JPS61135775A - Printing ribbon spool - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Background of the Invention The present invention relates to a printing ribbon spool, and particularly includes a storage means for storing ink inside the spool, and a transfer means for transferring ink from the storage means to the printing ribbon. This invention relates to a printing ribbon spool of the type.

Printing ribbon spools of the above type are known, for example, from U.S. Pat.
No. 919.026 and No. 4,115,012. In this printing ribbon spool, one side edge of the printing ribbon fed out from the spool is brought into contact with an ink pad made of woven or knitted fabric to maintain uniform print density on the printing ribbon. . Ink is transferred from a hermetically sealed reservoir in the spool to the ink pad by a wick, which allows the ink to pass through holes that are considerably smaller than its normal uncompressed width. It communicates with the reservoir.

One problem with this type of print ribbon spool is that such spools cannot be stored or transported under adverse environmental conditions such as high temperatures.

Additionally, reduced ambient pressure, such as occurs during air transport, can cause ink to bleed excessively from the airtight reservoir onto the ink pad. If the ribbon spool is stored or transported under high temperature conditions, such as in the trunk of a car or on a sunny day, the shipping packaging may become contaminated with leaked ink. ,
Ink leakage still occurs.

Another problem with conventional printing ribbon spools is that printing speed is limited. It has been found that there is a direct relationship between the diameter of the wick through hole and the print speed at which the ribbon spool can operate without print density unevenness or deterioration. That is, the faster the ribbon is unwound from the spool, the faster the ink must be transferred from the ink reservoir to the ink pad in order to maintain constant print density. However, the diameter of the wick hole of the spool in the above two US patents [
If it is larger than L094” (2,5B76 pieces),
Experiments have determined that ink leaks from the reservoir even under normal storage conditions.

Therefore, in such conventional spools, there are practical restrictions on the diameter of the wick through hole.

Since there is a maximum limit on the diameter of the wick through hole, the driving speed of the ribbon spool is also limited.

Another problem with the ribbon spools of the above two patents is that
Even when operating at a relatively slow speed, the print density changes somewhat as the ink level in the ink reservoir decreases. Since the ink level in the reservoir is initially equal to or higher than the wick hole height, the ink head pressure will increase at a higher rate when the ink level falls below the wick hole height. This is because the ink is transferred to the pad.

Yet another problem with conventional print ribbon spools is their short shelf life. Ink is stored in a hermetically sealed reservoir inside the spool, but since the wick hole is in contact with the ink even when the spool is in storage, ink may ooze out from the reservoir over a long period of time. This is because K.

The present invention overcomes the drawbacks of conventional printing ribbon spools mentioned above.

Another molded typewriter ribbon ink supply device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,47&470.

This ink supply device consists of a cylindrical casing with an ink scraper and an ink pad inside.
An ink storage chamber is provided in the casing above the ink pad, and means are provided for passing ink from the chamber through a valve to the ink pad. The walls of the casing are provided with transverse slots for passing the printing ribbon and for replenishing the ribbon with ink.

However, this ink supply device has a number of practical drawbacks. First, the ink dispenser must either be held by hand against the ribbon or attached to the typewriter via a linkage. Furthermore, in order to replenish ink to the ink tank, the valve must be opened manually. Furthermore, the ink storage chamber is not hermetically sealed, and if it were, the ink replenishment itself would malfunction.

Additionally, the presence of air holes leading from the chamber to the atmosphere makes it impossible to maintain a regulated and constant flow of ink to the ink pad. That is, when the valve is maintained in the open position, ink flows through the ink pad until the ink pad becomes saturated. Additionally, when the valve is removed to refill the ink reservoir, ink will flow to the ink pad, and by the time the ink reservoir is completely refilled and the valve is reinserted, there will be excess ink on the ink pad. There is a risk of it being soaked in. Furthermore, since air flows into the ink storage chamber each time the valve is opened, it is impossible to maintain a vacuum inside the ink storage chamber.

Furthermore, this ink supply device cannot be used unless it is in an upright position. This is because if it is tilted, ink will leak outward from the ink storage chamber through the air hole.

The present invention also overcomes the disadvantages of the ink dispenser described above.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a print ribbon spool in which print ribbon can be wound. The printing ribbon is used with both ends connected to a pair of spools.

