 are recessed 12 Between the platen 14 and the thermal head 11 of the thermal transfer printer 7 between the opening 15 and the opening 16 of the thermal transfer printer 7 so that they can overlap each other. Thermally transferred to the transferred tape 3,
A so-called printing operation is performed.

The transferred tape 3 after printing is located at a position further downstream than the opening 16 on the downstream side of the printing position.
Is guided in a direction away from the platen 14 and led out of the ribbon cassette, cut into a required length, and the label is completed.

Further, the concave portion 1 from which the transferred tape 3 is pulled out
A rewinding prevention member 17 is provided near the opening 15 of the second transfer roller 3 so as not to rewind the transferred tape 3. The rewinding prevention member 17 has a flexibility of about 0.03 to 0.05 mm such as polyethylene. It is composed of a thin sheet-shaped member. As shown in the figure, the rewinding prevention member 17 has the other end 1 with one end 17a fixed and curved.
The transfer target tape 3 is arranged so as to be sandwiched between 7b and the outer wall 1a of the ribbon cassette case 1.

When printing is started, the tape 3 to be transferred is shown in FIG.
As described above, the transfer target tape 3 is hardly loaded at this time. However, as shown in FIG. 3, when the transfer-target tape 3 is about to be rewound, the rewind prevention member 17 is also drawn in as the transfer-target tape moves, and a force for pressing the transfer-target tape 3 against the outer wall of the ribbon cassette case 1 acts. It is possible to prevent the transfer tape 3 from being drawn into the ribbon cassette case 1. The stopper 18 is provided so that the rewinding prevention member 17 does not enter the ribbon cassette case 1 more than necessary.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the ink ribbon cassette is constructed as described above, a label can be produced without fading even if the printer has a weak pressure contact pressure. Moreover, it is possible to prevent the transferred tape from entering the ribbon cassette.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a main part showing an embodiment of an ink ribbon cassette of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of an essential part showing a state of a rewinding prevention member during printing.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part showing a state of a rewinding prevention member when the transfer target tape is rewound.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main part showing a conventional ink ribbon cassette.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a printer including an ink ribbon cassette.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state in which a transfer target tape is wound and loosened.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Ribbon Cassette Case 2a, 2b, 2c Core 3 Transfer Tape 4 Thermal Transfer Ink Ribbon 5a, 5b, 5c Guide Roller 6 Key Groove 7 Printer 8 Carriage 9 Winding Bobbin 10 Feeding Bobbin 11 Thermal Head 12 Recess 13 Guide Part 14 Platen 15 Opening 16 Opening 17 Rewinding prevention member 18 Stopper

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a label producing ink ribbon cassette which is provided with a label tape in a case of an ink ribbon cassette and is used by being mounted in a thermal transfer printer, a printing section for performing printing on the label tape by thermal energy of a thermal head. The label tape from the platen of the thermal transfer printer on the downstream side in the direction in which the label tape is conveyed, and further on the downstream side of the opening provided for housing the printed ink ribbon in the case. An ink ribbon cassette for label production, which is provided with a guide portion for guiding in a separating direction. 2. In a label producing ink ribbon cassette which is provided with a label tape in a case of an ink ribbon cassette and is used by being mounted in a thermal transfer printer, a printing section for performing printing on the label tape by thermal energy of a thermal head. An ink ribbon cassette for label production, characterized in that a reversion preventing member is provided on the upstream side in the direction in which the label tape is conveyed, so as to prevent the transfer target tape from reversing.