Printer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11279143-B2
Application number	US-201816608318-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2018
Priority date	Jul 13, 2018
Publication date	Mar 22, 2022
Grant date	Mar 22, 2022

Abstract

A printer includes, a printing portion configured to print on a print medium, a ribbon roll up shaft configured to roll up an ink ribbon used in the printing portion, a ribbon supply shaft provided movably between a first position and a second position with respect to the ribbon roll up shaft, the ribbon supply shaft configured to hold the ink ribbon to be supplied to the printing portion, and a ribbon supply shaft lock mechanism to be brought into a lock state where rotation of the ribbon supply shaft is regulated when the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the first position, and into a non-lock state where the rotation of the ribbon supply shaft is permitted when the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the second position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A printer, comprising:
a printing portion configured to print on a print medium;
a ribbon roll up shaft configured to roll up an ink ribbon used in the printing portion;
a ribbon supply shaft provided movably between a first position and a second position, the ribbon supply shaft configured to hold the ink ribbon to be supplied to the printing portion; and
a ribbon supply shaft lock mechanism to be brought into a lock state where rotation of the ribbon supply shaft is regulated when the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the first position, and into a non-lock state where the rotation of the ribbon supply shaft is permitted when the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the second position, wherein
a position of a central axis of the ribbon roll up shaft and a position of a central axis of the ribbon supply shaft move relative to each other.

2. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the ribbon supply shaft lock mechanism has:
a gear coupled to the ribbon supply shaft; and
a lock member to be brought to a meshing position to mesh with the gear when the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the first position, and to a non-meshing position where meshing with the gear is released when the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the second position.

3. The printer according to claim 2 , comprising:
a partition member provided swingably, the partition member partitioning between the ink ribbon and the print medium, wherein
the ribbon supply shaft and the lock member are provided in the partition member, and
the ribbon supply shaft lock mechanism has a guide rail in which the lock member slides along guide surfaces following swing of the partition member.

4. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein
the ribbon supply shaft lock mechanism has a bias member configured to biase the lock member toward the guide rail.

5. The printer according to claim 4 , wherein
the partition member is swingable between a position where the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the first position and a position where the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the second position.

6. The printer according to claim 5 , comprising:
a printing unit provided swingably, the printing unit having a thermal head that constitutes the printing portion, wherein
the ribbon roll up shaft, the partition member, and the guide rail are provided in a main body portion of the printing unit.

7. The printer according to claim 6 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

8. The printer according to claim 5 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

9. The printer according to claim 4 , comprising:
a printing unit provided swingably, the printing unit having a thermal head that constitutes the printing portion, wherein
the ribbon roll up shaft, the partition member, and the guide rail are provided in a main body portion of the printing unit.

10. The printer according to claim 9 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

11. The printer according to claim 4 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

12. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein
the partition member is swingable between a position where the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the first position and a position where the ribbon supply shaft is placed at the second position.

13. The printer according to claim 12 , comprising:
a printing unit provided swingably, the printing unit having a thermal head that constitutes the printing portion, wherein
the ribbon roll up shaft, the partition member, and the guide rail are provided in a main body portion of the printing unit.

14. The printer according to claim 13 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

15. The printer according to claim 12 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

16. The printer according to claim 3 , comprising:
a printing unit provided swingably, the printing unit having a thermal head that constitutes the printing portion, wherein
the ribbon roll up shaft, the partition member, and the guide rail are provided in a main body portion of the printing unit.

17. The printer according to claim 16 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

18. The printer according to claim 3 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

19. The printer according to claim 2 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

20. The printer according to claim 1 , wherein
the first position is a ribbon replacement position where the ink ribbon is attachable to and detachable from the ribbon supply shaft, and the second position is a ribbon supply position where the ink ribbon is supplied to the printing portion.

Assignees

• Sato Holdings Kk

Inventors

• Kakui Yasuyuki
• Jinnouchi Takayoshi

Classifications

• B41J17/32

  Detachable carriers or holders for impression-transfer material mechanism · CPC title

• B41J35/28

  Detachable carriers or holders for ink-ribbon mechanisms · CPC title

• B41J2/325 Primary

  by selective transfer of ink from ink carrier, e.g. from ink ribbon or sheet · CPC title

• B41J33/16

  with drive applied to spool or spool spindle · CPC title

• B41J17/22

  Supply arrangements for webs of impression-transfer material · CPC title