EP1236581A1 - Mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer - Google Patents
Mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP1236581A1 EP1236581A1 EP01309165A EP01309165A EP1236581A1 EP 1236581 A1 EP1236581 A1 EP 1236581A1 EP 01309165 A EP01309165 A EP 01309165A EP 01309165 A EP01309165 A EP 01309165A EP 1236581 A1 EP1236581 A1 EP 1236581A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- ribbon
- tension
- shaft
- plate
- holder
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J33/00—Apparatus or arrangements for feeding ink ribbons or like character-size impression-transfer material
- B41J33/14—Ribbon-feed devices or mechanisms
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J35/00—Other apparatus or arrangements associated with, or incorporated in, ink-ribbon mechanisms
- B41J35/28—Detachable carriers or holders for ink-ribbon mechanisms
Definitions
- the present invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer.
- the thermal printer which produces printed impressions by using an inked ribbon is well known.
- tension applying mechanisms There are two tension applying mechanisms, one of which is provided for applying a back tension to a feeding ribbon, and the other is provided for applying a winding-up tension.
- the value of the tension applied to the ribbon has influence on the quality of the printing.
- Japanese Patent Application Laid Open 7-89172 discloses a mechanism for controlling tension applied to an inked ribbon to a constant value by detecting the fluctuation of the tension of the inked ribbon which is caused by the change of diameter of the rolled ribbon during the printing operation.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a tension adjusting mechanism which may keep the ribbon tension constant without driving mechanisms.
- a mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer having a pair of frames comprising, a ribbon winding side ribbon holder rotatably supported on the frames, a ribbon supply side ribbon holder rotatably supported on the frames, guide rollers provided for guiding an inked ribbon expanded between the winding side ribbon holder and the supply side ribbon holder, at least one ribbon tension detecting plate rotatably supported on one of the frames and supporting one of the guide rollers so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon, ribbon tension adjusting means responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the corresponding ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted to a predetermined value.
- the ribbon tension adjusting means comprises a brake drum provided to be rotated together with the corresponding ribbon holder, and a brake belt slidably engaged with the surface of the brake drum, a base end of the brake belt is fixed, and a movable end of the brake belt is connected to the ribbon tension detecting plate so as to be moved by the ribbon tension detecting plate in a brake belt pulling direction.
- a spring is connected to the ribbon tension detecting plate so as to urge the detecting plate in the brake belt pulling direction.
- the brake drum is provided to be rotated by a power source of the printer through a power cutting off device.
- the power cutting off device is a differential.
- the power cutting off device is a friction clutch.
- the differential is composed by a bevel gear device, or a planetary gear device.
- a thermal head 21 is mounted by a thermal head supporting device (not shown) and provided to be pressed against a platen 22 to perform thermal printing.
- a pair of frames 10 and 11 rotatably support a ribbon supply side ribbon holder 13 and a ribbon winding side ribbon holder 13a.
- a rolled inked ribbon 12 is mounted on the ribbon holder 13.
- An inked ribbon 12a is drawn out from the rolled inked ribbon 12 in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 1, and wound up on the ribbon holder 13a through ribbon guide rollers 33, 34, 35 and 36 in printing operation.
- a supply side brake drum 14 is securely mounted to be rotated together with the ribbon holder 13.
- a brake belt 15 as a ribbon tension adjusting member and having a friction surface on which a friction material such as felt is adhered is wound on the brake drum 14 at the friction surface.
- An end of the brake belt 15 is secured to the frame 10 through a fixing plate 16.
- the fixing plate 16 is fixed to the frame 10 by a screw 16b inserted in an elongated hole 16a of the frame 10, so that the position of the fixing plate 16 can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the belt 15.
- the other end of the brake belt 15 is fixed to a fixing plate 23 which is in turn secured to a tension detecting plate 17 through a shaft 18 as shown in Fig. 2.
- the tension detecting plate 17 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 19 fixed to the frame 10, and connected to a tension detecting plate 28 pivotally mounted on a shaft 56 fixed to the frame 11.
- the tension detecting plates 17 and 28 are connected to each other by a connecting plate 27.
- a shaft 20 is fixed to the frames 10 and 11 and slidably engaged in an arcuated hole 17a formed in each of the tension detecting plates 17 and 28 so as to limit the pivoting range of the tension detecting plates 17 and 28.
- a tension spring 24 is provided between a pin 25 mounted on the tension detecting plate 17 and a pin 26 mounted on the frame 10 so as to urge the tension detecting plate 17 in the counterclockwise direction about the shaft 19 to pull the brake belt 15.
- the ribbon guide roller 33 is pivotally supported on the tension detecting plates 17 and 28.
- a winding side brake drum 40 is securely mounted so as to be rotated together with the ribbon holder 13a.
- a brake belt 41 similar to the brake belt 15 is wound on the brake drum 40 at a friction surface thereof.
- An end of the brake belt 41 is secured to the frame 10 through a fixing plate 43 which is fixed to the frame 10 by a screw inserted in an elongated hole of the frame 10 similarly to the supply side.
- the other end of the brake belt 41 is fixed to a fixing plate 44 which is in turn secured to a tension detecting plate 45 through a shaft 46.
- the tension detecting plate 45 is pivotally mounted on a shaft 47 secured to the frame 10, and connected to another tension detecting plate (not shown) pivotally mounted on the other side frame 11.
- the tension detecting plate 45 and the other tension detecting plate on the frame 11 are connected by a connecting plate 53.
- a shaft 48 is fixed to the frames 10 and 11 and slidably engaged in an arcuated hole 49 formed in each of tension detecting plate 45 so as to limit the pivoting range of the tension detecting plate 45.
- a tension spring 50 is provided between a pin 52 mounted on the tension detecting plate 45 and a pin 51 mounted on the frame 10 so as to urge the tension detecting plate 45 in the clockwise direction about the pin 47 to pull the brake belt 41.
