JPH0436540B2 - - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To produce effectively the endless ribbon excellent in strength and property by cutting the residual end of the ribbon, while moving the welded ribbon to the cutting position of the residual end along a guide plate. CONSTITUTION:An ultrasonic welding hone 3 compresses lapped ribbons 1 against a receiving holder 2, and welds them, applying ultrasonic vibration thereto. When the ultrasonic welding hone 3 is elevated to an original position, a clamp device 5 begins to move along a guide rail 8, and the ribbon 1 is moved from one end to other end of a guide plate 9. When the ribbon 1 approaches a laser head 15, a laser generator starts. Laser beam is radiated from the laser head 15a provided at the upper portion of one guide plate 9a onto the projecting inclined surface 12 to which the part having the guide groove 13 of other guide plate 9b projects, and the laser beam from the laser head 15b under the other guide plate 9b is conversely radiated on the inclined surface 12 of the guide plate 9a. The residual end 1c of the ribbon 1 is exactly cut at the edge of a welding line 4 exactly positioned in the guide groove 13. The laser beam cutting the residual end 1c is intercepted at the inclined surface 12 of the guide plate 9.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing endless ribbons such as ink ribbons used in printers, and in particular, a method for welding both ends of a long ribbon and then welding the remaining ends. The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing an endless ribbon to be cut.

[Conventional technology]

Various printers are used as printing devices for word processors and computers, but
Among these, wire dot printers, which print by striking a thin wire onto paper at high speed via an ink ribbon, are the mainstream.

The ink ribbon used in wire dot printers is made of synthetic fiber cloth such as nylon impregnated with ink, and is generally an endless ribbon that can be used in continuous circulation without the inconvenience of replacing or rewinding. .

A widely used method for manufacturing such endless ribbons is to weld and connect both ends of a long ribbon using an ultrasonic welder. There are two methods for welding and joining: one is by fusion welding (type A), and the other is by cutting off the remaining end after welding (type B).

The type A method is illustrated in Figure 4a and
As described in Japanese Patent No. 54-2235, both ends 1a and 1b of the ribbon 1 are overlapped in an X-shape so that the same surfaces (A side-A side) face each other, and the center part is formed at an acute angle. While being crimped onto the pedestal 2 having the top with an ultrasonic welding horn 3, ultrasonic vibrations are applied to weld it and at the same time, the remaining end 1c is cut off by fusing. Next, when the ribbon is unfolded, the weld line 4 becomes a protrusion as shown in Fig. 4b, so it is shaped flat with an ultrasonic shaping horn as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-5407 to form an endless ribbon. shall be.

On the other hand, the type B method, as shown in FIG. is welded to a pedestal 2 having a smooth top with a width of about 0.5 mm by applying ultrasonic vibration while pressing it with an ultrasonic welding horn 3. Next, the remaining end 1c is cut off near the weld line 4, and the welded portion 4 formed as shown in FIG. 5b is shaped into an endless ribbon in the same manner as described above.

In either method, the welded wire 4 becomes resinous and loses its properties as a fiber, so it is no longer impregnated with ink, causing print chipping, and the ribbon's tensile strength and impact strength are reduced. Therefore,
Both of the above methods are carried out by optimizing the welding conditions, but the tensile strength of the endless ribbon obtained with the type A method is only about half that of type B, and is not satisfactory in terms of strength. The reason for this is thought to be that, as can be seen from the cross-sectional shapes of the weld lines in Figures 4b and 5b, the tensile force becomes a shearing force in type B, whereas it becomes a peeling force in type A.

However, although type B method is superior in terms of strength, it is not widely used because it is difficult to cut off the remaining end 1c after welding. That is, it is necessary to cut and remove the remaining end 1c as close as possible to the weld line 4, but even if you use a knife such as special scissors,
Currently, the process relies on manual labor and is performed with great care, resulting in large variations in quality and extremely low production efficiency.

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

In view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, the present invention automatically performs continuous cutting of the remaining ends after welding both ends of the ribbon according to the type B method, which has excellent strength, and achieves high strength and quality. The purpose is to manufacture excellent endless ribbons with high efficiency.

