JPS60124278A - Ink ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an ink ribbon cassette capable of constantly supplying an appropriate quantity of an ink, wherein an ink-supplying body corresponding to each color band of a loop form ink ribbon comprising a plurality of parallel color bands is brought into contact with the color band in synchronism with printing. CONSTITUTION:The loop form ink ribbon 8 comprising a plurality of color bands 8a-8c disposed in parallel to each other is provided in the ink ribbon cassette 1, and a driving roller 6 and a driven roller 7 form clamping and feeding the ribbon 8 are provided. The rollers 6, 7 are provided with grooves conforming to the color bands 8a-8c so as to prevent blurring from occuring between the color bands. The ink-supplying bodies 11a-11c corresponding respectively to the color bands 8a-8c are provided on the rear side of the cassette 1 so that they can be independently moved, and when they are selectively moved, a part thereof comes into contact with the driven roller 6 to supply an ink. The selective movement is effected by moving the cassette 1 upward or downward in accordance with the selection of the color band to be used for printing.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to a multicolor ink ribbon cassette in a color printer that uses an endless ink ribbon composed of a plurality of colors.

[Prior art]

In the following, a conventional multicolor ink ribbon cassette will be explained and its drawbacks will be described.

Some of the ink ribbon devices used in conventional color printers have been designed to make it easier to install the ink ribbon, to eliminate stains on hands and the area around the installation area when installing the ink ribbon, and to reduce the size of the ink ribbon. Some ink ribbon cassettes are stored in cassettes and used by mounting them on carriages.

The life of the ink ribbon in the ink ribbon cassette is generally determined by the amount of ink impregnated into the ink ribbon, but the reality is that the life of the ink ribbon base fabric itself is much longer.

Therefore, in order to extend the life of the ink ribbon, it has been proposed to include an ink replenishment means for replenishing the ink ribbon with an appropriate amount of ink. Replenishment means are provided.

When such an ink replenishment means is provided corresponding to each color of the ink ribbon of multiple colors, ink is continuously replenished from the ink replenishment means to the ink ribbon of the color not used for printing, and the ink replenishment is continued. The rate is extremely high compared to the ink ribbon being printed, shortening the life of the ink replenishing means itself, causing uneven printing density, and causing problems in the number of different color bands, which has been a problem in the past. There are disadvantages such as the phenomenon of

In addition, ink continues to be replenished at the same location even during transportation or when the printer is not operated for a long time, so even in this case, there are disadvantages such as shortening of the service life of the replenishment means itself due to bleeding between color bands. There is.

[Purpose of the invention]

An object of the present invention is to solve the conventional drawbacks by replenishing the ink ribbon with ink corresponding to the color used.

[Structure of the invention]

The structure of the present invention is as follows.

The drive roller and driven roller that drive the ink ribbon have
Ribbon feeding sections separated by grooves are formed according to the number of colors of the ink ribbon. A lock notch for locking a plurality of ink supply bodies is provided on both sides of the rear of the ink ribbon cassette, and a reset spring for pressing each ink supply body backward and a notch for replenishing ink to the driven roller are provided at the rear end. put.

The ink supply body is a single unit for each color, and is configured to include an elongated lock portion and an ink supply portion that lock into a lock notch provided at the rear of the ink ribbon cassette.

With such a configuration, a plurality of ink supply bodies each individually corresponding to an ink ribbon composed of a plurality of colors are attached by locking the lock parts to the lock notches of the ink ribbon cassette, and the lock parts of the ink ribbon cassette are locked. Due to the width, the desired ink supply body moves toward the ink ribbon cassette side against the force of the reset spring, and the ink supply section contacts the driven roller, thereby making it possible to supply ink only to the ink ribbon of the desired color.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, an ink ribbon cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is characterized by the purpose and configuration described above, will be explained based on the drawings, and its effects will be described.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ink ribbon cassette and an ink supply body excluding the upper shoe showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ink ribbon cassette with the ink supply body attached, and Fig. 3 is a drive It is a perspective view of a roller and a driven roller.

In the figure, 1 is an ink ribbon cassette) 2a.

