JPH08252963A - Ribbon cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a ribbon cartridge which can record a large-sized recording sheet by a small-sized ribbon cartridge and record the sheets of a plurality of sizes by one ribbon cartridge. CONSTITUTION: A ribbon cartridge has a pair of ribbon winding cores in which an ink ribbon 101 is wound and which is connected to the ribbon and rotatably contained in a case. The case has a container 105a for containing the core 103a, and a container 105b for containing the core 103b separately.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cartridge that accommodates a pair of ribbon cores around which an ink ribbon is wound, and to a ribbon cartridge that accommodates each ribbon core and has a removable structure.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a thermal transfer recording system using an ink ribbon coated with a heat melting type ink or a heat sublimation type ink has been known. These ink ribbons are wound around a pair of winding cores and housed in a ribbon cartridge. The small ribbon cartridge has a ribbon width slightly larger than that of the thermal head, and moves together with the thermal head while feeding the ribbon on the recording paper. In the case of a large-sized ribbon cartridge, the width of the ribbon covers the width of the recording paper, and the thermal head moves on the ink ribbon spanned by the recording width of the recording paper. In either case, when a signal is given to the thermal head, the ink applied to the ink ribbon is transferred to the recording paper. When the transfer recording for one line is completed, the ink ribbon is wound and the unused ink ribbon is drawn out, and the next line is similarly ink transferred and recorded through the drawn ink ribbon.
In the latter case, generally, high-speed recording is possible as compared with the former case.

In this way, the ink is sequentially transferred line by line, and the transfer recording on the entire recording paper is completed.

[0004]

As described above, in high-speed thermal transfer recording using an ink ribbon, the ink ribbon is spread over the entire recording width of the recording paper. Therefore, in the case of recording on a large recording paper, a large amount of ink ribbon has to be stretched. Since the conventional ribbon cartridge contains a pair of winding cores, not only is it necessary to have a sufficient width with respect to the recording paper for recording a large recording paper, but also the ink ribbon is hung in the conveying direction of the recording paper. In order to hand over, the interval between the winding cores must be widened, and the ribbon cartridge accommodating the winding cores becomes large accordingly.

Further, the width of the recording paper which can be recorded by one ribbon cartridge is limited to one. Furthermore, in order to record a large recording paper, the ribbon cartridge itself becomes large, and therefore, a sufficient space is required even when it is stored when not in use. Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and a ribbon cartridge capable of recording a large recording sheet with a small ribbon cartridge and a plurality of recording sheets with one ribbon cartridge. The purpose is to provide.

[0006]

A ribbon cartridge according to the present invention is a ribbon cartridge in which an ink ribbon is wound and a pair of ribbon cores connected to the ink ribbon are rotatably accommodated in a case. The case includes a first container that houses one of the ribbon cores,
The second container for accommodating the other of the ribbon cores is formed separately.

Further, the first and second housings are detachably formed with respect to each other. Further, the pair of ribbon cores are composed of an ink ribbon supply side and an ink ribbon take-up side, and one of the ribbon cores accumulates a driving force for rotationally driving the ribbon core. An urging means is provided for rotatably driving the ribbon core by the driving force accumulated in the urging means so that the ink ribbon is wound.

Further, the urging means is provided between a winding shaft which constitutes the ribbon winding core and a locking means which is located radially outward of the winding shaft.

[0009]

According to the above-mentioned means according to the present invention, the case for accommodating the pair of ribbon cores is composed of the accommodating body for accommodating each ribbon core separately. Furthermore, each container is configured to be detachable from each other. Further, one of the pair of ribbon cores is provided with an urging means for accumulating a driving force for winding the drawn ink ribbon and a locking means for engaging with the urging means.

The locking means comprises a ratchet wheel and a ratchet, and the biasing means comprises a spring spring whose ends are fixed to the ratchet wheel and the ratchet, respectively. The ratchet wheel and the ratchet constitute a ratchet stop mechanism, which allows the ribbon core to rotate in the forward direction, and the forward rotation causes elastic force to be accumulated in the mainspring.

Then, by releasing the ratchet stop mechanism, the ribbon core is rotationally driven by the elastic force, whereby the drawn ink ribbon is wound. When the ribbon cartridge according to the present invention is set in the apparatus, the ink cartridges that are wound and accommodated are separated by separating the containers that form the ribbon cartridge, and the ink ribbons are laid out in the width direction of the recording paper and removed from the device. In this case, the ink ribbon that has been pulled out is rolled up, and the separated containers are integrated with each other.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the ribbon cartridge 100 includes a ribbon winding core 103 a, on which an ink ribbon 101 is wound.
3b is housed in the housings 105a and 105b, and the housing 107 has a protruding portion 107 and a housing 105.
By fitting with the concave portion 109 provided in b, the both housings are detachably fitted. That is, the recessed portion 109 can be elastically expanded like the structure shown in the drawing, whereby the protrusion 107 and the recessed portion 109 are combined to form the ink ribbon 10.
It can be attached or removed by pushing or pulling it in the running direction of 1.

