JPH0761079A - Ink ribbon cassette and its mounting structure - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the cost of consumables, economize resources, prevent environmental pollution, and obtain images of high quality. CONSTITUTION:A mounting structure comprises a printer body 1, a ribbon cassette inserting opening 2 bored in the printer body 1, ribbon position pull-out pins 3, and a ribbon discrimination pin 4. The structure also comprises an ink ribbon cassette 5, a cassette housing 6, feed and take-up bobbins 7 and 8, an ink ribbon 9, and a fixing plate 10 for fixing the bobbins 7 and 8. On the fixing plate 10, ribbon position pull-out holes 12 which engage with the ribbon position pull-out pins 3 and ribbon discrimination holes 13 to be sensed by the ribbon discrimination sensor 4 are provided.

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 used in a recording device such as a thermal printer, and more particularly to a structure for fixing an ink ribbon bobbin wound with an ink ribbon.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, in an ink ribbon cassette of this type, an ink ribbon bobbin wound with an ink ribbon contained in a cassette housing has a structure that cannot be removed from the cassette housing. Therefore, when all the ink ribbons are used up, they are replaced as a consumable item together with the cassette housing.

[0003]

However, in the method of replacing the entire ink ribbon cassette and discarding it as a consumable product as in the above-mentioned conventional method, the cost of the consumable product for the user is high, and the viewpoint of resource saving and environmental pollution. Therefore, it is strongly desired that a large resin portion such as a cassette housing be reused.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable replacement of the ink ribbon bobbin to reduce the cost of consumables and achieve resource saving. Another object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon cassette and a mounting structure thereof that prevent environmental pollution and position the ink ribbon bobbin to improve the quality of images.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention is provided with a plate for positioning and fixing the ink ribbon bobbin in the cassette housing. Further, in the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention, the cassette housing can be divided and combined, the ink ribbon bobbin can be exchanged, and the plate can be exchanged. Further, in the ink ribbon cassette mounting structure according to the present invention, a positioning device for positioning the plate is provided in the printer device body in which the ink ribbon cassette is mounted. Further, in the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention, the plate is provided with display means for displaying the type of the ink ribbon housed in the cassette housing. Further, the mounting structure of the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention is
The plate is provided with identification means according to the type of ink ribbon housed in the cassette housing, and the printer body is provided with identification means for identifying the identification means.

[0006]

According to the present invention, the ink ribbon bobbin is positioned and fixed to the cassette housing by the plate. Further, according to the present invention, the ink ribbon cassette is positioned and fixed by the plate positioning means of the apparatus main body.
Further, according to the present invention, the type of the ink ribbon is displayed by the display means of the plate. Further, according to the present invention,
The type of ink ribbon is identified by the identifying means of the apparatus body.

[0007]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of mounting the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention on a printer body, and FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention. In these figures, reference numeral 1 denotes a printer main body, 2 a ribbon cassette insertion hole formed in the printer main body 1, 3 ribbon positioning pins, and 4 ribbon identification sensors.

An ink ribbon cassette generally designated by reference numeral 5 is composed of a cassette housing 6, a supply bobbin 7, a winding bobbin 8, an ink ribbon 9 and a ribbon fixing plate 10. The cassette housing 6 includes an upper housing 6a and a lower housing 6b.
Can be divided into and combined with each other, and the supply and take-up bobbins 7 and 8 on which the ink ribbon 9 is wound are housed.

Large-diameter insertion holes 11 are formed at both ends of the fixed plate 10, and a pair of small-diameter ribbon positioning holes 12 and ribbon-type identification holes 13 are formed above and below the central portion. There is.

In such a structure, the ink ribbon 9
When loading into the cut housing 6, first, the bobbins 7 and 8 are fitted into the fitting holes 11 of the fixed plate 10, and the bobbins 7 and 8 are housed in the lower housing 6b along the direction A, and then, The upper case 6a is covered with the lower case 6b along the B direction to be united, and the fixed plate 1
By sandwiching 0 between both cases 6a and 6b, both bobbins 7 and 8 are stored in the cassette housing 6, and the ink ribbon 9 is loaded. When all of the ink ribbon 9 thus loaded is used up and wound up by the winding roll 8, the upper case 6a is again divided and removed from the lower case 6b, and both the ribbons 7 and 8 are fixed together with the fixing plate 10.
Remove the bobbin 7, 8 from the housing case 6.
Is replaced with the fixed plate 10. The ribbon type identification hole 13 provided in the fixed plate 10 is
For example, the position of the hole is changed according to the color of the ink ribbon,
The type of the ink ribbon 9 can be identified by the position of the hole.

When the ink ribbon cassette 5 loaded with the ink ribbon 9 is inserted into the ribbon cassette insertion opening of the printer body 1 along the direction C, the ribbon positioning pin 3 is fitted into the ribbon positioning hole 12 and the fixing plate 10 is inserted. Is positioned relative to the printer body 1, so that both bobbins 7,
Since 8 is also positioned, the conveyance state of the ink ribbon 9 becomes good and a high quality image can be obtained.

At the same time, the ribbon identification sensor 4 senses the ribbon type identification hole 13, and the ribbon cassette insertion port 2
The printer body 1 side recognizes the type of the ink ribbon 9 set therein. After the ink ribbon cassette 5 is set in the printer body 1, the ink ribbon 9 is conveyed in the direction of arrow D and printing is performed.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the cassette housing can be freely divided, the ink ribbon bobbin can be exchanged, and the plate can be exchanged, these can be exchanged as consumables. Therefore, what is discarded can be minimized, and the cassette housing can be reused, so that the cost of consumables is facilitated and the economical burden on the user is reduced.

Further, since the apparatus main body in which the ink ribbon cassette is mounted is provided with the positioning means for positioning the plate, the ink ribbon is positioned with respect to the mechanism in the apparatus main body, and the ink ribbon is conveyed well. ,
High quality images can be obtained.

Further, by simultaneously exchanging the plate with the function of identifying the ribbon type when exchanging the ribbon, it is possible to obtain a device in which the main body does not move backward even if the ribbon type is changed.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of mounting an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention on a printer body.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Printer Main Body 2 Ribbon Cassette Insertion Port 3 Ribbon Positioning Pin 4 Ribbon Identification Sensor 5 Ink Ribbon Cassette 6 Cassette Body 7 Supply Bobbin 8 Winding Bobbin 9 Ink Ribbon 10 Fixing Plate 11 Fitting Hole 12 Ribbon Positioning Hole 13 Ribbon Type Identification Hole

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An ink ribbon cassette in which an ink ribbon wound around an ink ribbon bobbin is accommodated in a cassette housing, and a plate for positioning and fixing the ink ribbon bobbin is provided in the cassette housing. . 2. The ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1, wherein the cassette housing can be divided and united, the ink ribbon bobbin can be replaced, and the plate can be replaced. 3. A mounting structure for an ink ribbon cassette, characterized in that a positioning means for positioning the plate is provided in a printer device body for mounting the ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1. 4. The ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1, wherein the plate is provided with display means for displaying a type of the ink ribbon housed in the cassette housing. 5. The ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1, wherein the plate is provided with identification means according to the type of ink ribbon accommodated in the cassette housing, and the printer body identifies the identification means. A structure for mounting an ink ribbon cassette, characterized by being provided with an identifying means.