JPH0444915B2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Table of contents] - Overview - Industrial application field - Conventional technology - Problems to be solved by the invention - Means for solving the problems - Effects - Examples - Effects of the invention [Summary] A reflecting plate that can be detected by a ribbon end sensor is provided in a cassette housing that accommodates a plurality of ribbon cassettes, and when a cassette is not stored, the reflecting plate is detected by the ribbon end sensor, and this is detected as a ribbon end state to indicate that a cassette is not stored. Ink ribbon mechanism that prevents blank printing when loaded.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to an ink ribbon mechanism for a printer,
In particular, the invention relates to an ink ribbon mechanism for a printer that is equipped with a plurality of ribbon cassettes and is controlled so that when the ribbon end of one ribbon cassette is detected, another ribbon cassette is shifted to a printing position.

[Prior Art] Conventionally, a thermal transfer printer using a plurality of ribbon cassettes has been used, in which the plurality of ribbon cassettes are housed in a cassette housing, and the cassette housing is mounted on a carriage. Such printers are controlled to perform thermal transfer printing using the ink ribbon of the ribbon cassette when the cassette housing is installed, and to perform thermal recording using thermal paper when the cassette housing is not installed. Furthermore, when the ribbon cassette is mounted in the cassette housing, when the ribbon end of one ribbon cassette is detected by a ribbon end sensor, the other ribbon cassette is controlled to be shifted to the printing position. Such a ribbon end sensor is a reflective sensor that detects a reflective film provided at the end of an ink ribbon in a cassette.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In conventional thermal transfer printers, if the predetermined number of cassettes are not accommodated in the cassette housing (for example, if only three ribbon cassettes are accommodated in a cassette housing for storing four ribbon cassettes), one ribbon cassette is When the ribbon end of the ink ribbon is detected, the cassette housing shifts and sets the unloaded cassette portion to the printing position, and blank printing is sometimes performed without an ink ribbon. In order to prevent such blank printing, if a cassette detection means is provided for each cassette in the housing, the mechanism becomes complicated, space is required, and the structure becomes large.

The present invention was developed in view of the drawbacks of the prior art, and it is possible to detect the presence or absence of a cassette in the cassette housing without installing a new sensor (using an existing ribbon end sensor), even when no cassette is loaded. The purpose is to provide an ink ribbon mechanism that prevents blank printing.

[Means for solving problems]

To achieve this object, the present invention includes a cassette housing accommodating a plurality of ribbon cassettes mounted on a carriage, a reflective ribbon end sensor for detecting the end of the ink ribbon in the cassette, and a cassette housing accommodating a plurality of ribbon cassettes. In an ink ribbon mechanism for a printer including a plurality of ribbon cassettes, the cassette housing is controlled to shift another ribbon cassette to a printing position when the end of one ink ribbon is detected, and the cassette housing is configured to shift the ribbon cassette to the print position in a manner corresponding to each cassette. It is characterized by having a reflective plate at a position on the back side of the ink ribbon at the ribbon detection position of the end sensor.

[Effect]

A reflecting plate is provided at each cassette storage position of the cassette housing, and when the cassette is shifted to the printing position when no cassette is loaded, a ribbon end sensor detects the reflecting plate and sends a detection signal to the control section indicating the ribbon end state.

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the present invention. A cassette housing 3 housing a plurality of ribbon cassettes 2a and 2b is disposed opposite the platen 1. The cassette housing 3 is mounted on a carriage (not shown) that slides along the platen 1. The cassette housing 3 is shifted up and down as shown by the arrow to set one cassette at the printing position.
In the figure, the lower ribbon cassette 2b is in the printing position. A housing sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the cassette housing 3 is provided on the carriage. A reflective ribbon end sensor 5 is further provided on the carriage to detect the ink ribbon in the ribbon cassette 2b at the printing position. This ribbon end sensor 5 irradiates light onto an ink ribbon (not shown) in the cassette through a hole 6 formed on the rear surface of the ribbon cassettes 2a, 2b, and detects the reflected light from a reflective film attached to the end of the ink ribbon. to detect the ribbon end. Inside the cassette housing 3, there are reflective plates 7a at each cassette accommodation position.
7b is provided. Each reflecting plate 7a, 7b is inserted into the cassette through a hole (not shown) provided in the cassette 2a, 2b. Reflector plates 7a, 7
b is arranged on the back side of the ink ribbon inside the cassette (on the opposite side from the ribbon end sensor 5).

The operation of the printer configured as above is as follows. When the cassette housing 3 is loaded onto the carriage, the housing sensor 4 detects this and inputs a detection signal to a control section (not shown). The control section performs thermal transfer printing using the ribbon cassettes 2a and 2b based on this detection signal. The control circuit of the control section is configured to perform thermal printing using thermal paper (not shown) when the cassette housing 3 is not loaded. When the cassette housing 3 is loaded, the first ribbon cassette (for example 2b) is loaded in a predetermined order.
The cassette housing is shifted so that it is set in the printing position. If the ribbon cassette 2b is correctly housed in this position within the cassette housing, the ribbon end sensor 5 will detect the ribbon cassette 2b.
Detect the ink ribbon in b. Thermal transfer printing is performed by the ribbon cassette 2b until the ink ribbon reaches the ribbon end according to a control signal from the control section based on this detection signal. At this time, the reflective plate 7b is not detected by the ribbon end sensor 5 because it is on the back side of the ink ribbon. When the ink ribbon reaches the ribbon end, the ribbon end sensor 5 detects this and the control section shifts the cassette housing 3 to set the next ribbon cassette 2a at the printing position using a shift mechanism (not shown).
is driven and controlled. On the other hand, if the ribbon cassette 2b is not accommodated, the ribbon end sensor 5 detects the reflective plate 7b. This causes the ribbon cassette to be in the same state as when it reaches the ribbon end, and the cassette housing 3 is shifted under control to set the next ribbon cassette 2a at the printing position. Similarly, this ribbon cassette 2a
Thermal transfer printing is performed. If the final ribbon cassette 2a is not stored, the ribbon end sensor 5 detects the reflective plate 7a and issues an alarm signal or the like. At this time, it may be controlled to perform thermal printing.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the ink ribbon mechanism according to the present invention has a simple structure in which a reflector is provided in the cassette housing, and a ribbon end sensor is used to detect a state in which no cassette is stored as a ribbon end state. The actuation can be controlled to shift another ribbon cassette or to perform thermal printing. Therefore, blank printing is prevented when no cassettes are accommodated, and printing information is prevented from disappearing.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention. 2a, 2b... Ribbon cassette, 3... Cassette housing, 4... Housing sensor, 5... Ribbon end sensor, 7... Reflection plate.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A cassette housing for accommodating a plurality of ribbon cassettes is mounted on a carriage, and a reflective ribbon end sensor is provided for detecting the end of the ink ribbon in one ribbon cassette. In an ink ribbon mechanism of a printer including a plurality of ribbon cassettes, which is controlled to shift another ribbon cassette to a printing position when the end of the ribbon is detected, the cassette housing is configured to move the ribbon of the ribbon end sensor in correspondence with each cassette. An ink ribbon mechanism characterized by having a reflective plate at a position on the back side of the ink ribbon at a detection position. 2. The ink ribbon mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the ribbon cassette is a ribbon cassette for a thermal transfer printer containing a thermal transfer ink ribbon. 3. The ink ribbon mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a housing sensor for detecting the cassette housing. 4. The ink ribbon mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the ink ribbon mechanism is controlled to perform thermal recording using thermal paper when the cassette housing is not loaded.