JPS63212581A - Ink ribbon cassette and recorder mounted said cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain an ink ribbon cassette which can always convey an ink ribbon at a constant suitable tension without slack of the ribbon by providing a pair of friction means for applying frictional forces to the ribbon and energizing means for applying tension to the ribbon. CONSTITUTION:When a carriage table 35 is charged with an ink ribbon cassette 40 at a predetermined position, an ink ribbon 49 exposed from openings 42c, 42d of the cassette 40 is disposed oppositely to the head 18 of a body, and heated by a thermal head 18. The ribbon 49 is energized by pressure contacting springs 45, 46 provided at a lower case 42 of the cassette 40 to the protrusions 42g, 42h of the case 42. A tension spring 47 energizes the ribbon 49 in a direction of an arrow K to remove the slack of the ribbon 49 together with the springs 45, 46.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Technical Field] The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette that is removably attached to a recording device having a recording head, such as a printer or facsimile, and a recording device equipped with the cassette.

(Prior Art) This type of ink ribbon cassette is generally used by being detachably mounted on a carriage that carries a recording head and moves left and right along a sheet on a platen. The ink ribbon wound around the recording head is wound onto a take-up reel along a conveyance path passing in front of the recording head.

The take-up reel is connected to a ribbon drive shaft provided on the carriage when the cassette is installed, and is controlled to rotate in response to the recording operation and transport the ink ribbon between the recording head and the sheet (recording medium).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

By the way, in an ink ribbon cassette, it is important to convey the ink ribbon smoothly without slack, and it is required to convey the ink ribbon in a state where an appropriate and constant tension is applied.

However, with conventional ink ribbon cassettes, when the head amplifier of the recording head is down, the carriage is reversed, and the stacked cassette for multicolor printing is switched up and down, acceleration, deceleration, and impact are applied, especially when the ribbon is damaged near the recording head. This could cause ribbon jams.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention has been made in view of the problems of the prior art described above, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an ink ribbon cassette that can always transport an ink ribbon with a constant and appropriate tension without causing ribbon slack.

The present invention provides an ink ribbon cassette that is detachably attached to a recording apparatus having a recording head, and includes a recess formed in a conveyance path of the ink ribbon conveyed from a supply side to a winding side and into which the recording head is inserted; a pair of friction means disposed on both sides of the recessed portion of the conveyance path to apply a frictional force to the ink ribbon; and a pair of friction means that apply tension to the ink ribbon formed in the conveyance path sandwiched between the pair of friction means. The above object is achieved by an ink ribbon cassette having a biasing means for applying bias.

Moreover, the second invention selects an ink ribbon cassette to be used from a plurality of installed ink ribbon cassettes,
In a recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium with a recording head, a recess formed in a conveyance path of an ink ribbon conveyed from a supply side to a winding side into which the recording head is inserted, and a recess in the conveyance path. A pair of friction means arranged on both sides of the ink ribbon to apply a frictional force to the ink ribbon, and a biasing means to apply tension to the ink ribbon formed in the conveyance path sandwiched between the pair of friction means. a support means for supporting a plurality of ink ribbon cassettes in a stacked state and movable in the stacking direction; and moving the support means in the stacking direction;
The above object is achieved by a recording apparatus having a configuration including a driving means for causing an ink ribbon of a predetermined ink ribbon cassette to face a recording arrangement of a recording head.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a word processor equipped with a recording device embodying the present invention.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a keyboard which is an input operation section, and is provided with color keys and function keys, which will be described later. 2 is a display device CRT (or LCD);
3 is an FDD of a storage device, and 4 is a recording sheet.

FIG. 3 shows a recording section of a recording apparatus embodying the present invention.

In FIG. 3, the recording sheet 4 is banked up on the platen 5 and is pressed against the rubber portion of the sheet feed roller 6 by a pinch roller 6b (FIG. 6). A gear 7 is attached to M6a of the sheet feed roller 6, and is connected to the sheet feed motor M1 via a reduction gear 7a.The rotation of the sheet feed motor M1 rotates the sheet feed roller 6, and the recording sheet 4 is transported.

Therefore, when the thermal head 18 (described later) contacts the recording sheet 4 to perform recording, the platen 5
maintain position.

Next, the reciprocating movement of the carriage 14 will be explained.

A shaft 12 is fixed in parallel to the front side of the platen 5, and a rank 13 is fixed to the opposite side of the carriage 14, and the guide surface of the upper surface of the shaft 12 and the rank 13 connects the carriage 14 (FIGS. 1 and 6). is guided and supported so as to be movable in the direction of arrow B.

That is, the carriage 14 moves along the conveyance path A of the recording sheet 4.
It is possible to reciprocate in the direction perpendicular to the

A portion of the belt 11 is fixed to the carriage 14 and stretched by a pulley gear 9 and a pulley 10. The pulley gear 9 is connected to a carriage motor M2 via reduction gears 8a and 8b. Therefore,
The rotation of the carriage motor M2 causes the pulley gear and pulley to rotate, thereby causing the belt 11 to rotate.
is driven, and the carriage 14 reciprocates vJ (in the direction of arrow B) along the shaft 12.

Further, the carriage 14 has a head boulder 19 (first
) is rotatably guided and supported around the head holder shaft 19b. A thermal head 18 is attached to this head holder 19, and this head holder 19 also has a heat sink made of reeds.

The carriage 14 also includes an ink sheet drawer (
A carriage table 35 is provided for loading ink ribbon cassettes 40 (FIGS. 7 and 13) in two stacks. The carriage table 35 is provided with a color detection means (color sensor) S3 for color identification of the multicolor ribbon 50 (FIG. 15), and the carriage 14 is equipped with a color detection means (color sensor) S3 for identifying the color of the multicolor ribbon 50 (FIG. 15). A ribbon sensor S2 (FIG. 3) is provided for detecting the end of the ribbon 49.

Next, a case will be described in which the ink ribbon cassette 40 is loaded onto the carriage table 35 so that a film can be deposited thereon.

Ink ribbon cassettes 40 can be mounted on the carriage table 35 in two stages, upper and lower, and pins 35a, 35 are provided on the upper surface of the carriage table 35.
b and hooks 35C, 35d, and 356 are provided.

First, when loading the ink ribbon cassette 40 in the lower stage, open the openings 4 provided in the upper and lower cases of the ink ribbon cassette 40 (FIGS. 13 and 14), which will be described later.
1a, 41b, 42i, 42j to the pins 35a, 35
b, and attach the hook 35 to the locking part 42k of the lower case.
c, the ink ribbon cassette 40 is removably attached to the carriage table 35.
can be loaded into. Similarly, when loading the ink ribbon cassette 40 in the upper stage, the pin 35a
, 35b into the openings 41a, 41b, 42i, 42j, and hooks 35 into the engaging parts 42I, 42m of the lower case.
By elastically engaging d and 35e, the ink ribbon is loaded onto the carriage table 35 via the lower ink ribbon cassette 40.

