JP4784871B2 - Ink ribbon cassette and combination of printer and ink ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermal transfer type ink ribbon cassette and a combination of a printer and an ink ribbon cassette, and more particularly to a miniaturized ink ribbon cassette and a combination of a printer and an ink ribbon cassette that do not protrude outwardly.

  In general, an ink ribbon cassette that holds a thermal transfer type ink ribbon is widely used in printing devices such as printers. When a thermal head of a printer comes into contact with an ink ribbon, ink is superimposed on a substrate to be printed on the ink ribbon. Ribbon dyes and pigments are thermally transferred to print. Such a thermal transfer type ink ribbon is supplied from the ink ribbon unwinding shaft of the unwinding bearing body of the ink ribbon cassette and is wound on the ink ribbon unwinding shaft of the winding bearing body of the ink ribbon cassette at the time of printing (patent) Literature 1-4).

  That is, as shown in FIG. 3, the conventional ink ribbon cassette 30 includes an unwinding bearing body 37 having an unwinding bearing 31 that supports an ink ribbon unwinding shaft 35 around which the ink ribbon 34 is wound, and an ink ribbon 34. A take-up bearing body 39 having a take-up bearing 32 that supports an ink ribbon take-up shaft 36 to which one end thereof is fixed; a pair of side bodies 33 that connect the unwind bearing body 37 and the take-up bearing body 39; The bearing apparatus 41 provided with this is provided. Further, an unwinding bearing lid member 38 covering the unwinding bearing body 37 of the bearing device 41 and a winding bearing lid member 40 covering the winding bearing body 39 of the bearing device 41 are provided separately from the bearing device 41, respectively. It has been.

  When manufacturing such an ink ribbon cassette 30, the bearing device 41, the unwinding bearing lid member 38, and the take-up bearing lid member 40 are separately molded by an injection mold, and then wound around the bearing device 41. The take-out bearing lid member 38 and the take-up bearing lid member 40 are assembled manually.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the unwinding bearing lid member 38 and the winding bearing lid member 40 have fitting members 38a and 40a, respectively. Further, when the unwinding bearing lid member 38 is assembled to the bearing device 41, the fitting member 38 a of the unwinding bearing lid member 38 is snap-engaged within the unwinding bearing body 37 of the bearing device 41. Similarly, when the take-up bearing cover member 40 is assembled to the bearing device 41, the fitting member 40 a of the take-up bearing cover member 40 is snap-fitted into the fitting hole in the take-up bearing body 39 of the bearing device 41.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the fitting member 38a of the unwinding bearing lid member 38 is provided inside the unwinding bearing lid member 38, and the fitting member 40a of the winding bearing lid member 40 is also the same. It is provided inside the take-up bearing lid member 40. Therefore, when the unwinding bearing lid member 38 and the unwinding bearing lid member 40 are assembled to the bearing device 41, the surface 37 a of the unwinding bearing body 37 of the bearing device 41 and the surface 39 a of the winding bearing body 39 are outward. There is no part that protrudes.

  In general, after the unwinding bearing lid member, the take-up bearing lid member (hereinafter also referred to simply as the lid member), and the bearing device are assembled to each other, the assembled ink ribbon cassette is dropped to check its strength. A drop test is being conducted. In this drop test, the ink ribbon cassette is dropped from a certain height, and at this time, the lid member and the bearing device are required not to come off.

  In order to pass this drop test, a preliminary drop test is performed using an ink ribbon cassette in which the unwinding bearing lid member, the take-up bearing lid member, and the bearing device are assembled together. As a result of the preliminary drop test, the shape of the injection mold for molding the lid member and the bearing device, particularly the shape of the fitting member and the fitting hole (hereinafter also referred to as the fitting portion) is adjusted. It is like that. Such a drop test is repeated a plurality of times, and the shape of the fitting portion is adjusted each time.

  On the other hand, in general, in an injection mold of a lid member of an ink ribbon cassette, a cavity corresponding to a plurality of lid members is provided in one mold. Therefore, a plurality of lid members can be molded by injecting the synthetic resin once into one injection mold.

  For example, the cavity A1 and A2 of the lid member A are provided in one injection mold, and the cavity B1 (one) of the bearing device B is provided in the other injection mold. Assume. In this case, it is necessary to adjust the injection mold so that both the combination of the lid member A1 and the bearing device B1 and the combination of the lid member A2 and the bearing device B1 pass the drop test. .

