JPH03126575A - Ribbon cassette loading/unloading device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To load/unload a ribbon cassette easily and rapidly only by depressing a single command switch by a construction wherein a loading/unloading mechanism is respectively driven toward an unloading position or a loading position when it is disposed on the loading position or the unloading position when the command switch is depressed. CONSTITUTION:When a command switch 7 is turned ON for conducting a ribbon cassette replacing operation, a CPU 5 reads out a loading/unloading program from a ROM 11 and executes it. When the present position of the ribbon cassette is a loading position, the CPU 5 transmits a forward rotation signal to a driver 16 to rotate a drive motor 42 forward so that it can be positioned on an unloading position. After the motor 42 is stopped on the unloading position in conjunction with a position detector 31, the loading/unloading program is completed. In this state, the ribbon cassette is removed and again mounted. When the command switch 7 is again depressed to be turned ON after the cassette is mounted, the CPU 5 judges that the ribbon cassette is disposed on an unloading position P1, therefore transmitting a reverse rotation signal to rotate the drive motor 42 reversely so that the ribbon cassette can be positioned on a loading position. After the motor 42 is stopped on the loading position, the loading/unloading program is brought to an end.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial application field] The present invention relates to a ribbon cassette attachment/detachment device.

[Prior Art] Recently, printers (color printers) that print in multiple colors by switching and using ink ribbons having a plurality of bands of different colors have been widely used.

FIG. 5 shows a typical example of such a color printer.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a carrier in which a print head 2 is incorporated, and is provided so as to be movable back and forth in the direction of arrow X via a carrier shaft 3. 20 is a switching/detachable tR oval, and an ink ribbon 4 pulled out from a ribbon cassette (not shown)
This is a means for switching bands and attaching/detaching the cassette.

That is, the switching/attachment mechanism 20 rotates the arm 23 in the directions of arrows R1 and R2 using a lever (not shown), and moves the ribbon guide 22 in the direction of arrow Y1. By moving in the Y direction, the ink ribbon 4 is displaced relative to the print head 2 to perform band switching. Further, the switching/attachment/detachment mechanism 20 locks the ribbon guide 22 by positioning it at the attachment position, and rotates the arm 23 from the attachment position by a predetermined angle in the direction of arrow R1 to position it at the detachment position. It is formed so that it can be removed and installed by releasing the lock.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] In the above configuration, in order to replace the ribbon cassette, the operator uses the lever to move the arm 23 in the direction of arrow R.
Remove and install the ribbon cassette by rotating the ribbon kite 22 in one direction from the attachment position up to 7"L to the removal position, and then reverse the arm 23 in the direction of arrow R2 to remove the ribbon kite. 22 must be returned to the mounting position, which is complicated and difficult to handle.

In addition, it is easy for the operator to make a mistake in the amount of rotation of the arm 23.
It takes a lot of time to attach and detach the ribbon cassette.

What I mentioned above is that the ink ribbon hands are all monochrome (
The same applies to the case of (for example, black).

In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to
An object of the present invention is to provide a ribbon cassette attachment/detachment device which can easily and quickly attach and detach a ribbon cassette by simply pressing one common command switch.

[Means for Solving the Problems] When attaching and detaching a ribbon cassette, the present invention provides an operation of moving the cassette from its current position to the opposite position where it will be worked (i.e., from the attaching position to the detaching position, and Focusing on the fact that the operation of moving the ribbon cassette from the detachment position to the attachment position is always accompanied, this design is designed to drive the attachment/detachment mechanism in reverse when attaching or detaching the ribbon cassette. and a position detecting means for detecting the detachment position iη, and when the command switch is pressed and the ribbon cassette is in the attachment/detachment position or the attachment position, the attachment/detachment mechanism is driven in the direction of the detachment position, and It is characterized by comprising a reversing drive means that drives the attachment/detachment mechanism in the direction of the attachment position when it is in the detached position, and stops driving the attachment/detachment mechanism when the position detection means detects the detachment position or the attachment position. .

"Operation J" In the present invention, when the command switch is pressed in order to replace the ribbon cassette, the attachment/detachment mechanism is driven by the cooperation of the reversing drive means and the position detection means, and the ribbon cassette is moved from the attachment position to the detachment position. This allows the operator to immediately remove the installed ribbon cassette and install a replacement ribbon cassette.After installing the cassette, when the operator presses the command switch again, the cooperation between the reversing drive means and the position detection means is activated. The attachment/detachment mechanism is moved from the detachment position to the attachment position.