- the ribbon guide roller 36 is pivotally supported on the tension detecting plate 45.
- a driving shaft 65 is rotatably supported on the frame 10 and another supporting plate (not shown) for supporting and driving the ribbon winding side ribbon holder 13a.
- the ribbon holder 13a is detachably supported on a supporting core 67 secured to the shaft 65 by a pin 68 and on another shaft 65a.
- the ribbon supply side ribbon holder 13 is supported in the same manner as the ribbon holder 13a, although supporting shafts are not shown in Fig. 2.
- a pulley 58 is securely mounted on the shaft 65 and connected by a belt 57 to another pulley (not shown) which is connected to a driving source for the platen 22 through a one-way clutch (not shown) so as to transmit driving force to the pulley 58.
- the winding side brake drum 40 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 65 and on a flange of the pulley 58.
- a differential gear device of bevel gears is provided in the brake drum 40.
- the differential gear device comprises an input bevel gear 61 rotatably mounted on the shaft 65 and fixed to the pulley 58, a pair of bevel gears 62 and 63 provided in the brake drum 40, and an output bevel gear 64 fixed to the shaft 65 by a pin 66.
- the power from the belt 57 is transmitted to the bevel gears 62 and 63 through the pulley 58 and bevel gear 61 to rotate the bevel gear 64 and the shaft 65.
- the ribbon holder 13a is rotated to wind up the ribbon 12a, thereby increasing the tension of the ribbon 12a.
- the tension applied to the guide roller 36 by the tension spring 50 is balanced with the tension of the inked ribbon 12a, so that a constant tension can be applied to the inked ribbon in the ribbon winding side.
- Fig. 5 shows the second embodiment of the present invention.
- Two gears 71 and 72 are mounted on the frame 10 by shafts 73 and 74 and meshed with each other.
- Shafts 75 and 76 are fixed to the gears 71 and 72, respectively.
- Springs 24 and 50 are provided between shafts 75, 76 and pins 25, 51.
- Other ends of the shafts 75, 76 are engaged with circular holes 77 and 78, respectively.
- Figs. 6a and 6b show another example of a differential composed by a planetary gear device.
- the planetary gear device comprises a pair of sun gears 261 rotatably mounted on a shaft 265, two couples of planetary gears 262 and 263.
- Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a thermal printer provided with a tension adjusting mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
- Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the thermal printer when a printing mechanism portion is opened, and
- Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the thermal printer when covers are detached from frames.
- the thermal printer 101 comprises a platen roller 111, a thermal head holder 112 holding a thermal head, a printing mechanism 102, and a paper detecting sensor 103.
- the printing mechanism 102 has a winding side ribbon holder 121 and a supply side ribbon holder 122, both of the holders 121 and 122 are supported on bearings 135a to 135d secured to machine frames 133 and 134 in covers 131, 132.
- On the supply side ribbon holder 122 a rolled inked ribbon 125 is mounted.
- a power transmitting gear 124 is secured to an end of a shaft of the winding side ribbon holder 121, and a knob 123 for manually rotating the holder 121 is secured to the other end of the shaft in order to tighten the ribbon on the holder.
- the printing mechanism 102 and the paper detecting sensor 103 can be opened in order to change the rolled ribbon and paper.
- Figs. 10 and 11 are exploded perspective views showing ribbon tension detecting means.
- the ribbon tension detecting means comprises a winding side ribbon tension detecting framework 140 and a supply side ribbon tension detecting framework 150.
- the winding side ribbon tension detecting framework 140 comprises a pair of arms 140a and 140b, a connecting plate 145 between the arms 140a and 140b, and a ribbon guide roller 141 fixed to the arms 140a and 140b.
- a pin 143 of the arm 140a is rotatably engaged with a hole 331 of the frame 133, and a hole 144 of the arm 140b rotatably mounted on a shaft 332 fixed to the frame 134.
- the ribbon tension detecting framework 140 is pivotally supported on the frames 133 and 134.
- a ribbon guide roller 142 passes through elongated holes 147 and 148 of the arms 140a and 140b and is fixed to the frames 133 and 134 at holes 333 and 334.
- the supply side ribbon tension detecting framework 150 comprises a pair of arms 150a and 150b, a ribbon guide roller 155 and a connecting rod 155a which are fixed to the arms 150a and 150b. Holes 501 and 502 formed in the arms 150a and 150b are rotatably engaged with shafts 152 and 153 securely to the frame 134 and 133, respectively. Thus, the supply side ribbon tension detecting framework 150 is pivotally mounted on the frames 133 and 134.
- a coil spring 151 an end of which is engaged with a hole 503 of the arm 150a and the other end is engaged with a hole 504 of the frame 134, so that the ribbon tension detecting framework 150 is downwardly urged by the spring 151 so that the arm 150a is pressed against a shaft 154 as described hereinafter.
- a gear train comprising gears 612, 613 and 614 are rotatably mounted on a gear supporting plate 610 by a shaft plate 611 so as to transmit the power for the platen shaft to the tension adjusting mechanism.
- Each of the gears 612, 613 and 614 are rotatably mounted on a shaft 611a attached to the shaft plate 611.
- the shaft 611a is inserted in an elongated hole of the gear supporting plate 610 which is secured to the frame 134.
- a pulling spring 615 is provided between the gear supporting plate 610 and the shaft plate 611, thereby downwardly urging the shaft plate 611.
- a gear 621 is securely mounted, and a reverse gear 622 is mounted, interposing a reverse one-way clutch 623.
- a friction clutch F is provided on the shaft 630.
- the friction clutch F comprises a brake drum 634, a spring 635 inserted in the brake drum 634, a pressure plate 636 fixed to the shaft 630 to press the spring 635 axially into the brake drum 634, a friction plate 633 rotatably mounted on the shaft 630, and a free gear 632 rotatably mounted on the shaft 630.
