JPH10264488A - Stopper/anti-projection member fixed to ink ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a broken winding shaft or a take-up shaft from projecting while preventing slacking of a ribbon by providing a pair of collapsible action pieces, being fitted in the central holes of the winding core and the take-up core of an ink ribbon cassette, on the inner surface side of a coated section extending along the substantially entire width of the cassette. SOLUTION: When an ink ribbon cassette is not used, a pair of action pieces 4, 4 of a stopper/anti-projection member 1 are set at projecting position and inserted into, respectively, into the central holes of the winding core and the take-up core of the cassette so that they function as a stopper. More specifically, each action piece 4 is engaged with an engaging pawl projecting toward the inner circumferential side while facing the central hole, of the core in order to lock each core thus preventing an ink ribbon from slacking. When the cassette is loaded to a carriage, the member 1 is removed temporarily and the pair of action pieces 4, 4 are collapsed to be substantially flush with the rear surface of a coated section. The cassette is fixed again under that state and loaded to the carriage.

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 mounted on a printer and used for printing on a predetermined recording medium in cooperation with a print head of the printer, and more particularly, to an ink ribbon cassette mounted on the ink ribbon cassette. The present invention relates to a stopper and jump-out preventing member to be used.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a pair of rotatable cores are housed in a cassette body composed of a cover and a case, and an ink ribbon is wound between these cores, one of which is an unwinding core, and the other is a winding core. A known configuration of the ink ribbon cassette is known.

When the printer is mounted, the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft of the printer are fitted into the unwinding core and the center hole of the winding core of the ink ribbon cassette, and the rotation of the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft of the printer causes the ink ribbon to rotate. Is sent from the unwinding core to the winding core.

When the ink ribbon cassette is not used,
In other words, when the unwinding core and the take-up core rotate at the stage of shipment and sale as a product, the ink ribbon is loosened when the ink ribbon cassette in this state is directly mounted on the printer, which causes printing failure. A stopper has been developed to prevent this, and is attached to the ink ribbon cassette to be shipped. A user who has purchased the product removes the stopper and attaches it to the printer before use.

A typical configuration of a conventional stopper is one in which both ends of a thin piece of paper or synthetic resin are bent, and the pair of bent ends is formed at the center of an unwinding core and a winding core of an unused ink ribbon cassette. They are inserted into holes to prevent their rotation.

[0006]

Generally, a take-up shaft of a printer is mounted on an outer shaft member having a lower end flange so as to be coaxial and rotatable relative to a fixed support shaft protruding from a carriage. A bobbin is provided at the upper end of the outer shaft member so as to fit into the center hole of the take-up core of the attached ink ribbon cassette. A gear to which rotation is transmitted is rotatably attached to the fixed support shaft, and the rotation of the gear is transmitted to the bobbin by the urging force of a spring provided between the bobbin and the gear. The unwinding shaft also has a similar structure.

In the case where the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft having such a structure are employed, for example, when an excessive force is applied when the ink ribbon cassette is removed from the carriage, the joint between the bobbin and the outer shaft member is formed. Or broken in the middle of the shaft. If the shaft is broken, the bobbin is ejected from the center hole of the unwinding / winding core of the ink ribbon cassette by the urging force of the spring, which is extremely dangerous for the user.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems in the prior art, and in particular, a part of an unwinding shaft or a winding shaft which is damaged when the ink ribbon cassette is removed from the carriage or during printing. The purpose is to prevent the spring from jumping out.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned protrusion preventing member which is mounted on an ink ribbon cassette and serves also as a stopper for preventing the ink ribbon from being loosened in an unused ink ribbon cassette.

That is, according to the present invention, a pair of rotatable cores are housed in a cassette body, an ink ribbon is wound between the cores, one is an unwinding core, and the other is a winding core, and is mounted on a printer. The ink ribbon is sent from the unwinding core toward the winding core by rotation of the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft of the printer which are sometimes fitted into the center holes of the unwinding core and the winding core. A covering portion extending over substantially the entire width of the ink ribbon cassette along one surface of the ink ribbon cassette, and both side surfaces in the width direction of the ink ribbon cassette hanging down from both ends of the covering portion. A pair of engagement pieces that can be engaged with the housing, an accommodation position provided on the back surface side of the covering portion and being substantially flush with the back surface of the covering portion, and a projecting position projecting downward from the back surface of the covering portion. Can take When the ink ribbon cassette is not used, the pair of action pieces are set in a projecting position and inserted into the center holes of the unwinding core and the take-up core. In addition to functioning as a stopper for preventing rotation of the unwinding core and the take-up core, when the ink ribbon cassette is used, the central holes of the unwinding core and the take-up core are substantially positioned with the pair of operating pieces being stored. This is a stopper / projection prevention member, which is characterized by being covered in a special manner.

