JPH06219004A - Ribbon cassette replacing printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To obtain a color printer capable of making enconomical printing and special printing using a low-cost single-color ribbon without using a high- cost and uneconomical multi-color ink ribbon which has been used in a prior art. CONSTITUTION:Cassette containing modules 10, 11 each containing a plurality of ribbon cassettes are disposed along the running path of a printing module 1 so as to be erected and laid down. One of the modules 10, 11 is opposed to the printing module 1. A ribbon cassette 18 in the cassette containing module is selectively received into the printing module 1. The ribbon cassette is discharged from the printing module 1 to an empty ribbon cassette containing part of the cassette containing module 10 or 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a ribbon cassette interchangeable printer for performing color printing and special color printing using a plurality of ink ribbons.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a printer capable of printing a plurality of colors, there is a serial type thermal transfer printer which uses a multi-color ribbon in which a plurality of colors are sequentially applied to one ribbon in a printing length of one line for each color. This normally uses three colors of yellow, magenta, and cyan, and prints one line sequentially with these colors, and prints seven colors including overcoating.

[0003]

In the case of a conventional multi-color ribbon in which a plurality of colors are separately coated, unnecessary color portions are wasted when not all of the applied colors are needed in one line of printing. Not only that, but it also has the drawback that it takes time to wind up. In addition, the production of multicolor ribbons requires special ink application equipment, which often limits the availability of multicolor ribbons. The present invention embodies a method of using a plurality of single color ink ribbons without using a multi-color ribbon, solves the above-mentioned problems, and special colors other than synthetic colors (specific colors prepared in advance, for example, gold, silver, etc.) It is intended to provide a printer capable of printing

[0004]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the first invention is a printer for printing while exchanging ribbon cassettes. A plurality of stored cassette storage units are arranged along a traveling path of the printing unit, and the cassette storage unit is selectively moved to a position where the cassette can be replaced. In a printer that prints while exchanging ribbon cassettes, a cassette storage unit that stores and arranges multiple ribbon cassettes vertically is provided, and the cassette storage units can be selectively moved up and down to replace the cassettes. It is configured so that it can be moved to any position.

[0005]

[Function] The designated ribbon cassette is transferred from the cassette storage unit to the printing unit and mounted, and the printing unit is swept and moved to print in that color. Next, return the ribbon cassette of the printing unit to its original position in the cassette storage unit, and then transfer the ribbon cassette of the next specified color from the cassette storage unit to the printing unit and insert it, print the same part in that color, and print again. Return the ribbon cassette to the cassette storage unit. In this way, printing is sequentially performed with the designated color, and when printing of all colors of the printing section is completed, the paper is fed, printing of the next printing section is performed in the same manner, and all color printing is completed by repeating the following.

[0006]

Embodiment 1 FIG. 1 shows Embodiment 1 of the present invention, in which 1 is a printing unit slidably attached to a guide 2.
The screw rod 3 driven by a motor (not shown) is moved left and right. Printing unit 1
A platen 4 is arranged below the platen in parallel with the guide 2, and paper feed rollers 5 and 5 are arranged in front of and behind the platen 4. Reference numerals 6 and 6 are paper pressing rollers that are elastically pressed by the paper feeding rollers 5 and 5.

Reference numerals 10 and 11 denote a plurality of ribbon cassette storage portions 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, 10e and 11a, respectively.
A cassette storage unit provided with 11b, 11c, 11d, and 11e, which is attached to a vessel frame 12 so as to be able to move up and down, and has worms 14 and 14 ', worm gears 15 and 15', pinion gears 16 and 16 ', and sector gears by motors 13 and 13'. It is constructed so as to undulate via the 17, 17 'respectively.

FIG. 2 shows the erection operation of the cassette housing units 10 and 11, and is configured so as to face the printing unit 1 when the ribbon cassette 18 is supplied.

FIG. 3 shows a ribbon cassette 18 used in the embodiment.
In the perspective view of FIG. 3, the upper case 18a and the lower case 18b are provided, the winding shaft storage portions 18c and 18d are provided on both sides, and the ribbon exposure window 19 is provided therebetween, and the racks 20a, 20b and 4 are provided on the upper surface of the upper case 18a. A book guide groove 21 is provided in the moving direction. Two mounting holes 23 for mounting the cam pieces 22 are provided at predetermined positions of the guide groove 21. The winding shafts 24, 24 have a protrusion 2 at one end.
5 is attached to the winding shaft storage portions 18c and 18d so as to be rotatable and detachable.

FIG. 4 shows a state in which the upper cover of the cassette housing unit 10 is removed. The cassette loading / unloading rollers 27 driven by the cassette motor 26 are provided above the respective ribbon cassette housing portions, and the guides. There is provided a 4-bit ribbon detection switch 28 consisting of four lever switches that operate when the operating lever that slides in the groove 21 is driven by the cam piece 22.

