JPS63242578A - Fixing method for tape cartridge - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable a tape cartridge to be produced inexpensively, by eliminating the need for a bearing function for a tape reel contained in the tape cartridge. CONSTITUTION:A tape reel 2 is provided with a driving shaft bearing on one side thereof, and with a rotary shaft 6 on the other side. The bearing and the shaft are projected to the exterior of a tape cartridge 1 respectively through openings 12 provided in side parts of the cartridge 1 and being broader than the diametral size of the shaft. A bearing 13 is protruded and retracted along a slant surface 16 provided on a slide member 15, and is fitted to the rotary shaft 6. Similarly, a reel-driving shaft 5 is protruded and retracted, and is fitted to the driving shaft bearing 4 to transmit rotation to the tape reel 2. Thus, the tape cartridge 1 does not function as a bearing for the rotary shaft at all at the time of driving for take-up of an ink ribbon or the like, and strict dimensional accuracy is not required for the tape cartridge, so that the tape cartridge can be produced inexpensively.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a method for attaching and fixing an ink ribbon cartridge used in a printer, and eliminates the need for a tape reel bearing in the cartridge.

``Prior Art'' Traditionally, printers that print images, such as television images, have used an inkjet method that prints by jetting ink droplets, or a printer that uses thermal print heads arranged in a line to instantaneously generate heat to ink. Methods of transferring ink from a ribbon to printing paper include, for example, a melt-type method in which the ink is mixed with a wax-based binder and applied to the ink ribbon, and the ink is melted and transferred using heat, or an ink ribbon is created by using sublimable dye pigments in the ink. There is a sublimation printing method that prints using sublimation of ink by applying heat. In particular, for thermal transfer type ink ribbons, the width of the ink ribbon must be the same as the width of the printing paper being printed on, and whether it is a melt type or a sublimation type, the ink is melted or sublimated by instant heat generation, so the ribbon base ( The core of the ribbon was made of thin material, and its handling was troublesome.

In addition, in order for these printers to be used generally, the ink ribbon must be easy to handle, and the ink ribbon must be wide and thin to prevent wrinkles caused by unbalanced tension in the ink ribbon. Because of this, cartridge-type devices have begun to be used.

FIG. 2 shows a conventional ink ribbon cartridge and its mounting method, in which tape reels 2 for winding an ink ribbon 3 are arranged above and below an ink ribbon cartridge 1. A rotation shaft 6 and a drive bearing 4 are formed on these tape reels 2. One rotary shaft 6 of the tape reel 2 is supported by a bearing 7 formed inside the cartridge 1, and the other drive bearing 4 projects outside through a relatively large shaft hole 10. Further, the tape reel 2 is assembled into the cartridge with the drive bearing being pressed to the side by the biasing force of the spring 8. When setting these cartridges at 11tI position,
First, after placing it in a predetermined position, it is pressed in the direction of the arrow with the presser member 9 and fixed.

As a result, the reel drive shaft 5 fits into the drive bearing 4 and transmits the driving force to the tape reel 2. At this time, the fitting force between the reel drive shaft 5 and the drive bearing 4 is determined by the elastic force of the spring 80.

Therefore, the parallelism of the tape reel 2 in the ink ribbon cartridge 1 during operation is determined by the dimensional accuracy of the bearing 7 provided in the cartridge 1 and the dimensional accuracy of the reel drive shaft 50 on the machine side. Care must be taken when creating it.

``Problems to be Solved by the Invention'' The present invention solves the conventional problems, namely, the parallelism of the tape reel during tape reel operation, and the dimensional accuracy of the bearing provided in the ink ribbon cartridge. In other words, storage, in other words, requires sufficient precision for both, which has the problem of being expensive.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention does not provide a bearing for the tape reel provided in the ink ribbon cartridge, but simply uses an opening through which the shaft passes. , an ink ribbon cartridge is provided with a retractable bearing and a reel drive shaft. By doing this, the parallelism of the tape reel during tape reel operation is determined by the dimensional accuracy of the bearing on the device side and the reel drive shaft, and with the ink ribbon cartridge, the parallelism of the tape reel is completely determined by the Since it can be done without any time, it can be made at low cost.

"Example" The present invention will be described below based on 11 drawings. FIG. 1 is a sectional view of essential parts showing an embodiment of the tape cartridge fixing method according to the present invention. 1 is a tape cartridge in which a tape reel 2 is disposed, and is configured to wind up an ink ribbon 3. The tape reel 2 is provided with a drive shaft on one side and a rotating shaft 6 on the other, and an opening 12 wider than the rotating shaft is provided through the side of the tape cartridge l.
It protrudes to the outside through. ! Reference numeral 3 denotes a bearing, which is provided on the device side, for example, via a sliding member that slides as shown by the arrow by a drive source (not shown). 3 operates in a manner that it can freely appear and retract from an inclined surface 16 provided on a slide member 15;
It fits into the rotating shaft 6. Similarly, the reel drive shaft 5 also
It operates in such a way that it can freely move in and out, fits into the drive bearing 4, and transmits rotation to the tape reel 2.

In these configurations, the tape cartridge l does not function at all as a bearing for the rotating shaft during driving such as winding up the ink ribbon, and therefore, the dimensional accuracy of the tape cartridge can be rough, so it can be manufactured at low cost. It is.

In addition, in the above description, the bearing 13 and the reel drive shaft 5
Although a case has been described in which both are made freely retractable, the effect of the present invention is the same even if only one of them is made retractable and the other is fixed.

"Effects" As is clear from the above description, the present invention eliminates the need for a bearing function for the tape reel housed inside the tape cartridge, and therefore can be manufactured at low cost. In particular, it is a great advantage that tape cartridges, which are consumable items, can be manufactured at low cost.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a main part of an embodiment of a method for fixing a tape cartridge according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a main part of a conventional method for fixing a tape cartridge. In the figure, l is a tape cartridge, 2 is a tape reel, and 3 is a tape cartridge.
is an ink ribbon, 4 is a drive bearing, 5 is a reel drive shaft,
6 is a rotating shaft, and 7.13 is a bearing. Patent applicant: Fujitsu General Ltd., C)N
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Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) When placing a tape cartridge, which has a drive shaft at one end and a rotation shaft at the other end and which houses two tape reels for winding an ink ribbon inside, into an apparatus, the drive shaft and rotation shaft are connected to the tape cartridge. The device projects through an opening that does not constitute a bearing, and on the other hand, the device is provided with a reel drive shaft corresponding to the drive bearing, a bearing corresponding to the rotation shaft, and either the reel drive shaft or the bearing. A tape cartridge fixing method that fixes a tape cartridge to a device by making it freely retractable. (2) The tape cartridge fixing method according to claim 1, wherein the tape cartridge is fixed to the device by making each of the reel drive shaft and the bearing freely retractable.