JPS5978883A - Ribbon lifting mechanism for printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a ribbon lifting mechanism for printer, which is capable of exactly switching desired ribbon zones, by using a method in which control is made on the switching of ribbon by using the contact position with a stopper to regulate one maximum moving position of a ribbon guide as a reference position. CONSTITUTION:A step motor 20 to be controlled in an open loop system is driven in the rotation of step numbers corresponding to ribbon zones, and a ribbon guide 6 is turned around a shaft 5b in the downward direction as shown by the arrow. The bridging portion 9 is contacted with the upside of the front frame 5a, the maximum rotation position of the ribbon in relation to the downward direction is regulated, and the step motor 20 is stepped out to set up the contact position at the reference rotation position of the motor 20. By the controller, the step motor 20 is driven by given step numbers corresponding to data on ribbon zones from the reference rotation position by the input of printing data, and the ribbon guide 6 is turned upward around the shaft 5b.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a ribbon lift mechanism for a printer that prints by appropriately switching a printing ribbon having at least two types of ribbon bands in the width direction.

Prior Art The present applicant has proposed a ribbon that can switch between various ribbon bands by setting the maximum upward movement width of the printing ribbon short in the width direction, and can reduce the unprintable area at the top of the printing paper, according to a patent application filed at the same time. A band switching device was proposed, but when replacing the print ribbon, the ribbon guide must be rotatably attached to the tip of the print head to match the reference position of the drive device, making it difficult to set the ribbon guide accurately. It is difficult to install it in a positioned state, and there are disadvantages in that switching to the ribbon band cannot be performed reliably.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned conventional drawbacks, an object of the present invention is to accurately position a ribbon guide with respect to a ribbon band switching drive device by a simple means, and to reliably switch to a ribbon band of r, +7. An object of the present invention is to provide a ribbon lift mechanism for a printer.

Composition of the invention The present nA will be explained below according to one embodiment.

Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of a ribbon/jl) area switching device of a printer according to the present invention, Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing ribbon bands in a printing ribbon, and Fig. 3 is a ribbon guide attached to a print head. 4 is a plan view of FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is a right side view of FIG. 3, and FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the road body of FIG. 3 AvA.

In the figure, the carriage l is a printing paper mounted on the platen 2 by rotational drive of a step motor (not shown) with respect to a guide rod 3 fixed to the main body frame (not shown) parallel to the axis of the platen 2. It is inserted into the 4th printing line and is movable back and forth.

As the carriage l moves, a plurality of electromagnetic solenoids (not shown) selectively drive a print wire (not shown) partially supported within the frame 5a, and a print wire (not shown), which is partially supported within the frame 5a, is selectively driven, and a print wire (not shown) is connected via the print ribbon 13 mentioned above. Characters, etc. are printed on the printing paper 4 in a dot matrix format. Further, a pair of shaft portions 5b that rotatably support a ribbon guide 6, which will be described later, in the width direction of the printing ribbon 13 are integrally formed on both 1111 surfaces of the front end portion of the front frame 5a.

The ribbon guide 6 guides the printing ribbon 13 to the front frame 5.
It has ribbon guide portions 7a and 8a positioned substantially on the same plane as the printing end surface 5c at the tip a, and the shaft portion 5.
A pair of left and right guide bodies 7 and 8 are formed with mounting holes 7 b and 8 b into which the ribbon guides 6 are inserted, and the upper parts of the guide bodies 7 and 8 are connected, and the ribbon guide 6 is lowered around the shaft part 5 b. When the ribbon guide 6 is rotated in the direction tlr!, the maximum rotational position of the ribbon guide 6 in the lid direction is determined by contact with the upper surface of the 1Ti1 part frame 5a. The guide 3 is extended rearward from the front wheel side of the main bodies 7 and 8 in a slightly inclined state, and has guide paths 10a and 10 for the printing ribbon 13 on its inner wall surface.
a, and the printing ribbon 13 is guided through the guide path 1.
0a and lla, and the ribbon guide portions 7a and 8
Print end surface 5c of the print head 5 located substantially on the same plane as a
Guide members 10 and 11 formed with slits 10b and llb facing each other, and one guide main body 7 side... ■ Recording (= External teeth with an appropriate number of teeth on the outer periphery of the concentric position from the center of the J hole 7a) The gear 12 having the gear 12a is integrally molded with resin.

The printing ribbon 13 has a first ribbon of a different color from its upper end in the width direction.
It has the to fourth ribbon bands 13a to 13d, and
The ribbon cassette 14 has an endless shape and is folded and stored in a ribbon cassette 14 that is removably attached to the main body case. It is inserted into the ribbon guide 6,
It is positioned opposite to the printing end surface 5c. Said ribbon cassette 1
4 includes a ribbon drive element 16 fixed to the main body case.
4- Ribbon feed roller 18 which is rotationally driven and folds and stores the print ribbon 13 while being pinched by the driven roller 17.
is installed.

The ribbon band switching drive device 19 is connected to the carriage IJ.
- a step motor 20 mounted and fixed on the step motor 20; a drive gear 21 fixed to the rotating shaft of the step motor 20; and a drive gear 21 fixed to the rotation shaft of the step motor 20; ribbon area 138
- 13d and an idle gear 22 having an appropriate reduction ratio for 111-order switching.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.

First, to attach the printing ribbon 13 to the ribbon guide 6, insert the printing ribbon 13 into the guide paths 10a and 11a through the slits 10b-11b, as shown by the dashed line in FIG. A ribbon guide section 7a consisting of
・Place f on 8a.