In this way, a plurality of (two stages) ink sheet (including ink ribbon) mounting sections are configured.

Next, the configuration on the carriage 14 will be explained.

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the carriage 14.

In FIG. 1, a head motor M3 is mounted on a carriage 14, and the driving force of this head motor M3 is transmitted via reduction gears 15a and 15b.
and rotate the ribbon cam 17.

The head cam 16 is a cam for moving the head up and down (separating and pressing the recording head 18 against the platen 5), which will be described later.The head cam 16 has a cam surface whose height changes in the axial direction of the rotation axis of the head cam 16 on the upper surface of the head cam 16. 16a is provided. The ribbon cam 17 is a cam for turning on/off ribbon winding and cassette setup down (ink sheet switching means), which will be described later.As shown in FIG. A cassette amplifier down cam surface 17a whose height changes is provided on the top surface, and a ribbon winding cam surface 17a whose radius changes around the rotation axis at right angles to the axial direction of the rotation axis of the ribbon cam 17 is provided on the top surface. A cam surface 17b is provided.

FIG. 4 is a cam chart of the held cam 16 and ribbon cam 17.

In FIG. 4, six combinations of head up/down, ribbon winding, and cassette amplifier down operations can be executed depending on the positions of the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17, which are rotated by the drive of the head motor M3 (FIG. 3). can.

Here, the head cam 16 and the ribbon cam 17 are controlled by a stopper (not shown) provided on the carriage 14.
Rotation is restricted within the range of the cam chart in FIG.

In Figure 4, Herad cam 1 for head up/down
When the cam surface 16a of No. 6 is in the state of a low cam surface (P2 to P5), the head-up (It reverse) will be described later, and when the cam surface 16a of No. 6 is in the state of the high cam surface (PI, P6), it will be the head-down (described later).
pressure or pressure contact).

Further, in the ribbon winding cam surface 17b of the ribbon cam 17, the radius of the cam surface is small (P1 to P2, P5
~P6), the state becomes ready for ribbon winding, which will be described later.
When the radius of the cam surface is large (P3 to P4), the ribbon winding is released, which will be described later.

Furthermore, when the cassette setup down cam surface 17a of the ribbon cam 17 is in a low cam surface (PI-P3) state, it is in a cassette-down state (using an upper cassette), which will be described later, and also in a high cam surface (P4-F' In the state 6), the cassette setup (lower cassette is used) state will be described later.

Next, the cassette setup down mechanism (ink sheet switching means) will be explained.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the cassette setup down mechanism, FIG. 6 is a side view of the cassette down state, and FIG. 7 is a side view of the cassette setup state.

In FIGS. 5, 6, and 7, the cassette shift lever A29 is fixed to a cassette shift shaft 29a rotatably guided and supported by the carriage 14, and
A cassette shift spring 30 is attached between the protrusion 29b of the cassette shift lever A29 and the protrusion (not shown) of the carriage 14.

The tip 29C of the cassette shift lever A29 is biased in the direction of arrow C2 by the spring force of the cassette shift spring 30, so that the cam surface 17 of the ribbon cam 17
(Fig. 6).

Further, the cassette shift lever A29 is connected to the cassette shift lever B31 via a cassette shift shaft 29a, and the cassette shift lever C is rotatably connected to a boss 31b provided on the cassette shift lever B31.
32 is supported.

Furthermore, a boss 3 is provided at one end of the cassette shift lever B31.
1a is a boss 3 at the tip of the cassette shift lever C32.
The bosses 31a and 32a are inserted into the openings 35f and 35g of the carriage table 3°5, and a boss 32b is provided at the other end of the cassette shift lever C32, and the opening of the carriage 14 Part 14b
The boss 32b is inserted into. In this way, the carriage table 35 is supported substantially horizontally.

Here, when the height of the cam surface 17a increases and the cassette shift lever A29 is rotated clockwise (arrow C1 direction) (Fig. 6), the cassette shift lever B31 also rotates clockwise (arrow C1 direction) (Fig. 6). Rotate to Figure 6).

From the above explanation, the height of the center of rotation of the cassette shift lever B31, that is, the cassette shift shaft 29a, and the boss portion 32b of the cassette shift lever C32 is regulated in height by the carriage 14, and the boss 31a of the cassette shift lever B31 is regulated in height by the carriage 14. The opening 35f of the table 35 and the boss 32b of the cassette shift lever C32 move through the opening 14b of the carriage 14, respectively. That is, the carrier table 35 moves in the vertical direction (directions of arrows El and E2) (FIG. 6) by converting rotational motion into linear motion using a pantograph mechanism.

Further, the carriage table 35 is provided with a boss 33, which is inserted into the entrance part 34a of the carriage cover 34 attached to the carriage 14, and moves the carriage table 35 up and down (in the directions of arrows E1 and E2) ( 6th
Figure) The range is regulated. That is, the height of the carriage table 35 in the amplification state and in the down state is accurately determined by the opening 34a.

Next, the cassette setup down operation, that is, the ink sheet (including ink ribbon) switching operation in the above-described configuration will be described.

5 and 6 show the cassette down state (upper cassette is used).

In this state, the ribbon cam 17 is in the states P1 to P3 in the chart of FIG. 4, and the cassette shift lever A29 is
The tip end portion 29c is pressed against the lower surface of the cam surface 17a of the ribbon cam 17 by the biasing force of the cassette shift spring 30, and the carriage table 35 is in the down position.

When the ribbon cam 17 is rotated clockwise (arrow D1 direction) (Fig. 5) from this state, the contact point between the cam surface 17a of the ribbon cam 17 and the tip 29c of the cassette shift lever A29 is raised perpendicular to the cam surface. The intensity increases.

Accordingly, the cassette shift lever A29 overcomes the biasing force of the cassette shift spring 30 and moves clockwise (arrow ci).
direction) (Fig. 6).

As mentioned above, the rotation of the cassette shift lever A29 moves the carriage table 35 in the upward direction (direction of arrow E1) (Fig. 6), and the height of the cam surface 17a changes from P4 to P4.
When you reach the P6 position wi (Figure 4), the lower cassette usage notice appears! :i (Figure 7).

Next, the ribbon winding mechanism, that is, the ink sheet feeding means will be explained.

FIG. 8 is a plan view of the ribbon in the winding state, and FIG. 9 is a plan view of the ribbon in the unwinding state.

8 and 9, the carriage 14 is provided with a winding shaft 24, a winding lever 25 is rotatably supported around this winding shaft 24, and a winding clutch is mounted on the upper part of the lever 25. 23 is rotatably supported.

Furthermore, a winding reduction gear 25C is rotatably supported by the winding lever 25, and a gear portion (not shown) of the winding clutch 23 becomes a sun gear, and the winding reduction gear 25C
are meshed together to form a planetary gear.

