JPS61205171A - Ink ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce drive torque for feeding by using a system in which an ink ribbon to be used with high frequency is fed by a smooth roller, and an ink ribbon to be used with lesser frequency is fed by a gear. CONSTITUTION:A black ribbon 2 is housed in a cassette 1a, and red, yellow, and blue color ribbons 3, 4, and 5 are housed in a cassette 1b. The black ribbon 2 is held by a pair of smooth rollers 6 and fed by rotation of the rollers 6. On the other hand, the color ribbons 3, 4, and 5 are held by pairs of feeding gears 7, 8, and 9 and fed. Since no great pressing forces are required for feeding these ribbons, these ribbons can be exactly fed with small drive forces.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Table of contents] - Overview - Field of industrial application - Prior art - Problems to be solved by the invention - Means for solving the problems - Effects - Examples - Effects of the invention [Summary] In an ink ribbon cassette loaded with two or more types of ink ribbon, the ink ribbon that is used more frequently is sent by a smooth roller, and the ink ribbon that is used less frequently is sent by a gear, reducing the driving torque for feeding. We aim to

C. Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette for a printer, and more particularly to an improvement in its ribbon feeding means.

[Conventional technology]

The ink ribbon in the ink ribbon cassette is sandwiched between a pair of feed rollers and is fed by the rotation of the rollers. The pair of feed rollers press against each other and feed the ink ribbon sandwiched between them by frictional force.

The surface of the feed roller is formed as a smooth surface so that the ink ribbon after passing through the feed roller is neatly folded and arranged in a flat state to increase the storage capacity in the cassette. Therefore, in order to obtain the feeding friction force, a large pressure contact force is required, and the feeding drive load is large.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

For color printers, black ribbon and red.

Yellow and blue color ribbons are housed in the cassette.

In such color printers, the black ribbon is used particularly frequently, and the other color ribbons are used less frequently. In such an ink ribbon cassette of a color printer, as the number of ribbons increases, the pressure contact surface (width) of the feed roller increases, and the driving load becomes particularly large.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, an object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon cassette in which the drive load for feeding the ribbon is reduced without reducing the storage capacity of frequently used ribbons.

[Means for solving the problem] In order to achieve this object, the present invention provides a ribbon feeding method in which the ink ribbon is sandwiched between a pair of rotating bodies whose outer peripheral surfaces engage with each other, and the ink ribbon is fed by the rotation of the rotating bodies. In an ink ribbon cassette containing two or more types of ink ribbons, the rotating body that feeds the ribbon most frequently used is a smooth roller with a smooth cylindrical outer surface, and the other rotating bodies that feed the ribbon are It consists of a feed gear with teeth on its outer circumferential surface.

[For production]

The frequently used ink ribbon (black ribbon) is sent by a smooth roller, and the other color ribbons, which are used less frequently, are sent by a feed gear.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention. A black ribbon 2 is housed in a cassette la, and red, yellow, and blue color ribbons 3, 4.5 are housed in a cassette lb. As shown in FIG. 2(a), the black ribbon 2 is sandwiched between a pair of smooth rollers 6 and is fed by rotation of the smooth rollers 6 in the direction of the arrow. Therefore, the black ribbon 2 after passing through the rollers is neatly folded in a smooth state and stored in the cassette. Therefore, the storage capacity of the black ribbon 2 can be increased. On the other hand, the color ribbons 3, 4.5 are connected to a pair of feed gears, as shown in FIG. 2(b). , 8.9, and is sent by rotation of the feed gear 7.8.9 in the direction of the arrow. Therefore, the color ribbons 3, 4.5 after passing through the gears have fine irregularities formed by the teeth on the outer peripheral surface of the gears, and are irregularly folded. Therefore, the storage capacity of color ribbons 3, 4.5 is reduced. In this case, the color ribbons 3, 4.5 are fed while meshing with the teeth of the feeding gear 7.8.9, so a large pressure contact force is not required, and the color ribbons 3, 4.5 are fed reliably with a small driving force, and the driving load is small.

FIG. 3(A) shows a perspective view of a ribbon cassette according to the present invention, and FIG. 3(B) shows a sectional view thereof.

Cassette 1a for black ribbon and power set for color ribbon)
lb are integrally connected to each other by engaging the claws 11 and the recesses 12, and are mounted by inserting the pin 10 into the hole 10a of the cassette mounting frame 13.

14 is a ribbon drive section. In this example, the color ribbon feeding gear 15 has three color ribbons 3, 4.5.
It is commonly formed integrally. Other configurations,
The action and effect are the same as those described above.

Note that the ribbon cassettes la and lb are not configured separately;
The cassette may be integrally formed, and only the internal feeding means may be configured as a smooth roller for the black ribbon and a feeding gear for the color ribbon.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, in the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention, only frequently used ink ribbons are fed by smooth rollers, and less frequently used ink ribbons are fed by gears. Therefore, without reducing the storage capacity of ink ribbons that require a large amount of use, ink ribbons that are used in a small amount can be reliably fed using gears with a small drive torque, and the overall ink ribbon feeding drive It is possible to reduce the load. In this case, since the amount of color ribbon used is small, there is no problem even if the amount stored in the cartridge is reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an internal explanatory diagram of an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. l...cassette, 2...black ribbon, 3,4.5...
・Color ribbon, 6...Smooth roller, 7, 8, 9.1
5... Feed gear. Configuration diagrams 3.4 and 5 of the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention
- Color ribbon 6: Smooth roller 7.89: Feed gear Fig. 2 Internal explanatory diagram of the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention 2, black ribbon 3, 4.5: Color ribbon 6: Smooth roller 7.8, 9: Feed 3.4.5: Color ribbon 6 Smooth roller 15, feed gear Schematic diagram of an embodiment of the present invention

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Use in an ink ribbon cassette containing two or more types of ink ribbons, which is equipped with a ribbon feeding means that sandwiches the ink ribbon between a pair of rotating bodies whose outer peripheral surfaces engage with each other and feeds the ink ribbon by the rotation of the rotating bodies. An ink ribbon cassette characterized in that the rotating body that feeds the ribbon most frequently is a smooth roller with a smooth cylindrical outer circumferential surface, and the other rotating bodies that feed the ribbon are composed of feeding gears having teeth on the outer circumferential surface.