- the brake drum 634 is attached to the shaft 630 by a pin 640 the end of which is slidably engaged with an axial groove formed on the shaft 630 so that the drum 634 can be rotated together with the shaft and axially urged by the spring 635.
- a gear 631 is mounted on the shaft 630 through a one-way clutch 638 which transmits rotating power to the gear 631 only in the ribbon winding rotating direction of the shaft 630.
- the gear 631 meshes with the gear 124 (Fig. 7) of the ribbon holder 121.
- the gear 632 engages with the gear 621 secured on the shaft 620, and the gear 631 engages with the reverse gear 622 mounted on the shaft 620 through the reverse one-way clutch 623. Therefore, the power for driving the platen roller 111 is transmitted to the gear 632 through the gear 621 and to the shaft 630 through the brake drum 634 interposing the friction plate 633 there-between.
- the rotation of the shaft 630 causes the gear 631 to rotate through the one-way clutch 638 to rotate the ribbon holder 121, thereby winding the ribbon.
- a brake belt 650 made of friction material such as felt is contacted with the brake drum 634 in order to apply friction to the drum.
- One of ends of the brake belt 650 is connected to the frame 134 through a fixing plate 652, and the other end of the belt is connected to a movable plate 651 slidably mounted on a shaft 651a.
- the shaft 651a is connected to a belt tension plate 149 at holes 149b thereof .
- the belt tension plate 149 is rotatably mounted on the shaft 332 at holes 149a.
- the shaft 332 supports the arms 140a and 140b of the ribbon tension detecting framework 140 as described above.
- the ribbon tension detecting framework 140 and the belt tension plate 149 are connected with each other by a pin 146 fixed to the arm 140b and engaged with a hole 160 of the plate 149 as shown in Fig. 13. An end of the pin 146 is slidably engaged with an elongated hole 335 of the frame 134 (Fig. 7). Thus, the belt tension plate 149 is rotated by the ribbon tension detecting framework 140.
- a hook 655 of a tension spring 654 is hung on a hook 658 of the belt tension plate 149, and another hook 657 is connected to the frame 134 to urge the ribbon tension detecting framework 140 and the belt tension plate 149 in the counterclockwise direction about the shaft 332.
- the ribbon 125a from the rolled ribbon 125 passes through the guide roller 155, a guide corner G and the guide rollers 141 and 142 and is wound on the ribbon holder 121.
- the ribbon tension detecting framework 140 and the belt tension plate 149 connected to the framework 140 by the pin 146 are rotated in the clockwise direction a about the shaft 332.
- the rotation of the plate 149 causes the shaft 651a fixed to the plate and the belt plate 651 engaged with the shaft 651a to move in the direction b of Fig. 13. Consequently, the belt 650 connected to the belt plate 651 is pulled in the direction b, so that the tension of the belt 650 increases to increase the friction between the belt and the brake drum 634.
- the brake drum 634 is braked to reduce the winding tension of the ribbon 125a.
- the brake belt 650 when the tension of the ribbon becomes higher than a predetermined value, the brake belt 650 is pulled to increase the friction between the belt and the brake drum 634 increases to reduce the power to the ribbon holder 121.
- the brake belt 650 loosens to increase the power to the ribbon holder 121.
- the tension of the inked ribbon is kept constant.
- the gear 631 is reversely rotated through the reverse one-way clutch 623, so that the inked ribbon on the ribbon holder 121 is pulled out.
- a back feed tension control device is provided for the shaft 620, so that the ribbon tension is also controlled in the back feed operation.
- Fig. 14 shows details of the movable plate 651.
- a spring 173 is mounted on a shaft 171 which penetrates the shaft 651a and is fixed to the movable plate 651 by a pair of E-rings.
- a belt tension plate 521 is rotatably supported on the frame 134 by a shaft 152 (Figs. 11 and 12b).
- the belt tension plate 521 comprises an outside frame 521b and an inside frame 521a and is urged in the counterclockwise direction by a spring 156.
- the shaft 154 with which the arm 150a of the ribbon tension detecting framework 150 is contacted as described above is securely mounted on the belt tension plate 521.
- a ribbon supply side brake drum 661 has a shaft 662 secured thereto and is rotatably supported on the frame 134 by the shaft 662.
- a brake belt 660 is mounted on the brake drum 661. An end of the brake belt 660 is fixed to a plate 665 secured to the frame 134 and the other end is engaged with the shaft 154.
- the belt tension plate 521 is urged by a spring in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 13, thereby applying tension to the brake belt 660.
- a ribbon end detecting sensor 666 is mounted on the frame 134 so as to detect the end of the inked ribbon 125a.
- a gear 661a fixed to the shaft 662 of the brake drum 661 is engaged with a gear 663 mounted on a shaft 664a of a rotating plate 664.
- the gear 663 engages with a gear 122a (Fig. 7) of the ribbon holder 122 so that the rotation of the holder is transmitted to the brake drum 661.
- a lever 667 mounted on the rotating plate 664 is slidably contacted with a semicircular guide groove 667a as shown in Fig. 10, so that the lever and hence the rotating plate 664 can be rotated about 90 degrees to change the position of the gear 663.
- the ribbon tension detecting framework 150 is upwardly urged by the spring 151 to be contacted with the shaft 154.
- the ribbon tension detecting framework 150 and the belt tension plate 521 connected to the framework 150 are rotated in the clockwise direction c (Fig. 13) about the shafts 152 and 153.
- the rotation of the plate 521 causes the shaft 154 to move in the direction d of Fig. 13. Consequently the belt 660 is loosened, so that the load on the brake drum 661 is reduced to reduce the winding tension of the ribbon 125a.
- tension of the inked ribbon is kept constant even if the diameter of the rolled ribbon changes.
