JPH0450197B2 - - Google Patents

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an ink ribbon cassette that uses a spool on which an ink ribbon is wound for use in small printers, etc. mounting structure,
This invention relates to a structure for guiding an ink ribbon using a cassette case and a spool.

[Prior art]

Conventional ink ribbon cassettes of this type usually store the spool in a box-shaped case consisting of an upper case and a lower case; in other cases, the spool is stored inside a hole in the cassette case as in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,134. There are some that fit a knob pusher to the top of the spool that has been passed through the spool, and then sandwich the cassette case between the spool and knob pusher. Moreover, it had the disadvantage of increasing the number of parts and increasing costs. In addition, the usual method for attaching the ink ribbon to the spool is to attach the ink ribbon to the shaft of the spool with a fitting (metal) that has an arcuate spring characteristic, which is also difficult to assemble and requires a large number of parts. It also had many shortcomings. Also especially US patents
4188134, if the ribbon becomes loose, the ink ribbon easily comes off from the flange of the spool, so it takes time to rewind it, and when it is installed in a printer, etc., parts of the ribbon feeding mechanism on the underside of the cassette ribbon, etc. There were drawbacks such as the risk of getting entangled and causing malfunction or destruction.

[Purpose of the invention]

The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate and improve these drawbacks by making it possible to attach a spool to a cassette case with a single touch without requiring any other parts, and furthermore to make it possible to easily attach an ink ribbon to the spool without requiring any other parts. Furthermore, the ink ribbon is prevented from coming off from the flange of the spool without requiring any other parts, and will be explained below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

[[Structure of the invention]

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of the ink ribbon cassette of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view. Third
The figure is a detailed view of the engagement between the cassette case and the spool. FIG. 6 is an inserted view of the spool of the cassette case. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the spool. FIG. 7 is a detailed view of how the ink ribbon is attached to the spool. Figures 5a, b, c are detailed views of ink ribbon holes and breaks. FIG. 8 is a detailed view of how the ink ribbon is guided by the cassette case and spool. In Figure 1, 1 is a cassette case, 2
and 3 are spools of the same shape, 4 is an ink ribbon, and 1-1 and 1-2 are holes for pivotally supporting the spools 2 and 3. In FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, 1-3, 1-4, 1-5, and 1-6 are parts of the cassette case 1, and flange portions 2-5 and 3-5 of the spools 2 and 3. A flange outer circumference guide portion that overlaps in the thickness direction and guides the outer circumference,
1-7, 1-8, 1-9 and 1-10 are part of the cassette case 1, and flange parts 2-5 and 3-
5, the flange surface guide portion overlaps in the radial direction and guides the inner surface, 2-1 is the cassette case 1
2-2 is a protrusion with a larger diameter than the hole 1-1, and 2-3 is a shaft around which the ink ribbon 4 is wound. , 2-4 has shaft portions 2-3 on both sides of the protrusion 2-2.
A gap 2-8 is provided between the groove portion 2-6 extending to the cylindrical portion 2-1 and the knob portion 2-11 and the shaft portion 2-3, into which the ink ribbon 4 is inserted, and the flange portion 2-5
A ribbon hooking part 2 that extends in the axial direction to a position that does not protrude beyond the end of the shaft part 2-3 and has an oblique shaft 2-7 at the tip.
-9 is a foot portion that engages with the ink ribbon drive device; 2;
-10 is a protrusion 2- with a larger diameter than the hole 1-1.
This is the slope section that connects the two. In FIG. 5a, 4-3 is a cut made in the horizontal direction of the ink ribbon 4, in b, 4-4 is a cut made in the vertical direction,
In c, 4-5 are holes, none of which communicate with the ends.

Next, the mounting method will be explained. In Figure 6, the spool 2 is inserted into the hole 1-1 of the cassette case 1.
When it passes through the knob part 2-11, it stops at the slope part 2-10. Next, if you push strongly in the direction of arrow A, slope section 2-1
0, the upper part of the shaft part 2-3 is pinched from the groove part 2-4 in the directions of arrows B and C, and as a result, the projection part 2-2 passes through the hole 1-1 and stops at the upper end of the shaft part 2-3. The bending returns to its original state, and the hole 1-1 pivotally supports the cylindrical portion 2-1, and is prevented from coming off by the projection 2-2.

