JPH031263Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed explanation of the invention] [Summary] An invention related to a ribbon exchange method in an endless ink ribbon running system used in a printing device, an endless ribbon is placed in a storage case having a ribbon drawer opening for storing a replacement ribbon therein. 1
One of the loops is folded, the other is stored without being folded, and a part of the loop is stored so that it can be pulled out from the drawer opening, and is set between the ribbon cassette in the ribbon traveling route and the route toward the printing section, The loop taken out from the drawer is stretched over the ribbon running route of the device, and printing is immediately possible from this state, and all of the ribbon is eventually transferred to the ribbon cassette.

[Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a printing device using an ink ribbon, and particularly to a means for realizing endless ink ribbon replacement without reducing the cost of each replacement unit and without increasing work costs or loss time.

[Prior art and problems]

In printing devices that use endless ribbon, such as line printers, the endless ribbon is folded and stored in a ribbon storage cassette and used multiple times.

However, if such an endless ribbon is used multiple times, the endless ribbon may break or the ink may run out, making it impossible to print, and the ink ribbon must be replaced. Conventionally, this endless ribbon was replaced for each ribbon storage cassette.

However, since this endless ribbon storage cassette has a complicated shape because the ink ribbon is folded, the endless ribbon storage cassette is more expensive than the endless ribbon that is its contents.

[Means of solution]

Therefore, it is uneconomical to replace the ribbon storage cassette in order to replace the endless ribbon. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to eliminate the above-mentioned drawbacks, that is, to provide a printing device that transfers and stores endless ribbons packed in replacement units in a ribbon storage cassette provided as a fixed structure in the printing device. The purpose of this is to place the ribbon storage case containing the endless ribbon folded from one side only between the exit of the ribbon storage cassette in the ink ribbon running system of the printing device and the entrance of the ribbon stretching route leading to the printing section. The endless ribbon is placed beside the ribbon running route of the ribbon storage case, pulled out from the ribbon drawer opening of the ribbon storage case, set in the ink ribbon running system including the ribbon storage cassette, and performed normal printing operation or ribbon feeding. Either store the endless ribbon in the case in the ribbon storage cassette, or fold the endless ribbon in half for a certain length, and store the remaining endless ribbon with only one side folded. The ribbon storage case is placed beside the ribbon running route between the exit of the ribbon storage cassette in the ribbon running route of the printing device and the entrance of the ribbon stretching route that continues to the printing unit side, and the ribbon storage case is placed next to the ribbon running route of the printing device. Pull out the half-folded part of the ink ribbon from the endless ribbon, open it into a loop, and store the ribbon so that the side of the remaining endless ribbon that will be connected to the folded side will be the side that will be connected to the printing section. This is achieved by setting the endless ribbon in a ribbon transport system including a cassette and performing a normal printing operation or ribbon feeding so that the endless ribbon in the ribbon storage case is stored in the ribbon storage cassette.

[Effect]

That is, in the present invention, when replacing the ribbon, the case containing the endless ribbon is simply placed in the printing device, and after setting the endless ribbon in the ribbon running system, it is immediately ready for printing, and printing can be performed as usual. By sequentially storing the endless ribbons in the endless storage cassette during the process, the endless ribbons can be replaced without loss time.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained in more detail below.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a printing device according to the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is an endless ribbon, 2 is a ribbon storage cassette, 3 is a hammer, 4 is paper, 5 is a type belt, 6 is a pinch roller, 8 is a feed roller, and 10 is a platen.

In order to print on the paper 4, the endless ribbon 1 is fed out from the ribbon storage cassette 2, passes between the type belt and the paper 4, and is stored in the ribbon storage cassette 2 by the feed roller 8 and the pinch roller 6. .

The endless ink ribbon 1 is thus arranged, and the hammer 3 corresponding to the desired printing is applied to the paper 4.
Then, the endless ink ribbon 1 is pressed against the type belt 5 to perform printing.

The platen 10 supports the type belt during printing.

This endless ribbon 1 is sent in one direction by a feeding roller 8 while printing, and is sequentially fed into a ribbon storage cassette 2 and folded.
By being put into the ribbon storage cassette 2, it is fed out from the other side and used repeatedly.

Although this endless ribbon 1 is used repeatedly,
Since the endless ink ribbon 1 reaches the end of its life after being used multiple times, the endless ink ribbon 1 and the ribbon storage cassette 2 have been replaced.

However, as mentioned above, it is very uneconomical to replace the ribbon cassette 2 itself using this method.

Therefore, in the present invention, the ribbon accommodating cassette 2 is fixed to the apparatus, and only the endless ribbon is replaced.

2 to 7 show an embodiment of the printing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a printing apparatus according to the present invention, in which a ribbon 1 is usually stored in a ribbon accommodating cassette 2 as shown in the figure, and the printing operation described in FIG. 1 is performed.

If this printing operation is repeated, the endless ribbon 1 will wear out and must be replaced.

Therefore, in the present invention, the endless ribbon 1 is replaced by the following method.

First, the printing device of the present invention is provided with claws 11 and 11', and a plastic bag or the like containing used endless ribbon is hooked and held by the claws 11 and 11', and the ribbon storage cassette 2 (not shown) is held. After opening the top lid, the operator or maintenance person first places the endless ribbon in the ribbon storage cassette 2 into a plastic bag.