In addition, since there may be different lid members (for example, C1 and C2), the injection mold is adjusted with respect to the fitting state of the fitting portion of the combination of all the lid members and the bearing device in the ink ribbon cassette. It is cumbersome to do. For this reason, it is more efficient to form the lid member and the bearing device integrally with one injection mold and adjust the fitting state only in this injection mold.
JP-A-4-50259 JP-A-9-136464 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-193760 JP 2005-47222 A

  In recent years, with the miniaturization of printers, the ink ribbon cassette attached to the printer has also been miniaturized. The ink ribbon cassette is inserted into the printer and mounted in the printer. In this case, if a rail is provided in the printer and an engagement protrusion can be provided on the outer surface of the ink ribbon cassette, the ink ribbon cassette is inserted into the printer by engaging the engagement protrusion of the ink ribbon cassette in the rail of the printer. Can be easily positioned and mounted. On the other hand, if there is a portion projecting outward from the surface of the ink ribbon cassette other than the engaging protrusion, there is a possibility that it becomes an obstacle when the ink ribbon cassette is attached to a predetermined position in the printer. Therefore, it is preferable that no portion projecting outward exists on the surface of the ink ribbon cassette other than the engagement protrusion.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and there is no portion protruding outside such as a hinge in a portion other than the engaging protrusion that engages with the rail of the printer, and the ink ribbon cartridge that has been reduced in size. It is an object to provide a set and a combination of a printer and an ink ribbon cassette.

  The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette that is mounted on a printer having a rail and holds an ink ribbon, and an unwinding bearing body having an unwinding bearing that pivotally supports an ink ribbon unwinding shaft and an ink ribbon winding shaft. A bearing device comprising a take-up bearing body having a take-up bearing, a pair of side bodies connecting the unwind bearing body and the take-up bearing body, and an unwinding bearing lid that covers the unwind bearing body of the bearing device And a take-up bearing lid member that covers the take-up bearing body of the bearing device, and the unwind bearing cover member is connected to the unwind bearing body through the first coupling body. The first connection body and the second connection body both have two or more hinges, and the outer surface of the first connection body and the outer surface of the second connection body are connected to the take-up bearing body via the second connection body. In addition, A ink ribbon cassette characterized in that a engagement projection to be engaged with the printer side of the rail.

  In the present invention, each hinge of the first coupling body does not protrude outward from the outer surface of the first coupling body in a state where the unwinding bearing lid member is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body. Each hinge of the second coupling body is characterized in that it does not protrude outward from the outer surface of the second coupling body when the winding bearing cover member is closed with respect to the winding bearing body. Ink ribbon cassette.

  The present invention is an ink ribbon cassette in which the bearing device, the unwinding bearing lid member, the take-up bearing lid member, the first coupling body, and the second coupling body are integrally formed of a synthetic resin.

  The present invention is the ink ribbon cassette, wherein the synthetic resin includes a styrene / butadiene block copolymer and polystyrene.

  According to the present invention, the bearing device is fixed to the take-up bearing body, further includes a guide rod that abuts on the ink ribbon and guides the ink ribbon, and the guide rod is formed integrally with the take-up bearing body. This is an ink ribbon cassette.

  The present invention includes a printer having a rail, and an ink ribbon cassette that is mounted on the printer and holds an ink ribbon. The ink ribbon cassette includes an unwinding bearing body having an unwinding bearing that pivotally supports an ink ribbon unwinding shaft; A bearing device having a take-up bearing body having a take-up bearing for supporting the ink ribbon take-up shaft, a pair of side bodies connecting the unwind bearing body and the take-up bearing body, and the winding of the bearing device An unwinding bearing lid member covering the unwinding bearing body and a winding bearing lid member covering the unwinding bearing body of the bearing device are provided, and the unwinding bearing lid member is interposed between the unwinding bearing body and the first coupling body. The take-up bearing lid member is connected to the take-up bearing body via a second connecting body, and each of the first connecting body and the second connecting body has two or more hinges, The outer surface and the outer surface of the second coupling member of the body, a union of the printer and the ink ribbon cassette characterized in that a engagement projection to be engaged with the printer side of the rail.