[0011]

FIG. 3 shows an example of the configuration of an ink ribbon cassette 10 to which a stopper / projection prevention member according to the present invention is mounted. The ink ribbon cassette 10 is of a double-sided printing type which can be mounted upside down from the state shown in the figure, and is therefore symmetrical in the drawing. FIG. 1 is a top view showing the ink ribbon cassette 10 in a state where a cover is removed from a cassette body formed by joining a case and a cover.

A pair of cores 20 and 30 around which the ink ribbon 12 is wound are housed in the case 11, and in the state shown in the figure, the core 20 is an unwinding core and the core 30 is a winding core. . The ink ribbon 12 is guided from the unwinding core 20 by guide rollers 21, 22, 23, and 24, and furthermore, a substantially triangular protrusion formed on both sides of a recess 13 formed at the center of the front end of the case 10. 25, 35, after being guided to the tip of one 25,
3 is drawn out of the cassette. The other protrusion 3
The ink ribbon 12 guided by the leading end of the ink ribbon 5 and introduced again into the cassette is guided by the guide rollers 34, 33, 32 and 31 and wound around the winding core 30.

In a state where the ink ribbon cassette 10 is loaded on a carriage of a thermal transfer printer, a pair of rotating shafts on the carriage are composed of an unwinding core 20 and a winding core 30.
And the engaging claws projecting from the outer periphery of the rotary shaft engage with the engaging claws 26 and 36 formed at the inner periphery of the core and projecting at an appropriate interval facing the center hole of the core. I do. The rotating shaft (winding shaft) fitted and engaged with the winding core 30 is driven to rotate by an appropriate drive source, so that the ink ribbon 12 is wound from the unwinding core 20 through the above-described pass line. The winding core 20 is sent out toward the core 30, and accordingly, the unwinding core 20 is also driven and rotated in the same direction as the rotation driving direction of the winding core 30. Further, a thermal head provided so as to be able to reciprocate along the platen together with the carriage is inserted into a concave portion 13 formed at the center of the front end of the ink ribbon cassette 10, and moves upward in FIG. The portion of the ink ribbon 12 which is led out is pulled up, and a predetermined printing is performed on a predetermined recording medium conveyed in synchronization with the traveling of the ink ribbon 12.

Since the configuration of the printer and the printing mechanism using the thermal transfer method are known, they are not shown in the drawings and will be described only briefly.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show an embodiment of a stopper / projection prevention member of the present invention mounted on an ink ribbon cassette as shown in FIG.
2 shows a state used as a stopper, and FIG. 2 shows a state used as a protrusion preventing member.

The member 1 is made of a relatively thin and long sheet-like material such as paper or synthetic resin.
0, and a pair of engaging pieces 3, which are integrally bent downward from both ends of the covering portion 2 and can engage with both side surfaces in the width direction of the ink ribbon cassette 10. 3 and a pair of action pieces 4 and 4 provided by partially cutting out the back surface side of the covering portion 2.

The action pieces 4 and 4 have an accommodation position (FIG. 2) accommodated substantially flush with the back surface of the covering portion 2 and a projecting position (FIG. 1) projecting downward from the back surface of the covering portion 2. obtain. When the action pieces 4 and 4 assume the protruding positions, the action pieces 4 and 4 can be inserted into the center holes of the unwinding core 20 and the winding core 30 of the ink ribbon cassette 10 mounted on the carriage. , 4 are determined.

The member 10 engages the engaging pieces 3 and 3 with both sides in the width direction of the ink ribbon cassette 10, in other words, the ink ribbon cassette 10 is sandwiched by the engaging pieces 3 and 3 from both sides. Be attached. At this time, the covering portion 2 covers the front side of the ink ribbon cassette 10 over the entire width thereof, and particularly covers the surface of the ink ribbon cassette 10 so as to substantially cover the center holes of the unwinding core 20 and the winding core 30. Be worn.

When the ink ribbon cassette 10 is not in use, as shown in FIG. 1, the pair of working pieces 4 and 4 are set in the projecting positions and are used as the central holes of the unwinding core 20 and the winding core 30 of the ink ribbon cassette 10. To be used. The action pieces 4 and 4 inserted into the center holes of the cores 20 and 30 are engaged with the engagement claws 26 and 36 (see FIG. 3) protruding from the inner periphery toward the center holes of the cores 20 and 30. Thus, the rotation of these cores is prevented, and the ink ribbon 12 functions as a stopper for preventing the ink ribbon 12 from becoming loose.