[Means for solving problems]

The present invention is an endless ribbon manufacturing apparatus in which both ends of the ribbon are overlapped on the entire surface along the longitudinal direction and welded with a welding line that intersects with the longitudinal direction, in which one edge in the longitudinal direction is moved from the middle toward one end and the other end is welded. 2. A flat band-shaped plate having a tapered part that is inclined to the side, and one edge of which is formed into a blade shape by an inclined surface that is inclined so that it gradually becomes thinner from the other side to the one side at least in a part between the tapered part and the other end. The two guide plates are arranged so that their edges are parallel to each other and are spaced apart from each other, their sloped surfaces are located on opposite sides, and the sides of both guide plates are parallel to each other, and one side of each of the guide plates is parallel to each other. A support stand supported at one end with the planes thereof brought close to each other; two cutting devices disposed facing each of the sloped surfaces of the two guide plates; 2 movable along one parallel edge
a clamping device, and a welding line between one end of the two guide plates and between two edges parallel to each other,
The guide plate includes an ultrasonic welding horn and a pedestal arranged opposite to each other in a direction perpendicular to one surface of the guide plate.

〔Example〕

The endless ribbon manufacturing apparatus of the present invention will be explained in detail with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, two clamp devices 5 that hold both end portions of the ribbon 1, which are stacked parallel to each other on the entire surface along the longitudinal direction, are fixed to a movable plate 7 that is integrally connected. , each clamp device 5 has a clamp head 6 made of cylindrical elastic rubber that is driven up and down. A movable plate 7 to which two clamp devices 5 are fixed can be linearly reciprocated along a guide rail 8 by a belt driven by a motor, a drive cylinder, or the like.

Between the two clamp devices 5, two flat band-shaped guide plates 9 are installed on the moving side of the clamp devices 5 with one end open and the other end fixed to the support stand 14. Each guide plate 9 has a tapered portion 11 in which one edge 10 in the longitudinal direction is a straight line halfway from the other end to the other end, and the one edge 10 is straight as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, it is formed into a blade-like shape by an inclined surface 12 that gradually becomes thinner from the other surface to one surface. These two guide plates 9 have straight portions of one edge 10 facing each other in parallel with an interval to form a guide groove 13, and an inclined surface 12.
are positioned vertically opposite to each other, and both guide plates 9
The two surfaces are parallel to each other, and the planes including the respective surfaces are brought close to each other, and the other end is fixed to the support base 14. One end of each of the two guide plates 9 is located between each clamp device 5 and the pedestal 2, and is opened at a distance so as to sandwich the pedestal 2. Further, the direction of the guide grooves 13 of the two guide plates 9 is the same as the direction of the guide rail 8 of the clamp device 5.

Preferably, an interval equal to the thickness of the ribbon 1 is provided between two planes including one side of each of the two guide plates 9, and the clamping surface of the ribbon 1 by the clamping device 5 is located at a height between these two planes. and arrange it so that the top of the pedestal 2 is placed. Further, the distance between the opposing edges 10 is set to be the same as the width of the weld line. In this embodiment, one edge 10 of the guide plate 9 is entirely an inclined surface 12, but it is sufficient that at least a part of the guide plate 9 between the tapered part 11 and the other end has an inclined surface 12. .

A conventional ultrasonic welding horn 3 and a pedestal 2 are installed between the open ends of two guide plates 9 so as to face each other in a direction perpendicular to one surface thereof. The ultrasonic welding horn 3 and the pedestal 2 may be of any type as long as they can form a weld line of about 0.5 mm in width that intersects the longitudinal direction of the ribbon 1, but in this example, the pedestal 2 corresponds to the above-mentioned weld line. It has a top. The top of the pedestal 2, that is, the direction of the weld line is arranged to match the extension line of the guide groove 13 formed by the two guide plates 9. The ultrasonic welding horn 3 is connected to an ultrasonic oscillator and a vibrator (not shown), and generates ultrasonic vibrations at the same time as it descends and comes into pressure contact with the pedestal 2.

Conventional laser heads 15 are installed above and below the guide groove 13 portion of the guide plate 9, respectively, and separate laser beams of equal energy from one laser oscillation device using a combination of a half mirror and a total reflection mirror. It is now ready for irradiation. As shown in FIG. 3, a laser beam (arrow) is emitted from a laser head 15a provided above one guide plate 9a onto a protruding slope 12 of a portion of the other guide plate 9b having a guide groove 13. is irradiated, and the laser beam from the laser head 15b below the other guide plate 9b is irradiated in the opposite direction.

