JPS5934515B2 - printer - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a printer that prints in multiple colors by selectively switching ink ribbons that are divided into multiple colors in the width direction.

Conventional printers that print red and black, especially wire dot printers, use an ink ribbon that is divided into red and black in the width direction and are arranged horizontally, while using a head of dot printing elements arranged vertically to print the ink ribbon. Printing is performed by switching from red to black or from black to red by switching in the vertical direction.

Therefore, the width L of the black and red ink ribbons 1 must be wider than the array width H of the dot printing elements 2, as shown in FIG. In this way, for example, if the ink ribbon is made of five colors, the width of the ink ribbon becomes extremely wide, 5L, and the switching movement amount of the ink ribbon switching means also becomes a large movement amount of 4L. For this reason, the ink ribbon switching means is also large in size and has the drawback that it cannot be switched at high speed. The present invention eliminates the above drawbacks, and will be explained in detail below using examples.

FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing an embodiment of the printer according to the present invention. As an example, the ink ribbon 1 is divided into five colors.

3 is a motor that rotates in forward and reverse directions, 4 is a gear fixed to the rotating shaft 3a of this motor 3, 5 is a toothed belt that meshes with this gear 4, 6 is fixed to this toothed belt 5, and this toothed belt 5, the carriage is guided by the guide shaft T and moves in the spacing direction or back spacing direction, and 8 is movably moved by guides 9a and 9b fixed to the carriage 6, as shown in FIG. A support member 10 is mounted on the carriage 6 and has a plurality of dot printing elements arranged in at least one row perpendicular to the spacing direction, and a print head 11 is housed divided into a plurality of colors in the width direction. and a ribbon cartridge 1 for storing an ink ribbon 1 in which the longitudinal direction of the ink ribbon 1 is arranged in the arrangement direction of the dot printing elements.
2 is a drive disk fixed to the rotating shaft 3a of the motor 3; 13 is an endless wire that is fixed to the support member 8 at one point 13a; 14a to 14c are guide rollers of the endless wire 13; 15 is the drive disk 12 A driven disk whose shape is set so that it rotates in frictional contact with and moves the endless wire 13 placed on its outer circumferential surface by the same amount in synchronization with the toothed belt, and 16 is a pawl fixed to the other surface of this driven disk 15. car, 17
is a stop pawl that is selectively moved by an electromagnet (not shown) and stops the rotation of the ratchet wheel 16 when its tip engages with the teeth of the ratchet wheel 16; 18 is a platen;

Next, the operation related to the above configuration will be explained.

(A) A case in which spacing printing is performed using the same printing color will be explained. First, the electromagnet (not shown) is not energized to prevent the stop claw 17 from moving. For this reason, motor 3
When the belt 5 rotates, the belt 5 rotates through the gear 4, and at the same time, the driven disk 1 rotates through the drive disk 12.
5 rotates. Therefore, since the belt 5 and the endless wire 13 move synchronously, the carriage 6 and the support member 8 also move synchronously. Therefore, print head 1
0 and ribbon cartridge 11 also move synchronously.
Therefore, printing can be performed in the same printing color. (B
) Explain the case of changing the printing color and spacing.

First, an electromagnet (not shown) is energized to move the stop pawl 17 and engage the end of the stop pawl 17 with the pawl wheel 16.
That is, the rotation of the driven disk 15 is stopped. Therefore, when the motor 3 rotates, the belt 5 rotates via the gear 4, but the driven disk 15 stops regardless of the rotation of the driven disk 12. For this reason, since the print head 10 moves in the spacing direction by the movement of the carriage 6, the motor 3 is rotated forward or reverse, and the amount of movement of the print head 10 relative to the ink ribbon 1 is selected by a known control means. Then, the ink ribbon>. You can change the ribbon color of 1. Then, release the stop claw and print. It goes without saying that the ink ribbon 1 can be fed using known means.

As described above in detail, according to the printer according to the present invention, the width of the multicolor ink ribbon can be narrowed, and the moving body including the printing head, carriage, and ribbon cartridge can be made lightweight. This has the effect of speeding up ribbon color switching.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the relationship between the width of a conventional ink ribbon and the arrangement surface of dot printing elements, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the printer according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram similar to that of FIG. FIG. 3 is a partially detailed side view. 1... Ink ribbon, 2... Dot printing element, 3... Motor, 4... Gear,
5... Toothed belt, 6... Carriage, 7... Guide shaft, 8... Support member, 9a and 9b... Guide , 10...
...Print head, 11...Ribbon cartridge, 12...Drive disk, 13...
... Endless wire, 14a-14c ... Guide roller, 15 ... Driven disk, 16
... Pawl wheel, 17 ... Stop pawl, 1
8...Platen.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A motor that rotates in forward and reverse directions, a carriage that moves in the spacing direction or back spacing direction by the rotation of this motor, and a plurality of motors mounted on this carriage and arranged in at least one row in a direction perpendicular to the spacing direction. A print head with dot printing elements is mounted on this carriage so as to be movable in the spacing direction, and ink ribbons divided into multiple colors in the width direction are stored, and the longitudinal direction of the ink ribbon is arranged in the arrangement direction of the dot printing elements. a ribbon cartridge disposed in the ribbon cartridge, an endless wire formed in an endless shape and fixed to the ribbon cartridge or the support member at one point, a drive disk rotated by the rotation of the motor, and a ratchet wheel, the drive disk and It includes a driven disk that frictionally engages and drives the endless wire, and a stop pawl that selectively engages the ratchet wheel, and when the stop pawl is engaged with the ratchet wheel, the ribbon cartridge is moved in the space direction. It is fixed, and only the print head moves by the rotation of the motor.
A printer characterized by switching the ribbon color for the print head.