2b is a pair of arm-shaped ribbon guides provided on the ink ribbon cassette 1; 3 is a pair of lock notches formed on both rear sides of the ink ribbon for locking an ink supply body to be described later; 4a, 4b, and 4c are Reset springs 5 are provided on the rear end surface of the ink ribbon cassette 1 for the number of ink supply bodies to be described later, and 5 is an ink ribbon storage portion of the ink ribbon cassette 1.

6 is a drive roller; 5a, 5b, 5c are ribbon feeding parts of the drive roller 6 separated by grooves; 7 is a driven roller; 7a
, 7b, re are the ribbon feeding parts of the driven roller 1 separated by a groove, and the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 7 press the respective ribbon feeding parts 6a to 6c and 1a to IC to feed one part in the ink ribbon/cassette 1. Rotatably placed on the side. This ribbon feeding section 5a of the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 7.

5b, 5c and 7a, 7b, 7c are for preventing bleeding between fish bodies when ink is supplied to an ink ribbon to be described later.

8 is the erotic ink ribbon, 8a, 8b.

8C indicates each color band of the ink ribbon 8. The ink ribbon/
8 is stored in a folded state in the ribbon storage section 5 of the ink ribbon cassette 1, and passes from there through one arm-shaped ribbon guide section 2a, the other arm-shaped guide section 2b, and between the drive roller 6 and the driven roller 1. The ink ribbon cassette 1 is arranged so that it circulates to the ink ribbon storage section 5, and a part of it is exposed to the outside of the ink ribbon cassette 1, but most of it is stored inside. Although not shown, the ink ribbon 8 is held and fed by the drive roller 6, driven roller 7, and the inner wall of the arm-shaped ribbon guide section 2a to prevent slack from occurring between the arm-shaped ribbon guide section 2a for tensioning the ink ribbon. It is suppressed by a leaf spring.

9a, 9b, 9c are color bands 8a, 8 of the ink ribbon 8.
10a, 10b, 10c are each ink supply body 9a,
Lock portions 11a, 1 for locking the lock notches 3 of the ink ribbon cassette 1 extending in front of both ends of 9b, 9c.
1b and 11c are suppression protrusions formed on the rear end surfaces of the respective ink supply bodies 9a, 9b, and 9c; 12a, 12b, and 1;
2c is the ribbon feeding section 7a, 7b of the driven roller 7;

a valley ink supply body 9a that comes into contact with 7c to replenish ink;
This is the ink supply section for sb and 9c. The ink supply section 12
a, 12b, and 12c are introduced into the driven roller T by cutting out a part of the rear end surface of the ink ribbon cassette 1.

Next, the running of the ink ribbon 8 and the ink supply a.

The operations of 9b and 9c will be described.

Ink ribbon 8 of ink ribbon cassette 1 shown in FIG.
has three colors, such as color bands 8a, 8b, and 8c. The ink supply bodies 9a, 9b contain ink of the same color in the stacked order of the packages 8a, 8b, 8c.

9cf, and its lock portions 10a, 10b, 10c are engaged with the lock notches 3 of the ink ribbon cassette 1 and attached to the ink ribbon cassette 1.

Then, the state shown in FIG. 2 will occur. Ink ribbon cassette 1
Each ink supply body 9a, 9b attached to.

9c is pushed backward by each reset spring 4a, 4b, 4cK, so the ink supply body 9a.

The lock portions 10a, 10b, and 10c of the ink ribbon cassette 1 are in contact with the rear end of the lock cutout portion 3 of the ink ribbon cassette 1 with a margin for operation in front thereof.

On the other hand, the ink ribbon 8 stored in the ink ribbon cassette 1 is pulled out from the ink ribbon storage section 5 by a drive roller 6 and a driven roller 7 that are pressed and held and rotated in the direction of the arrow, and passed through an arm-shaped ribbon guide section 2a to the outside. and introduced into the interior by the arm-shaped ribbon guide part 2b,
The ink ribbon is bent between the drive roller 6 and the driven roller 21 and pushed into the ink ribbon storage section 5. Note that the ink ribbon 8 is pinched and fed by the driving roller 6 and the driven roller T through their respective ribbon feeding portions 6'a, 6b, 6c, and 7a, 7b.