Briefly, the printing ribbon spool of the present invention includes a hub;
The spool body includes an annular spool body having a pair of radially outwardly projecting flanges spaced apart to receive the print ribbon therebetween. A woven annular pad is supported on one of the flanges, and the rolled edge of the pad is arranged to contact one side edge of at least a portion of the ribbon located between the flanges.

A hermetically sealed ink container is disposed within the hub, and an ink sump is provided below the ink container within the hub. First means are provided for allowing the transfer of ink from the ink reservoir to the ink sump and second means for transferring ink from the ink sump to said pad. Once the ink has been transferred from the ink container to the ink sump, both the ink container and the ink sump remain substantially sealed against the ingress of air. A wick disposed within the nozzle directs ink from the ink sump to the pad by capillary action. The flow of ink from the reservoir to the pad is maintained virtually air-tight inside the hub.
Adjusted in a controlled manner. Since one side line of the ribbon is in contact with the pad, ink is sequentially supplied to the ribbon being paid out from the spool.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a printing ribbon spool with internal ink storage means that can store ink even under severe conditions of heat and pressure without excessive spillage of ink onto the ink pad. .

Another object of the invention is to provide a self-inking ribbon spool that can be used in high speed printers.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic ink replenishment type ribbon spool that can maintain a constant print density even when the amount of ink remaining in the container is low.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a self-inking ribbon spool that is flexible in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, reliable, and has a long shelf life.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, a printing ribbon spool 10 according to the present invention is shown. The spool 10 has a circular hub 12 having a radially outwardly projecting flange 14 at its lower end and a radially outwardly projecting flange 16 near its upper end.
It has a main body including. Flanges 14 and 16 have the same diameter and are spaced parallel to each other. The flange 16 has an end portion 1B that projects downward toward the flange 14. The flange 14 is attached to the bottom wall 2 of the main body.
2, and the 72-inch 16 is integral with the stepped top wall 20 of the main body. Hub 12 is located between top wall 20 and flange 14.

When the hub 12 is used in a teletype printer, the hub 12
Preferably, it has one or more flat surfaces 24. When two flat surfaces 24 are provided, both are 1
800 are placed facing each other.

One flat surface 24 provides a surface for attachment to one end of the ink ribbon 26 by any suitable method, such as ultrasonic welding, and the other flat surface 24 provides a surface for attachment to one end of the ink ribbon 26, such as by ultrasonic welding, and the other flat surface 24 provides a reversing eyelet for reversing the ribbon 26 in a teletype printer. It is used to provide an operating space for Ink ribbon 26
The distal portion of the hub 12, having a length at least equal to the circumference of the hub 12, may be narrowed or provided with an ink-permeable plastic shield to prevent ink from collecting in that portion. Impregnated with ink.

The hub 12 has a fifth flange 2 projecting radially outward.
5. The radial width of flange 250 is significantly smaller than the radial width of flange 14.
figure). As best seen in FIG. 5, flange 25 is located adjacent to flange 16. Flange 25
The radial width of ribbon 260 is greater than the radial thickness of ribbon 260 wrapped around hub 120.

An annular pad 28 is disposed in the space between flanges 16 and 25. Pad 28 is preferably made of a slightly absorbent material and extends its outer circumferential portion 30 downwardly through an annular gap defined between the outer circumferential edge of flange 25 and the inner circumferential surface of 0111 portion 18. (Figure 5).

The pad 28 is formed of a flexible material whose outer circumferential portion 30 can be easily deformed to automatically protrude through the gap simply by assembling the top wall 20 to the hub 12. Therefore, the pad 2 can be easily folded into a cup shape without having to be shaped into a cup shape in advance. A preferred material for pad 28 is what is referred to in the clothing industry as a "bonded double knit." Bonded double knit is used as a material for clothing in the clothing industry.

It is typically made of a 100X polyester double knit, a foam plastic layer, and a 100X acetate backing. Specifically, a bonded double knit consists of a double knit layer such as polyester, a backing layer of knit fabric such as acetate, and a 7-ohm plastic layer interposed between and bonded to them.
It consists of. The foam plastic layer is preferred, although not necessary, since it functions as a stiffener and provides core to the pad 28. Since the pad 28, when formed from a bonded double knit, will be slightly absorbent, it will not retain excess ink even when the ribbon spool is not in use, and merely functions as an ink transport medium. In this respect, the bonded double knit pad 2nd is hydrophobic, unlike Heert and the like, which are hydrophilic.

