JPH0612054U - Ink ribbon switching device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [Purpose] Switching the printing steps of the ink ribbon can be easily set in three or more steps with a simple structure, the power consumption of the actuating solenoid is small, and the processing for ribbon switching is simplified.
Provided is an ink ribbon switching device which facilitates switching operation. A ribbon rotating member 20 disposed between a carriage 2 and a ribbon cassette 5 is provided with a switching rotating member 22 which rotates integrally with the ribbon operating member 20, and engaging teeth 23 of the member 22 have an operating claw member. 26 and the holding claw member 30 are disengageably engaged with each other, and the actuating claw member 26 rotates the switching turning member 22 by one tooth by the excitation of the one-shot pulse of the actuating solenoid 25, and is rotated by the holding claw member 30. The moving state is maintained, whereby the printing stage of the ink ribbon 8 is switched. In response to the return of the carriage 2 to the home position, the both claw members 2
6, 30 disengage from the engaging teeth 23, the switching rotary member 22 returns to the original position, and the ink ribbon 8 is reset.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to an ink ribbon switching device that switches a plurality of ink ribbons in a printer such as a time recorder so that the printing contents can be distinguished by using different printing areas of the ink ribbon and different colors.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 As an ink ribbon switching device used in this type of time recorder, a time card has a normal time zone (first time zone) and a late time zone (second time zone), for example, the former is black and the latter is The so-called two-stage switching is performed, in which the ink ribbon is moved in two steps with respect to the print position of the printer head so that the ink is printed in red. Therefore, in the first time zone, the ink ribbon is placed in a normal position where it is not operated by the actuating magnet, and in the second time zone, the ink ribbon is actuated by the magnet and the printing stage is switched to change the position. It is common to use a magnet for waiting.

As an improvement on this, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-65515 determines which of the first and second time zones the current time belongs to at the time of printing, and the determination result is the first time. When it belongs to the time zone, the actuating magnet is returned to the non-energized state, and the ribbon of the first time zone color is held at the print position between the printer head and the time card. When it belongs, the actuating magnet is activated (energized) only for a limited time from the start to the end of printing, and its attraction force switches to the ribbon of the first time zone color to change to the second time zone. A ribbon switching device configured to hold a colored ribbon in a printing position is shown.

[0004]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 In the general ribbon switching device described above, the actuating magnet (solenoid) for switching the ink ribbon must be constantly energized regardless of whether a time card is inserted or not, resulting in unnecessary power consumption. There is a problem.

Further, in the one disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-65515, it is necessary to judge which time zone the current time belongs to each time printing is performed and operate the magnet. However, the processing is complicated and the processing time is increased. Therefore, the processing is simplified and the processing time is shortened, which is rather disadvantageous than the general method described above. There was a problem left to improve.

Further, in any of the above-mentioned known ribbon switching devices, printing between the normal time zone (first time zone) and the late time zone (second time zone) is switched only in two steps, and the printing color is changed. Although there are only two ways to identify by black, red, etc., in today's time recorders, in addition to irregular work patterns different from the working hours specified in the working rules, such as late and early leave, Since various forms such as early attendance, overtime work, and late night overtime work are required to be printed and identified on the time card, there is a problem in that these two types of switching configurations cannot handle these requests.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the related art, and an object thereof is to easily and quickly perform the process of switching the ink ribbon and to obtain the time required for the ink ribbon in a desired time zone. In order to provide an ink ribbon switching device that can be reliably put on standby, consumes less power, and can switch ink ribbons in three or more stages, and that can handle irregular work patterns is there.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 To achieve the above object, in the present invention, a main body, a carriage on which a print head is placed and which reciprocates along a print line on the main body, and a printing step different from a normal printing step at a printing position. Assuming the configuration of a printer such as a time recorder having an ink ribbon arranged to be switchable to a ribbon actuation member for moving the ink ribbon up and down in order to change the printing stage of the ink ribbon, and the actuation member. And a plurality of engaging teeth corresponding to the switching position of the ink ribbon on the periphery thereof, the switching rotating member being rotatable around one axis, and the engaging teeth of the switching rotating member. Operable claw member that is arranged so that it can operate so as to apply one reciprocating actuating force to the claw member and cause the switching rotary member to rotate for one tooth of its engaging teeth. Operation solenoid and the switching rotation A holding claw member that is arranged to be able to engage with the engaging tooth of the material and that holds the switching rotating member that has rotated by one tooth in the rotating position, and the engaging tooth of the switching rotating member. In response to the return of the actuating claw member to the home position of the carriage, disengagement means for disengaging the actuating claw member from the engaging teeth of the switching rotary member, The holding claw member is disengaged from the engaging teeth of the switching rotation member, whereby the switching rotation member is returned from the rotation position to the original position and the ink ribbon is reset to the normal printing stage. The present invention proposes an ink ribbon switching device configured to include interlocking means provided between members.