  According to the present invention, in a state where the unwinding bearing lid member is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body and the winding bearing lid member is closed with respect to the winding bearing body, the outer surface of the first coupling body and An engagement protrusion that engages with the rail of the printer protrudes from the outer surface of the second connector. By engaging the engagement protrusion of the ink ribbon cassette with the rail of the printer, the ink ribbon cassette in the printer can be smoothly positioned and mounted. In this case, the ink ribbon cassette can be reduced in size because there is no portion protruding outside the ink ribbon cassette, such as a hinge, at a portion other than the engaging protrusion.

  Further, according to the present invention, the bearing device, the unwinding bearing lid member, the take-up bearing lid member, the first coupling body, and the second coupling body are integrally formed of synthetic resin. It is possible to reduce the trouble of adjusting the fitting portion of the injection mold so as to pass the drop test of the ink ribbon cassette.

  Further, according to the present invention, the bearing device, the unwinding bearing lid member, the take-up bearing lid member, the first coupling body, and the second coupling body are integrally formed of a synthetic resin containing a styrene / butadiene block copolymer and polystyrene. Therefore, both the hinge characteristics of the hinge and the strength of the hinge can be achieved.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, and FIG.

  Here, FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an embodiment of an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention. FIG. 2A is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the unwinding bearing lid member (winding bearing lid member) of the bearing device is open with respect to the unwinding bearing body (winding bearing body). FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view showing a case where the unwinding bearing lid member (winding bearing lid member) of the bearing device is in a closed state with respect to the unwinding bearing body (winding bearing body). FIG. 4 shows the printer and the ink ribbon cassette.

  First, an outline of the ink ribbon cassette according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2B.

  The ink ribbon cassette 10 holds the ink ribbon 11, and the ink ribbon cassette 10 is mounted in the storage space 3 of the printer 1 having the recessed rail 2 as described later (see FIG. 4).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the ink ribbon cassette 10 includes an unwinding bearing body 17 having an unwinding bearing 13 that supports an ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 around which the ink ribbon 11 is wound, and one end of the ink ribbon 11. Includes a take-up bearing body 20 having a take-up bearing 15 that supports the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 to which the ink ribbon is fixed, and a pair of side bodies 16 that connect the unwind bearing body 17 and the take-up bearing body 20. A bearing device 23 is provided. An unwinding bearing lid member 19 that covers the unwinding bearing body 17 of the bearing device 23 is connected to the unwinding bearing body 17 via the first connecting body 18. Further, a take-up bearing cover member 22 that covers the take-up bearing body 20 of the bearing device 23 is connected to the take-up bearing body 20 via the second connecting body 21.

  The bearing device 23, the unwinding bearing lid member 19, the take-up bearing lid member 20, the first coupling body 18, and the second coupling body 21 are integrally formed of synthetic resin.

  The synthetic resin preferably contains, for example, a styrene / butadiene block copolymer made of Asaflex (trademark) or the like and general-purpose polystyrene made of GPPS (General Purpose Polystyrene) resin or the like. Among them, Asaflex (trademark) is a material having a hinge characteristic, and has a characteristic that whitening or bending does not occur even when bent. However, Asaflex (trademark) is very soft, if only Asaflex (trademark) is used as the material of the ink ribbon cassette 10, the strength of the ink ribbon cassette 10 is insufficient, and the ink ribbon cassette 10 is used while the ink ribbon cassette 10 is used in a printer. There is a possibility that a part of 10 is distorted. For this reason, Asaflex (trademark) and GPPS are mixed so that the strength (hardness) of the ink ribbon cassette 10 increases. The mixing ratio is preferably about Asaflex (trademark): GPPS = 1: 1.

  The first connecting body 18 has hinges 18a and 18b at both ends, and the second connecting body 21 has hinges 21a and 21b at both ends. In FIG. 1, the first connector 18 and the second connector 21 have two hinges 18 a and 18 b and hinges 21 a and 21 b, respectively. For example, the first connector 18 and the second connector 21. Each may have a total of three hinges at both ends and the center. Alternatively, each of the first connecting body 18 and the second connecting body 21 may have four or more hinges.

  Further, an engaging projection 18d that engages with the rail 2 on the printer 1 side is provided on the outer surface 18c of the first connecting body 18, and the outer surface 21c of the second connecting body 21 is engaged with the recessed rail 2 on the printer 1 side. An engaging projection 21d is provided.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2B, the hinges 18 a and 18 b of the first connecting body 18 are connected to the first connecting body 18 with the unwinding bearing cover member 19 closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17. It does not protrude outward from the body outer surface 18c. Similarly, the hinges 21a and 21b of the second coupling body 21 do not protrude outward from the second coupling body outer surface 21c in a state where the winding bearing cover member 22 is closed with respect to the winding bearing body 20. It is like that.