The spool 100 body includes a shaft 62 integrally connected to the center of the bottom wall 22 thereof. The mandrel 32 is the hub 1
It is a hollow rod concentric with 2 and open at the lower end (
Figure 5). A recess 34 surrounding the lower end of the mandrel 32 is formed in the bottom wall 22 . The recess 34 is annular and adapted to receive a driver (not shown) in a known manner.

As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,819,026, an annular magnet is positioned around the recess 34 to exert an attractive force on the drive body sufficient to prevent vibration. can be embedded in the flange 14. The upper end of the core n32 is removably inserted into a socket 36 that is integral with the top wall 20.

heart? The cooperation of J32 and socket 36 properly positions top wall 20 relative to hub 12 and bottom wall 22.

The spool 100 body is preferably formed from an ink-porous, lightweight material such as polymer plastic. A suitable polymeric plastic is a trioxane-based highly crystalline acetal copolymer sold under the trade name "Cercon". An ink reservoir 33 is formed within the hub 12. The reservoir 33 is located at the bottom of the hub 12 and is defined by the space between the outer circumferential wall of the hub 12 and the side wall 23 and extends from the flange 14 to the container 40.
(Figure 5.4). The top wall 20 is joined to the hub 12, and the interior of the hub 12 includes a hole bored in the wall of the hub.
It is substantially airtight except for the pair of wick through holes 39 and the holes drilled in the bottom wall 22 for passing the screws 50. The diameter of the wick (ink absorbing material like a wick) 38 is:
Since the diameter of the wick through hole 59 is substantially larger than the diameter of the wick through hole 39, the presence of the wick through hole 59 has little effect on maintaining airtightness when the spool 10 is assembled. Also,
When the screw 50 is screwed in, the O-ring 51 is inserted as described later.
This creates a substantially airtight seal within the hub 12 and therefore within the reservoir 33. Keeping the inside of the reservoir 53 airtight is done by screw 5.
It is not important until the screw 50 is penetrated through the bottom wall of the closed container 40, and it is sufficient that the inside of the reservoir 33 can be kept airtight after the screw 50 is penetrated.

As shown in FIG. 4, a pair of wicks 38 are disposed 180 degrees opposite each other in the ink reservoir 33, and each wick has its corresponding thin wick through hole 39 extending from the reservoir 53. and extends to a position where it passes through and contacts the pad 28.

The wick 38 consists of a pair of strips of woven or knitted fabric (e.g., nylon, silk, cotton, etc.) with an ink-permeable polymer plastic layer interposed between the strips. It is preferable that

The container 40 is disposed inside the hub 12, hermetically sealed, and filled with ink. The container 40 has a central sleeve 42 that extends through the mandrel 32 and has a cover 4 at its upper end.
4 is hermetically sealed. The cover 44 is the mandrel 3
It has a central hole through which 2 passes.

A pair of recesses 46 are formed in the outer wall of the container 40 to receive each wick 38 extending upwardly from the ink reservoir 33 between it and the inner peripheral surface of the hub 12 (FIG. 5.4). The bottom wall of the container 40 is provided with at least one weakened section. Although the weakened portions may be provided in any suitable manner, a preferred method is to form two thinned portions 48 in the bottom wall of the container 40, 180 degrees apart.

Each indentation 46 of the container 40 faces one flat surface 240, and by aligning the two, one of the thin portions 48 is aligned with the screw 50.

The spool 10 is attached to one of the weakened portions 48 to establish communication between the sealed ink reservoir 40 and the ink sump 33.
It has the means to selectively break through one. In the illustrated example, such means include a screw 50 threaded into the bottom wall 22 of the hub 12 of the spool 10. screw 50
, the screw 50 is advanced parallel to the longitudinal axis # of the body of the spool 10. An O-ring 51 is interposed between the head of the screw 50 and the bottom wall 22. To establish communication between the reservoir 33 and the sealed container 40, simply turn the screw 50 with a screwdriver to pierce the weakened portion 48 and bring the O-ring 51 into close contact with the surface 55 of the bottom wall 22. . The screw 50 is
When fully screwed inward, its head is in the recess 52
It is preferable to fit within. The threads of the screw 50 serve as a channel for conducting ink from the container 40 into the reservoir 30 so that it does not spill into the hub 12. Until the weakened portion 48 is broken through by the screw 501C, the ink is retained within the airtight container 40, so that the useful life of the spool 10 is virtually unlimited. The O-ring 51 constitutes a sealing means and the interior of the hub 12, including the reservoir 33, is held substantially airtight after the container 40 is pierced by the screw 50.