Further, in the present invention, another print waiting position is set in the middle of the carriage returning to the home position, a carriage position detection sensor is arranged at that position, and a different printing step is performed after the predetermined printing is completed. It is also proposed to prevent the ink ribbon from being reset by not returning the carriage from the print standby position to the home position until the operation solenoid for switching to the mode is activated.

[0010]

[Action]

 In the ribbon switching device of the present invention having the above-mentioned configuration, when it is necessary to switch the printing stage of the ink ribbon from the normal position, if the one-shot pulse is excited to the operating solenoid, the operation of the solenoid will be performed thereafter. Accordingly, the operating claw member and the holding claw member cooperate to hold the switching rotary member in the position rotated by one tooth by the mechanical means, so that the solenoid is continuously operated during printing. No need to leave. When the ink ribbon is moved to a different printing stage, one-shot excitation may be performed, and the energization time can be shortened and the power consumption can be reduced. Further, by providing a large number of engaging teeth corresponding to the switching step positions of the ink ribbon, the number of switching steps of the ink ribbon can be easily set to three or more. Further, the switching rotation member mechanically held by the both claw members responds to the carriage returning to the home position by the engagement releasing means provided on the carriage to engage the two claw members. Is released, whereby the switching rotation member returns from the rotation position to the original position, and the ink ribbon is normally automatically reset to the printing step position.

Further, in the present invention, by setting the print standby position and arranging the carriage position detection sensor at the position, when the printing is performed in the same printing stage, the carriage is at the home position. It is possible to avoid resetting the ink ribbon by going back to step (3) and hold the print stage position of the ink ribbon until the actuation of the actuating solenoid for switching to the next different print stage.

[0012]

【Example】

 An embodiment of the ink ribbon switching device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The ink ribbon switching device of the present embodiment shows a mode implemented in a time recorder.

In FIG. 1, 1 is a time recorder main body, 2 is a dot printer type print head 3 and is supported by a pair of guide rails 4 and 4 on the main body 1 and reciprocates along a print line. The carriage 5 is an ink ribbon cassette which is rotatably supported on the carriage 2 via a support shaft 6 at one end (rear end) so as to be detachable, and which is constantly urged counterclockwise in the drawing by a compression spring 7. is there. The ink ribbon 8 accommodated in the cassette 5 is exposed at the other end (front end) of the cassette and is interposed between the print head 3 and the card guide path 11 into which the time card 10 is inserted to print. It faces the position P 1. As shown by the solid line and the chain line in the figure, the ink ribbon switching device 12 causes the ribbon cassette 5 to rotate around the support shaft 6 during the ink ribbon switching operation, whereby the ink ribbon 8 moves vertically. The printing stage is switched.