Further, a winding gear 27 and a winding intermediate gear 26 meshing with the winding gear 27 are rotatably guided and supported on the carriage 14, and the winding gear 27 meshes with the rack 13.

Furthermore, a take-up lever pressure contact spring 28 is provided between the spring hook part 25a of the take-up lever 25 and the spring hook part (not shown) of the carriage 14, and the take-up lever 25 is moved in the direction of arrow F1 (in the direction of arrow F1). Figure 8).

Further, the take-up clutch 23 is provided with a hub receiving portion 23a, which can be fitted with a take-up core 44 (FIGS. 13 and 14) in the ink ribbon cassette 40.

Further, a friction clutch (not shown) is provided between the hub receiving part 23a and the gear part (not shown) of the take-up clutch 23, and the rotation of the gear part is transmitted to the hub receiving part 23a.

Next, the operation of the above-mentioned ribbon winding, that is, the operation of the ink sheet feeding means will be explained.

In the ribbon winding state shown in FIG. 8, the ribbon cam 17
are in the states of P1 to P2 and P5 to P6 in the cam chart in FIG. 4, and the winding lever 25 is in the state of
8 in the direction of the hour hand (in the direction of arrow F1),
As a result, the winding reduction gear 25a attached to the winding lever 25 is biased toward the winding intermediate gear 26 and meshes with the winding intermediate gear 26.

In this state, when the carriage 14 is moved in the recording direction (arrow B1 direction in FIG. 3), the winding gear 27 that meshes with the rack 13 rotates.

The rotational force of the take-up gear 27 is transmitted to the take-up clutch 23 via the take-up intermediate gear 26 and the take-up reduction gear 25a, and the rotation of the hub receiver 23a of the take-up clutch 23 engages the hub receiver 23a. The winding core 44 in the ink ribbon cassette 40 is rotated, and the ink ribbon 4
9 winding is performed.

When the ribbon cam 17 is rotated clockwise or counterclockwise (arrow D1 or D2 direction in FIG. 8) from this state, the cam surface 17b provided on the ribbon cam 17 and the boss portion provided at one end of the winding lever 25 are rotated. 25b is brought into contact,
When the ribbon cam 17 further rotates, the radius of the cam surface 17b at the contact point between the cam surface 17b and the boss portion 25b of the take-up lever 25 increases according to the cam chart shown in FIG.

As a result, the take-up lever 25 is moved counterclockwise (arrow F2 in FIG. 8) against the biasing force of the take-up lever pressure contact spring 28.
direction), and when the cam surface 17b reaches the positions P3 to P4 of the cam chart in FIG.
Move away from 6.

In this state, move the carriage 14 in the recording direction (arrow B in Figure 3).
1 direction), the winding gear 27 that meshes with the rack 13 rotates, and rotational force is transmitted to the winding intermediate gear 26. However, as described above, since the intermediate winding gear 26 and the winding reduction gear 25C,/) are separated from each other, the rotational force of the winding gear 27 is not transmitted to the winding reduction gear 25c.

Therefore, the gear portion (not shown) of the take-up clutch 23 that meshes with the take-up reduction gear 25C also does not rotate.
Ribbon winding is not performed in states P3 to P4 of the cam chart in FIG. 4.

Next, the up-down mechanism of the thermal head (recording head) 18 will be explained.

FIG. 0 is a plan view of the amplifier down mechanism, FIG. 11 is a side view in the head-up state, and FIG. 12 is a side view in the head-down state.

10 to 12, the head amplifier down lever 22 is rotatably provided around a head holder shaft 19b provided on the carriage 14, and further includes:
Projections 22b, 2 of this head up/down lever 22
2c, a head spring 21 is installed with a charged spring force.

Also, a roller 2 is provided at one end of the head up/down lever 22.
2a is rotatably guided and supported.

Further, a head return spring 20 is provided between the spring hook portion 19a of the head holder 19 and the spring hook portion 14a of the carriage 7j, and the head holder 19 is connected to the platen 5.
It is biased in the direction away from (the direction of arrow I2 in FIG. 11).

The biasing force of this head return spring 20 is
The pressure is transmitted from the pressure contact portion 19c of No. 9 to the arm portion 21a of the head spring 21, and from this arm portion 21a to the head up/down lever 22. Therefore, the head up/down lever 22 is urged by the head return spring 20 in the direction away from the platen 5 (in the direction of arrow I2 in FIG. 11), and the roller 22 provided on the up/down lever 22
a is pressed against the cam surface 16a of the head cam 16.

Therefore, the head 18 rotates toward the platen 5 due to the change in the height increasing direction of the head cam 16.

Next, the operation of pressing or pressing (down) and separating (up) the recording head in the above-described configuration will be described.

In FIGS. 10 and 11, in the head-up (separated) state, the head cam 16 is located at P in the cam chart of FIG.
2 to P5, and the head return spring 2 is in the state as described above.
0, the head up/down lever 22 is in pressure contact with the head cam 16, and the head 18 is separated from the recording sheet 4 and platen 5.

When the head cam 16 is rotated clockwise (direction of arrow G2 in FIG. 10) or counterclockwise (direction of arrow G1 in FIG. 10) from this state, the cam 16 and the roller 22a provided on the head up/down lever 22 The height perpendicular to the cam surface at the point of contact increases.

As a result, the head up/down lever 22 rotates counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow H2 in FIG. 11) against the biasing force of the head return spring 20. The rotational force of the head up/down lever 22 is transmitted from the arm portion 21a of the head spring 21 to the pressure contact portion 19c of the head holder 19, thereby rotating the head holder 19 in the counterclockwise direction (in the direction of arrow 1 in FIG. 11). The thermal head 18 attached to the head holder 19 is then pressed against the platen 5 via the recording sheet 4 and the ink ribbon 49, 50 (FIG. 11).

That is, when recording by the thermal head 18, the head 18 comes into contact with the recording sheet 4, and the recording sheet 4 is held at that position by the platen 5.

Further, the height of the head cam 16 increases even after the thermal head 18 contacts the platen 5, and the head up/down lever 22 is further rotated counterclockwise (in the direction of arrow H2 in FIG. 11).

That is, when the head cam 16 reaches the positions PI and P6 in the cam chart (FIG. 4) described above, the operation of the head holder 19 is restricted by the thermal head 18 coming into contact with the platen 5.

Therefore, as the head up/down lever 22 rotates in the counterclockwise direction (direction of arrow H2 in FIG.
The head spring 21 is further charged with spring force.

Since the protrusion 22b of the head up/down lever 22 and the arm 21a of the head spring 21 are separated from each other, the spring force of the head spring 21 is transmitted to the pressure contact part 19c of the head holder 19, and the thermal head 18 is moved through the recording sheet 4. Pressed against the platen.

Next, the operating methods of head up/down, ribbon winding, and cassette amplifier down will be explained.

Using the cam chart of FIG. 4, the combination of the above-mentioned head up/down, ribbon winding on/off, and cassette setup down operations at each position will be described.

