JPS61125874A - Ribbon cassette for thermal transfer printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a single ribbon cassette to be used for printing information in an amount of two times of that which can be printed by using the ribbon cassette in a conventional manner, by enabling the ribbon cassette to be fitted to a thermal transfer printer in a normal pose and in an inverted pose. CONSTITUTION:An ink ribbon 15 paid out from a payout core 13 is taken up by a take-up core 12. A take-up reel provided on a main body of the printer is fitted into an opening part 12c, while a payout reel provided on the main body is fitted into an opening part 13c, and when the take-up reel is rotated counterclockwise, the ribbon 15 is taken up. The payout reel generates a weak force in a clockwise direction, thereby tensioning the ribbon 15. When printing proceeds and the ribbon 15 is completely transferred from the payout core 13 side to the take-up core 12 side, the cassette is taken off, and is refitted to the printer in an inverted state, whereby the relation of the payout core 13 and the take-up core 12 is reversed, resulting in that the ink ribbon 15 is wound again on the core disposed on the right side. Accordingly, printing can be conducted while using the ink ribbon from a new leading end.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ribbon cassette containing an ink ribbon that can be used in a thermal transfer printer.

Conventional configurations and their problems In recent years, thermal transfer printers have been a growing field due to their low noise, low power consumption, and storage stability for overlapping characters. Along with this, ink ribbons are also being stored in cassettes for easier replacement. In addition, until now, ink ribbons that could only be used once were mainstream, but ink ribbons that can be printed several times are now appearing. The ribbon cassette of the printer will be explained.

1 is a ribbon cassette body, upper cassettes 1a,
- The lower cassette 1b has a box shape. 1C is a supply core shaft protruding from the lower cassette 1b, and a supply core 2 around which an ink ribbon 3 is wound is rotatably installed on the outside of the supply core shaft. Ink ribbon 3 coming out from supply core 2
is wound up by the winding core 4 via a head cavity 111d into which a print head (not shown) is inserted. Rotating shafts 4a, 4a are formed at both upper and lower ends of the winding core 4, and rotating shaft holes 1e, 1e are opened in the upper cassette 1a and the lower cassette 1b. Furthermore, what is inside the winding core 4? There are several protrusions 46, and a take-up reel (not shown) having a plurality of protrusions is inserted from the printer main body into the take-up core opening 4C.
As the take-up reel rotates counterclockwise, the ink ribbon 3 is wound around the take-up core '4, and the head space 1 is
A new ink ribbon is pulled out at d.

However, in the above configuration, the ink ribbon 3 can only be used once.

The reason for this is that although the ink ribbon 3 coming out of the supply core 2 can be wound onto the take-up core 4, the reverse is not possible. Therefore, even though ink ribbons have been improved and ink ribbons that can be used several times have come out, they cannot be used with conventional ribbon cassettes.

Purpose of the Invention The present invention solves the above-mentioned drawbacks of the conventional ink ribbon, and provides an ink ribbon that can be used several times by turning the cassette upside down and mounting it on the thermal transfer printer side, and an ink ribbon that can be used only once. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a ribbon cassette capable of printing twice as much as a conventional one with one cassette by doubling the width of the ribbon and installing the cassette upside down on a thermal transfer printer side.

Structure of the Invention In order to achieve the above object, the ribbon cassette for a thermal transfer printer of the present invention is provided with a supply core and a take-up core that are rotatable and open at both upper and lower ends within the ribbon cassette main body.
The ribbon cassette is configured so that it can be mounted on both the front and back sides of the thermal transfer printer.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings.

First, a first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 will be described.

In the figure, reference numeral 11 denotes a ribbon cassette body, which is box-shaped and includes an upper cassette 11a and a lower cassette 11b. 1
2 is the same winding core as in the conventional example, 13 is a supply core, and the shape of this supply core 13 is the same as that of the winding core 12.

Both the winding core 12 and the supply core 13 have rotating shafts 12 at both upper and lower ends.
a, 12a, 13a, 13a are formed, and rotation shaft holes 1.4a, 14b are opened in the upper cassette 11a and the lower cassette 11b. Also, winding core 1
2 and a plurality of protrusions 12b 4 inside the supply core 13.
1. ．． 3tl, and also a take-up core 12 and a supply core 1
3, openings 12c and 13c are formed at both the upper and lower ends of the ridge. 11C is a head space, and 15 is an ink ribbon.

The operation of the ribbon cassette of the thermal transfer printer of this embodiment configured as described above will be described below. First, the ink ribbon 15 coming out of the supply core 13 is wound up onto the take-up core 12 via the head space 11c. still,
A take-up reel (not shown) from the printer main body enters into the opening 12G of the take-up core 12, and a supply reel (not shown) from the printer main body enters the opening 130 of the supply core 13, When the take-up reel rotates counterclockwise, the ink ribbon 15 is taken up. On the other hand, the supply reel generates a weak force in the clockwise direction and functions to apply tension to the ink ribbon 15. When the printing progresses and all the ink ribbons 15 of the supply core 13Il have moved to the take-up core 12 side, take out the cassette, turn it over, and install it. The ink ribbon 15 is now wound around (the winding core 12). There, you can start printing again from the beginning.

As described above, according to Hon-Notata, since the ribbon cassette can be installed upside down, it is possible to use an ink ribbon that can print on the front end without changing the printer.

Next, other embodiments of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 3 and 4. This embodiment differs from the previous example in that the width of the ink ribbon 15 is twice as large. As a result, as shown in Figure 4, when the ribbon cassette is installed on the front side, the area is used, and when it is installed on the back side, the all area is used. You will be able to print twice as much. Ink ribbon that can of course be printed several times
It is also possible to use ``, and by doing so, it is possible to print twice as much as in the first embodiment.

Effects of the Invention As described above, the present invention is configured so that the ribbon cassette can be installed on both the front and back sides, so ink ribbons that can be printed several times can be used by installing the cassette upside down. In addition, even if the ink ribbon can only be printed once, by doubling the width of the ribbon and using different areas of the ink ribbon on the front and back sides, it is possible to print twice as much as before with a single cassette. You can get the same effect. Due to this effect, the printing price per sheet can be lowered.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

1 and 2 are a cross-sectional view and a longitudinal sectional view of a ribbon cassette showing a first embodiment of the present invention, and FIGS. 3 and 4 are aIFIm diagrams of a ribbon cassette showing another embodiment of the present invention. 5 and 6 are a cross-sectional view and a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a conventional ribbon cassette. 11... Ribbon cassette body, 11a... Upper cassette, 11b... Lower cassette, 12-... Winding core, 1
2a-@rotating shaft, 12b...protrusion, 12cm...opening, 13-...supply core, 13a...rotating shaft, 13b
...Protrusion, 13c...Opening, 14a. 14b... Rotating shaft hole, 15... Ink ribbon agent Yoshihiro Morimoto Figure 1 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 d Figure 6

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A supply core and a take-up core are provided in the ribbon cassette body so as to be rotatable and open at both upper and lower ends, so that the ribbon cassette can be mounted on both the front and back sides of the thermal transfer printer. A ribbon cassette for a thermal transfer printer. 2.Depending on the mounting direction of the front and back sides of the ribbon cassette,
A ribbon cassette for a thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, wherein the ink ribbon is used in different areas.