The time card 10 is inserted into the card path 11 from the upper end insertion portion of the guide frame 13 on the main body 1, and the insertion is detected by the reflection type card insertion detection sensors 14 and 15 provided in front and rear. At the printing position P, required printing is performed by the print head 3 on the card 10 via the ink ribbon 8.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, the ink ribbon 8 can be used by so-called three-stage switching by switching to the three-stage band regions 8a, 8b, 8c divided in the width direction. For example, the strip areas 8a, 8b, and 8c in each row are printed in the normal working hours during the normal working hours (first step), and in the special hours such as tardiness and holidays (second step). , Etc., and can be used separately for card management printing such as personal identification code (3rd step). Of course, it is also possible to use an ink ribbon in which the color of the band corresponding to each stage is divided into black, red, blue and the like.

The carriage 2 shown in FIG. 1 is driven together with the ribbon cassette 5 from the home position H at the left end to the print end position E at the right end on the main body 1 by a drive mechanism (not shown) including a drive belt, a pulley, a motor, and the like. It is designed to be driven back and forth.

In FIG. 4, reference numeral 16 denotes a detection portion provided on the lower surface of the carriage 2 so as to project downward, and reference numerals 17 and 18 denote carriage positions arranged at intervals in a passage along which the detection portion 16 moves as the carriage 2 travels. It is a detection sensor. One sensor 17 detects that the carriage 2 has returned to the home position H by the detection unit 16 coming to the corresponding position, and the other sensor 18 causes the detection unit 16 to detect the carriage 2 home position. Upon returning to, the print standby position A of the carriage 2 is detected by arriving at a position corresponding to this in the middle. As will be described later, when the ink ribbon 8 continues to print at the same printing stage, the carriage 2 is not returned to the home position H but is stopped at the print standby position A, and a reference position for starting printing from here. Make up. Although not shown, a carriage position detection sensor for detecting the position E and stopping the carriage 2 is also provided corresponding to the print end position E.

Next, the ink ribbon switching device 12 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. Reference numeral 20 denotes a ribbon operating member that extends between the carriage 2 and the ribbon cassette 5 along the traveling direction of the carriage 2 and has both ends bent so that the support shaft 21 swingably supports the ribbon operating member on the main body 1. Is a switching rotary member which is composed of one bent end plate of the member 20 and has a plurality of engaging teeth 23 formed on the periphery thereof.

When the switching rotation member 22 is located at the position (original position) shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the ribbon actuating member 20 resists the spring 7 and the ribbon cassette 5 is substantially horizontal on its upper surface as shown by the solid line. The ink ribbon 8 is made to correspond to the printing position P by the band region 8a at the non-elevating position of the first stage. Then, when the switching rotary member 22 is rotated clockwise from the original position around the support shaft 21 as schematically shown by a chain line, the ribbon actuating member 20 is tilted accordingly and resists the spring 7. The ribbon cassette 5 is rotated around the support shaft 6 to raise the ink ribbon 8 from the first stage as shown by the arrow, and the band regions 8b and 8c of the second or third stage correspond to the printing position P. It is designed to let you.

Reference numeral 25 is an operating solenoid installed in the main body 1, 26 is connected to the solenoid 25 via a plunger 27 and a rotation support shaft 28, and a tension spring 29 always engages the switching rotation member 22. The operating claw member 30, which is disposed in engagement with the tooth 23, is supported by the main body 1 by the rotation support shaft 31 and is always in engagement with the engaging tooth 23 of the switching rotary member 22 by the tension spring 32. It is a holding claw member arranged in. Both claw members 26 and 30 have bent tongue pieces 26a and 30a which can be engaged with each other and form one interlocking means, and one claw member 26 is connected to the tongue piece 26a as shown in FIG. It has a cam portion piece 26b that is inclined and protrudes in the lateral direction. The cam portion piece 26b is engageable with an engagement protrusion 33 provided on the side edge of the carriage 2 so that an engagement releasing means is provided from both of them. It is configured.