  Next, the operation of the present embodiment having such a configuration will be described.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, in the ink ribbon cassette 10, the unwinding bearing lid member 19 is opened with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17 of the bearing device 23, and the winding bearing lid member 22 is formed on the winding bearing body 20. In an open state, it is integrally molded by an injection mold.

  Next, the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 on which the ink ribbon 11 is wound and the ink ribbon winding shaft 14 on which one end of the ink ribbon 11 is fixed are mounted in the ink ribbon cassette 10 integrally formed in this way. The operation will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, the unwinding bearing lid member 19 and the winding bearing lid member 22 of the ink ribbon cassette 10 are opened. Next, the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 in which the ink ribbon 11 is wound on the ink ribbon cassette 10 in which the unwinding bearing lid member 19 and the winding bearing lid member 22 are opened as described above, and the ink ribbon 11 An ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 having one end fixed is attached. In this case, first, the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 is rotatably mounted in the unwinding bearing 13 of the unwinding bearing body 17, and then the ink ribbon winding shaft 14 is moved into the winding bearing 15 of the winding bearing body 20. It can be mounted freely.

  Next, the unwinding bearing lid member 19 is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17 of the bearing device 23. At this time, the first coupling body 18 is interlocked with the unwinding bearing lid member 19, rotates around the hinge 18 a and the hinge 18 b, and moves to the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 side.

  Similarly, the take-up bearing lid member 22 is closed with respect to the take-up bearing body 20 of the bearing device 23. At this time, the second connecting body 21 is interlocked with the take-up bearing cover member 22, rotates around the hinge 21 a and the hinge 21 b, and moves to the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 side.

  Next, the action when the unwinding bearing lid member 19 is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17 of the bearing device 23 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

  As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the hinge 18a of the first connecting body 18 is located outside the hinge 18a (the first connecting body 18) with the unwinding bearing cover member 19 open to the unwinding bearing body 17. The body 18 is connected to the unwinding bearing body 17 on the outer surface 18c side).

  Similarly, the hinge 18b of the first coupling body 18 is outside the hinge 18b (on the outer surface 18c side of the first coupling body 18) in a state where the unwinding bearing cover member 19 is open with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17. Is connected to the unwinding bearing lid member 19.

  Next, when the unwinding bearing lid member 19 is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17, as described above, the first connecting body 18 is interlocked with the unwinding bearing lid member 19 and the hinge 18 a and the hinge. It rotates around 18b and moves to the position shown in FIG. In this case, an engagement protrusion 18d that engages with the rail 2 of the printer 1 protrudes from the outer surface 18c of the first connecting body 18. Neither the hinge 18a nor the hinge 18b has a portion protruding outward from the first connecting body outer surface 18c. Therefore, the vertical cross section formed by the unwinding bearing cover member 19, the first coupling body 18, and the unwinding bearing body 17 is substantially arc-shaped except for the engagement protrusion 18d that engages with the rail 2 of the printer 1. Become.

  The above-described operation is the same when the take-up bearing cover member 22 is closed with respect to the take-up bearing body 20 of the bearing device 23.

  That is, when the take-up bearing member 22 is closed with respect to the take-up bearing body 20, the second coupling body 21 rotates around the hinge 21a and the hinge 21b in conjunction with the take-up bearing cover member 22, It moves to the position shown in 2 (b). In this case, an engagement protrusion 21 d that engages with the rail 2 of the printer 1 protrudes from the outer surface 21 c of the second connector 21. Neither the hinge 21a nor the hinge 21b has a portion protruding outward from the outer surface 21 of the second connector. Therefore, the vertical cross section formed by the take-up bearing cover member 22, the second coupling body 21, and the take-up bearing body 20 is substantially arc-shaped except for the engagement protrusion 18d that engages with the rail 2 of the printer 1.

  Therefore, the protrusion 18d of the first connecting body 18 is engaged with the recessed rail 2 of the printer 1, and the protrusion 21d of the second connecting body 21 is engaged with the recessed rail 2 of the printer 1, whereby the ink ribbon cassette 10 is engaged. Can be easily and reliably inserted into the storage space 3 of the printer 1 (FIG. 4). In this way, a combination of the printer 1 and the ink ribbon cassette 10 is obtained.