In Fig. 4, Pl is head down (pressure welding), ribbon winding possible, and cassette down (using upper cassette).
, that is, the recording state in the upper ink ribbon cassette.

P2 indicates a state where the head is up (separated), the ribbon can be taken up, and the cassette is down, that is, a state l@ (position) in which the ribbon of the upper cassette is wound up in a non-recording state.

P3 indicates a state in which the head is up, ribbon winding is released, and the cassette is down, and P4 indicates a state in which the head is up, ribbon winding is released, and the cassette is set up (lower cassette is used).

Further, P5 indicates a state in which the head is up, ribbon winding is possible, and the cassette is up, that is, a state in which the ribbon of the lower cassette is wound in a non-recording state.

P6 indicates the head down, ribbon winding enabled and cassette setup states, that is, the recording state in the lower cassette.

Therefore, by rotating the head motor M3 (FIG. 1) clockwise or counterclockwise and rotating the head cam controller and ribbon cam 17 to any one of the positions Pi-P6, the recording state, non-recording state,
It is possible to independently have six states: ribbon unwinding, ribbon winding possible, cassette set up, and cassette down.

For example, the above six states are not driven independently; for example, head up/down and ribbon winding on/off are linked (1). Alternatively, the three operations of hand pull-down, ribbon winding on/off, and cassette setup-down can be operated independently using three motors.

Next, the ink sheet cassette (ink ribbon cassette) will be explained using FIG. 13 (plan view) and FIG. 14 (perspective view).

13 and 14, an ink ribbon cassette 40 is formed of an upper case 41 and a lower case 42, and is removably loaded onto the carriage table 35 with an ink ribbon 49 stored in the cassette 40.

The ink ribbon 49 is wound around the supply core 43, passes through rollers 48 that are rotatably attached to the protrusions 42a and 42b of the lower case 42, is once exposed outside the cassette 40 at the opening 42C of the lower case, and then returns to the bottom again. Case opening 42
The winding core 4 enters the cassette 40 through the lower case opening 42e, enters the cassette 40 through the lower case opening 42f, and is exposed to the outside of the cassette 40 again through the lower case opening 42e.
4.

Note that when the cassette 40 is loaded at a predetermined position on the carriage table 35, the ink ribbon 49 exposed from the opening 42C142d of the cassette 40 is positioned facing the head 18 on the main body side, and the ink ribbon 49 is Heating can be performed by a thermal head 18 that generates heat according to recorded information. Further, the ink ribbon 49 is biased against the protrusions 42g and 42h of the lower case 42 by pressure springs 45 and 46 provided on the lower case 42, respectively. Note that felt 4 is attached to the pressure springs 45 and 46.
5a and 46a are attached to prevent the ink ribbon 49 from being damaged by pressure contact.

Also, the tension spring 47 moves the ink ribbon 49 along the arrow K
(Fig. 13) direction, pressure contact spring 45.46
The slack of the ink ribbon 49 is removed by working together with the ink ribbon 49.

Also, the ink ribbon 4 is inserted through the opening 42n of the lower case 42.
9 is exposed, and when this cassette 40 is loaded in a predetermined position on the carriage table 35, the ribbon sensor S2 (FIG. 3) on the main body side is located at the opening 42n of this cassette 40. , the ribbon sensor S2 detects the ribbon end of the ink ribbon 49. In addition, the color sensor 33 (Fig. 3) on the main body side is connected to the opening 4 of the lower case 42.
It faces the position of the ink ribbon 49 exposed from 2e and 42f.

As is clear from the above specific structure, the recording head 1B
The ink ribbon cassette 40, which is removably attached to a recording apparatus having a a pair of friction means 45.46 disposed on both sides of the concave portion of the path and applying frictional force to the ink ribbon 49; and an ink ribbon formed in the transport path sandwiched between the pair of friction means 45.46. The ink ribbon is equipped with a biasing means 47 that applies tension to the ink ribbon 49, and the ink ribbon can be conveyed with a constant appropriate tension without causing ribbon slack, eliminating damage to the ink ribbon and producing stable, high-quality images. It is now possible to record.

In addition, a multi-cassette type recording device capable of multi-color printing is
The ink ribbon cassette to be used is selected from the plurality of installed ink ribbon cassettes 40, 40, and the recording head 1
In the recording device which records on the recording medium 4 by 8,
In a state where a plurality of ink ribbon cassettes 40 having the above configuration are stacked, and in the stacking direction, these ink ribbon cassettes 4
0.40 movably; and a drive means 17 that moves the support means 35 in the stacking direction so that the ink ribbon 49 of a predetermined ink ribbon cassette 40 faces the recording position of the recording head 18. We are equipped with
Similarly, a multi-stage recording apparatus is configured in which an appropriate tension can always be applied to the ink ribbon 49 and high-quality recording can be obtained.

Further, the ink ribbon cassette 40 has a supply side 43.
A recess into which the recording head 18 is inserted is formed in the conveyance path of the ink ribbon 49 to be conveyed from the ink ribbon to the take-up side 44, and a friction portion 46a is provided at the free end of the ink ribbon supported in a cantilever in the middle of the conveyance path. The intermediate portion is bent so that its supporting end and free end face each other, and the winding side 44 is moved from the supply side 43 to the winding side 44.
A structure including a spring member 46 that applies a small tension to the ink ribbon 49 being conveyed to the winding side 44 and a large tension to the ink ribbon 49 returning from the winding side 44 to the supply side 43. The tension applying means 46 has a directional property that makes it easy to pull out the ink ribbon 49 in the transport direction, but makes it difficult to return it in the opposite direction, and has a structure that makes it difficult for the ribbon to loosen.

Further, since the spring member 46 has a U-shape or a 7-shape, it can be compactly stored in a small space.

The spring member 46 is provided on the winding side (44 side) of the ink ribbon 49 than the recess (head 18 insertion part) of the ribbon transport path, and has a felt member 46a as a friction member. The felt member 46a presses the ink ribbon 49 against the wall surface (projection) 42h, and guides the ink ribbon 49 so that it is pressed more toward the felt member 46a when the ink ribbon 49 is conveyed from the supply side 43 to the winding side 44. A guide section is provided to do this.

The ink ribbon cassette 40, which is removably attached to a recording device that records on a recording medium 4 on a platen 5 with a recording head 18, has a housing shape 41, 42 whose top and bottom surfaces are connected by side walls. , the side wall has a first side wall facing the platen 5 and a second side wall facing the first side wall, and the recording head 18 is inserted into the end of the first side wall. A recessed portion is formed in the second side wall, and locking members 35c, 35d of the recording device are formed in the second side wall.
Engagement portions 42h, 421° and 42m are formed to engage with the upper surface and the lower surface, respectively, and 41a and 41b are formed at both ends of the top surface and the bottom surface, respectively, close to the side walls.