This is done by pressing 7c.

In this way, in the running ink ribbon 8, the color band 8a
, sb, and 8c, and print the desired one.

Ink is supplied to the color band used for printing on the moving ink ribbon 8.

For example, if the color band 8c of the ink ribbon 8 is used for printing, the ink supply body 9ci arranged in a corresponding manner will be suppressed. Then, the ink supply body 9c moves in the direction of arrow a toward the front ink ribbon cassette 1 against the force of the reset spring 4C, and this is made possible by the margin in front of the lock notch 3.

The ink supply body 9c that has moved forward as indicated by the arrow a comes into contact with the ribbon feeding section γcK of the rotating driven roller γ, with its ink supply section 12c being in contact with the driven roller 7 while the ink supply section 12c is moving forward. The ink is replenished to the lipo/feeder 9 section 1c, and the ink is further replenished to the color band 8c used for printing on the ink ribbon 8.

Ink is supplied to this color band 8c by a separate drive roller 6.
The ribbon feeding section 6c of the driven roller 1 and the ribbon feeding section p 7c of the driven roller 1
This is done without bleeding into the adjacent color band 8b.

When printing of the color band 8c is finished, the color supply body 9
When the pressure of c is released, the ink supply section 12c is moved to the driven row 5.
7 years away, the ink supply will be cut off.

In the same way, other color bands 8a of the ink ribbon 8 are formed.

8b can also be associated with ink supply bodies sa and sb.

Next, a color band 8t used for printing on the ink ribbon 8
;, ab, and 8c and the corresponding ink supply bodies 9a, 9b, and 9c will be explained using FIG.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the ink ribbon cassette mounted on the carriage together with the print head, where 13 is the carriage frame, 14 is the cam part of the carriage frame 13, 15 is the print head, 16 is the platen, and the others are as described above. are the same.

Here, since the ink ribbon cassette 1 having the ink supply bodies 9a, 9b, and 9c is mounted on the carriage 13 so as to be movable up and down, the ink ribbon cartridge 11 is moved as shown by the arrow, and the print head 15 prints. 80 color bands 80 of the ink ribbon corresponding to the above are selected. At the same time, the cam portion 14 of the carriage 13 is moved to the protruding portion 11cf of the ink supply body 9c corresponding to the color band 8c! : Since the pressure is applied in the direction of arrow C, ink is replenished to the color band 8c in the manner described above.

Incidentally, the movement of the cam portion 14 at the rear end of the ink supply bodies 9a, 9b, 9c as the ink ribbon cassette 1 moves up and down is caused by the projections 11a, 1 of the ink supply bodies 9a, 9b, 9c.
Since the corners of 1b and 11c and the corner of the cam portion 14 are chamfered, smooth movement is possible.

Next, an example of a lifting mechanism for vertically moving the ink ribbon cassette 1 will be described with reference to the drawings.

It should be noted that the same parts as those described above are indicated by the same reference numerals in the drawings, and the description thereof will be omitted.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the ink ribbon cassette elevator [-], Fig. 6 is a plan view of the same, Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the plate and pulse motor], and Fig. 8 is a side view showing the operation of the elevating mechanism. It is a diagram.

In the figure, 17 is a digit pulse motor installed at the bottom of the carriage 13, 18 is a threaded shaft of the pulse motor 1γ, and 1
9 is a plate mounted on the carriage 13, 20 is a screw groove of the plate 19, and 21 is a guide hole of the plate 19 provided on the carriage 13.

In this way, the guide bin 21 of the carriage 13 is
A plate 19 is provided on the carriage 13 so as to be vertically movable through holes at the four corners of the grate 19, and an ink ribbon cassette 1 is mounted on the plate 19.

The screw shaft 18 of the pulse motor 17 is screwed into the screw groove 20 of the plate 19.

-Next, the raising and lowering operation of the ink ribbon cassette 1 will be described.