  According to the present invention, as described above, the hinges 18a and 18b of the first connecting body 18 are in the state in which the unwinding bearing cover member 19 is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17 and the first connecting body. It does not protrude outward from the outer surface 18c. Similarly, the hinges 21a and 21b of the second coupling body 21 do not protrude outward from the second coupling body outer surface 21c in a state where the winding bearing cover member 22 is closed with respect to the winding bearing body 20. (See FIGS. 2A and 2B).

  By the way, in the ink ribbon cassette 10 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the unwinding bearing body 17 and the unwinding bearing lid member 19 are moved outwardly as shown in FIG. It is also conceivable to connect directly via one hinge that does not protrude. However, in this case, when the unwinding bearing lid member 19 is opened with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17, it is difficult for the unwinding bearing lid member 19 to be sufficiently opened with respect to the unwinding bearing body 17. In this case, it is difficult to attach the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 to the unwinding bearing 13.

  Similarly, the winding bearing body 20 and the winding bearing cover member 22 are directly connected via one hinge that does not protrude outward as shown in FIG. 2B without providing the second coupling body 21. It is also possible. However, in this case, when the take-up bearing cover member 22 is opened with respect to the take-up bearing body 20, it is difficult for the take-up bearing cover member 22 to sufficiently open with respect to the take-up bearing body 20. In this case, it becomes difficult to attach the ink ribbon winding shaft 14 to the winding bearing 15.

  Next, a modified example of the ink ribbon cassette 10 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The ink ribbon cassette 10 shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 has a guide rod 30 with which the bearing device 23 guides the ink ribbon 11, and other configurations are substantially the same as those of the embodiment shown in FIGS. Are the same. 5 and FIG. 6, the same parts as those of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 2 and FIG. The bearing device 23 further includes a guide rod 30 that is fixed to the take-up bearing body 20 and that contacts the ink ribbon 11 and guides the ink ribbon 11. The guide rod 30 is located on the opposite side of the ink ribbon 11 from the thermal head 5b of the printer 1 and is located on the same side as the take-up bearing body 20 with respect to the ink ribbon 11 (see FIG. 6). . The guide rod 30 is formed integrally with the take-up bearing body 20.

  In FIG. 5, the unwinding cover member 19 connected to the first connecting body 18 and the winding cover member 22 connected to the second connecting body 21 are omitted for convenience.

  The guide rod 30 is fixed to the body portion 20 a of the take-up bearing body 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the guide rod 30 extends along the trunk portion 20a of the take-up bearing body 20, and is connected to the trunk portion 20a over the entire length thereof. As shown in FIG. 6, the guide rod 30 is on the end 20 b on the side close to the unwinding bearing body 17 or on the vicinity of the end 20 b of the body 20 a of the take-up bearing body 20. It is preferable that they are arranged. In this case, the ink ribbon 11 is guided to the thermal head 5b without contacting the take-up bearing body 20, in other words, the ink ribbon 11 is guided only to the guide rod 30 and guided to the thermal head 5b. This is because it becomes possible.

  As described above, the guide rod 30 guides the movement of the ink ribbon 11 from the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 to the ink ribbon winding shaft 14. For this reason, the guide rod 30 has a contact surface 31 that contacts the ink ribbon 11 (see FIG. 6). As shown in FIG. 6, the abutment surface 31 of the guide rod 30 extends from the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 when the ink ribbon 11 is held by the bearing device 23 so that the ink ribbon 11 can be smoothly guided. A cross section along the moving direction of the ink ribbon 11 toward the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the guide rod 30 (in the field of view of FIG. 6) includes an arcuate contour. Accordingly, the ink ribbon 11 can smoothly slide (slide) on the contact surface 31 of the guide rod 30 fixed to the take-up bearing body 20. Further, as shown in FIG. 5, the guide rod 30 is preferably in contact with the ink ribbon 11 over the entire width of the ink ribbon 11 along the axis of the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14. This is because the ink ribbon 11 can be stably guided by the guide rod 30 in this case.