42i, 42j are formed to constitute a pair of through holes, into which the positioning members 35a, 3 of the recording device are inserted.
5b is inserted and positioned, the ink ribbon 49 is guided along the first side wall avoiding the pair of through holes, resulting in a φ configuration, and the first side wall is brought close to the platen 5, and The transport path of the ink ribbon 49 is
The ink ribbon cassette 40 and the recording apparatus can be downsized.

Further, according to the above-mentioned ink ribbon cassette 40, since the ink ribbon cassette 40 is attached to the recording apparatus using the engaging portions 42k, 421, 42m provided on the second side wall and the through holes 41a, 41b, 42i, 42j, The ink ribbon cassettes 40 of each stage can be shared.

Further, the recording apparatus is of a type in which a plurality of ink ribbons 40, 40 are stacked and mounted in multiple stages, and the ink ribbons 49 in each ink ribbon cassette are used to record on the recording medium 4 on the platen 5 by the recording head 18. It includes a base member 35 on which ink ribbon cassettes 40 having the above structure are placed in multiple stages, and a pair of through holes 41 of the ink ribbon cassettes 40, 40 that are provided so as to protrude from the base member 35.
A pair of positioning members 35a, 35b inserted into the ink ribbon cassettes 40, 42j, 421. Locking members 35c and 35d that lock 42m.

35e, and a plurality of the ink ribbon cassettes 4.
The ink ribbon cassette 4 is configured to be stacked and supported by common positioning members 35a and 35b.
It has a structure that allows for miniaturization of the 0 and for common use.

Next is the 15th chapter about multi-ribbon (multi-color ink sheet).
This will be explained using figures.

The ribbon shown in FIG. 15 is an example of a multi-ribbon 50, in which multiple colors (color A, color B, and color 0) are painted randomly via barcodes 50a, 50b, and 50c (ε). .

This multi-ribbon 50 is also housed in the ink ribbon cassette 40 like the ink ribbon 49 described above.

As described above, when the ribbon cassette 40 is loaded in the predetermined position of the carriage table 35, the color sensor S3 (FIG. 3) on the main body side is connected to the lower case 42, the opening 42e.
, 42f, facing the position of the multi-ribbon 50 exposed from.

When the multi-ribbon 50 is wound onto the winding core 44, the barcodes 50a and 50b on the multi-ribbon 50 are
, 50c is detected by color sensor s3 and the barcode is
Identify the color applied next. Barcode is the first
It is also possible to change the number of black lines as shown in Figure 5, or
May be identified by differences in the width of the black border; therefore,
It does not depend on the form of the barcode, and the number of colors is A or B.

A desired number of colors may be provided instead of 03 colors.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram of the configuration of the recording apparatus described above.

In FIG. 16, only the connection relationship of each block is shown, and detailed control lines are omitted. Moreover, the part surrounded by the dotted line is the CPU unit.

The CPU is a central processing unit, and the ROM and FD described below
It continuously outputs programs and various data from D, etc., performs necessary calculations and judgments, and performs various controls.

Further, the CPU can also be configured with a plurality of units.

The ROM is a read-only memory and stores various programs for the operation of the CPU, character codes, dot patterns (character generator: CG), various data necessary for printing, etc.

RAM is read/write memory, and is a working area where the CPU temporarily stores data and calculation results during instructions.
It consists of a keyboard 1, a buffer area for storing various data input from an external interface unit IFu or a floppy disk FDD 3, a text area for storing documents, and the like.

The CPU unit also has a thermal head driver TH.
D, is connected to a printer unit Pu via a motor driver MD and a detection unit SU.

The thermal head driver THD drives the thermal head 18 provided in the aforementioned printer unit Pu under the control of the CPU, and the motor driver MD drives the sheet feed motor M1 and the carriage motor M2 under the control of the CPU.
and drives the head motor M3 and the like.

The detection unit Su includes the home position sensor S1 and ribbon sensor S2 provided in the printer unit 1-Pu.
Alternatively, information from the color sensor 83 or the like is transmitted to the CPU.

The power source PSu is a power source VH for driving the thermal head 25, a power source VM for driving the recording sheet memory motor, a carriage motor M2, a head motor M3, etc., a power source VFDD for driving the floppy disk FDD3, and a power source VCC for other logic circuits. supply

The controller GA also performs various controls under the control of the CPU, such as transferring print data to the thermal head 18, changing the voltage and current of the drive power source VH, and changing the heat time and duty.

Furthermore, the CPU unit has a keyboard connector WBC.
A keyboard 1 is connected thereto for inputting various data necessary for printing, editing, etc.

Further, a CRT 2 for displaying data and various information input from the keyboard 1 is connected to the CPU unit via a CRT connector CRTC. In addition, CRT
2, other cover devices such as a liquid crystal display can also be used.

Further, a floppy disk FDD3 is connected to the CPU unit via an FDD connector FDDC.

In addition, a hard disk, external RAM instead of FDD3
Alternatively, an external ROM or the like can be connected.

It is also possible to connect an interface such as an R3232C1 centro interface or a modem to the CPU unit through the interface connector IFC for controlling the recording apparatus by an external control device and communicating with external equipment.

Furthermore, although not shown in FIG. 16, an audio output device such as a buzzer may be provided.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart of a control operation for power-on processing of a recording apparatus implementing the present invention.

Next, with reference to FIG. 17, a case will be described in which the recording apparatus is controlled by a program stored in the ROM or FDD.

As described above, this recording device can be equipped with at least two cassettes, and can perform monochrome and multicolor recording by being equipped with monochrome and multicolor ribbons.

In Figure 17, first turn on the power to the device.
When this is done, the head and cassette are initialized in step 101. This head and cassette initialization is performed by raising the thermal head 18 and shifting the carriage table 35 downward (cassette down) to a position where upper cassette printing is possible. The details of initializing the head and cassette will be described later.

Next, in step 102, in order to determine the absolute position of the carriage 14, the carriage motor M2 is driven to move the carriage 14 to the home position sensor Sl (FIG. 1).
direction, and after detecting the home position sensor S1, the carriage 14 is stopped.

Next, in step 103, sagging of the ribbon is removed in order to prevent the recording sheet 4 from getting caught when inserted and to ensure stable printing quality. Note that details of ribbon dripping will be described later.

Next, in step 104, the carriage 14 is shifted to the standby position.

Finally, in step 105, various parameters are initialized, that is, the multi-ribbon set color (MR3) (described later) is set to undetermined, and the multi-ribbon remaining amount (MRL> (described later) is set to zero.

FIG. 18 is a flowchart of initial processing for head and cassette positions.

In FIG. 18, in step 201, the head motor M3
is driven in the direction of arrow J1 in FIG. 1, and the head cam 16 (FIG. 1) and ribbon cam 17 (FIG. 1) are rotated and brought into contact with the stopper.

When the power is turned on, the position of the cam is uncertain, but by driving the rotor motor M3 to an angle greater than the full rotation angle of the cam, the head cam 16 and the ribbon cam 17 are moved from an arbitrary cam position to the stopper impact position in the CW force direction. can be set.

