JPS58215389A - Detection of life of printer ink ribbon - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically detect the life span of an ink ribbon by a method in which a roller for detecting the thickness of the ink ribbon, which always turns in contact with the ribbon, is provided at a part of an ink ribbon pathway and the slipping of the roller due to the abrasion of the ink ribbon is detected. CONSTITUTION:The aperture between a ribbon quide 4 and a ribbon thickness detection roller 5 is fixed and the dimension of the aperture is set up similarly to the thickness of an ink ribbon whose life apan is almost ended. During the period when the ribbon 3 is run, the rotation of the roller 5 is checked through a roller rotation detection sensor 6 by a roller rotation checking circuit 7. When the thickness of the ribbon 3 is reduced to the dimension of the aperture between the guide 4 and the roller 5 with the abrasion of the ribbon 3 while being used, the roller 5 begins to slip and the output of the detection sensor 6 is lowered. Thus, the termination of the life of the ink ribbon 3 is judged by the checking circuit 7 and a ribbon exchange-notifying lamp 8 is lighted.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (1) Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for detecting the lifespan of an ink ribbon in a printer device that performs printing using an ink ribbon.

(2) Conventional technology and the top Some printers conventionally used as output devices for electronic computing devices and their terminals print characters by striking type or dots onto paper via an ink ribbon. There is. In printers that use such ink ribbons, a fixed length of ink ribbon is made endlessly loose and used while being fed in one direction, or a fixed length of ink ribbon is wound around both ends of each reel and reeled alternately. In some cases, the ink ribbon is used by driving the ink ribbon back and forth through the path, but in either case, as the number of printing increases, the ink impregnated into the ribbon is consumed, eventually causing blurred characters and poor print quality. decreases.

It would be desirable to stop the ink ribbon and replace it before the letters become blurred (/?-), but currently no mechanism has been developed to detect the lifespan of the ink ribbon. The operator determines when to replace the ribbon by looking at the printed characters.For this reason, it is too late to make a decision after the print quality has deteriorated, and there are individual differences in the judgment. This made it difficult to guarantee printing quality.

(3) Purpose of the Invention In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting the lifespan of an ink ribbon.

(4) Structure and object of the invention According to the present invention, in a printer device using an ink ribbon, a ribbon thickness detection roller is provided in a part of the ink ribbon path, and rotates while always in contact with the ribbon surface. Ink ribbon life detection for a printer, characterized in that the life of the ink ribbon is detected by detecting slippage of the roller due to abrasion of the ink ribbon using a roller rotation check circuit that receives and checks signals from the rotation of the roller. This is achieved by providing a method.

(5) Examples of the invention The wooden invention implementation @8 will be explained in detail below with reference to the drawings.

1 and 2 are diagrams showing the configuration of an apparatus capable of implementing the ink ribbon life detection method according to the present invention. FIG. 1 is a top view, and FIG. 2 is a view taken along the Z arrow in FIG. 1, respectively. . In both figures, 1 is a platen, 2 is a print head, 3 is an ink ribbon, 4 is a ribbon guide, 5 is a ribbon thickness detection roller, 6 is a roller rotation detection sensor, 7 is a roller rotation check circuit, and 8 is a ribbon replacement notification lamp. are shown respectively.

In the figure, the gap between the ribbon guide 4 and the ribbon thickness measuring roller 5 is fixed, and the gap size is set to be equal to the thickness of the ink ribbon at the end of its life. Further, a roller rotation detection sensor 6 is attached to the ribbon thickness detection roller 5, and its output is checked by a roller rotation check circuit 7.

The printer ink ribbon life detection method according to the present invention using the device shown in FIG.
The rotation of the ribbon thickness detection roller 5 is checked. The ribbon thickness detection roller 5 rotates in contact with the ink ribbon 3 and sends a rotation signal to the roller rotation check circuit 7. As the ink ribbon 3 is used, it gradually wears out.

When the thickness decreases to the size of the gap between the ribbon/blade/id 4 and the ribbon thickness detection roller 5, the ribbon thickness detection row 25 starts to slip, and the output of the roller rotation detection sensor 6 corresponds to the running speed of the ink ribbon. The rotation speed will no longer be displayed. The roller rotation check circuit 7 checks this output drop, determines that the ink ribbon 3 has reached the end of its lifespan, outputs a signal, lights up the ribbon replacement notification lamp 8, and notifies the operator.

(6) Effects of the Invention As explained above in detail, *The ink ribbon life detection method of the invention utilizes the fact that the thickness of the ink ribbon becomes thinner with use. The thinning of the ribbon is recognized as a decrease in rotational speed due to slipping of the ribbon thickness detection roller, and the lifespan can be automatically detected.Since there is no human error, the same printing quality can be obtained, which is very effective. It is something.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an apparatus for implementing an ink ribbon life detection method for a printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a view taken along the arrow 2 in FIG. 1. In the drawing, l+:t platen, 2 is a print head. 3 is an ink ribbon, 4 is a ribbon guide, 5 is a ribbon thickness inspection roller, 6 is a roller rotation detection sensor, 7 is a roller rotation check circuit, and 8 is a ribbon replacement notification lamp. Patent applicant Fujitsu Ltd. Patent agent Akira Aoki Patent attorney Kazuyuki Nishidate 1) Shino Patent attorney Akira Yamaguchi

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a printer device using an ink ribbon,
A part of the ink ribbon path is equipped with a ribbon thickness detection roller that rotates while constantly contacting the ribbon surface. The printer's ink ribbon lifespan is characterized by detecting roller slippage due to wear of the ink ribbon and detecting the lifespan of the ink ribbon using a roller rotation check circuit that receives and checks signals from the rotation of the core roller. Detection method.