When the ink ribbon cassette 10 is mounted on the carriage of the printer and used for printing, the member 1 attached to the unused ink ribbon cassette 10 in the state shown in FIG. The action pieces 4 and 4 are folded to a storage position that is substantially flush with the back surface of the covering section 2 as shown in FIG. 2, and in this state, the ink ribbon cassette 10 is again engaged with the engagement pieces 3 and 3 from both sides.
Then, the ink ribbon cassette 10 to which the member 1 in the state of FIG. 2 is attached is mounted on the carriage, and the printing process is started. Working piece 4, 4
Is located at the storage position, the rotation shafts (unwinding shaft and winding shaft) on the carriage are inserted into the center holes of the unwinding core 20 and the winding core 30 of the ink ribbon cassette 10 to rotate these cores 20, 30. Does not hinder operation.

However, as described above, the covering portion 2 of the member 1 is attached to the surface of the ink ribbon cassette 10 so as to substantially cover the center holes of the unwinding core 20 and the winding core 30. Even when the rotary shaft is damaged when the ink ribbon cassette 10 is removed or when printing is performed, a part of the rotary shaft (particularly, the bobbin at the tip) is prevented from jumping upward due to the biasing force of the spring below the rotary shaft. , Safety is ensured.

When the ink ribbon cassette 10 is inverted and used for double-sided printing, the member 1 attached in the state shown in FIG. 2 is temporarily removed, and is mounted again on the front side after the inversion.

The present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiment but can take various modifications. For example, the engagement pieces 3 and 3 that engage with both side surfaces of the ink ribbon cassette are inclined inward, engagement projections are further provided inside these engagement pieces, and the lower ends of these engagement pieces are attached to the back surface of the ink ribbon cassette. By further providing the engaging projection that goes around, it is possible to increase the holding force on the ink ribbon cassette. In addition, it is preferable that the member 1 is formed of an elastic material such as a soft synthetic resin in order to facilitate the attachment / detachment operation to the ink ribbon cassette and the stable attachment.

[0024]

According to the present invention, even when the unwinding shaft or the winding shaft on the carriage is partially damaged when the ink ribbon cassette is removed from the carriage or during printing.
Since the ejecting prevention member is attached to the surface of the ink ribbon cassette so as to substantially cover the unwinding core and the winding core of the ink ribbon cassette, the damaged portion is prevented from being ejected by the force of the spring, and the safety is improved. Is secured.

Since the protrusion preventing member of the present invention also serves as a stopper, the number of components in the ink ribbon cassette does not increase.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which a stopper / projection prevention member according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on an unused ink ribbon cassette and used as a stopper.

FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the member shown in FIG. 1 is mounted when the ink ribbon cassette is used and used as a pop-out preventing member.

FIG. 3 is a top view showing an example of an ink ribbon cassette to which the members of FIG. 1 are attached, with a cover removed.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Stopper and projection prevention member 2 Covering part 3 Engagement piece 4 Action piece 10 Ink ribbon cassette 11 Case 12 Ink ribbon 13 Depression 20 Unwind core 21-24 Guide roller (22 stationary roller) 26 Engagement claw 30 Rewind core 31-31 34 guide roller (32 drive roller) 36 engagement claw

Claims (1)

[Claims] A pair of rotatable cores are housed in a cassette body, and an ink ribbon is wound between these cores, one of which is an unwinding core, and the other is a winding core. An ink ribbon cassette configured so that the ink ribbon is sent from the unwinding core toward the winding core by rotation of the unwinding shaft and the winding shaft of the printer fitted into the center holes of the core and the winding core. A cover member extending along substantially one entire surface of the ink ribbon cassette along one surface of the ink ribbon cassette; A pair of engaging pieces, a receiving position provided on the back surface side of the covering portion and substantially flush with the back surface of the covering portion, and a projecting position projecting downward from the back surface of the covering portion. Get foldable When the ink ribbon cassette is not used, the unwinding core is formed by setting the pair of operating pieces to projecting positions and inserting them into the center holes of the unwinding core and the winding core. And functioning as a stopper for preventing rotation of the take-up core, and substantially covering the central holes of the take-out core and the take-up core with the pair of action pieces being in the accommodation position when the ink ribbon cassette is used. A jumper-preventing member mounted on the ink ribbon cassette.