Next, in step 202, the head motor M3 is
The cam is driven a predetermined amount in the direction of arrow J2 in the figure, and the cam is positioned at P in Figure 4.
3, set the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17.

Therefore, as described above, the thermal head 18 is in a state away from (up) the platen 5, and ribbon winding is not performed, and the carriage table 35 is in a state shifted downward, that is, a state in which the upper cassette is ready for printing. become.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of ribbon sagging removal processing.

In FIG. 19, first in step 301, the head motor M3 is driven to drive the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17.
is shifted to the cam position ff1P2 in FIG. Next, in step 302, the carriage motor M2 is driven to shift the carriage 14 in the printing direction.

As described above, by shifting the carriage 14 in the printing direction at the cam position P2, the take-up clutch 23
rotates, the ink ribbon in the upper cassette is wound up, and the sagging of the ribbon is removed.

Next, in step 303, drive the head motor M3,
Shift the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17 to cam position P5 in FIG. As a result, the lower cassette is shifted to a position where printing is possible, and the winding core of the lower cassette engages with the winding clutch 23.

Next, in step 304, the carriage motor M
2 to shift the carriage 14 in the printing direction.

As described above, by shifting the carriage 14 in the printing direction at cam position P5 (FIG. 4), the take-up clutch 23 is rotated, so that the ink ribbon in the lower cassette is taken up and ribbon sag is removed.

Next, in step 305, the head motor M3 is driven to shift the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17 to the cam position WP3 in FIG. 4, and the process ends.

In the above sequence, STETSU7"303.304.3
Even if the processing is performed in the order of 01.302.305, ribbon sag can be removed. Further, as for the amount of shift of the carriage 14 during ribbon winding, as the amount of shift increases, the amount of ribbon winding increases, so it is desirable to set shift I to the minimum necessary to avoid waste of ribbon.

FIG. 20 shows an example of color specification in a sentence (text).

Specify the desired color using the color specification key at the place in the text where you want to specify the color.

The color specification key may be a dedicated key for each color, or a key operation such as a dedicated color key and numeric key,
Alternatively, it may be a key operation such as a function key and an alphabetic key (for example, C).

Furthermore, the range may be specified and displayed by surrounding it with special characters as shown in FIG. 20, or by overlapping and displaying the inside of the range with special characters. In the case of display devices such as color CRTs and LCDs, it is most effective to match the colors.

In the case of a monochromatic CRT or a monochromatic LCD, it is difficult to distinguish the color-specified area, so discrimination can be facilitated by using a configuration in which the color-specified area blinks or changes in brightness by key operations or the like.

FIG. 21 shows an example of color specification in the print menu,
Next, a print menu for setting various printing parameters will be explained using FIG. 21.

As shown in FIG. 21(a), the color of the cassette is designated in accordance with the text color designation of FIG. 20.

As shown in Fig. 21 (b), if a different specification from the text color specification in Fig. 20 is executed, the different specified part will blink, an error message will be displayed,
Alternatively, a warning may be issued by sounding a buzzer.

If printing is attempted despite the warning, the color specification section in the text is replaced with the color specification on the print menu screen and printing is executed.

This allows you to change the color specification in the color specified part of the text, for example, if you want to print a multi-color text in only one color (for example, black and red), or if you want to print a red text in blue. You can easily change the color by specifying the color in the print menu without having to do anything.

Also, if you want to ignore the color settings and print in one color, for example black, you can specify the same color for both sets, such as upper black and lower black, in the print menu. Become. Furthermore, a method of specifying black only in the upper row without specifying the lower row may be considered.

Here, we have shown how to specify the color in the print menu on the display, but the input method can be specified anywhere other than text, or you can use a dedicated key, dedicated switch, key operation, etc. on the keyboard instead of on the display. In other words, by specifying the cassette color outside of the text, printing in the desired color becomes possible.

FIG. 22 is a flowchart of the printing sequence. Next, using FIG. 22, a case will be described in which the text created in FIG. 20 is printed according to the print menu specified in FIG. 21 (a) or the like.

In FIG. 22, first, in step 401, the unprinted color specified in the print menu is either single color or multicolor (
multicolor).

If it is a single color or if both a single color and a multicolor are present, the process proceeds to step 402, and if it is multicolor, the process proceeds to step 405.

In step 402, the cassette is shifted to the designated stage. That is, in the case of upper stage ribbon printing, drive the 7-motor motor M3 and shift to the cam position IP3 in Fig. 4,
In the case of lower stage printing, the cam is shifted to the cam position P4 in FIG.

Next, the process proceeds to step 403, where the carriage motor M2 is driven to move the carriage 14 to the designated print position, and the head motor M3 is driven to shift the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17 to the print position. That is, the head cam 16 and ribbon cam 17 are shifted to cam position P1 in FIG. 4 for upper ribbon printing, and shifted to cam position P6 in FIG. 4 for lower ribbon printing, and the thermal head 18 is moved to the ink ribbon and recording sheet 4. It is brought into pressure contact with the platen 5 via.

In this state, while moving the carriage 14, the thermal head driver THD
The heat-generating resistor of the thermal head 18 is selectively heated, the heat-melting ink applied to the ink ribbon is melted and transferred onto the recording sheet 4, and the ink ribbon is wound up to print in a designated range.

Details of error detection in step 403
'The details will be explained later.

After printing in the specified range in step 403, the carriage 14 is stopped, the thermal head 18 is raised, and ribbon winding is turned off, and then the process proceeds to step 404.

It is determined in step 401 that the color is multi-colored, and step 4
When the process advances to step 05, the cassette is shifted to the stage designated for multicolor in step 405.

Next, the process proceeds to step 406, where it is determined whether or not there is a currently set multi-ribbon set color (MRS) among the unprinted colors.

If there is a multi-ribbon set color, proceed to step 407;
If not, proceed to step 40B.

For example, if the MRS is color A, it is determined whether color A is unprinted. Here, immediately after the power is turned on, cueing of the multi-color ribbon is not performed, and since the multi-ribbon set color (MRS) is set to undetermined in step 105 of the power-on processing in FIG. 17, step 408 Proceed to.

If the print length in the text is shorter than the remaining ribbon amount of the multi-ribbon in step 407, step 413
Proceed to print.

However, if it is determined in step 407 that the ribbon remaining amount is small and printing would exceed the predetermined area of the multi-ribbon shown in FIG. 15, the process advances to step 408.

Next, in step 408, it is determined whether there is a color next to the currently set multi-ribbon set color (MRS) among the unprinted colors. For example, if the MRS is color A, it is determined whether color B is an unprinted color. If the determination result in step 408 is YES, step 40
If the answer is NO, the process advances to step 410.

In step 409, the ribbon cue for the next color (for example, B color) is carried out. Details of this ribbon cueing will be described later. Multi-ribbon set color after ribbon cue (MRS)
to the next color (for example, B color), and the remaining 31 multi ribbons (
After changing the MRL) to a predetermined value of 51 m, the process advances to step 413 to print the next color (for example, B color).

