JPH0736763Y2 - Ink ribbon cartridge with ink supply structure - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial field of application] The present invention makes it easy to mount an endless ink ribbon used in a recording apparatus such as a typewriter or a computer printer, and to improve the service life of the ink ribbon by replenishing the ink. The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishment structure for increasing the size.

More specifically, an endless ink ribbon impregnated with a liquid ink, a ribbon drive unit that cyclically moves the endless ink ribbon between a printing unit and a ribbon storage unit, and an ink that replenishes the liquid ink to the ink ribbon during the cyclic movement. While storing the replenishment structure in the case with lid,
The ink replenishing structure includes an ink storage member that stores liquid ink, and an ink supply member that supplies the liquid ink to the endless ink ribbon directly from the ink storage member or via an ink transfer member. The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishing structure, wherein the ink supply member and the ink supply member are housed in a housing space separated from other space by a partition formed integrally with the case.

[Conventional technology]

In this type of ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishing structure, since the ink storage member and the ink supply member are directly stored in the case, the ink storage member and the ink supply member are stored in advance in separate ink cases. Compared to an ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishment structure in which the cassette is mounted in the case, there is an advantage that it can be manufactured at a low cost.

In the conventional case, the ink storage body is housed in the storage space while directly contacting the bottom surface of the case body side of the case facing the storage space and the inner surface of the partition wall integrally formed with the case body. The inner surface of the lid body is integrally formed with a ridge that forms a gap between the inner surface of the lid and the upper surface of the ink occlusion body housed in the housing space (for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-132755 and Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-132756).

[Problems to be solved by the device]

However, conventionally, all the peripheral surfaces except the upper surface of the ink occlusion body are in close contact with the bottom surface of the case body and the inner surface of the partition wall via the liquid ink, so that the peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body in close contact Since the air is not sufficiently supplied from the ink storage member to the ink storage member, and as a result, the air is supplied substantially only from the upper surface of the ink storage member, the liquid ink hardly flows to the ink supply member side, There is a drawback that the ink absorption performance of the ink storage member by the ink supply member is poor, and conversely, when the ink is impregnated, the air contained in the ink storage member does not sufficiently escape from the peripheral surface, so that the ink impregnation It has the drawback of making it non-uniform.

Further, since the liquid ink easily collects on each contact surface between the peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body and the bottom surface of the case body and the inner surface of the partition wall, there is a drawback that the effective usage amount of the liquid ink occlusion in the ink occlusion body decreases. At the same time, there is a drawback that the pictorial ink accumulated on the contact surface easily bleeds to the outside of the storage space due to a capillary phenomenon.

Further, since the ink occlusion body is accommodated in a state in which the peripheral surface is in contact with the partition wall over the entire circumference, the ink occlusion body in which the liquid ink is previously occluded is accommodated in the accommodation space with the lid body removed. In such a case, the ink occlusion body is easily pushed by the partition wall and largely contracted and deformed. Due to this contraction deformation, a large amount of the occluded ink is squeezed out, and it tends to overflow to the outside of the storage space.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and by devising the storage structure of the ink occlusion body, the ink impregnation can be easily and evenly made, and the ink absorption performance of the ink occlusion body by the ink supply member can be improved. It is an object of the present invention to increase the effective use amount of the liquid ink stored in the ink storage body, and to prevent the liquid ink from seeping out to the outside of the storage space.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

A characteristic configuration of the present invention for achieving the above object is an ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishing structure described above.
A holding member that holds the entire peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body housed in the housing space in a state of being separated from the wall material that defines the housing space is provided. The following operational effects are achieved.

[Action]

Since the entire peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body is held in a state of being separated from the wall material that defines the storage space, the peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body and the wall material do not adhere to each other via the liquid ink. Therefore, when the ink occlusion body is impregnated with the ink after the ink occlusion body is assembled in the case, the air contained in the ink occlusion body is likely to escape from the entire peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body, so that uniform impregnation is easily performed. . Further, when the cassette is used, the air can be sufficiently supplied into the ink occlusion body, so that the liquid ink is liable to flow exclusively to the ink supply member side.