When the carriage 2 returns to the home position H in a state where both the claw members 26 and 30 are engaged with the engagement teeth 23 of the switching rotation member 22, the engagement protrusion 33 engages with the cam piece 26b. Then, due to the cam action of the inclined cam portion piece 26b, the actuating claw member 26 is first pushed down in the direction in which it disengages from the engaging teeth 23, and along with this, the tongue piece 26a engages with the tongue piece 30a of the holding claw member 30. As a result, the holding claw member 30 is also released from the engaging tooth 23 because it is pushed down. As a result, the switching rotation member 22 becomes free, and is rotated and returned to the original position by the biasing force of the spring 7, so that the ink ribbon 8 is returned to the first stage position, that is, the so-called ink ribbon is reset to the normal position. . Then, when the carriage 2 starts traveling from the home position H for printing, the engagement between the engagement projection 33 and the cam piece 26b is released, so that both the claw members 26 and 30 are in the original position. It engages again with the engaging teeth 23 of the switching turning member 22.

With reference to FIG. 5, a mode in which the switching solenoid 22 is switched by the actuating solenoid 25 via both the claw members 26 and 30 will be described. (A) shows that the switching rotary member 22 is in the original position, The solenoid 25 is in a non-excited state, and both claw members 26 and 30 are in the normal position state in which they are engaged with the tooth spaces 23a and 23b of the engaging teeth by the biasing of the springs 29 and 32, respectively. (B) shows a state in which the one-shot pulse is excited in order to set the ink ribbon 8 to the second stage position with respect to the actuation solenoid 25 in the state of (a). In this state, the operating claw member 26 is first pulled by the plunger 27 in the direction of the predetermined stroke arrow, whereby the claw member 26 rotates the switching rotary member 22 clockwise by one tooth. As a result, the holding claw member 30 rides over one of the engaging teeth 23 and engages with the next tooth groove 23c, and holds the switching turning member 22 in this turning state. The operating claw member 26 returns from the retracted position as shown by the chain line immediately after the one-shot operation of the operating solenoid 25 is finished, and at this time, the operating claw member 26 gets over one engaging tooth 23 and engages with the next tooth groove 23b. To enter.

As described above, even if the actuating solenoid 25 returns to the non-excited state immediately after the one-shot pulse is excited, the two claw members 26 and 30 reliably hold the switching rotary member 22 at the position rotated by one tooth. can do. The amount of rotation for one tooth corresponds to the amount of movement for moving the ink ribbon 8 upward from the first band area 8a to the second band area 8b. It will be switched and set to the stage position.

When the operating solenoid 25 is further excited by a one-shot pulse from the state shown in FIG. 5B, both claw members 26 and 30 work together in the same manner as described above, and one more tooth, the switching rotary member. Since 22 rotates and is held at this rotation position, this further rotation amount for one tooth is the amount of upward movement of the ink ribbon 8 from the second step to the third step band area 8c in the same manner as described above. The ink ribbon 8 can be switched and set to the position of the third step by making it correspond to. When the switching rotary member 22 is in the original position, that is, when the ink ribbon 8 is directly switched from the first position to the third position, the actuating solenoid 25 is moved twice. Just excite it.

When printing is completed and the carriage 2 returns to the home position H in a state where the switching rotation member 22 is held at the rotation position by the both claw members 26 and 30 as described above, the engagement is performed as described above. By engaging the engaging projection 33 and the cam portion piece 26b, the two claw members 26, 30 are disengaged from the engaging teeth 23 of the switching rotary member 22, and the switching rotary member 22 is moved as shown in FIG. 5 (c). After returning to the original position, the ink ribbon 8 is also reset to the normal position of the first stage.