Incidentally, as the cutting device, a knife or the like may be used instead of the laser head.

[Effect]

As shown in FIG. 1, both ends of the ribbons 1 are overlapped in parallel over the entire surface in the longitudinal direction, and with one free end of the guide plate 9 inserted between the overlapped ribbons 1, the overlapped portions of the ribbons 1 are It is held under tension by two clamp devices 5. Since the two clamp devices 5 are fixed on both sides of the pedestal 2 at different distances from the other end of the guide plate 9, the held portion of the ribbon 1 is at a predetermined angle (20°) with the top of the pedestal 2. 60°) and rest on the pedestal 2.

Next, the ultrasonic welding horn 3 descends, and as shown in FIG. 2, the stacked ribbons 1 are pressed onto the pedestal 2 and at the same time, ultrasonic vibrations are applied to weld them. Since the guide plates 9a and 9b are inserted between the stacked ribbons 1, the ribbons 1 can be welded under tension by welding between the two guide plates 9a and 9b. Incidentally, either the ultrasonic welding horn 3 or the pedestal 2 may be provided with a top portion, or the top portion may not be provided and the position may be shifted so that the width of the abutting portion of the opposing surfaces of the two matches the width of the weld line. Welding is also possible.

When welding is completed and the ultrasonic welding horn 3 rises to its original position, the clamp device 5 automatically starts moving along the guide rail 8, and the ribbon 1 moves from one end of the guide plate 9 to the other end. Moving. ribbon 1
As the guide plate 9 moves, one edge 10 of the guide plate 9 gradually approaches the weld line 4 of the ribbon 1, and when the ribbon 1 reaches the guide groove 13, the weld line 4 of the ribbon 1 approaches the guide groove 1.
3, and as shown in FIG. 3, the guide plates 9a and 9b move with the protruding edges 10 of the guide plates 9a and 9b in contact with both ends of the weld line 4. Furthermore, by forming the clamp head 6 of the clamp device 5 from elastic rubber,
The mechanical strain that the moving ribbon 1 receives from the guide plate 9 can be alleviated. Furthermore, the guide plate 9
As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, a and 9b are vertically spaced apart by a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the ribbon 1, so that necessary portions of the ribbon 1 are not irregularly deformed or unreasonably distorted. I never receive it.

As shown in FIG. 3, when the moving ribbon 1 approaches the laser head 15, the laser oscillator is activated, and the laser head 15a provided above one guide plate 9a opens the guide groove 13 of the other guide plate 9b. A laser beam (arrow) is irradiated onto the protruding slope 12 of the guide plate 9b, and conversely, the laser beam from the laser head 15b below the other guide plate 9b is irradiated onto the slope 12 of the guide plate 9a.
2. As a result, the remaining end 1c of the ribbon 1
is the weld line 4 accurately positioned by the guide groove 13.
The laser beam that has cut the remaining end 1c is cut off by the inclined surface 12 of the guide plate 9. The irradiation angle of the laser beam is preferably as close to parallel as possible to the longitudinal direction of the ribbon 1, but since it is mechanically difficult, it is usually parallel to the longitudinal direction of the ribbon 1.
Around 30° is sufficient. However, if this angle exceeds 45°, a large amount of unnecessary parts will remain at the weld line 4, and when the weld line is later flattened by ultrasonic welding, the width of the weld line will become larger than necessary, which is not preferable. In addition, when cutting with a conventional knife, when tension is applied to the ribbon, the warp threads tend to come off, leaving the weft threads behind, but with laser cutting, the cut part melts and becomes a single piece, so the warp threads do not come off, and are highly accurate. It has the advantage of fast cutting speed.

Thereafter, the clamping device 5 moves in the opposite direction toward the pedestal 2 while holding the endlessly formed ribbon 1 and its remaining end 1c, and stops at the original position. Since the removed portion of the remaining end 1c cannot be said to be completely smooth, it is usually reshaped by ultrasonic welding. This shaping can be done by automatically replacing the pedestal 2 with a shaping pedestal with a wider top on the spot and lowering the ultrasonic welding horn 3 to apply ultrasonic vibrations. The ribbon may be removed from the clamp device 5 and shaped using a separately provided ultrasonic shaping horn and cradle.

