JPH022612Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a sub-cassette for replenishing a folded ink ribbon into a ribbon storage chamber of an ink ribbon cartridge to which a ribbon feed roller, an ink reservoir, etc. are attached.

This type of sub-cassette allows the ink ribbon stored in a folded state to be transferred to the ribbon storage chamber of the ink ribbon cartridge without losing its folded state, making it easy to replenish long ink ribbons to the ink ribbon cartridge. It is preferable to use a method that can be carried out in a short period of time.

In such sub-cassettes, the structure of the case is made as simple as possible to improve productivity, and the structure is an integral structure that does not require separate parts to avoid problems such as loss of parts when supplying ribbons. It is requested that it be done.

In order to respond to such requests, for example,
As shown in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 131707, a part of the ceiling wall is deformed to push the ribbon out of the sub-cassette, and as shown in Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 144656/1984, it is formed separately from the ceiling wall. A structure has been proposed in which a tab provided on the ribbon holding plate penetrates the ceiling wall and protrudes to the outside, and the holding plate is integrally held on the ceiling wall by the tab.

However, with the former structure, only a portion of the ribbon on the ceiling wall side is held down.
Only the pressed portion of the ribbon shifts downward, deforming the folded state. Therefore, if the timing of pulling out the sub-cassette from the cartridge and the timing of pushing the ribbon into the cartridge are different and the timing of pulling out the sub-cassette is too early, the folded state of the ribbon may collapse and the ribbon may not be supplied to the cartridge. Although the latter sub-cassette does not have such a drawback, it does have the disadvantage that if something else gets caught in the knob that protrudes from the outside, the ribbon may be pushed out inadvertently.

In view of these circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to not only easily and reliably transfer the ribbon into the cartridge, but also to prevent the ribbon from accidentally jumping out.

That is, in order to achieve this object, the subcassette of the present invention has a ribbon storage chamber formed of a cylindrical peripheral wall and a ceiling wall having a contour shape that substantially matches the inner surface contour of the cylindrical peripheral wall, and A guide rib piece is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the wall so as to be in sliding contact with the inner surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall, and the ceiling wall is elastically locked to the end of the cylindrical peripheral wall on the ceiling wall side.

Due to this structure, when the ceiling wall is pressed strongly enough to release the elastic lock, the ceiling wall falls into the cylindrical peripheral wall, and the posture is maintained without tilting due to the guide rib piece, while the cylindrical peripheral wall It slides along the inner surface and pushes the entire ceiling side of the folded ink ribbon downward. As a result, the ink ribbon can be transferred from the ribbon storage chamber to the ribbon storage section of the cartridge without losing its folded state.

In addition, extrusion of the ink ribbon will not start unless the ceiling wall is pushed strongly downward.
The ink ribbon will not accidentally jump out of the sub cassette.

Next, embodiments of the sub-cassette of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

Note that FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of Example 1 of the subcassette of the present invention, described later, viewed from the bottom side, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line X--X of FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing essential parts of Example 2, which will be described later, and FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view showing Example 3, which will be described later.

Embodiment 1 (See Figures 1 to 3) In Figures 1 to 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a cylindrical peripheral wall having an outlet opening 2 and an inlet opening 3 for an endless loop ribbon 8. A finger rest 4 projecting outward in the shape of a flange is integrally formed at the ceiling side end. 5 is the cylindrical peripheral wall 1
It is a flat ceiling wall having a contour shape that substantially matches the inner surface contour of the tube, and forms, together with the cylindrical peripheral wall 1, a ribbon storage chamber A in which ribbons 8 are accommodated in an irregularly folded shape. A cylindrical rib piece 12 that slides on the inner surface of the peripheral wall 1 is integrally formed on the outer periphery of the ceiling wall 5, and a tongue-shaped part 11 having a hole 6 for elastic engagement is formed in the rib piece 12. ing. As shown in FIG. 2, the hole 6 of this tongue-shaped portion 11 is engaged with an engaging convex portion 7 protruding from the inner surface of the ceiling-side end of the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 by elastic deformation of the tongue-shaped portion 11. ,
The ceiling wall 5 is locked to the cylindrical peripheral wall 1. In such a locked state, resistance occurs due to the elastic deformation of the tongue portion 11, so the ceiling wall 5 will not come off from the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 unless the ceiling wall 5 is strongly pressed.

In the sub-cassette constructed in this manner, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, by supporting the finger hook 4 with the thumb and middle finger and strongly pressing the ceiling wall 5 with the index finger, the ceiling wall 5 can be moved from its engagement with the surrounding wall 1. The joint is broken, and it is pushed downward within the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 and moves.
Accordingly, the ribbon 8 is pushed out downward and transferred to and stored in the ribbon storage section 10 of the ink ribbon cartridge 9.

Embodiment 2 (See FIG. 4) In this embodiment, instead of forming the hole 6 and the tongue-shaped portion 11 in the rib piece 12, a shallow recess 6a is formed in the circumferential surface of the ceiling wall 6. The recess 6a is engaged with an engaging convex portion 7a projecting from the inner surface of the peripheral wall 1.

Embodiment 3 (See FIG. 5) The contour shape of the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 is not limited to a cylindrical shape, but may be a rectangular shape such as a rectangle as shown in FIG. 5, for example. Furthermore, the rib pieces 12 do not necessarily have to be formed over the entire circumference of the ceiling wall 5; for example, rib pieces 12a formed at the four corners of the square ceiling wall 5 as shown in FIG. good.

In the sub-cassette of the present invention, since the ceiling wall 5 slides within the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 guided by the rib pieces 12, 12a having a predetermined height, the outline of the ceiling wall 5 and the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 are It is possible to increase the dimensional tolerance of the fitting of the inner surface contour. Therefore, productivity is further improved compared to conventional sub-cassettes.

It is also preferred that the parts shown in each of the above embodiments be made of plastic having appropriate elasticity and rigidity.

Note that the sub-cassette referred to in the claims of the utility model registration of the present application is a concept that includes not only the one in the above embodiment but also one modified by one or a combination of the following items.

(1) The outline shape of the ribbon storage chamber is not limited to a circle, but can be made into various shapes corresponding to the shape of the ribbon storage chamber 10 of the ribbon cartridge 9, such as a square, hexagon, or L-shape.

(2) Protrusions 7, 7a are provided on the ceiling wall 5 side, and holes 6 or recesses 6a are provided on the cylindrical peripheral wall 1 side.

(3) The finger hooks 4 are not provided all around the circumferential wall 1, but only partially (for example, at one or two predetermined locations).

(4) Instead of the finger rest part 4, a non-slip part having irregularities is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall 1.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of Embodiment 1 of the sub-cassette of the present invention seen from the bottom side, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line X-X of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a usage state of Embodiment 1. FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view showing essential parts of the second embodiment, and FIG. 5 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the third embodiment. Main symbols in the drawing: 1: Cylindrical peripheral wall, 5: Ceiling wall,
8: Ink ribbon, 12, 12a: Rib piece, A:
Ribbon storage room.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A guide having a ribbon storage chamber formed of a cylindrical peripheral wall and a ceiling wall having a contour shape substantially matching the inner surface contour of the cylindrical peripheral wall, the guide slidingly contacting the outer periphery of the ceiling wall with the inner surface of the cylindrical peripheral wall. A sub-cassette in which a rib piece is integrally formed, and the ceiling wall is elastically locked to a ceiling-side end of the cylindrical peripheral wall.