Also, in FIG. 7, the ribbon hooking portion 2-6
It can be attached by simply inserting the cut 4-3 of the ink ribbon 4 into the ink ribbon. At this time, the slope 2-7 is designed to facilitate insertion into the gap 2-8 and into the cut 4-3.

In FIG. 8, 5 is a detection member for the winding diameter of the ink ribbon 4, 4-1 is the path of the ink ribbon 4 when the winding diameter is minimum, and 4-2 is the ink ribbon 4 when the winding diameter is maximum.
Therefore, the flange outer circumference guide 1-
3 and 1-4 and 1-5 and 1-6, flange inner guide parts 1-7 and 1-8 and 1-9 and 1-
10 is a path 4- for the detection member 5 and the ink ribbon 4;
The ink ribbon 4 is guided within the entire range that does not come into contact with 1 and 4-2 and cause malfunction, and the ink ribbon 4 does not come out of the gap between the flange portion 2-5, the flange inner surface guide portion, and the flange outer circumferential guide portion.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, in an ink ribbon cassette using a spool with an ink ribbon wound thereon, when the spool is attached to the cassette case, grooves are formed on both sides of the protrusion provided on the spool and having a slope in the pushing direction. By arranging the ink ribbon, it is flexible and can be attached and prevented from coming off with one touch.Furthermore, when attaching the ink ribbon to the spool, a gap is provided between the spool shaft and the ink ribbon to allow the ink ribbon to move from the flange to the axial direction. One-touch installation is possible by inserting a cut or hole that does not communicate with the end of the ink ribbon into the protruding part, and the radius of the end of the flange of the spool can be attached only between the cassette case and the spool. The fact that the ink ribbon can be prevented from coming off by providing a guide part that overlaps in the direction and thickness direction in the cassette case is a completely different method from conventional methods. Since it is easy to assemble, its effects are industrially significant.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of an ink ribbon cassette according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a bottom perspective view. FIG. 3 is a detailed view of the engagement between the cassette case and the spool. FIG. 4 is an external perspective view of the spool. Figures 5a, b and c are detailed views of the holes and cuts in the ink ribbon. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the insertion of the spool into the cassette case. FIG. 7 is a detailed view of how the ink ribbon is attached to the spool. FIG. 8 is a detailed view of how the ink ribbon is guided by the cassette case and spool. 1...cassette case, 2,3...spool,
2-2... Protrusion, 2-3... Shaft, 2-4...
Groove, 2-5...Flange, 2-6...Protrusion, 2-10...Protrusion, 4, 3, 4-4...Slit, 4-5...Hole, 5...Detection member.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 In an ink ribbon cassette that uses a spool wound with an ink ribbon, the ink ribbon has a hole or a cut that does not communicate with the ends near both ends, and a protrusion that protrudes toward the upper end of the shaft from a flange portion that guides the ink ribbon at the lower end. a spool having a cylindrical portion having a diameter smaller than the shaft diameter at the upper end, a protrusion portion having a diameter larger than the cylindrical portion above the cylindrical portion, a groove portion for making the protrusion flexible in the radial direction, and the protrusion. A hole that pivotally supports the cylindrical portion with a diameter smaller than the flange portion, a path of the ink ribbon, and a position with a diameter smaller than the flange portion except for the vicinity of the winding diameter detection portion of the ink ribbon and the outer periphery of the flange portion. a cassette case having a guide wall provided at a position, the ink ribbon is wound by hooking the hole or cut on the protrusion of the spool, and the ink ribbon is engaged with the hole of the cassette case and the cylindrical portion. The ink ribbon cassette is characterized in that it can be assembled with one touch while the protruding part of the spool is flexed in the radial center direction to the position where the ink ribbon cassette is assembled.