The ink ribbon 101 is supported by a pair of rollers 111 provided in each container, and at the time of recording, drive gears 113a and 113b provided outside the container are rotationally driven to run in the χ direction in the figure. Let That is, in the recording operation, the ink ribbon 101 moves from the supply side container 105a to the winding side container 105b by the recording width every time one line is recorded. A reverse rotation preventing mechanism (one-side clutch) (not shown) is provided on the bottom surface of the container 105b on which the ink ribbon 101 is wound so that a winding shaft (not shown) for winding the ink ribbon is restricted to rotate only in the ink ribbon winding direction. Is provided.

The container 105a will be described below with reference to FIG. The container 105a for accommodating the ribbon core 103a for supplying the ink ribbon 101 is wound so as to wind the drawn ink ribbon 101 around the ribbon core 103a when both the containers are removed from the recording apparatus. Means 113 are provided. The winding means 113 is housed in the casing 125 in a state in which the mainspring 123, which is a biasing means, is wound. The spiral spring 123 has one end fixed to the winding shaft 115 of the ribbon core 103a and the other end fixed to the ratchet wheel 121.

Further, the ratchet 127 that engages with the ratchet wheel 121 is provided with a stopper 129 that slides in the direction of the arrow in the figure in order to engage and disengage the ratchet 127 and the ratchet wheel 121. The operation surface of is exposed outside the housing 125. Ratchet wheel 121 and ratchet 12
7 constitutes a locking means.

The ratchet wheel 121 includes a housing 125.
A part of it is exposed to the outside of the housing so that it can be rotationally driven from the outside. In the hooking means having the above structure, the ratchet 127 is attached to the support shaft that supports the ratchet 127.
And a coil spring (not shown) for meshing the ratchet wheel 121 in the forward direction is wound. Further, on the peripheral surface of the ratchet 127, a protrusion (not shown) is provided to engage with a protrusion (not shown) provided on the stopper 129 so as to transmit the sliding motion of the stopper 129 to the ratchet 127.

In the hooking means, when the stopper 129 is at the hooking position, the ratchet wheel 121 and the ratchet 127 mesh in the forward direction. The winding shaft 115
The rotational movement is braked by the recording device by a braking means (not shown) on the bottom surface of the container 105a.

The operation of the ribbon cartridge will be described below. The ribbon cartridge, as shown in FIG.
It is installed in a separated state. Then, a drive gear 113a provided on the ink ribbon supplying side and a drive gear 113b provided on the ink ribbon winding side are
The ink ribbon is run by rotating the ink ribbon.
When the ink ribbon is running and printing is performed, the ratchet and the ratchet wheel are unlocked.

When the ribbon cartridge is replaced, the ratchet and the ratchet wheel are hooked, and then the ratchet wheel is directly rotated to accumulate elastic force in the mainspring. When the ribbon cartridge is removed while the ratchet and the ratchet wheel are hooked and the elastic force is accumulated in the mainspring spring, the elastic force accumulated in the mainspring spring drives the winding core 115 to rotate, thereby pulling it out. The ink ribbon in the separated state is wound around the ribbon core 103a. Then, the ribbon cartridge in the separated state can be integrated by fitting the concave portion and the convex portion.

Another embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. The ribbon cartridge 300 shown in FIG. 3 is different from the ribbon cartridge 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 in that the winding means is provided on the container 105b side, and the rotation of the winding shaft of the container 105a is changed to the ink ribbon. A point where a reverse rotation prevention mechanism (one-side clutch) for limiting the supply side is provided on the container 105a side, and the container 105
This is in that the housing 105b is provided with a braking means for braking the rotational movement of the winding shaft b. Therefore, the same parts as those of the ribbon cartridge 100 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The winding means 313 shown in FIG.
Has basically the same structure and winding operation as shown in FIG. The difference from the operation of the ribbon cartridge 100 is that when the ratchet wheel 121 is rotationally driven to accumulate the biasing force in the mainspring spring in order to replace the ribbon cartridge 300, the winding shaft on the side of the container 105b is the same as the ratchet wheel. It is to brake so that it is not rotated in the direction.

Specifically, either one of the drive gear 113b and the ratchet wheel 121 is rotationally driven by a drive motor (not shown) through a reversing gear in a direction for urging the mainspring. Thus, the drive gear 113b and the ratchet wheel 121 are rotated in opposite directions. As a result, a biasing force for winding the drawn ink ribbon is accumulated in the main spring.

Then, as described above, when the ribbon cartridge is removed while the ratchet and the ratchet wheel are hooked and the elastic force is accumulated in the spring, the elastic force accumulated in the spring causes
The ink core in the pulled-out state is driven by the core of the ribbon core 103b which is driven to rotate.
get caught in b.