  When the width of the ink ribbon 11 along the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 is 100 mm or more and 120 mm or less, the contact surface 31 of the guide rod 30 has a radius r of 1.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less in cross section. In order to ensure smooth sliding of the ink ribbon 11, it is preferable to have a certain arcuate outline. When the width of the ink ribbon 11 along the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 is not less than 100 mm and not more than 120 mm, if the radius r of the arc-shaped cross-sectional contour of the guide rod 30 is smaller than 1.5 mm, the guide rod 30 and the ink ribbon 11 The pressure applied to is increased. As a result, the movement of the ink ribbon 11 from the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 to the ink ribbon winding shaft 14 is not stable, and intense noise is generated when the ink ribbon 11 is moved. On the other hand, when the width of the ink ribbon 11 along the ink ribbon unwinding axis 12 is not less than 100 mm and not more than 120 mm, if the radius r of the arc-shaped cross-sectional contour of the guide rod 30 is larger than 5.0 mm, the guide rod 30 is moved to the ink ribbon cover. It does not fit well in the set 10 and is not preferable.

  The width of the ink ribbon 11 along the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 is 100 mm or more and 120 mm or less, and the contact surface 31 of the guide rod 30 has an arc shape with a radius of 2.0 mm or more and 3.0 mm or less in cross section. In this case, it is possible to secure a better slip between the guide rod 30 and the ink ribbon 11 and guide the thermal transfer sheet 5 more stably. In particular, when the guide rod 30 is made of a styrene-butadiene block copolymer, it has been found that setting the cross-sectional shape of the guide rod 30 in this way is effective. The styrene / butadiene block copolymer is excellent in injection moldability (productivity), impact strength, rigidity, slipperiness and surface appearance, and the thermal transfer sheet 5 is more stable when the guide rod 30 is fixed to the take-up bearing body 20. Can guide you.

  The material forming the guide rod 30 is not limited to styrene / butadiene block copolymer, and various known materials can be used. For example, as a material for forming the guide rod 30, basically any resin can be used as long as it can be used for injection molding. The guide rod 30 is integrally molded with the core holder 11 by using any one of such materials, particularly polyacetal resin (POM resin), polystyrene resin (PS resin), and ABS resin, which are widely spread and easily available. It is preferable from the viewpoint of manufacturing cost.

  5 and 6, the ink ribbon cassette 10 is attached to the printer 1. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, the ink ribbon 11 is heated by the thermal head 5b of the printer, and the image is transferred to the image receiving sheet 5a. At this time, as shown in FIG. 6, the ink ribbon 11 fed out from the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 moves to a position facing the thermal head 5b. Thereafter, the ink ribbon 11 is wound around the ink winding shaft 14 while being in contact with the guide rod 30 and being guided by the guide rod 30.

  Here, the guide rod 30 is formed integrally with the take-up bearing body 20 and is fixed to the take-up bearing body 20. Therefore, the guide rod 30 can have a simple structure and high rigidity. Thereby, the ink ribbon 11 can be stably and smoothly guided. Further, since the guide rod 30 has a simple configuration, the manufacturing cost of the ink ribbon cassette 10 can be reduced.

  Moreover, according to this Embodiment, the winding bearing body 20 has the trunk | drum 13a extended along the winding bearing body 20, and the guide rod 30 is being fixed to the trunk | drum 20a. Therefore, the deformation of the guide rod 30 can be suppressed by the body portion 20 a of the take-up bearing body 20. Thereby, the ink ribbon 11 can be stably guided by the guide rod 30 in which large deformation such as bending is suppressed. In particular, according to the present embodiment, the guide rod 30 extends along the trunk portion 20a of the take-up bearing body 20, and is connected to the trunk portion 20a over the entire length thereof. That is, the guide rod 30 is reinforced by the trunk portion 20a of the winding bearing portion 20 over the entire length. Therefore, the deformation of the guide rod 30 is greatly suppressed, and the thermal transfer sheet 5 can be guided more stably.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the guide rod 30 is disposed on the end portion 20 b on the side close to the unwinding bearing body 17 in the body portion 20 a of the winding bearing body 20. Yes. Therefore, the ink ribbon 11 fed out from the ink ribbon winding shaft 12 can be wound around the ink ribbon winding shaft 14 from a position in contact with the thermal head 5b so as not to come in contact with anything other than the guide rod 30. As a result, the ink ribbon 11 can be prevented from coming into contact with anything and caught, and the ink ribbon 11 can be moved to the thermal head 5b more stably.

  Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, the guide rod 30 includes the ink ribbon 11 including an arc-shaped contour in a cross section along the moving direction of the ink ribbon 11 from the ink ribbon unwinding shaft 12 to the ink ribbon winding shaft 14. A contact surface 31 is provided. Therefore, the slip between the guide rod 30 and the ink ribbon 11 becomes smooth. Thereby, the ink ribbon 11 can be stably guided without being caught.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, according to the present embodiment, the guide rod 30 contacts the ink ribbon 11 over the entire width along the axis of the ink ribbon take-up shaft 14 of the ink ribbon 11. Therefore, it is possible to prevent local friction from occurring on the ink ribbon 11 with the guide rod 30. Accordingly, the ink ribbon 11 can be stably guided without being twisted.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of an ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the operation of the ink ribbon cassette according to the present invention. Sectional drawing which shows the conventional ink ribbon cassette. The figure which shows a printer and an ink ribbon cassette. The figure which shows the modification of the ink ribbon cassette by this invention. The figure which shows the guide rod of an ink ribbon cassette.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Ink ribbon cassette 11 Ink ribbon 12 Ink ribbon unwinding shaft 13 Unwinding bearing 14 Ink ribbon winding shaft 15 Winding bearing 16 Side surface body 17 Unwinding bearing body 18 1st connection body 18a, 18b Hinge 18c 1st connection body outer surface 18d Engaging protrusion 19 Unwinding bearing lid member 20 Rewinding bearing body 21 Second coupling body 21a, 21b Hinge 21c Second coupling body outer surface 21d Engaging projection 22 Rewinding bearing lid member 23 Bearing device

Claims (6)

In an ink ribbon cassette mounted on a printer having rails and holding an ink ribbon,
An unwinding bearing body having an unwinding bearing that pivotally supports an ink ribbon unwinding shaft, an unwinding bearing body having an unwinding bearing that pivotally supports an ink ribbon winding shaft, an unwinding bearing body, and an unwinding bearing body A bearing device comprising a pair of side bodies connecting the two,
An unwinding bearing lid member covering the unwinding bearing body of the bearing device;
A take-up bearing lid member covering the take-up bearing body of the bearing device,
The unwinding bearing lid member is connected to the unwinding bearing body via the first connecting body,
The take-up bearing lid member is connected to the take-up bearing body via the second connecting body,
Each of the first connector and the second connector has two or more hinges,
An ink ribbon cassette characterized in that an engaging protrusion for engaging with a rail on the printer side is provided on an outer surface of the first connecting body and an outer surface of the second connecting body.   Each hinge of the first coupling body does not protrude outward from the outer surface of the first coupling body when the unwinding bearing lid member is closed with respect to the unwinding bearing body. 2. The hinges according to claim 1, wherein each of the hinges is configured not to protrude outward from the outer surface of the second connecting body in a state in which the winding bearing cover member is closed with respect to the winding bearing body. The ink ribbon cassette described.   The ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1, wherein the bearing device, the unwinding bearing lid member, the take-up bearing lid member, the first coupling body, and the second coupling body are integrally formed of a synthetic resin.   4. The ink ribbon cassette according to claim 3, wherein the synthetic resin includes a styrene / butadiene block copolymer and polystyrene. The bearing device further includes a guide rod fixed to the take-up bearing body, abutting the ink ribbon and guiding the ink ribbon,
The ink ribbon cassette according to claim 1, wherein the guide rod is formed integrally with the take-up bearing body. A printer having rails;
An ink ribbon cassette mounted on the printer and holding the ink ribbon;
The ink ribbon cassette includes an unwinding bearing body having a unwinding bearing that pivotally supports the ink ribbon unwinding shaft, a winding bearing body having a winding bearing that pivotally supports the ink ribbon winding shaft, an unwinding bearing body, and an unwinding bearing body. A bearing device comprising a pair of side bodies connecting the bearing body;
An unwinding bearing lid member covering the unwinding bearing body of the bearing device;
A take-up bearing lid member covering the take-up bearing body of the bearing device,
The unwinding bearing lid member is connected to the unwinding bearing body via the first connecting body,
The take-up bearing lid member is connected to the take-up bearing body via the second connecting body,
Each of the first connector and the second connector has two or more hinges,
An assembly of a printer and an ink ribbon cassette, wherein engagement protrusions that engage with a rail on the printer side are provided on an outer surface of the first connection body and an outer surface of the second connection body.

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