The state shown in FIG. 5 is a non-operating state in which the di-ink ribbon cassette 1 has been lowered to the lowest position together with the plate 19. At this time, the cam portion 14 is connected to the ink supply bodies 9a and 9b.
, 9c are not pressed, so ink ribbon 8
The ink is not being replenished.

From this state, as shown in FIG. 8, when the pulse motor 17 is rotated a predetermined number of times in the direction of the arrow d, the grate 19 rises, raising the ink ribbon cassette 1 in the direction of the arrow, selecting the desired ink supply body 9c, and stopping it. do. Carriage 13
The cam portion 14 presses the rear part of the ink supply body 9c and, as described above, comes into contact with the driven roller to supply ink to the corresponding color band of the ink ribbon.

That is, the rotation angle of the pulse motor 17 and the amount of vertical movement of the plate 19 are correlated, and the pulse motor 17 is rotated according to the desired amount to move the plate 19 up and down.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described in detail above, in the present invention, a ribbon feeding section is formed in which the drive roller and driven roller of an ink ribbon cassette containing an endless ink ribbon having multiple color bands are separated by a groove according to the color band. Then, since the single ink supply bodies corresponding to each color band are provided in the ink ribbon cassette so as to be able to move back and forth independently, the following effects can be achieved.

It pushes the ink supply body of the color band used for printing and directs the ink supply unit to a predetermined ribbon feed 9 of the driven roller.
This can be done by replenishing ink only to the color band that is used for printing through the ribbon feeding section by contacting the ribbon feeding section, so it is not possible to replenish ink to the color band that is not used for printing as in the past. Since this process is not performed, excess ink is not consumed, which improves the efficiency of ink usage and extends the life of the ink supply unit.The fact that ink is not replenished to unused color bands also prevents oversupply of ink. This has the effect of preventing uneven print density.

In addition, the drive roller and driven roller that nip and force feed the ink ribbon are provided with a ribbon feeding section that is separated by a groove so as to nip each color band separately. It also has the effect of preventing participation by others.

Furthermore, when not printing, all the ink supply units can be moved backwards so that ink is not completely replenished to the ink ribbon, so it is possible to replenish ink to the same location during transportation or when not in operation for a long time. There is also the effect of not doing so.

Furthermore, since the ink supply bodies can be attached and detached from the outside independently of each other, there is an advantage that only the consumed ink supply body can be replaced.

Due to these effects, the present invention can be advantageously used in a multicolor ink ribbon cassette.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ink ribbon cassette and an ink supply body excluding the top cover showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the ink ribbon cassette with the ink supply body attached, and Fig. 3 is a drive roller. FIG. 4 is a side view of the ink ribbon cassette mounted on the carriage together with the print head, FIG. 5 is a side view showing the elevating mechanism of the ink ribbon cassette, FIG. 8 is a side view of the plate and pulse motor in cross section, and FIG. 8 is a side view showing the operation of the lifting mechanism. 1... Ink ribbon cassette 3... Lock notches 4a, 4b, 4c... Reset spring 6...
Drive roller 7...Followed roller 8...Ink ribbon 8a, 8b, 8c-color band 9a, 9b, 9
c-Ink supply body 10a, 10b, IQc...Lock part 12a, 12b, 12cm--Ink supply part 1
3... Carriage 14... Cam part 17... Pulse motor 18... Screw shaft 19... Plate 20... Thread groove @ 1 l Todoroki 20 Rih Angle 4 4 50 7 Angle 6Cii1

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An ink ribbon cassette containing an endless ink ribbon having a plurality of colored bands, which is sandwiched and pressure-fed between a drive roller and a driven roller, and has an ink supply body which replenishes ink to the ink ribbon. ,
The driving roller and the driven roller are formed with nine ribbon feed sections separated by grooves according to the number of color bands, and the ink supply body is a single unit containing ink corresponding to the color band of the ink ribbon, and ink ribbon cassettes for each color band are provided. The ink supply unit is provided so as to be movable back and forth, and by selecting and moving the ink supply body corresponding to the color band used for printing, ink is supplied only to that color band via the ribbon feeding section of the driven roller. Ink ribbon cassette.