One use of weakened parts that are easily broken is to remove the ink from the container 4.
This is an example of a means for making it possible to transfer from 0 to the reservoir 33. As another example, a valve (not shown) provided in the container 40 may be opened using a screw 50, for example. Preferably, the container 40 is not fully filled with ink so that the ink in the container 40 can expand, such as when placed in a high-flying airplane.

The spool 10 of the present invention is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,115.01.
It retains all the features and advantages of the spool disclosed in No. 2.

As mentioned above, the O-ring 51 holds the interior of the hub 12 substantially airtight after the container 40 is penetrated by the screw 50. Thus, both reservoir 33 and reservoir 40 are substantially sealed against the ingress of air after ink is allowed to flow from reservoir 40 into reservoir 33. Ink moves from the reservoir 53 to the pad 28 by capillary action in the wick 38. This virtually hermetic seal is the result of reservoir 3
3 to the pad 28 in a predetermined and controlled manner. As the ribbon 26 is unwound from the spool 10, one edge of the ribbon comes into contact with the pad 28, transferring ink! 1.819.026, it is believed that the imaging action of the pad 28 that occurs as the ribbon 26 is unwound assists the flow of ink through the wick 38 by a pumping action.

As soon as the spool is taken out of use, the wick 38
The capillary flow of ink through the capillary flow stops.

It is an important feature of the invention that the interior of hub 12 remains substantially airtight after container 40 is breached. Although some air leaks into the hub 12 through the wick holes 39, it is believed that this leakage rather assists the ink to flow out through the wick holes 39 in a controlled manner. If the configuration is such that air flows into the hub 12 or the reservoir 33 from a place other than the wick through hole 39 (for example, a small hole drilled in the hub 12) after the container 40 is ruptured, the ink will flow from the reservoir 33 to the pad. 28 has been found to flow excessively in an uncontrolled manner.

U.S. Patent Nos. &819,026 and 4.115, cited above.
．． Unlike the printing ribbon spool disclosed in Cu2,
The ink level in the reservoir 33 never rises to the level of the wick through hole 3 or higher. Ink is drawn from the reservoir 33 to the pad 28 solely by capillary action.

Therefore, the flow rate of ink in reservoir 33 is stable, continuous, and provides uniform print density.

Since ink does not enter the reservoir 33 until the spool 1.0 is put into use by breaking the container 40, the liquid level of the ink in the reservoir 33 does not rise to the level of the wick passage hole. Therefore, the diameter of the wick through-hole can be made larger than is possible with conventional spools. In the case of the present invention, the diameter of the wick through holes 39 is set to [L155" (5 holes) so that it can be used in a printer capable of printing 200 characters or more per second.
When the test was expanded to K, good results were obtained. That is, it has been found that the diameter of the wick through holes 39 can be made significantly larger without losing control over the flow rate of ink, and thus without excessive ink spillage.

Furthermore, since there is no ink in the reservoir 33 until the spool 10 is ready for use by breaking the container 40, there is no ink leakage that occurs with conventional spools, and even under adverse conditions. Spools can be transported. Additionally, since the ink is stored in an airtight container until use, its shelf life is greatly extended.

Additionally, the spool of the present invention can be used in an oblique position as required in some types of printers.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ribbon spool of the present invention, Figure 2 is an exploded view of the ribbon spool in Figure 1, and Figure 5 is line 3 in Figure 1.
-3, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4--4 in FIG. 10: Printing ribbon spool 12: Hub 14. 16: Flange 24: Flat surface 26: Ribbon 28: Pad 33: Ink stopper 38: Wick 39: Wick through hole 40: Ink container 46: Recess 48: Weakened part 50: Screw 51:0 ring

Claims (1)