The ribbon cassette 18 is sequentially replaced and printed by the above-described structure and arrangement. However, since the printing is known, the ribbon cassette 18 is known.
The replacement will be described below. As described above, the cassette storage unit 10 is arranged along the traveling path of the printing unit 1, and the height of the ribbon cassette device position of the printing unit 1 and the height of the ribbon cassette storage position of the cassette storage unit 10 are the same. Therefore, by moving the printing unit 1, it is possible to match the cassette mounting position of the printing unit 1 with an arbitrary ribbon cassette 18 in the cassette housing unit 10.

FIG. 1 shows a printing unit 1 and a ribbon cassette 1.
8 shows a state in which the ribbon cassette is loaded. First, select an empty ribbon cassette storage portion, and activate a cassette loading / unloading roller (not shown) provided in the printing unit 1 therefor to return the ribbon cassette. To do.

Next, a ribbon cassette 18 having a ribbon of a color required for the next printing is selected, and the printing unit 1 is moved to the ribbon cassette storage portion in which the ribbon cassette 18 is stored, and then the cassette in the ribbon cassette storage portion. The loading / discharging roller 27 is operated to load the ribbon cassette 18 of the selected color into the printing unit 1, and printing is performed with the ink ribbon.

By repeating the above-described replacement of the ribbon cassette, sweep printing is performed at the same place on the printing paper to perform color printing. In the case of performing special color printing, a ribbon cassette accommodating a special color ribbon may be similarly selected and taken into the printing unit 1 to perform printing.

When the ribbon cassette to be selected is not in the cassette storage unit 10 but in the cassette storage unit 11, the motor 13 is operated to lower the cassette storage unit 10, and the motor 14 is operated to bring the cassette storage unit 11 forward. Then, the ribbon cassette 18 is taken into the printing unit 1.

The printer of the embodiment uses a wide head to print a width of 20 cm by one sweep of the printing unit 1, and is suitable as a color printer for calendars, advertisement characters or paintings.

In the first embodiment described above, two cassette storage units 10 and 11 are rotatably provided on the container frame 12,
As necessary, it is moved to a position facing the printing unit 1 and the moving line so that the ribbon cassette 18 can be taken in and taken out as required. However, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. Even if the cassette storage unit 29 is provided with ribbon cassette storage portions in two stages and the ribbon storage units are moved up and down, the same function as that of the first embodiment can be provided.

Further, as in the third embodiment shown in FIG. 6, a cassette storage unit 30 in which ribbon cassette storage portions are vertically stacked is configured to be vertically moved by a motor 31 in an elevator manner. It can have a function. Various sensors and automatic control devices are required for the operation of the embodiment, but this is not the gist, so the description thereof is omitted here.

[0019]

Since the present invention uses a single-color ribbon, there is an effect that colors can be freely combined, and therefore, special color printing which cannot be performed by a conventional color printer can be freely selected and executed. Further, since the ink ribbon used is a single color, there are advantages that the ink ribbon can be easily manufactured and the ribbon is not wasted. In addition, because the ribbon is automatically replaced, it can be operated unattended after setting the ribbon until printing is complete.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing an up-and-down motion of a cassette storage unit.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a ribbon cassette used in an example.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a cassette storage unit with a cover removed.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cassette storage unit according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Printing Unit 2 Guide 3 Screw Rod 4 Platen 5 Paper Feed Roller 6 Paper Pressing Roller 10 and 11 Cassette Storage Unit 12 Instrument Frame 13, 13 'Motor 14, 14' Worm 15, 15 'Worm Gear 16, 16' Pinion Gear 17, 17 ′ Sector gear 18 Ribbon cassette 19 Ribbon exposure window 20a, 20b Rack 21 Guide groove 22 Cam piece 23 Mounting hole 24 Winding shaft 25 Protrusion 26 Cassette motor 27 Intake / eject roller 28 Ribbon detection switch 29, 30 Cassette storage unit 31 Motor

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁵ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location B41J 35/16 B 9012-2C 35/22 9012-2C 9113-2C B41J 29/00 B

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. In a printer for performing printing while replacing a ribbon cassette, a plurality of cassette storage units storing a plurality of ribbon cassettes are arranged along a traveling path of the printing unit, and the cassette storage units are selectively operated. A ribbon cassette exchange type printer characterized in that it is configured to be moved to a position where the cassette can be exchanged. 2. A printer for printing while exchanging a ribbon cassette, wherein a cassette storage unit for storing a plurality of ribbon cassettes arranged vertically is provided, and the cassette storage unit is selectively moved up and down. A ribbon cassette exchange type printer characterized in that it is configured to be moved to a position where the cassette can be exchanged.