As described above, according to the ink ribbon switching device 12 of the present invention, the ink ribbon 8 can be set to a desired printing stage only by applying a temporary excitation pulse to the actuation solenoid 25. You can As described above, the ink ribbon 8 is held in this set printing stage until the carriage 2 finishes printing one line and returns to the home position H, but the next line is printed in the same printing stage. In this case, the carriage 2 is not returned to the home position H but is detected by the carriage position detection sensor 16 at the print standby position A provided in front of the home position H, and the detection signal is sent from the sensor 16 to a carriage driving mechanism (not shown). To stop the carriage 2 at the position A. Therefore, the ink ribbon 8 is not reset and printing is continued at the same printing stage. Then, when printing at different printing stages of the ink ribbon 8 is required, the carriage driving mechanism returns the carriage 2 to the home position H and resets the ink ribbon 8 regardless of the detection signal from the sensor 16. At the same time, the actuating solenoid 25 is actuated again to switch the ink ribbon to the desired stage position.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments, the number of engaging teeth 23 around the switching rotary member 22 is set to correspond to three-step switching. In the case of the configuration in which the number of steps is divided and used, the number of teeth corresponding to the number may be provided. Further, by setting the tooth pitch of the engaging teeth 23 to a so-called half pitch, the printing step can be set even in a narrower ribbon area, and the number of steps and the pitch can be set arbitrarily. Further, although the embodiment shows the configuration embodied in the time recorder, the present invention can be similarly applied to not only the time recorder but also other printers in which the switching of the ink ribbon is required.

[0028]

[Effect of device]

 As described above, according to the present invention, it suffices to apply a one-shot exciting pulse to the actuating solenoid, and the mechanical means of the actuating claw member and the holding claw member then move the ink ribbon to the switching stage position. It can be held reliably, low power consumption can be achieved, a ribbon switching configuration with three or more stages can be easily adopted, and when applied to a time recorder, more different print swath areas are required. It is possible to sufficiently deal with the working style of, and there are various practical effects such that complicated processing for switching printing stages is not necessary and processing time is not so long.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of an embodiment in which the ink ribbon switching device of the present invention is embodied in a time recorder.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view showing a mode of a printing stage of an ink ribbon.

3 is a schematic plan view of the time recorder shown in FIG. 1. FIG.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of main parts of the time recorder and the ink ribbon switching device shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows an operation mode of the ink ribbon switching device (a),
It is operation | movement explanatory drawing shown by each of (b) and (c).

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Main Body 2 Carriage 8 Ink Ribbon 12 Ink Ribbon Switching Device 20 Ribbon Actuating Member 22 Switching Rotating Member 23 Engaging Tooth 25 Actuating Solenoid 26 Actuating Claw Member 30 Holding Claw Member 26b Cam Member 33 Engaging Protrusion

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A main body, a carriage on which a print head is mounted and which reciprocates along a print line on the main body, and an ink ribbon arranged to be switchable from a normal printing stage to a different printing stage at a printing position. In a printer such as a time recorder provided with, a ribbon actuating member for moving the ink ribbon up and down for switching the printing stage of the ink ribbon, and a plurality of peripheral members connected to the actuating member and corresponding to the switching position of the ink ribbon. A switching rotary member that is rotatable about an axis, and an operating pawl member that is disposed so as to be engageable with the engaging tooth of the switching rotary member; An actuating solenoid operable to apply one reciprocating actuating force to cause the switching rotary member to rotate by one tooth of its engaging teeth, and engage with the engaging teeth of the switching rotary member It was placed as possible and rotated by one tooth The holding claw member for holding the switching turning member in the turning position and the actuating claw member engaged with the engaging teeth of the switching turning member in response to the return of the carriage to the home position. The engagement releasing means for disengaging from the engaging tooth of the member, and the holding pawl member disengaging from the engaging tooth of the switching rotating member in response to the disengagement operation of the operating pawl member by the engaging releasing means, thereby switching. An ink ribbon switching device comprising: interlocking means provided between both claw members so as to return the rotating member to the original position from the rotating position and reset the ink ribbon to a normal printing stage. 2. A print standby position is set in the middle of the carriage returning to the home position, a carriage position detection sensor is arranged at the position, and a switch is made to a different print stage after a predetermined printing is completed. The resetting of the ink ribbon is avoided by not returning the carriage from the print standby position to the home position until the operation solenoid is operated.
Ink ribbon switching device described in.