[Effect of device]

Therefore, the ink impregnation amount can be increased. In addition, since the ink suction performance of the ink storage member from the ink storage member can be improved, the effective amount of the liquid ink stored in the ink storage member can be increased. Furthermore,
Since the liquid ink does not easily collect between the peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body and the wall material, it is possible to prevent the liquid ink from seeping out to the outside of the storage space.

Furthermore, when the ink storage material impregnated with ink is stored in the storage space, the entire circumferential surface of the ink storage material is held in a state of being separated from the wall material that defines the storage space. It is less likely to be shrunk and deformed, and the amount of squeezed ink squeezed out is reduced, so that it does not easily overflow to the outside of the storage space.

The ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishment structure according to claim 2, wherein the partition wall extends above the upper surface of the ink occlusion body stored in the storage space, and is attached to the upper end portion of the partition wall and the case. Since the space is provided entirely between the lower surface of the lid and the air is more smoothly supplied from the peripheral surface of the ink occlusion body to the ink occlusion body, the ink occlusion body and the holding member are temporarily separated from each other. Even if the liquid ink oozes out of the ink occlusion body due to the capillary phenomenon caused by the contact of the liquid occlusion, the oozing liquid ink is less likely to immediately flow to the outside of the partition wall, and the liquid ink is effectively leaked to the outside of the storage space. Can be prevented.

〔Example〕

 Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cartridge case (C) that houses the endless ink ribbon (R) impregnated with the liquid ink is divided into two in the ribbon width direction.

One of the two divided parts is composed of a synthetic resin main body case (1) integrally formed with a pair of left and right ribbon guide arms (1A), (1B), and the other is divided into the main body case (1). 1) is composed of a lid (2) made of synthetic resin for detachably closing the opening, and between the pair of ribbon guide arms (1A) and (1B), these both (1A) and (1B). ), A concave printing portion (A) for printing the ink ribbon (R) across the area () with an impact dot head (not shown).

The main body case (1) is formed with a ribbon storage part (3) that is long in the left and right, and the ink ribbon (R) is stored in the ribbon storage part (A) and the ribbon storage part (3) at the entrance side of the ribbon storage part (3). A ribbon drive unit (4) is provided for cyclic movement across the unit (3).

The ribbon drive section (4) is a pair of feed rolls (4A), (4B) that apply a running drive force to the ink ribbon (R).
Consists of both of these feed rolls (4A),
By the drive rotation of (4B), the ink ribbon (R) is folded and stored in the ribbon storage section (3).

Further, an ink supply structure (B) for supplying liquid ink to the ink ribbon (R) that is in the course of circulation is provided on the side of the ribbon storage section (3) opposite to the side where the printing section (A) is present. Has been.

The ink replenishing structure (B) includes an occlusion body (5) made of a non-woven fabric, a fiber, a sponge or the like that occludes a liquid ink,
An ink supply member (6) such as felt for supplying liquid ink from the ink storage body (5) to the ink ribbon (R) through the one feed roll (4A) that also serves as an ink transfer member. , Both members (5),
(6) is housed in a rectangular housing space (S) separated from other spaces by a partition wall (7) formed integrally with the case body (1).

On the inner surface of the partition wall (7) partitioning and forming the storage space (S), a plurality of outer surfaces of the ink occlusion body (5) and the outer surface of the ink supply member (6) facing each other are respectively abutted. The ribs (8) are integrally formed, and gaps are formed between the inner surface of the partition wall (7), the outer surface of the ink occlusion body (5) and the outer surface of the ink supply member (6) so that capillary action does not occur. 9) is formed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, in the inner surface of the bottom plate (1C) of the case body (1) and the lower surface of the lid body (2), a portion facing the storage space (S) is provided. , A plurality of ribs (10), (11) that are in contact with the outer surfaces of the ink occlusion bodies (5) facing each other are integrally formed to form an inner surface of the bottom plate (1C) of the case body (1). Voids (12), () that do not cause capillary action between the outer surface of the ink occlusion body (5) and between the lower surface of the lid body (2) and the outer surface of the ink occlusion body (5), respectively. 13) has been formed.

Further, between the upper end of the partition wall (7) and the lower surface of the lid (2) facing the partition wall (7), a space (14) having a size that does not cause a capillary phenomenon is provided as a whole. ing.