The predetermined Jim of the multi-ribbon remaining amount (MRL) is the 15th
It is determined by the length l of the ink ribbon in the figure.

In step 410, it is determined whether or not there is a color next to the multi-ribbon set color (MRS) currently being sent among the unprinted colors. For example, if the MRS is color A, color 0 is Determine whether the color is an unprinted color. If YES, proceed to step 411; if NO, proceed to step 4
Proceed to step 12.

In step 411, the ribbon cue of one color after another (for example, 0 color) is performed, the multi-ribbon cent color (MRS) is set to one color after another (for example, 0 color), and the multi-ribbon remaining amount (M
RL) to a predetermined Jim. After that, step 4
The process advances to step 13 to print one color after another (for example, 0 color).

In step 412, ribbon cues of colors (for example, A color) are performed one after another, and multi-ribbon cent color (MRS) is performed.
are set one after another (for example, A color), the multi-ribbon remaining l (MRL) is set to a predetermined amount m, and then the process proceeds to step 413 to print colors one after another (for example, A color). conduct.

In step 413, a multi-ribbon set color (MR
Print the specified range in the same color as S). That is, the carriage motor M2 is driven to move the carriage 14 to the designated printing position, the head motor M3 is driven to lower the thermal head 18, and the ink ribbon can be wound, and the print information is transferred while the carriage 14 is moving. Thermal head 1 by thermal head driver THD accordingly
selectively heating the heating element 8 to melt the hot-melt ink applied to the ink ribbon and transfer it to the recording sheet 4;
Wind up the ink ribbon and print in the specified area.

Note that error detection in step 413 will be described later.

After printing the specified range, the carriage 14 is stopped, the thermal head 18 is raised, and ribbon winding is turned off. Then, the consumed ribbon length is subtracted from the multi-ribbon remaining I (MRL). After that, the process advances to step 404.

In step 404, it is determined whether there are any colors in the text that have not been printed yet. If YES (present), the process returns to step 401; if No (absent), the process ends. Therefore, the multi-ink ribbon is not wound up unnecessarily, and the ribbon can be used efficiently.

It also remembers unprinted colors and unprinted ranges in text,
By adding the following processing, the efficiency of ribbon consumption of multi-color ribbons can be further improved.

That is, if it is determined in step 407 that the length to be printed is greater than the remaining amount of ribbon, that is, in the case of NO, the flow directly proceeds to step 408 in the flow of FIG. It is also possible to count down the remaining amount of ribbon after printing is performed, that is, in synchronization with printing, to stop printing when there is no remaining amount of ribbon, and then proceed to step 408.

Further, at the processing position of step 404, it is determined whether there is an unprinted color or an unprinted range, and if there is, the process returns to step 401, and if there is no, the process ends.

Therefore, it is possible to print with the multi-ink ribbon even when there is no remaining ribbon, and the efficiency of ribbon consumption is reduced to a second level.
This can be further improved compared to the process shown in FIG.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart of ribbon cue processing;
Next, cueing for color matching of multi-ribbon (multi-color uneven ink sheet) will be explained using FIG. 23.

That is, an example of the flow when the color sensor S3 detects the barcode sections 50a, 50b, and 50c provided on the multi-ribbon 50 in FIG. 15 will be described.

In FIG. 23, first, in step 501, the head motor M3 is driven to shift to the ribbon winding-on position.

That is, if the cassette is in the upper set (down), the cassette is shifted to the cam position WIP2 in FIG. 4, and if the cassette is in the lower set (amplifier), it is shifted to the cam position P5 in FIG.

Next, in step 502, the ribbon sensor S2 determines whether or not the ribbon is at its end.

If it is the ribbon end, the process advances to step 503, where the head motor M3 is driven to turn off ribbon winding. That is, the cam position is shifted to cam position P3 or P4 in FIG. 4, and the process proceeds to step 504, where a ribbon end error is displayed.

If it is not the ribbon end in step 502, step 5
The process proceeds to step 05, where it is determined whether or not a barcode has been detected by the color sensor S3.

If the barcode is not detected (No) in step 505, the process proceeds to step 506, where the carriage motor M2 is driven to move the carriage 14 in the printing (right) direction, and the multi-ink ribbon 50 is wound up.

Next, the process proceeds to step 507, where it is determined whether the ribbon winding amount exceeds a predetermined winding length l (FIG. 15), and if it does not, the process returns to step 502, where ribbon winding and color sensor detection are continued. Repeat.

If YES in step 507 (exceeds the limit), this ink ribbon is considered to be a single color ink ribbon 49 rather than a multi-ink ribbon 50, so the process proceeds to step 508, where the head motor M3 is driven to move the ribbon to the ribbon winding re-off position. Then, the process advances to step 509 to display a cassette setting error.

If the barcode is detected by the color sensor S3 in step 505 (YES), the process proceeds to step 510 and the multi-ribbon cent color (MRS) is set to the color according to the barcode.

Next, in step 511, it is determined whether or not the specified color is the one for which the MRS is trying to cue.
In this case, the process returns to step 406 in FIG. 22 described above. That is, if the MRS is undetermined after the power is turned on, it is impossible to determine which color will appear when cueing is performed, so it is necessary to return to the original state.

If YES in step 511, the process proceeds to step 512, where the head motor M3 is driven to shift to the ribbon winding-off position, and the ribbon cueing of the designated color is completed.

Therefore, through the above processing, it is possible to efficiently cue up the multi-ink ribbon without cuing up the ink ribbon in vain, and it is also possible to detect an error when a different ink ribbon is inserted.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart of the above-mentioned error detection during printing (FIG. 22), and error detection during printing will be explained using this diagram.

Error detection is performed at regular intervals during printing, for example, every drive pulse of the carriage motor M2 or every heat cycle of the thermal head 18.

In FIG. 24, first, in step 601, it is determined by the ribbon sensor S2 whether or not the ribbon is at the end.

If the ribbon end is detected, proceed to step 602, stop printing (stop the carriage 14), drive the head motor M3 to raise the thermal head 18, turn off ribbon winding, and then detect the ribbon end error. Perform display.

If the ribbon end is not detected in step 601, it is considered normal, and the process proceeds to step 603, where the color sensor S3
Check whether a barcode is detected.

If a barcode is detected, it means that the barcode part was heated and printed by the thermal head 18 during printing.
Since it is abnormal, the process advances to step 604.

In step 604, whether the color specification is a single color specification or
- Determine whether multi-ink ribbon is specified, and if single color is specified, it means that the multi-ink ribbon is loaded incorrectly even though the print menu specifies single color, so proceed to step 605, cancel printing, and error cassette setting. Perform display.

In step 604, if the color specification is multi-specified, there is no mistake in setting the cassette, but the barcode section was printed due to a mistake in locating the ribbon, etc., so the process advances to step 606 to print. The process is canceled and a ribbon winding error is displayed.

