JPS6360713B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette used in printing devices such as typewriters.

In recent years, in printing devices such as typewriters,
Ribbon cassettes are being used in which the ink ribbon is pulled out from a ribbon case storing the ink ribbon toward the printing device and then pulled into the ribbon case again. In recent years, film ribbons have been widely used as ink ribbons, and film ribbons can be divided into one-time ribbons that can be used only once and multi-time ribbons that can be used multiple times. There are two ways to use multi-time ribbons. One possible method is to wind the ribbon for one character in the same way as one-time ribbon, then reverse the feeding direction after winding, feed the ribbon, and repeat this operation multiple times. This has the disadvantage of complicating the entire mechanism of the printing device. Another method is to reduce the feed pitch to 1/2, 1/3, etc. compared to the one-time ribbon, and thereby reduce the feed pitch compared to the one-time ribbon of the same length. Enables printing life to be doubled or tripled. This method can be easily carried out by using a feeding means such as a pulse motor and changing the pulses input to the motor, but one problem is that one-time ribbons and multi-time The difference between the ribbons must be detected.

Detection methods include a method in which the operator himself/herself performs this and switches appropriately by providing a changeover switch, or a method in which the case shape of the one-time ribbon and multi-time ribbon is changed and the change in shape is detected by a micro switch, etc., and the change is made. is possible.

Further, it is usually desirable to replace the ink ribbon at an appropriate time; if it is used as is, the print quality will deteriorate, or in severe cases, printing will become impossible.
Therefore, the ink ribbon transport path is equipped with a mechanism for detecting this information (the end of the ink ribbon).

However, in the past, there has been no printing device or ink ribbon cassette that both detects the type of ink ribbon and detects the end of the ink ribbon. Furthermore, even if one ink ribbon cassette were to perform both types of detection, a detector would have to be provided for each detection, which would not only increase the number of parts but also increase the size of the carriage, which would result in printing This results in disadvantages such as increased size and weight of the device.

On the other hand, in printing devices such as typewriters,
It is common to have a mechanism for shifting the ink ribbon cassette. This shift mechanism shifts the ink ribbon cassette to the print position and the standby position, so that characters printed at the print position can be immediately confirmed at the standby position.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points,
By skillfully utilizing the conventional shift mechanism of the ink ribbon cassette, even though the printing device has only one detector like the conventional one, the type and end of the ink ribbon can be detected individually in relation to the shift operation. An object of the present invention is to provide an ink ribbon cassette that can be detected.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail based on drawings of embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows a central cross section of an embodiment according to the present invention, in which 1 is a platen, 2 is a petal-shaped printing element, and 3 is a hammer. 4 is an ink ribbon cassette case, and 5 is an ink ribbon. FIG. 1 shows a non-printing state, in which the ink ribbon is stationary below the printing position so that the operator can easily check the printed characters. Reference numeral 6 denotes a seat plate that removably holds the cassette case, and is rotatably supported by a shaft 7 fixed to a carriage (not shown) of the printing device. A solenoid 8 positions the ink ribbon. Reference numeral 9 denotes an optical detector that detects the end of the ink ribbon and distinguishes the type of ink ribbon, which will be explained as a reflective photointerrupter in the figure.

Fig. 1 shows the non-printing state, but when printing, the solenoid 8 is energized to push up the seat plate 6 and rotate the cassette case 4 around the shaft 7 to the position 4' indicated by the two-dot chain line in the figure. Push up the cassette case along the width of the ink ribbon and shift it to the printing position. After printing, the ink ribbon is fed while the cassette case 4 is pushed up. Here, a pulse motor will be used as the feed means, but it is omitted from the diagram. When the ink ribbon feed is performed, the solenoid 8 is de-energized and the cassette case immediately returns to the standby position shown by the solid line 4 in order to allow the operator to confirm the printing.However, if a print signal is subsequently given, the cassette case It is also possible to enter the next printing state while the case is pushed up.