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- Impression-Transfer Materials And Handling Thereof (AREA)
Abstract
Description
- The present invention relates to a mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer.
- The thermal printer which produces printed impressions by using an inked ribbon is well known.
- There are two tension applying mechanisms, one of which is provided for applying a back tension to a feeding ribbon, and the other is provided for applying a winding-up tension. The value of the tension applied to the ribbon has influence on the quality of the printing.
- When the tension is too low, the ribbon wrinkles , causing printer failures in dots.
- If the tension is too high, the ribbon slips and can not be fed.
- Japanese Patent Application Laid Open 7-89172 discloses a mechanism for controlling tension applied to an inked ribbon to a constant value by detecting the fluctuation of the tension of the inked ribbon which is caused by the change of diameter of the rolled ribbon during the printing operation.
- In the conventional system, there must be provided a sensor for detecting the ribbon tension, and tension adjusting driving mechanisms in both of the ribbon feeding side and ribbon winding-up side. Consequently, the system becomes complicated in construction.
- An object of the present invention is to provide a tension adjusting mechanism which may keep the ribbon tension constant without driving mechanisms.
- According to the present invention, there is provided a mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer having a pair of frames, comprising, a ribbon winding side ribbon holder rotatably supported on the frames, a ribbon supply side ribbon holder rotatably supported on the frames, guide rollers provided for guiding an inked ribbon expanded between the winding side ribbon holder and the supply side ribbon holder, at least one ribbon tension detecting plate rotatably supported on one of the frames and supporting one of the guide rollers so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon, ribbon tension adjusting means responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the corresponding ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted to a predetermined value.
- The ribbon tension adjusting means comprises a brake drum provided to be rotated together with the corresponding ribbon holder, and a brake belt slidably engaged with the surface of the brake drum, a base end of the brake belt is fixed, and a movable end of the brake belt is connected to the ribbon tension detecting plate so as to be moved by the ribbon tension detecting plate in a brake belt pulling direction.
- A spring is connected to the ribbon tension detecting plate so as to urge the detecting plate in the brake belt pulling direction.
- The brake drum is provided to be rotated by a power source of the printer through a power cutting off device.
- The power cutting off device is a differential.
- In an aspect of the present invention, the power cutting off device is a friction clutch.
- The differential is composed by a bevel gear device, or a planetary gear device.
- These and other objects and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
-
- Fig. 1 is a side view of a thermal printer having a tension adjusting mechanism according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 2 is a front view of the thermal printer;
- Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a brake drum having a differential transmission device;
- Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the brake drum taken along a line IV-IV of Fig. 3;
- Fig. 5 is a side view of a thermal printer according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
- Figs. 6a and 6b show another example of a differential composed by a planetary gear device;
- Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a thermal printer provided with a tension adjusting mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention;
- Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the thermal printer when a printing mechanism portion is opened;
- Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the thermal printer when covers are detached from frames;
- Figs. 10 and 11 are exploded perspective views showing ribbon tension detecting means;
- Fig. 12a is an exploded perspective view of a tension adjusting mechanism;
- Fig. 12b is an exploded perspective view of a belt tension plate;
- Fig. 13 is a side view of the thermal printer; and
- Fig. 14 shows details of a movable plate.
-
- Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, in a printing portion 1, a
thermal head 21 is mounted by a thermal head supporting device (not shown) and provided to be pressed against aplaten 22 to perform thermal printing. A pair offrames side ribbon holder 13 and a ribbon windingside ribbon holder 13a. A rolled inkedribbon 12 is mounted on theribbon holder 13. An inkedribbon 12a is drawn out from the rolled inkedribbon 12 in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 1, and wound up on theribbon holder 13a throughribbon guide rollers - On a shaft on which the supply
side ribbon holder 13 is securely mounted as will be hereinafter described, a supplyside brake drum 14 is securely mounted to be rotated together with theribbon holder 13. Abrake belt 15 as a ribbon tension adjusting member and having a friction surface on which a friction material such as felt is adhered is wound on thebrake drum 14 at the friction surface. An end of thebrake belt 15 is secured to theframe 10 through afixing plate 16. Thefixing plate 16 is fixed to theframe 10 by ascrew 16b inserted in anelongated hole 16a of theframe 10, so that the position of thefixing plate 16 can be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of thebelt 15. The other end of thebrake belt 15 is fixed to afixing plate 23 which is in turn secured to atension detecting plate 17 through ashaft 18 as shown in Fig. 2. - The
tension detecting plate 17 is pivotally mounted on ashaft 19 fixed to theframe 10, and connected to atension detecting plate 28 pivotally mounted on ashaft 56 fixed to theframe 11. Thetension detecting plates plate 27. Ashaft 20 is fixed to theframes arcuated hole 17a formed in each of thetension detecting plates tension detecting plates - A