Next, the ribbon 1 in the running area including the printing area
Remove it from the running area and store it in a plastic bag.

In this way, the used ink ribbon 1 is discharged from the apparatus.

Next, the ink ribbon storage case 12 containing the new ink ribbon 1 is placed in a predetermined position as shown in FIG.

The ink ribbon 1 is stored in the ink ribbon storage case 12 as shown in the figure.

That is, a certain length of the endless ribbon 1 from the pulled-out side is folded in two, and the remaining endless ribbon is folded only from one side.

The ribbon storage case 12 is composed of an outer box 12' and an inner box 12'' as shown in FIG. trademark) etc.

The inner periphery of the case 12 is treated to be oil-resistant or coated with an oil-resistant material.

Further, this case 12 is made of paper or the like.

The ribbon outlet 13 is sealed with tape, paper, or the like that is easily peeled off.

The printing device is set as shown in FIG. 3 with the outer wrapping such as cellophane removed and the ribbon drawer opening 13 unsealed.

Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the operator or maintenance person folds the ink ribbon 1 into two
Pull out the endless ribbon, open it in a loop shape, and place the remaining endless ribbon 1 so that the side that is connected to the folded side is connected to the printing area direction, and the side that is connected to the unfolded side is placed in the ribbon storage cassette 2.
The endless ribbon transport system including the ribbon storage cassette 2 is set so as to be continuous with the exit side of the ribbon storage cassette 2.

This completes the ribbon replacement work, and even if the ribbon needs to be fed a little further, by doing this, the printer can print from this state.

Although the printing device is capable of printing in this state, it must ultimately complete the transfer of the endless ribbon 1 from the ribbon storage case 12 to the ribbon storage cassette 2, but this transfer can be done in one of the following two ways. Or by both.

One method is to perform normal printing and supply the ribbon 1 to the ribbon storage cassette 2 using normal ink ribbon movement.This is because the ribbon 1 is normally used repeatedly, so if this movement is performed, the ribbon 1 will be fed to the retracting roller. 8, the ribbon 1 is sequentially folded and folded into the ribbon storage cassette.

Another method is to supply the ribbon 1 to the ribbon storage cassette 2 by performing only ribbon feeding.

This ribbon feed folds the ribbon 1 into the ribbon storage cassette 2 by operating only the feeding roller 8 apart from the normal printing operation when the operator presses down the ribbon feed switch provided in the printing device.

Any of these methods can be used.

In this way, the ribbons 1 are sequentially folded and stored in the ribbon storage cassette 2 as shown in FIG.
Finally, after the state shown in Fig. 7, the ribbon 1 is completely stored in the ribbon storage cassette 2 and transferred by taking the route of the ribbon running system when the loop of ribbon 1 comes out of the ribbon storage case 12 and the transfer is completed. end.

〔effect〕

As described above, in the present invention, since the filling of ribbon from the case to the ribbon cassette is performed in conjunction with the printing operation of the printing device, the actual ribbon filling time is limited to setting the ribbon along the running route. , can be done in a short time.

In addition, most of the ribbon in the case is folded into a cassette, and the rest is stored without being folded, so that the ribbon can be pulled out smoothly during printing, so the case uses a complicated structure such as a ribbon guide. There's no need.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows a conventional example of a printing device according to the present invention,
The figure shows an example of a method for discharging used ribbon of the printing device of the present invention, FIG. One embodiment of the ribbon storage case related to the printing device of the invention, FIG. 5 shows an example of the state in which the ribbon is set from the ribbon storage case to the printing device, and FIG. 6 shows the state in which the ribbon is set from the ribbon storage case to the ribbon storage cassette. An example of ribbon supply status, seventh
The figures each show an embodiment of the state immediately before the supply of ribbon from the ribbon storage case to the ribbon storage cassette is finished. Furthermore, in the figure, 1 is an endless ribbon, 2
is a ribbon storage cassette, 3 is a hammer, 5 is a type belt, 6 is a pinch roller, 8 is a retraction roller,
10 is a platen, 11 and 11' are tabs, 12 is a ribbon storage case, and 13 is a ribbon outlet.

Claims (1)

[Scope of claim for utility model registration] An ink ribbon stretched over a printing section where a type belt and a hammer face each other, and a ribbon stretching route in which the ink ribbon runs in one direction as printing is performed, and a ribbon consisting of a pinch roller and a feed roller. In a printing device equipped with an endless ribbon running system including a feeding section and a ribbon storage cassette, the ribbon running is located between the exit of the ribbon storage cassette and the entrance of the stretching route in the ribbon running route of the endless ribbon running system. A place is set up next to the route to set up a ribbon storage case containing replacement units of endless ribbon, and most of it is folded into a casserole inside the ribbon drawer, while the rest is left unfolded and pulled out to the outside. Set the ribbon storage case that stores the endless ink ribbon in the above location, and align the side of the loop outside the ribbon outlet that connects to the folded side with the entrance side of the stretching route that connects to the printing area. On the other hand, by pulling out the endless ribbon so that the opposite side is aligned with the exit side of the ribbon storage cassette, and performing the printing operation with the endless ribbon set on the ribbon running route of the endless ribbon running system, the ribbon in the ribbon storage case becomes a ribbon. A printing device characterized in that the printing device is configured to be able to print even during the transfer.