If no barcode is detected in step 603 (
If NO), it is assumed that printing is being executed normally, and the error detection process ends.

Note that error displays are generally displayed on a CRT, but methods such as sounding a buzzer or setting up a warning light and turning it on can be used to notify the error; in this case, the method is not applicable. do not have.

Therefore, errors in the cassette or ink ribbon can be detected by the above process explained in FIG. 24.

In the embodiments described above, in addition to recording paper, stacks of sheets such as transparent thin plastic plates used in overhead projectors and the like may be used as the recording medium.

Furthermore, the heating means is not limited to the thermal head 18 in the embodiment described above, and for example, infrared rays or laser beams can also be used.

Further, in the above embodiment, a case of a serial type in which the thermal head 18 moves back and forth along the recording sheet 4 was exemplified, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a thermal head such as the one shown in FIG. 25 can be used. It can be similarly applied to a so-called full-line type in which the heating means is provided over the entire recording width.

Here, in FIG. 25, 4 is a recording sheet, 75 is a platen, 76 is a full-line type thermal head, 77 is a full-line type monochrome ink ribbon sheet, and 78 is a full-line type multi-ink ribbon sheet. These embodiments can be implemented using substantially the same configurations as those of the embodiments described above.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the ink ribbon cassette is loaded on the carriage 14 and moves back and forth.
The present invention is not limited thereto, and can be similarly implemented in a type of recording apparatus in which the ink ribbon cassette is stationary.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the ink ribbon cassettes are stacked in two stages has been described, but this can be similarly implemented even if the ink ribbon cassettes are stacked in three or more stages.

Further, although the multi-color ink ribbon is exemplified by applying three colors in a random manner, the present invention can be similarly carried out with two colors or four or more colors. It may be a type of multi-color ink ribbon, and can be used for all multi-color ink ribbons.

In addition to the flat platen, the platen may be a cylindrical platen that also serves as a sheet conveyance roller.

Furthermore, although the case where a heating means such as a thermal head is used has been described, the present invention is applicable to all types of tights that use ink ribbons, and is equally applicable to impact type tights such as wire dots.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the case where a black ink ribbon is used in the upper row and a multi-color ink ribbon is used in the lower row is exemplified, but this may also be done upside down. By doing so, it is possible to create a configuration in which multi-colors can be used regardless of whether they are set on the top or bottom.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As is clear from the above description, the ink ribbon cassette of the present invention has a concave portion formed in the conveying path of the ink ribbon conveyed from the supply side to the winding side and into which the recording head is inserted, and a concave portion in the conveying path. a pair of friction means disposed on both sides of the recess to apply a frictional force to the ink ribbon; and a biasing means provided on the transport path sandwiched between the pair of friction means to apply tension to the ink ribbon. , the ink ribbon can always be conveyed with a constant appropriate tension without causing ribbon slack, eliminating damage to the ink ribbon and making it possible to obtain stable, high-quality images.

According to the second invention, an ink ribbon cassette to be used is selected from a plurality of installed ink ribbon cassettes,
A recording apparatus that performs recording on a recording medium by a recording head includes a support means for supporting a plurality of ink ribbon cassettes according to the present invention in a stacked state and movable in the stacking direction; Since the ink ribbon is configured to include a driving means for moving the ink ribbon of a predetermined ink ribbon cassette in the direction to face the recording device of the recording head, the ink ribbon can be always conveyed with a constant appropriate tension without causing ribbon slack. Thus, it is possible to realize a multi-stage cassette type recording apparatus that can eliminate damage to the ink ribbon and perform stable, high-quality recording.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of the overall structure of a carriage of a recording device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is an external perspective view of a word processor equipped with a recording device according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a plan view of the recording device according to the present invention. Fig. 4 is a cam chart showing the movement of the cam on the carriage in Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cassette setup down mechanism in Fig. 1, and Fig. 6 is a cam chart showing the movement of the cam on the carriage in Fig. 5. 7 is a side view of the ribbon winding mechanism shown in FIG. 5 when it is set up, FIG. 8 is a plan view of the ribbon winding mechanism shown in FIG. Fig. 10 is a plan view of the run mechanism when the head is up, Fig. 11 is a side view when the head is up as shown in Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 is a side view when the head is down as shown in Fig. 10. , 1st
Figure 3 is a partially cutaway plan view of the ink sheet cassette, No. 14.
13 is an external perspective view of FIG. 13, FIG. 15 is a structural diagram of a multi-ink ribbon, FIG. 16 is a block diagram of a control system of the recording apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 17 is a power-on diagram of the recording apparatus of FIG. 16. 18 is a flowchart of the initialization process of the thermal head and cassette positions shown in FIG. 17, FIG. 19 is a flowchart of ribbon sag removal processing, and FIG. 20 is a flowchart of the process for specifying a color in text. <a> and (b) of FIG. 21 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of color specification in the print menu. FIG. 22 is a flowchart of the recording (printing) sequence in the recording apparatus of the present invention. 23 is a flowchart of the ribbon cueing process in FIG. 22, FIG. 24 is a flowchart of the error detection process in FIG. 22, and FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the recording section of the full-line recording apparatus according to the present invention. . 4-------1 recording sheet, 5...
-------Platen, 14---Carriage, 16-------Head cam (for head up/down), 17--Ribbon cam (for cassette setup down), 18-・--1----・
−Recording head (thermal head), 40−・−・−・−
Ink sheet cassette (ink ribbon cassette), 4
9-・・・・−・Ink ribbon (ink sheet),
50−・−・−・・・−・Multicolor ink ribbon (
ink sheet), M3 --- head motor,
S2--...- Ribbon sensor, S3--...-
・-Color sensor (color detection means), CPU--
・−・−Central processing unit. Agent Patent Attorney Yasushi Oto Takeshikuto! L 俤I want to hire you. q K>t') bOαT

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In an ink ribbon cassette that is removably attached to a recording apparatus having a recording head, a recess formed in the conveyance path of the ink ribbon conveyed from the supply side to the winding side and into which the recording head is inserted; a pair of friction means disposed on both sides of the concave portion of the conveyance path and applying a frictional force to the ink ribbon; and a mechanism formed on the conveyance path sandwiched between the pair of friction means and applying tension to the ink ribbon. An ink ribbon cassette characterized in that it has a force means. (2) Formed in the transport path of the ink ribbon transported from the supply side to the take-up side in a recording device that selects the ink ribbon cassette to be used from a plurality of installed ink ribbon cassettes and records on a recording medium with a recording head. a recess into which the recording head is inserted; a pair of friction means disposed on both sides of the transport path across the recess for applying a frictional force to the ink ribbon; biasing means for applying tension to the ink ribbon formed in the path; 1. A printing apparatus comprising: a drive means that moves in a stacking direction to cause an ink ribbon of a predetermined ink ribbon cassette to face a printing position of a print head.