tension spring 24 is provided between apin 25 mounted on thetension detecting plate 17 and apin 26 mounted on theframe 10 so as to urge thetension detecting plate 17 in the counterclockwise direction about theshaft 19 to pull thebrake belt 15. Theribbon guide roller 33 is pivotally supported on thetension detecting plates - On a shaft on which the ribbon winding
side ribbon holder 13a is mounted as described hereinafter, a windingside brake drum 40 is securely mounted so as to be rotated together with theribbon holder 13a. Abrake belt 41 similar to thebrake belt 15 is wound on thebrake drum 40 at a friction surface thereof. An end of thebrake belt 41 is secured to theframe 10 through afixing plate 43 which is fixed to theframe 10 by a screw inserted in an elongated hole of theframe 10 similarly to the supply side. The other end of thebrake belt 41 is fixed to afixing plate 44 which is in turn secured to atension detecting plate 45 through ashaft 46. - The
tension detecting plate 45 is pivotally mounted on ashaft 47 secured to theframe 10, and connected to another tension detecting plate (not shown) pivotally mounted on theother side frame 11. Thetension detecting plate 45 and the other tension detecting plate on theframe 11 are connected by a connectingplate 53. Ashaft 48 is fixed to theframes arcuated hole 49 formed in each oftension detecting plate 45 so as to limit the pivoting range of thetension detecting plate 45. - A
tension spring 50 is provided between apin 52 mounted on thetension detecting plate 45 and apin 51 mounted on theframe 10 so as to urge thetension detecting plate 45 in the clockwise direction about thepin 47 to pull thebrake belt 41. Theribbon guide roller 36 is pivotally supported on thetension detecting plate 45. - It should be noted that the
brake drum 40,tension detecting plate 45 and others in the ribbon winding side shown in Fig. 1 are positioned behind those of the ribbon supply side, and hence these members are not depicted in Fig. 2, and that the rolledribbon 12 of Fig. 1 is omitted in Fig. 2. - Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, a
driving shaft 65 is rotatably supported on theframe 10 and another supporting plate (not shown) for supporting and driving the ribbon windingside ribbon holder 13a. Theribbon holder 13a is detachably supported on a supportingcore 67 secured to theshaft 65 by apin 68 and on anothershaft 65a. The ribbon supplyside ribbon holder 13 is supported in the same manner as theribbon holder 13a, although supporting shafts are not shown in Fig. 2. - A
pulley 58 is securely mounted on theshaft 65 and connected by abelt 57 to another pulley (not shown) which is connected to a driving source for theplaten 22 through a one-way clutch (not shown) so as to transmit driving force to thepulley 58. - Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, the winding
side brake drum 40 is rotatably mounted on theshaft 65 and on a flange of thepulley 58. In thebrake drum 40, a differential gear device of bevel gears is provided. The differential gear device comprises aninput bevel gear 61 rotatably mounted on theshaft 65 and fixed to thepulley 58, a pair ofbevel gears brake drum 40, and anoutput bevel gear 64 fixed to theshaft 65 by apin 66. - In operation, when the inked
ribbon 12a is loosened in the ribbon supply side, thetension detecting plate 17 is rotated bout theshaft 19 in the direction a of the arrow B by thespring 24. Therefore, the friction surface of thebrake belt 15 is pressed against thebrake drum 14, so that the tension applied to the inkedribbon 12a increases. - When the tension of the inked
ribbon 12a increases over the tension applied to theguide roller 33 by thetension spring 24, thetension detecting plate 17 is pivoted in the direction b of the arrow B. Consequently, the friction resistance of thebrake belt 15 to thebrake drum 14 reduces, thereby reducing the tension applied to the inkedribbon 12a. - In the ribbon winding side, when the inked
ribbon 12a is loosened in the ribbon winding side, thetension detecting plate 45 is rotated about theshaft 47 in the direction a of the arrow C by thespring 50. Therefore, the friction surface of thebrake belt 41 is pressed against thebrake drum 40 to stop thebrake drum 40. - Consequently, the power from the
belt 57 is transmitted to the bevel gears 62 and 63 through thepulley 58 andbevel gear 61 to rotate thebevel gear 64 and theshaft 65. Thus, theribbon holder 13a is rotated to wind up theribbon 12a, thereby increasing the tension of theribbon 12a. - When the tension of the inked
ribbon 12a increases over the tension applied to theguide roller 36 by thetension spring 50, thetension detecting plate 45 is pivoted in the direction b of the arrow C. Consequently, the friction resistance of thebrake belt 41 to thebrake drum 40 reduces, thereby releasing the brake drum. Therefore, the rotation of thebevel gear 61 is transmitted to thebrake drum 40 through the bevel gears 62 and 64, so that thedrum 40 is rotated together with the bevel gears 62 and 64. The bevel gears 62 and 63 revolve around thebevel gear 64. Consequently, theshaft 65 does not rotate. Hence, the inkedribbon 12a is not wound. - Thus, the tension applied to the
guide roller 36 by thetension spring 50 is balanced with the tension of the inkedribbon 12a, so that a constant tension can be applied to the inked ribbon in the ribbon winding side. - Fig. 5 shows the second embodiment of the present invention. Two gears 71 and 72 are mounted on the
frame 10 byshafts Shafts gears Springs shafts shafts circular holes - When one of the
gears springs shafts - Figs. 6a and 6b show another example of a differential composed by a planetary gear device.
- The planetary gear device comprises a pair of
sun gears 261 rotatably mounted on ashaft 265, two couples ofplanetary gears - The rotation of a
shaft 210 is transmitted to the inputside sun gear 261 throughgears brake drum 240 is stopped, the rotation is transmitted to thegear 264 through the input side sun gear,planetary gears - Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a thermal printer provided with a tension adjusting mechanism according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the thermal printer when a printing mechanism portion is opened, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the thermal printer when covers are detached from frames.