Therefore, the ribbon cassette can be easily attached and detached by simply pressing one common command switch.

"Embodiment" An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

The ribbon cassette attaching/detaching device according to this embodiment is installed in a color printer that can switch and use ink ribbons having multiple bands, and by simply pressing the command switch 7,
Move the ribbon cassette from the current position to the opposite position from where you will be working (i.e., if it is in the loading position, the unloading position,
In addition, automatic positioning is possible (when it is in the detached position and in the attached position).

Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the color printer includes a CPU 5, a control panel 6, and a ROMI 1.0 for driving and controlling the entire printer. RAMI 2° output boat 17
．． A control unit consisting of an input boat 18 and the like and a carrier driver 13. Feed driver 14, head driver 15.
It consists of a driver 16 and the like.

Note that mechanical elements such as a carrier and a print head of a color printer are the same as mechanical elements such as a carrier 1 and a print head 2 of a conventional color printer.

Specifically, the ribbon cassette attachment/detachment device includes a command switch 7, a position detection means, a reversing drive means, etc. 414.
has been completed.

Here, the command switch 7 is configured using any key switch 7 among a plurality of key switches provided on the control panel 6. Note that it is also possible to provide a configuration with a special switch.

The position detection means also detects the mounting position (P) of the ribbon cassette.
2) and a means for detecting the detachment position P1.

Here, the ribbon cassette is locked at the mounting position (P2), and is unlocked at the detachment position P, making it possible to install and remove the ribbon cassette. In this embodiment, the position detecting means is composed of a position detector 31. The position detector 31 is formed to detect the attachment position (P2) and the detachment position P1 from the rotational direction and rotation amount of the spline shaft 44.

By the way, when the command switch 7 is pressed and the attachment/detachment mechanism 21, which will be described later, is in the attachment position (P2), the reversal drive means drives the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 in the detachment position P1 direction, so that the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 is in the detachment position P1. At times, the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 is driven in the direction of the mounting position (P2), and when the position detection means (31) detects the detachment position P1 or the attachment position (P2), the drive of the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 is stopped.

In this embodiment, the reversing drive means is a CPU 5 that controls the drive of the entire printer, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
．． It is configured using a part of the configuration and functions of the ROM 11 and the like. That is, the ROM 11 stores a mounting program whose contents are shown in the flowchart of FIG. 2, and the CPU 5 is configured to be able to sequentially execute the program.

In order to facilitate handling of the negative layer, when the command switch 7 is pressed, the CPU 5 controls the carrier driver 13 to position the carrier 1 at the home position IP.

Furthermore, the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 includes a ribbon guide 22, an arm 23, and a drive mechanism 41, which have the same configuration as the conventional one. The drive f[1i41 rotates the drive motor 42 in forward and reverse directions to rotate the spline shaft 44. Gear 45.
Double gear 46. The arm 23 is configured to be rotatable in the directions of arrows R1 and R2 via a disc cam 47 having a spiral cam groove 47a and a cam follower 48 that is fitted into and engaged with the cam groove 47a.

Next, the operation will be explained based on the flowchart shown in FIG.

In step 100, the operator presses the command switch 7 and turns it on in order to replace the ribbon cassette.
Then, the CPU 5 reads the attachment/detachment program from the ROM 11 and executes it.

That is, in step 102, CPtJ5 cooperates with a sensor (not shown) to determine carrier 1 or home position HP.
Determine if it is. Carrier 1 is home position H
If it is at P, step 104 is immediately entered. If not, the CPU 5 drives and controls the carrier driver 13 to appropriately move the carrier 1 in the X direction to position it at the home position HP, and then proceeds to step 104.

In step 104, it is determined whether the current position of the ribbon cassette is the mounting position (P2).

When the ribbon cassette is in the mounting position (P2), the CPU 5 sends a normal rotation signal to the driver 16 to rotate the drive motor 42 in the normal direction so that the ribbon cassette is positioned at the unloading position P+ where the ribbon cassette is to be worked. As a result, the arm 23
It is rotated by the drive motor 42 in the direction of arrow R1. Next, in step 108, the CPU 5 determines whether the ribbon cassette is at the detachment position P in cooperation with the position detector 31. If the ribbon cassette is at the position P, the process proceeds to step 114, where the drive motor 42 is stopped and the attachment/detachment program is terminated.