An apparatus to which the ribbon cartridge according to the present invention is applied will be described below with reference to FIG.
4 (a) to (c) are schematic side views of the device,
A schematic plan view and a schematic front view are shown. That is, the direct thermal paper 403 wound around the roll 401 is conveyed and moved in the direction of arrow a in the figure by driving the feed roller 405 and the guide 406.

Ink ribbons 407y and 407 coated with yellow, cyan, magenta, and black inks are formed in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the thermal paper 403 is directly conveyed.
m, 407c, 407b are ribbon cartridges 409y, 409m, 409 having the mechanism according to the present invention.
It is wound around by c and 409b. That is, the ribbon cartridge is set in a state in which the ribbon cartridge is separated, and the ink ribbon accommodated in the roll is pulled out and directly extended in the width direction of the thermal paper 403.

The two containers forming each ribbon cartridge are placed on a moving guide 413 which moves on a moving guide rail 411 which constitutes a moving means provided directly in the direction of conveyance of the thermal paper. The winding core is rotationally driven by the drive gears 113a and 113b (not shown) described in the above. Furthermore, a plurality of thermal heads 415
a, 415b, 415c are installed on the shuttle 417 which moves in the direction of arrow b.

A platen rubber 419 that directly elastically supports the thermal paper 403 is provided at the scanning position of the thermal heads 415a to 415c. After recording, direct thermal paper 40
3 is cut by a cutter 421.

The recording operation will be described below. FIG. 5 shows an operation when recording is performed by directly supplying heat energy to the thermal paper. First, the moving guide 413 is moved in the direction of arrow c in the drawing to move the ink ribbons 407y to 407y-4.
07b is retracted from the recording position. After that, the thermal paper 403 is directly conveyed and moved in the direction of arrow a in the drawing, and the thermal heads 415a to 415c are moved in the direction of arrow b in the drawing to directly record the thermal paper 403.

FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b) show the operation of supplying thermal energy to the ink ribbon to transfer the color ink. FIG. 6A shows a case where yellow is directly transferred to the thermal paper 403. That is, the moving guide 413 is driven to move the ink ribbon 407y coated with yellow ink to the thermal heads 415a to 415c.
To face. After that, the thermal paper 403 is directly conveyed and moved, and the yellow ink is directly transferred to the thermal paper 403 by moving the thermal heads 415a to 415c.

Further, FIG. 6B shows a case where black is directly transferred to the thermal paper 403. That is, the moving guide 413 is driven to move the ink ribbon 407b coated with the black ink to the thermal heads 415a to 415a.
Face 15c. Then, the thermal paper 403 is directly conveyed and moved, and the thermal heads 415a to 415c are moved to directly transfer the black ink to the thermal paper 403.

Further, in the case of recording magenta or cyan, the required ink ribbon is opposed to the thermal head and the required ink is directly heat-sensitive as in the transfer of yellow and black shown in FIGS. 6 (a) and 6 (b). Transfer to paper.

[0032]

According to the invention described above, when set in the apparatus, the respective ink cartridges constituting the ribbon cartridge are separated and the wound ink ribbon is pulled out.
When detached from the apparatus, the ink ribbon that has been pulled out can be rolled up to integrate the separated containers. Since the recording width can be set by expanding the space between the separated containers in this way, it is possible to record plural sizes of recording paper with one ribbon cartridge,
Moreover, the ribbon cartridge does not become large even when recording a large recording sheet. Further, even when a plurality of thermal heads are used at the same time as in the embodiment, the number of ribbon cartridges is not limited to one and only one may be used. In addition, when not in use, each container is united to reduce its size, so that it can be stored anywhere.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an ink ribbon cartridge 100 shown in FIG.
The perspective view which shows the container 105a which comprises.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an apparatus to which the ribbon cartridge shown in FIG. 1 is applied.

5 is a diagram showing the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

6 is a diagram showing the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 100 ribbon cartridge 101 ink ribbon 103a, 103b ribbon core 105a, 105b container 107 convex portion 109 concave portion 111 roller pair 113a, 113b drive gear 115 winding shaft 121 ratchet wheel 123 spring spring 125 housing 127 ratchet 129 stopper

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A ribbon cartridge in which an ink ribbon is wound and a pair of ribbon cores connected to the ink ribbon are rotatably accommodated in a case, wherein the case is one of the ribbon cores. A ribbon cartridge, wherein a first container for storing the second core and a second container for storing the other of the ribbon cores are formed separately. 2. The ribbon cartridge according to claim 1, wherein the first and second containers are detachably formed. 3. The pair of ribbon cores are composed of an ink ribbon supply side and an ink ribbon winding side, and a driving force for rotationally driving the ribbon core to one of the ribbon cores. 2. An urging means for accumulating the ink ribbon is provided, and the ribbon core is rotationally driven by the driving force accumulated in the urging means so that the ink ribbon is wound. The described ribbon cartridge. 4. The urging means is provided between a winding shaft which constitutes the ribbon winding core and a locking means which is located radially outward of the winding shaft. Ribbon cartridge.