- The
thermal printer 101 comprises aplaten roller 111, athermal head holder 112 holding a thermal head, aprinting mechanism 102, and apaper detecting sensor 103. Theprinting mechanism 102 has a windingside ribbon holder 121 and a supplyside ribbon holder 122, both of theholders bearings 135a to 135d secured to machine frames 133 and 134 incovers side ribbon holder 122, a rolled inkedribbon 125 is mounted. Apower transmitting gear 124 is secured to an end of a shaft of the windingside ribbon holder 121, and aknob 123 for manually rotating theholder 121 is secured to the other end of the shaft in order to tighten the ribbon on the holder. - As shown in Fig. 8, the
printing mechanism 102 and thepaper detecting sensor 103 can be opened in order to change the rolled ribbon and paper. - Figs. 10 and 11 are exploded perspective views showing ribbon tension detecting means. The ribbon tension detecting means comprises a winding side ribbon
tension detecting framework 140 and a supply side ribbontension detecting framework 150. The winding side ribbontension detecting framework 140 comprises a pair ofarms plate 145 between thearms ribbon guide roller 141 fixed to thearms - A
pin 143 of thearm 140a is rotatably engaged with ahole 331 of theframe 133, and ahole 144 of thearm 140b rotatably mounted on ashaft 332 fixed to theframe 134. Thus, the ribbontension detecting framework 140 is pivotally supported on theframes ribbon guide roller 142 passes throughelongated holes 147 and 148 of thearms frames holes - The supply side ribbon
tension detecting framework 150 comprises a pair ofarms ribbon guide roller 155 and a connectingrod 155a which are fixed to thearms Holes arms shafts frame tension detecting framework 150 is pivotally mounted on theframes shaft 152 is acoil spring 151 an end of which is engaged with ahole 503 of thearm 150a and the other end is engaged with ahole 504 of theframe 134, so that the ribbontension detecting framework 150 is downwardly urged by thespring 151 so that thearm 150a is pressed against ashaft 154 as described hereinafter. - Referring to Fig. 12a showing a tension adjusting mechanism, a gear
train comprising gears gear supporting plate 610 by ashaft plate 611 so as to transmit the power for the platen shaft to the tension adjusting mechanism. Each of thegears shaft 611a attached to theshaft plate 611. Theshaft 611a is inserted in an elongated hole of thegear supporting plate 610 which is secured to theframe 134. A pullingspring 615 is provided between thegear supporting plate 610 and theshaft plate 611, thereby downwardly urging theshaft plate 611. Therefore, even if thegear 612 strikes the teeth of the gear of the platen shaft without meshing therewith, theshaft plate 611 is upwardly deflected. Consequently, the gears are prevented from breaking.Shafts double walls frame 134. - On the
shaft 620, agear 621 is securely mounted, and areverse gear 622 is mounted, interposing a reverse one-way clutch 623. - A friction clutch F is provided on the
shaft 630. The friction clutch F comprises abrake drum 634, a spring 635 inserted in thebrake drum 634, a pressure plate 636 fixed to theshaft 630 to press the spring 635 axially into thebrake drum 634, afriction plate 633 rotatably mounted on theshaft 630, and afree gear 632 rotatably mounted on theshaft 630. Thebrake drum 634 is attached to theshaft 630 by apin 640 the end of which is slidably engaged with an axial groove formed on theshaft 630 so that thedrum 634 can be rotated together with the shaft and axially urged by the spring 635. Thus, thedrum 634 pushes thefriction plate 633 so that the friction plate is pressed against the side of thegear 632. Agear 631 is mounted on theshaft 630 through a one-way clutch 638 which transmits rotating power to thegear 631 only in the ribbon winding rotating direction of theshaft 630. Thegear 631 meshes with the gear 124 (Fig. 7) of theribbon holder 121. - The
gear 632 engages with thegear 621 secured on theshaft 620, and thegear 631 engages with thereverse gear 622 mounted on theshaft 620 through the reverse one-way clutch 623. Therefore, the power for driving theplaten roller 111 is transmitted to thegear 632 through thegear 621 and to theshaft 630 through thebrake drum 634 interposing thefriction plate 633 there-between. The rotation of theshaft 630 causes thegear 631 to rotate through the one-way clutch 638 to rotate theribbon holder 121, thereby winding the ribbon. - A
brake belt 650 made of friction material such as felt is contacted with thebrake drum 634 in order to apply friction to the drum. One of ends of thebrake belt 650 is connected to theframe 134 through a fixingplate 652, and the other end of the belt is connected to amovable plate 651 slidably mounted on ashaft 651a. Theshaft 651a is connected to abelt tension plate 149 atholes 149b thereof . Thebelt tension plate 149 is rotatably mounted on theshaft 332 atholes 149a. Theshaft 332 supports thearms tension detecting framework 140 as described above. The ribbontension detecting framework 140 and thebelt tension plate 149 are connected with each other by apin 146 fixed to thearm 140b and engaged with ahole 160 of theplate 149 as shown in Fig. 13. An end of thepin 146 is slidably engaged with anelongated hole 335 of the frame 134 (Fig. 7). Thus, thebelt tension plate 149 is rotated by the ribbontension detecting framework 140. - Referring to Figs. 12a and 13, a
hook 655 of atension spring 654 is hung on ahook 658 of thebelt tension plate 149, and anotherhook 657 is connected to theframe 134 to urge the ribbontension detecting framework 140 and thebelt tension plate 149 in the counterclockwise direction about theshaft 332. - Referring to Fig. 13, the
ribbon 125a from the rolledribbon 125 passes through theguide roller 155, a guide corner G and theguide rollers ribbon holder 121. - When the tension of the
ribbon 125a increases , the ribbontension detecting framework 140 and thebelt tension plate 149 connected to theframework 140 by thepin 146 are rotated in the clockwise direction a about theshaft 332. The rotation of theplate 149 causes theshaft 651a fixed to the plate and thebelt plate 651 engaged with theshaft 651a to move in the direction b of Fig. 13. Consequently, thebelt 650 connected to thebelt plate 651 is pulled in the direction b, so that the tension of thebelt 650 increases to increase the friction between the belt and thebrake drum 634. Thus, thebrake drum 634 is braked to reduce the winding tension of theribbon 125a. - Therefore, when the tension of the ribbon becomes higher than a predetermined value, the
brake belt 650 is pulled to increase the friction between the belt and thebrake drum 634 increases to reduce the power to theribbon holder 121. When the ribbon tension becomes the predetermined value, thebrake belt 650 loosens to increase the power to theribbon holder 121. Thus, the tension of the inked ribbon is kept constant. - When the
platen roller 111 is reversely rotated for the back feed, thegear 631 is reversely rotated through the reverse one-way clutch 623, so that the inked ribbon on theribbon holder 121 is pulled out. For the back feed operation, a back feed tension control device is provided for theshaft 620, so that the ribbon tension is also controlled in the back feed operation. - Fig. 14 shows details of the
movable plate 651. Aspring 173 is mounted on ashaft 171 which penetrates theshaft 651a and is fixed to themovable plate 651 by a pair of E-rings. - When the
belt 650 is pulled hard, theplate 651 upwardly moves. Therefore, the belt is prevented from breaking. - A tension adjust mechanism for the ribbon supply side will be described hereinafter with reference to Figs. 11 to 13.