Claims: 1) a pair of spaced apart, radially outwardly projecting flanges (14, 16) for receiving a printing ribbon (26);
) an annular spool body having a hub (12) disposed between said flanges (14, 16); a textile annular pad (28) supported by the spool body so as to contact a side edge; and a sealed ink container (40) housed within the hub.
), and an ink reservoir (
33); first means (48, 50) for allowing ink to be transferred from said reservoir to a sump; and second means (48, 50) for transferring ink from said sump to a pad in a controlled manner.
38) A printing ribbon spool consisting of. 2) The first means is a means (50) for breaking through the container, movably supported by the spool body.
A printing ribbon spool according to claim 1. 3) The first means is a screw (50) that is screwed onto the spool body and is rotatable so as to be movable in a direction parallel to the axis of the spool body in order to break through the container.
A printing ribbon spool according to claim 2. 4) The printing ribbon spool according to claim 5, wherein a sealing means (51) is interposed between the screw and the spool body to maintain the interior of the hub in a substantially airtight state. 5) Printing ribbon spool according to claim 4, wherein the container has a thinned portion (48) on one end wall thereof for cooperating with the screw. 6) The second means extends upwardly from the reservoir along a recess (46) provided in the outer peripheral wall of the container and passes through a hole (59) drilled in the hub to the pad (28).
2. Printing ribbon spool according to claim 1, characterized in that the printing ribbon spool has at least one wick (38) extending up to a length of 1. 7) The first means includes means (5) for breaching the container so that ink can be transferred from the container to the reservoir.
0) and sealing means (51) for maintaining a substantially air-tight condition within said hub, said wick directing ink from said reservoir to a pad in a controlled manner by capillary action. A printing ribbon spool according to claim 6. 8) Printing ribbon according to claim 7, wherein the hub has at least one flat surface (24) and the container has a flat surface juxtaposed to the flat surface of the hub. spool. 9) The container has two walls on its end walls facing each other at 180°.
Printing ribbon spool according to claim 8, comprising a pair of weakened portions (48), one of said weakened portions being positioned to cooperate with said break-through means (50). 10) a pair of spaced apart radially outwardly projecting flanges (14, 1) for receiving a print ribbon (26);
an annular spool body having a hub (12) disposed between said flanges (14, 16); an annular pad (28) formed of a deformable material supported by the spool body so as to be able to contact one side edge; an ink reservoir (40) provided in the hub below the container;
33), movably supported on the spool body to enable ink to be transferred from the container to the reservoir, after the ink has been enabled to be transferred from the container to the reservoir; first means (50) comprising sealing means (51) for maintaining a substantially gas-tight condition within said hub; and second means (38) for controlling transfer of ink from said reservoir to a pad. ) and a printing ribbon spool consisting of . 11) The container has a weakened portion (48) at one end, and the first means is threaded onto the spool body so that the ink can pass through the weakened portion from the container to the reservoir. Breaking means (50) adapted to be movable in a direction parallel to the axis of the spool body to enable flow.
The printing ribbon spool described in item 0. 12) The sealing means includes an O-ring (5
1) The printing ribbon spool according to claim 11. 13) The second means extends upwardly from the reservoir along a recess (46) provided in the outer peripheral wall of the container and passes through a hole (39) drilled in the hub to the pad (2).
13. Printing ribbon spool according to claim 12, comprising at least one wick (38) extending up to 8). 14) Printing ribbon according to claim 13, wherein the hub has at least one flat surface (24) and the container has a flat surface juxtaposed to the flat surface of the hub. spool. 15) a pair of spaced apart radially outwardly projecting flanges (14, 1) for receiving a print ribbon (26);
an annular spool body having a hub (12) disposed between said flanges (14, 16); a textile annular pad (28) supported by said spool body so as to be able to contact one side edge;
a sealed container (40) having a pair of weakened portions (48) arranged 80° opposite each other and having a flat surface juxtaposed to a flat surface (24) on the hub (12); An ink reservoir (
33) screwed onto said spool body and arranged to align with one of said weakened portions (48) of said container, for piercing said container and transferring ink from said container to said reservoir; a screw (50) which is rotatable so as to be movable parallel to the axis of the spool body to enable the sealing means to substantially seal the interior of the hub after the container has been breached; an O-ring (51) interposed between the breakthrough means and the spool body to maintain an airtight state; The pad ( 59
28), and when the container is breached,
at least one wick (38) that directs ink from the reservoir to the pad in a controlled manner by capillary action. 16) mating surfaces are provided on the hub and container for positioning the container relative to the hub such that one of the weakened portions (48) of the container is aligned with the screw (50); A printing ribbon spool according to claim 15.