Then, after mounting the ribbon cassette 14 on the main body case and tensioning the printing ribbon 13 on the guide shaft 15, the ribbon guide 6 is used for printing by inserting the shaft portion 5b into the mounting holes 7b and 8b. It is rotatably attached to the tip end, and the printing ribbon 13 is made to face the printing end printing c marked Ii'II. Also to printing・Ribbon guide 6 for Sodo 5
By installing the gear 12, the gear 12 is engaged with the idle gear 22 at a desired position.

'' After the ribbon guide 6 is attached to the tip of the print head 5 by the two-sided means, when the power switch is turned on, the control device (none of which is shown) controls the step motor 20 by open loop control. Fourth ribbon band 13 a =
Rotate the number of steps corresponding to l 3 d, -11
The ribbon guide 6 is rotated in the downward direction shown by the solid line arrow in FIG.
a to restrict the maximum rotational position of the ribbon guide 6 in the downward direction, and also to prevent the step motor 20 from stepping out of step. Set to the transferable position.

Then, when the printing data is manually input, the control device rotates the step motor 20 from the m+ four-turn position to the predetermined number of steps corresponding to the ribbon band data based on the ribbon band data, and rotates the step motor 20 around the shaft portion 5b. Move the ribbon guide 6 to the 8th
After rotating the carriage 1 in the upward direction indicated by the solid line arrow in the figure to position the ribbon band 13c corresponding to the ribbon band data, for example, facing the printing end surface 5c, the carriage 1 is moved forward after adjusting to the printing line of the printing paper 4, and the above is described. Dot pattern data accessed from a pattern memory (not shown) based on the print data is output to the print head 5, and the print wire is selectively driven to print characters, etc. in a color corresponding to the ribbon band 13C. .

Then, similarly to the above operation, the control device rotates the step motor 20 by the number of steps calculated from its current position and the ribbon band data based on the next ribbon band data, and rotates the ribbon guide 6 around the shaft portion 5b. is rotated downward as shown by the broken line arrow in FIG. 8 to position the ribbon band 13b corresponding to the ribbon band data, for example, opposite the printing end surface 5c. After healing, while reversing, the previously printed characters are overprinted in the color corresponding to the switched ribbon band 13b, resulting in a desired color consisting of a mixture of the colors corresponding to the ribbon bands 13b and 13c. to print characters, etc.

After the above operation, the printing paper 4 is fed by one printing part by the rotational drive of the platen 2, and then the ribbon bands 13a to 13d are sequentially switched according to the operations described above, and the colors corresponding to the switched ribbon bands 13a to 13d are mixed. Print characters, etc. in desired colors.

Therefore, in this embodiment, when the power switch is turned on, the contact of the bridge section 9 with the print head 5 causes the open-loop controlled step motor 20 to be positively out-of-step, and the contact position is adjusted to the ribbon guide. Since the rotation reference position is 6, it is not necessary to take the ribbon guide 6 in a positioned state with respect to the ribbon band switching drive unit, and operability can be improved. Further, the ribbon guide 6 is rotated in the width direction of the printing ribbon 13 around the shaft portion 5b to obtain a desired ribbon band 138 to 1.
8- In order to perform printing by switching to 3d, the printing ribbon 13 is moved linearly in the width direction by 2' downwards, and ribbon bands 13a to 13d are moved.
Compared to the conventional ribbon lift mechanism that switches the printing paper 4'', the movement of the printing ribbon 13 in the width direction can be set to the minimum, thereby preventing twisting of the printing ribbon 13 and making it possible to separate the printing paper 4'' into two parts. It is possible to reduce the unprintable area.

In this embodiment, a printing ribbon having four types of ribbon bands of different colors in the width direction is used to perform multicolor printing, but it is also possible to print in multiple colors with at least two types of ribbon bands of the same color in the width direction. By using a printing ribbon having the above-mentioned printing ribbon and printing while switching the ribbon band 88 times, it is possible to reduce the consumption rate of the printing ribbon.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION As described above, the present invention provides a ribbon band switching drive device including a step motor in a printer that prints by moving a printing ribbon having at least two types of ribbon bands in the width direction and switching ribbon bands. and a ribbon guide which is detachably supported by the drive device and which is inserted so as to guide the printing ribbon, a stopper which determines the maximum movement position of the ribbon guide; Move the ribbon guide using the device until it abuts the stopper marked mI, and based on the abutment position (
This printer ribbon lift mechanism is configured to include a control device that controls ribbon switching as a position, thereby accurately positioning a ribbon guide with respect to a ribbon band switching drive device, and ensuring switching to a desired ribbon band. .

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the printer ribbon lift mechanism according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a ribbon 'i! An explanatory diagram showing the +i area, Fig. 3 is a front view of the ribbon guide attached to the print head, Fig. 4 is a plan view of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a right side view of Fig. 3, Fig. 7 and FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing the respective operating states. In the figure, 6 is a ribbon guide, 9 is a bridge part as a stopper,
13 is the printing ribbon, 13a to 13d are the ribbon area 1),
19 is a ribbon band switching drive device, 20 is a step thousand-
It is evening. Patent applicant Brother Industries, Ltd. Agent Patent attorney Ken Ito −

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 10. A printer that prints by moving a printing ribbon having at least Class 2a ribbon bands in the width direction and switching ribbon bands, comprising: a ribbon band switching drive device including a step motor; Detachably supported by the device and 1riI
A ribbon guide inserted so as to guide the marking printing, a stopper regulating the maximum movement position of one of the ribbon guides, and the driving device moves the ribbon guide until it comes into contact with the marking stopper, and the ribbon guide is moved until it comes into contact with the marking stopper. A ribbon lift mechanism for a printer, comprising: a control device that controls ribbon switching using a position as a reference position.