- A
belt tension plate 521 is rotatably supported on theframe 134 by a shaft 152 (Figs. 11 and 12b). Referring to Fig. 12b, thebelt tension plate 521 comprises anoutside frame 521b and aninside frame 521a and is urged in the counterclockwise direction by aspring 156. Theshaft 154 with which thearm 150a of the ribbontension detecting framework 150 is contacted as described above is securely mounted on thebelt tension plate 521. - A ribbon supply
side brake drum 661 has ashaft 662 secured thereto and is rotatably supported on theframe 134 by theshaft 662. Abrake belt 660 is mounted on thebrake drum 661. An end of thebrake belt 660 is fixed to aplate 665 secured to theframe 134 and the other end is engaged with theshaft 154. - The
belt tension plate 521 is urged by a spring in the counterclockwise direction in Fig. 13, thereby applying tension to thebrake belt 660. A ribbonend detecting sensor 666 is mounted on theframe 134 so as to detect the end of the inkedribbon 125a. - A
gear 661a fixed to theshaft 662 of thebrake drum 661 is engaged with agear 663 mounted on ashaft 664a of arotating plate 664. Thegear 663 engages with agear 122a (Fig. 7) of theribbon holder 122 so that the rotation of the holder is transmitted to thebrake drum 661. - A
lever 667 mounted on therotating plate 664 is slidably contacted with asemicircular guide groove 667a as shown in Fig. 10, so that the lever and hence therotating plate 664 can be rotated about 90 degrees to change the position of thegear 663. - There is provided an outside winding rolled ribbon and an inside winding rolled ribbon for the thermal printer. In Fig. 13, "out" indicates the outside wound ribbon, and "in" indicates the inside wound ribbon. If the kind of the rolled ribbon is changed, the transmitting direction of the rotary force changes. By changing the position of the
gear 663 by thelever 667, thegear 122a of theholder 122 is prevented from disengaging from thegear 663. - As described hereinbefore, the ribbon
tension detecting framework 150 is upwardly urged by thespring 151 to be contacted with theshaft 154. - When the tension of the
ribbon 125a increases, the ribbontension detecting framework 150 and thebelt tension plate 521 connected to theframework 150 are rotated in the clockwise direction c (Fig. 13) about theshafts plate 521 causes theshaft 154 to move in the direction d of Fig. 13. Consequently thebelt 660 is loosened, so that the load on thebrake drum 661 is reduced to reduce the winding tension of theribbon 125a. - In accordance with the present invention, tension of the inked ribbon is kept constant even if the diameter of the rolled ribbon changes.
- While the invention has been described in conjunction with preferred specific embodiment thereof, it will be understood that this description is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of the invention, which is defined by the following claims.
Claims (8)
- A mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer having a pair of frames, comprising:a ribbon winding side ribbon holder rotatably supported on the frames;a ribbon supply side ribbon holder rotatably supported on the frames;guide rollers provided for guiding an inked ribbon expanded between the winding side ribbon holder and the supply side ribbon holder;at least one ribbon tension detecting plate rotatably supported on one of the frames and supporting one of the guide rollers so as to be rotated in dependency on tension of the inked ribbon;ribbon tension adjusting means responsive to angular position of the ribbon tension detecting plate for applying a load on the corresponding ribbon holder so that the tension of the inked ribbon is adjusted to a predetermined value.
- The mechanism according to claim 1 wherein the ribbon tension adjusting means comprises a brake drum provided to be rotated together with the corresponding ribbon holder, and a brake belt slidably engaged with the surface of the brake drum, a base end of the brake belt is fixed, and a movable end of the brake belt is connected to the ribbon tension detecting plate so as to be moved by the ribbon tension detecting plate in a brake belt pulling direction.
- The mechanism according to claim 2 further comprising a spring connected to the ribbon tension detecting plate so as to urge the detecting plate in the brake belt pulling direction.
- The mechanism according to claim 3 wherein the brake drum is provided to be rotated by a power source of the printer through a power cutting off device.
- The mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the power cutting off device is a differential.
- The mechanism according to claim 4 wherein the power cutting off device is a friction clutch.
- The mechanism according to claim 5 wherein the differential is composed by a bevel gear device.
