Ink ribbon feeding mechanism and tape printing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11364733-B2
Application number	US-202016881215-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2020
Priority date	May 23, 2019
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

An ink ribbon feeding mechanism includes a cartridge mounting section, a first paying out rotor which is inserted into a first paying out core when a cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, and a plurality of rotor side engaging portions which are provided on the first paying out rotor and which engage with a plurality of core side engaging portions when the first paying out rotor rotates. The rotor side engaging portion has an butting portion. When the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, the core side engaging portion butts against the butting portion, one or the other of the first paying out core and the first paying out rotor rotates, the rotor side engaging portion is inserted into the core side insertion recessed portion. A plurality of the butting portions are provided in positions different from each other in a cartridge mounting direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An ink ribbon feeding mechanism comprising:
a cartridge mounting section where a cartridge including a paying out core around which an ink ribbon is wound and in which a plurality of core side engaging portions and a plurality of core side insertion recessed portions are alternately provided in a circumferential direction is mounted;
a paying out shaft provided in the cartridge mounting section;
a paying out rotor which is rotatably provided to the paying out shaft and is inserted into the paying out core when the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section; and
a plurality of rotor side engaging portions which are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the paying out rotor so as to protrude in a radial direction and which engage with the plurality of core side engaging portions when the paying out rotor rotates, wherein
the plurality of rotor side engaging portions have a butting portion provided near in a mounting direction of the cartridge, and when the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, if the core side engaging portion provided deep in the mounting direction of the cartridge butts against the butting portion, one of the paying out core and the paying out rotor rotates with respect to the other, so that the rotor side engaging portion is inserted into the core side insertion recessed portion, and
a plurality of the butting portions are provided in positions different from each other in the mounting direction of the cartridge.

2. The ink ribbon feeding mechanism according to claim 1 , wherein
the rotor side engaging portion has a guide inclined surface provided more inside than the butting portion in a radial direction of the paying out rotor and at a position nearer than the butting portion in the mounting direction, and
when the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, the guide inclined surface guides the paying out rotor butting against the guide inclined surface to outside in the radial direction of the paying out rotor.

3. The ink ribbon feeding mechanism according to claim 2 , wherein
a plurality of the guide inclined surfaces are provided in positions different from each other in the mounting direction.

4. The ink ribbon feeding mechanism according to claim 3 , wherein
the paying out rotor has a chamfered portion formed by chamfering a corner portion positioned near in the mounting direction.

5. The ink ribbon feeding mechanism according to claim 4 , wherein
the chamfered portion continues to the guide inclined surface provided nearest in the mounting direction.

6. A tape printing apparatus comprising:
a cartridge mounting section where a cartridge including a paying out core around which an ink ribbon is wound and in which a plurality of core side engaging portions and a plurality of core side insertion recessed portions are alternately provided in a circumferential direction is mounted;
a paying out shaft provided in the cartridge mounting section;
a paying out rotor which is rotatably provided to the paying out shaft and is inserted into the paying out core when the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section;
a plurality of rotor side engaging portions which are provided on an outer circumferential surface of the paying out rotor so as to protrude in a radial direction and which engage with the plurality of core side engaging portions when the paying out rotor rotates; and
a print head that holds the ink ribbon and a print tape between the print head and a platen roller and performs printing on the print tape, wherein
the plurality of rotor side engaging portions have a butting portion provided in an opposite direction of a mounting direction of the cartridge, and when the cartridge is being mounted in the cartridge mounting section, if the core side engaging portion provided in the mounting direction of the cartridge butts against the butting portion, at least one of the paying out core and the paying out rotor rotates, so that the rotor side engaging portion is inserted into the core side insertion recessed portion, and
a plurality of the butting portions are provided in positions different from each other in the mounting direction of the cartridge.

Assignees

• Seiko Epson Corp

Inventors

• Ishimoto Akio
• Sasaki Taishi
• Kubota Tomoyuki

Classifications

• B41J32/02 Primary

  for endless ribbons · CPC title

• B41J33/16 Primary

  with drive applied to spool or spool spindle · CPC title