In this state, the operator can remove and remove the ribbon cassette.
Installation work is done. At this time, even if carrier 1 is not at the home position HP in step 102, carrier 1
During the movement of the carrier 1 to the home position HP, the drive motor 42 is rotated forward to position the ribbon cassette at the removal position P1, so that the carrier 1 is moved to the home position HP.
After positioning, the cassette can be quickly installed and removed.

After installing the cassette, when the operator presses the command switch 7 again to turn it on to perform printing work, steps 100, 102 (103) are executed, then step 104 is entered, and the CPU 5 is It is determined that the current position of the ribbon cassette is not the loading position (R2) but the unloading position P, and the process proceeds to step 110.

In step 110, the CPU 5 sends a reverse rotation signal to the driver 16 to drive the drive motor 4 so that the ribbon cassette is positioned at the mounting position (R2) where the ribbon cassette is to be worked.
Reverse 2. As a result, the arm 23 is reversed in the direction of arrow R2 by the drive motor 42. Next, in step 112, it is determined whether the ribbon cassette is in the loading position (R2), and if it is in the loading position (R2), the process proceeds to step 114, where the drive motor 42 is stopped, and the loading/unloading program is ended.

According to this embodiment, the command switch 7, the position detection means (31) for detecting the mounting position (R2) and the detachment position P1 of the ribbon cassette, and the When the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 of the ribbon cassette is in the attachment position (R2), the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 is driven in the direction of the detachment position P1, and when it is in the detachment position Pl, it is driven in the direction of the attachment position (R2), and the position detection means (
31) is equipped with a reversing drive means that stops the drive of the attachment/detachment mechanism 21 when the detachment position P1 or attachment position (R2) is detected. can be automatically positioned at the opposite position from where you are currently working.
The cassette can be easily and quickly attached and detached.

In addition, since the ribbon cassette can be attached and detached by simply pressing one command switch 7, it is possible to prevent operational errors from occurring.

Furthermore, even if the carrier 1 is not at the home position HP when the command switch 7 is pressed, the ribbon cassette is moved from the loading position (R2) to the unloading position P1 while the carrier 1 is being moved to the home position HP. Therefore, even if the ribbon cassette cannot be attached or detached until the color printer has positioned the carrier 1 at the home position, the ribbon cassette can be quickly attached or detached.

In the above embodiment, the command switch 7 is configured using any key switch in the control panel 6, or a special key switch may be provided.

Also, if the carrier 1 is not at the home position HP when the command switch 7 is pressed, the ribbon cassette is moved from the loading position (R2) to the unloading position P1 before moving the carrier 1 to the home position HP. It may be configured as follows.

In addition, although the position detection means was constituted by the position detector 31,
Ribbon cassette mounting position (R2) and removal position Pl
Any configuration may be used as long as it can detect.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, there is provided a position detection means for detecting the mounting position and detachment position of the ribbon cassette, and when the ribbon cassette attachment/detachment mechanism is in the mounting position when the command switch is pressed, the Driving the attachment/detachment mechanism in the direction of the detachment position, drives it in the direction of the attachment position when the attachment/detachment mechanism is in the detachment position, and stops driving the attachment/detachment a mechanism when the position detecting means detects the detachment position or the attachment position. Since it is equipped with a reversing drive means, it can be automatically positioned to the position where the work will be performed by simply pressing the command switch.
The ribbon cassette can be attached and detached easily and quickly.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 4 are diagrams showing an embodiment of the ribbon cassette attaching/detaching device according to the present invention, FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a color printer equipped with the attaching/detaching device, and FIG. 2 explains the operation. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing a color printer to which the attachment/detachment device is applied, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the main parts of the color printer to which the attachment/detachment device is applied. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a color printer that can switch between ink ribbons having multiple bands. 5... CPU (reversing drive means), 7... command switch, 11... ROM (reversing drive means), 21... attachment/detachment mechanism, 31... position detector (position detection means).

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) a command switch; a position detection means for detecting the mounting position and unloading position of the ribbon cassette; and, when the command switch is pressed and the ribbon cassette mounting/detaching mechanism is in the mounting position, the ribbon cassette mounting/detaching mechanism; a reversal drive that drives the attachment/detachment mechanism in the direction of the detachment position, drives it in the direction of the attachment position when it is in the detachment position, and stops driving the attachment/detachment mechanism when the position detecting means detects the detachment position or the attachment position; A ribbon cassette attaching/detaching device comprising means.