- The mechanism according to claim 5 wherein the differential is composed by a planetary gear device.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
JP2001056383A JP2002254782A (en) | 2001-03-01 | 2001-03-01 | Ribbon tension adjustment mechanism for thermal transfer printer |
JP2001056383 | 2001-03-01 |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP1236581A1 true EP1236581A1 (en) | 2002-09-04 |
EP1236581B1 EP1236581B1 (en) | 2008-12-03 |
Family
ID=18916416
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP20010309165 Expired - Lifetime EP1236581B1 (en) | 2001-03-01 | 2001-10-30 | Mechanism for adjusting tension of an inked ribbon of a printer |
Country Status (5)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP1236581B1 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2002254782A (en) |
CN (1) | CN1212235C (en) |
DE (1) | DE60136789D1 (en) |
GB (1) | GB2372724B (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7798733B2 (en) | 2004-06-14 | 2010-09-21 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Ribbon feeder and printer |
Families Citing this family (8)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
GB0309039D0 (en) * | 2003-04-22 | 2003-05-28 | Marken Technologies Ltd | Apparatus for controlling a ribbon transport mechanism |
EP1470926B1 (en) | 2003-04-22 | 2007-03-28 | Markem Technologies Limited | Apparatus for controlling a ribbon transport mechanism |
CN2858275Y (en) * | 2005-09-15 | 2007-01-17 | 深圳市博思得通信发展有限公司 | Code-bar label printer with carbon ribbon regulating device |
WO2008107648A1 (en) * | 2007-03-07 | 2008-09-12 | Zipher Limited | Tape drive |
WO2012099862A2 (en) * | 2011-01-20 | 2012-07-26 | Videojet Technologies Inc. | System for measuring ribbon tension |
JP2013203014A (en) | 2012-03-29 | 2013-10-07 | Toshiba Tec Corp | Thermal printer and method of detecting ink ribbon winding direction |
JP6173071B2 (en) * | 2013-07-01 | 2017-08-02 | キヤノン株式会社 | Ink ribbon cassette and printing apparatus |
GB201513537D0 (en) * | 2015-07-31 | 2015-09-16 | Videojet Technologies Inc | Tape support arrangement |
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US4174078A (en) * | 1978-10-16 | 1979-11-13 | Interface Mechanisms, Inc. | Tape tensioning apparatus particularly useful in printing apparatus |
GB2150501A (en) * | 1983-12-01 | 1985-07-03 | Burroughs Corp | Self-tensioning ribbon transport system |
US4591879A (en) * | 1984-01-28 | 1986-05-27 | Kabushiki Kaisha Sato | Winding mechanism for tape-like web |
JPS62156980A (en) * | 1985-12-27 | 1987-07-11 | Sharp Corp | Ribbon cartridge for printer |
JPS63120677A (en) * | 1986-11-11 | 1988-05-25 | Brother Ind Ltd | Thermal printer |
US4768890A (en) * | 1984-09-12 | 1988-09-06 | Kabushiki Kaisha Sato | Carbon ribbon transport guide device |
JPH0789172A (en) | 1993-09-22 | 1995-04-04 | Nec Corp | Mechanism for transferring ink ribbon |
DE19514599A1 (en) * | 1995-04-20 | 1996-10-24 | Esselte Meto Int Gmbh | Ticket web printing device |
EP0761428A2 (en) * | 1995-09-12 | 1997-03-12 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Stamp-making apparatus, as well as function changeover mechanism, exposure system and stamp-making object material-detecting device therefor |
JPH09169147A (en) * | 1995-12-20 | 1997-06-30 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Printer |
US6079658A (en) * | 1998-03-27 | 2000-06-27 | U.S. Philip Corporation | Device having tension control means including a coil spring for controlling the tension in an elongate material |
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JPS5796889A (en) * | 1980-12-08 | 1982-06-16 | Fujitsu Ltd | Ribbon tension control system |
US5160205A (en) * | 1991-06-17 | 1992-11-03 | Monarch Marking Systems, Inc. | Thermal printer with adjustable ink ribbon guide roll |
US5927875A (en) * | 1997-11-24 | 1999-07-27 | Datamax Corporation | Ribbon tensioning assembly |
-
2001
- 2001-03-01 JP JP2001056383A patent/JP2002254782A/en active Pending
- 2001-10-23 GB GB0125422A patent/GB2372724B/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2001-10-30 EP EP20010309165 patent/EP1236581B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2001-10-30 DE DE60136789T patent/DE60136789D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
-
2002
- 2002-02-28 CN CN 02106615 patent/CN1212235C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
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US4174078A (en) * | 1978-10-16 | 1979-11-13 | Interface Mechanisms, Inc. | Tape tensioning apparatus particularly useful in printing apparatus |
GB2150501A (en) * | 1983-12-01 | 1985-07-03 | Burroughs Corp | Self-tensioning ribbon transport system |
US4591879A (en) * | 1984-01-28 | 1986-05-27 | Kabushiki Kaisha Sato | Winding mechanism for tape-like web |
US4768890A (en) * | 1984-09-12 | 1988-09-06 | Kabushiki Kaisha Sato | Carbon ribbon transport guide device |
JPS62156980A (en) * | 1985-12-27 | 1987-07-11 | Sharp Corp | Ribbon cartridge for printer |
JPS63120677A (en) * | 1986-11-11 | 1988-05-25 | Brother Ind Ltd | Thermal printer |
JPH0789172A (en) | 1993-09-22 | 1995-04-04 | Nec Corp | Mechanism for transferring ink ribbon |
DE19514599A1 (en) * | 1995-04-20 | 1996-10-24 | Esselte Meto Int Gmbh | Ticket web printing device |
EP0761428A2 (en) * | 1995-09-12 | 1997-03-12 | Seiko Epson Corporation | Stamp-making apparatus, as well as function changeover mechanism, exposure system and stamp-making object material-detecting device therefor |
JPH09169147A (en) * | 1995-12-20 | 1997-06-30 | Mitsubishi Electric Corp | Printer |
US6079658A (en) * | 1998-03-27 | 2000-06-27 | U.S. Philip Corporation | Device having tension control means including a coil spring for controlling the tension in an elongate material |
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PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 012, no. 371 (M - 748) 5 October 1988 (1988-10-05) * |
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1997, no. 10 31 October 1997 (1997-10-31) * |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7798733B2 (en) | 2004-06-14 | 2010-09-21 | Citizen Holdings Co., Ltd. | Ribbon feeder and printer |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
GB2372724B (en) | 2005-03-16 |
GB0125422D0 (en) | 2001-12-12 |
GB2372724A (en) | 2002-09-04 |
CN1374199A (en) | 2002-10-16 |
CN1212235C (en) | 2005-07-27 |
JP2002254782A (en) | 2002-09-11 |
DE60136789D1 (en) | 2009-01-15 |
GB2372724A8 (en) | 2005-08-03 |
EP1236581B1 (en) | 2008-12-03 |
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