Then, as described above, the inner surface of the partition wall (7) facing the storage space (S), the inner surface of the bottom plate (1C) of the case body (1),
Ribs (8, 10, 11) are formed on the entire lower surface of the lid body (2) so that capillarity does not occur on the outer surfaces of the ink storage body (5) and the ink supply member (6). When the voids (9, 12, 13) having the same size are formed, the leakage of the liquid ink impregnated and held in the ink occlusion body (5) and the ink supply member (6) to the outside is prevented. There is an advantage that it can be prevented more efficiently.

Further, in this embodiment, the liquid ink impregnated and held in the ink occlusion body (5) and the ink supply member (6) rises along the rib (8) of the partition wall (7) due to the capillary phenomenon. Since a relatively large space (14) is entirely formed between the upper end of the partition wall (7) and the lower surface of the lid (2), the rise of the liquid ink due to the capillary phenomenon is caused by the space. Since it is stopped at (14), it is possible to reliably prevent the liquid ink from flowing out as it is.

[Another embodiment]

[I] In the above-described embodiment, the liquid ink replenished from the ink replenishing member (6) is effectively used in the ink ribbon (R) by effectively using one feed roll (4A) of the ribbon drive section (4). However, as shown in FIG. 4, the liquid ink supplied from the ink supply member (6) may be supplied to the ink ribbon (R) via the dedicated ink transfer member (15). Good.

[II] Also, as shown in FIG. 5, the liquid ink replenished from the ink replenishing member (6) is supplied to the ink ribbon (R).
May be configured to be directly supplied to the.

[III] In forming the voids (9, 12, 13) of such sizes that the capillary phenomenon does not occur on the outer surface sides of the ink occlusion body (5) and the ink supply member (6) respectively, In the above, the ribs (8, 10, 11) are formed, but the shape is not limited to this, and for example, the ribs (8, 10, 11) may be formed by a rod-shaped or hemispherical small projection group.

[IV] In the above embodiment, the ribbon drive unit (4) is composed of a pair of feed rolls (4A) and (4B), but the present invention is not limited to this structure and various ribbons can be used according to various conditions. The structure can be changed.

[V] Further, the shapes of the ink occlusion body (5) and the ink supply member (6) can be variously changed according to various conditions.

It should be noted that reference numerals are added to the claims of the utility model for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the structure of the accompanying drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 to 3 show an embodiment of an ink ribbon cartridge with an ink supply structure according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of the entire ink ribbon cartridge, and FIG. 2 is II of FIG. -II sectional drawing, FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the principal part. FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are cross-sectional views of the essential part showing another embodiment. (A) ... print section, (B) ... ink supply structure, (C)
...... Case, (2) ...... Lid, (3) ...... Ribbon storage, (1C), (2), (7) …… Wall material, (8), (1
0), (11) ... Holding member, (R) ... Ink ribbon,
(S) …… Storing space, (4A, 15) …… Ink transfer member,
(4) ...... Ribbon drive section, (5) ...... Ink storage material,
(6) ... Ink supply member, (7) ... Partition, (14) ...
…space.

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. An endless ink ribbon (R) impregnated with a liquid ink, and a ribbon drive section (4) for cyclically moving the endless ink ribbon (R) between a printing section (A) and a ribbon storage section (3). ), While accommodating the ink supply structure (B) for supplying the liquid ink to the ink ribbon (R) during the traveling movement in the case (C) with the lid,
The ink replenishment structure (B) includes an ink storage body (5) for storing liquid ink, and the endless ink ribbon (R) directly from the ink storage body (5) or via an ink transfer member (4A, 15). An ink supply member (6) for supplying liquid ink to the ink storage member (6), and the ink storage member (5) and the ink supply member (6) are formed by a partition wall (7) integrally formed in the case (C). An ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishment structure housed in a storage space (S) separated from another space, wherein the ink storage cartridge (5) is housed in the storage space (S) in its entire circumferential surface. The wall materials (1C), (2), which form the storage space (S) by partitioning,
A holding member (8) for holding the device in a state of being separated from (7),
An ink ribbon cartridge with an ink supply structure provided with (10) and (11). 2. The partition wall (7) extends above the upper surface of the ink occlusion body (5) stored in the storage space (S), and the upper end portion of the partition wall (7) and the case. The ink ribbon cartridge with an ink replenishing structure according to claim 1, wherein a space (14) is provided entirely between the lower surface of the lid (2) attached to (C).