FIG. 2 shows a ribbon guide arm that guides the ink ribbon inside the cassette case to the outside, and a detector is provided inside. The arm of the cassette case 4 is provided with a cutout window 4a which is a light transmitting part, so that the ink ribbon 5 can be checked through the window 4a. The ink ribbon 5 is usually black, but a silver foil tape is attached to the end of the ink ribbon 5, which is attached to the detector 9.
is designed so that it can be detected. Depending on the type of ink ribbon, for example, in the case of a one-time ribbon, a black tape or a multi-color In the case of time ribbons, silver foil tape is pasted to distinguish between the two. As shown in FIG. 1, in the first mode in which the cassette case 4 is stationary below the printing position, the detector 9 can determine the type of ink ribbon from the type display section 4b. Based on the output of this detector 9, a control circuit (not shown) can control the number of pulses sent to the pulse motor. When the cassette case 4 is pushed up in the printing state, the mode is switched to the second mode, the information source detected by the detector 9 is shifted to 4a, and the state of the ink ribbon can be detected from the window 4a. When the ink ribbon is fed and the silver foil at the end appears on the surface 4a, the detector 9 reads the information and transmits the information to a control circuit (not shown), which immediately interrupts printing and instructs the operator to remove the ink ribbon. Encourage exchange.

As described above, in the ink ribbon cassette of this embodiment, the type of ink ribbon can be determined simply by pasting black or silver foil tape on the type display area, and it is not only inexpensive but also easy to use when attaching and detaching the ink ribbon. It is highly reliable because it is non-contact.

As described above, the ink ribbon cassette of the present invention has
In an ink ribbon cassette that is removably attached to a printing device having a shift mechanism and is shifted by the shift mechanism along the width direction of the ink ribbon between a first position for printing and a second position for checking the printed content, the terminal end a cassette case which houses an ink ribbon having an end indicating member in the part thereof and which is arranged to lead the ink ribbon to the outside by a guide arm; an optical detector is provided at a predetermined position of the opposing guide arm, and a light transmitting section for causing the detector to detect the arrival of the end indicating member of the ink ribbon; and the cassette case is located at the second position. In some cases, the detector is provided at a position facing and close to the predetermined position of the guide arm, and displays a display for causing the detector to detect the type of the ink ribbon stored in the cassette case. The ink ribbon has a type display section, and the light transmitting section and the type display section are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction of the ink ribbon.

As a result, when the ink ribbon cassette of the present invention performs a commonly performed shift operation, the type display section for detecting the type of ink ribbon and the light transmitting section for detecting the end of the ink ribbon are displayed. can alternatively be opposed to the detector of the printing device. Therefore, only one detector is required, and the type and end of the ink ribbon can be respectively detected by simply providing one detector on the printing device side, which is the same as the conventional one. Furthermore, this prevents the printing device from becoming larger and heavier.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vicinity of the detection means. Here, 4 is a cassette case, 4a is a detection window, 4b is an ink ribbon type display section, 5 is an ink ribbon, and 9 is a detector.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. An ink ribbon that is removably attached to a printing device having a shift mechanism and is shifted along the width direction of the ink ribbon between a first position for printing and a second position for checking the printed content by the shift mechanism. In the ink ribbon cassette, the ink ribbon cassette includes: a cassette case that stores an ink ribbon having an end indicating member at the end thereof and guides the ink ribbon to the outside by a guide arm; when the cassette case is in the first position, a light transmitting portion provided at a predetermined position of the guide arm facing the optical detector provided in the printing device and allowing the detector to detect the arrival of the end indicating member of the ink ribbon; and the cassette case. When in the second position, the detector is provided at a position facing the guide arm and close to the predetermined position of the guide arm, and the detector detects the type of the ink ribbon stored in the cassette case. 1. An ink ribbon cassette, comprising: a type display section that displays information for detection, and wherein the light transmitting section and the type display section are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction of the ink ribbon.