An example of the manufacturing conditions for an endless ribbon with a ribbon width of 12 mm is shown below: Ultrasonic welding conditions; Frequency: 28 KHz Horn amplitude: 25 μm Welding load: 25 Kg Oscillation time: 0.05 seconds Weld line width: 0.4 mm Laser cutting conditions: Type: CO ₂ laser (wavelength: 10.6) μm) Output 5W Cutting speed 6m/min Shaping conditions: Frequency 28KHz Horn amplitude 25μm Welding load 25Kg Oscillation time 0.1 seconds Final weld line width 0.6mm A comparison of the tensile strengths of endless ribbons manufactured under the above conditions revealed that the tensile strength of the ribbon itself strength 19
In the case of ~20Kg, the conventional method of type A in Figure 4a had a weld line width of 1 mm and an average weight of 6.5Kg, whereas the product produced under the above conditions using the apparatus of the present invention had a weld line width of 0.6 mm and an average weight of 13Kg. A tensile strength of .

〔Effect of the invention〕

According to the present invention, the ribbon welded by the movably provided clamp device can be moved along the guide plate to the remaining end cutting device, and the remaining end can be cut using the guide plate as a stand. Welding and cutting of the remaining ends can be performed continuously, allowing efficient production of endless ribbons of high strength and quality.

In addition, the ribbon portion is held on a substantially flat surface between one side of the two guide plates, and one edge is inserted up to the weld line, and the remaining end portion can be branched at the weld line due to the inclined surface. The remaining end can be cut as short as possible using the guide plate as a stand, making it easy to shape and minimizing the width of the final weld line.

Furthermore, using a laser head as a cutting device,
If you cut the remaining end with a laser beam, the cut part will be welded and integrated, so the warp will not come off, the finish after shaping will be beautiful, and the cutting precision will be high.
Moreover, it has the advantage of fast cutting speed.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the main parts of a specific example of the device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the ribbon when welded, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the ribbon when the remaining end is removed. . 4d and 5a are perspective views of a conventional ribbon welding device, and FIGS. 4b and 5b are perspective views of a conventional ribbon welding device.
are sectional views of respective weld lines. 1... Ribbon, 1c... Extra end, 2... cradle, 3
...Ultrasonic welding horn, 4...Welding wire, 5...Clamp device, 7...Movable plate, 9, 9a, 9b...
Guide plate, 10...one edge, 11...tapered part,
12... Inclined surface, 13... Guide groove, 15... Laser head.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A method for manufacturing an endless ribbon in which both ends of the ribbon are overlapped on the entire surface along the longitudinal direction and welded with a welding line that intersects with the longitudinal direction; and has a tapered part that slopes toward the other end, and one edge is formed into a blade shape by an inclined surface that gradually becomes thinner from the other face to the other face at least in a part between the tapered part and the other end. Two guide plates in the shape of a flat plate band, two guide plates are arranged so that their edges are parallel to each other and are spaced apart, their sloped surfaces are located on opposite sides, and the sides of both guide plates are parallel to each other, and A support stand supported at one end with planes including one side of each of them brought close to each other, two cutting devices disposed opposite to each of the sloped surfaces of the two guide plates, and on both sides of the two guide plates, 2 movable along one mutually parallel edge of the guide plate.
a clamping device, and a welding line between one end of the two guide plates and between two edges parallel to each other,
An endless ribbon manufacturing device comprising an ultrasonic welding horn and a pedestal arranged perpendicularly to one surface of a guide plate. 2. The endless ribbon manufacturing device according to claim 1, wherein the clamp head of the clamp device is made of a flexible material. 3. The endless ribbon manufacturing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the cutting device is a laser cutting device. 4. Manufacturing an endless ribbon according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that a gap equal to the thickness of the ribbon is provided between planes including one side of each of the two guide plates. Device. 5. The endless according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the gap between the parallel opposing portions of each edge of the two guide plates is equal to the width of the weld line of the ribbon. Ribbon manufacturing equipment.