Film cartridge, film unit, and layer transfer device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12045002-B2
Application number	US-202117356670-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 24, 2021
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Jul 23, 2024
Grant date	Jul 23, 2024

Abstract

Provided are a film cartridge, a film unit, and a layer transfer device capable of restraining a supported layer including a transfer layer from being touched by an operator and restraining the supported layer remaining on the supporting layer remaining on a supporting layer from coming off. A film cartridge includes a supply reel on which a multilayer film including a supported layer with a transfer layer included therein and a supporting layer is wound, and a take-up reel on which to take up the multilayer film. The multilayer film is wound on a supply shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the supply shaft, and the multilayer film is wound on the take-up shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the take-up shaft.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A film cartridge installable into and removable from a layer transfer device for transferring a transfer layer onto an image formed on a sheet, the film cartridge comprising:
a supply reel including a supply shaft on which a multilayer film including a supported layer with the transfer layer included therein and a supporting layer supporting the supported layer is wound, the supply reel including a supply gear provided at an end in an axial direction of the supply reel;
a take-up reel including a take-up shaft on which to take up the multilayer film; and
a supply case accommodating the supply reel,
wherein the multilayer film is wound on the supply shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the supply shaft, and the multilayer film is wound on the take-up shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the take-up shaft,
wherein the supply case includes two side walls provided at ends apart from each other in the axial direction, an outer side wall located, apart in the axial direction from one side wall of the two side walls that is closer to the supply gear, to cover at least part of the supply gear from the axial direction, and an outer peripheral wall connecting the one side wall and the outer side wall, and
wherein the supply gear, of which at least part is located between the one side wall and the outer side wall, is exposed to outside through an opening formed in the outer peripheral wall.

2. The film cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the supply reel is rotatably supported by the supply case.

3. The film cartridge according to claim 2 , wherein the supply reel is rotatably supported on the side walls.

4. The film cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the outer side wall does not cover tops of gear teeth in an angular range of the opening of an angle α 1 measured around a rotation axis of the supply reel as viewed with a line of sight aligned with the axial direction of the supply reel.

5. The film cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the outer side wall does not cover bottoms of gear tooth spaces in an angular range of the opening of an angle α 1 measured around a rotation axis of the supply reel as viewed with a line of sight aligned with the axial direction of the supply reel.

6. The film cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the supply case is rotated about a rotation axis of the supply reel relative to a holder to thereby get installed therein, and
wherein an angle α 1 of an angular range of the opening as measured around the rotation axis of the supply reel is greater than an angle α 2 of rotation which the supply case makes when installed in the holder.

7. The film cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the take-up reel comprises a flange provided on each end of the take-up shaft, and a take-up gear located on an outer side of the flange in the axial direction of the take-up reel.

8. The film cartridge according to claim 7 , wherein the take-up gear is located coaxially with the take-up shaft.

9. The film cartridge according to claim 1 , wherein the supporting layer is transparent.

10. A foil film cartridge installable into and removable from a layer transfer device for transferring a transfer layer containing foil onto an image formed on a sheet, the foil film cartridge comprising:
a supply reel including a supply shaft on which a foil film including a supported layer with the transfer layer included therein and a supporting layer supporting the supported layer is wound; and
a take-up reel including a take-up shaft on which to take up foil film,
wherein the foil film is wound on the supply shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the supply shaft, and the foil film is wound on the take-up shaft in such a manner that the supported layer is in contact with the take-up shaft.

11. The foil film cartridge according to claim 10 , comprising a supply case accommodating the supply reel.

12. The foil film cartridge according to claim 11 , wherein the supply reel is rotatably supported by the supply case.

13. The foil film cartridge according to claim 12 , wherein the supply reel includes a supply gear provided at an end in the axial direction of the supply reel, and
wherein the supply gear is exposed to outside through an opening formed in the supply case.

14. The foil film cartridge according to claim 13 , wherein the supply case includes two side walls provided at ends apart from each other in the axial direction, an outer side wall located, apart in the axial direction from one side wall of the two side walls that is closer to the supply gear, to cover at least part of the supply gear from the axial direction, and an outer peripheral wall connecting the one side wall and the outer side wall, and
wherein the supply gear, of which at least part is located between the one side wall and the outer side wall, is exposed to outside through an opening formed in the outer peripheral wall.

15. The foil film cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the supply reel is rotatably supported on the side walls.

16. The foil film cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the outer side wall does not cover tops of gear teeth in an angular range of the opening of an angle α 1 measured around a rotation axis of the supply reel as viewed with a line of sight aligned with the axial direction of the supply reel.

17. The foil film cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the outer side wall does not cover bottoms of gear tooth spaces in an angular range of the opening of an angle α 1 measured around a rotation axis of the supply reel as viewed with a line of sight aligned with the axial direction of the supply reel.

18. The foil film cartridge according to claim 14 , wherein the supply case is rotated about a rotation axis of the supply reel relative to a holder to thereby get installed therein, and
wherein an angle α 1 of an angular range of the opening as measured around the rotation axis of the supply reel is greater than an angle α 2 of rotation which the supply case makes when installed in the holder.

19. A film unit comprising:
a foil film cartridge according to claim 11 ;
a holder which is configured to support the supply reel and the take-up reel, and in which the supply case is removably installable;
a first guide shaft configured to contact the supporting layer of the foil film drawn out from the supply reel and change a traveling direction of the foil film;
a second guide shaft configured to contact the supporting layer of the foil film guided by the first guide shaft and change the traveling direction of the foil film; and
an installation/removal guide configured to guide the supply case along a predetermined direction when the supply case is installed into and removed from the holder,
wherein a direction of movement of the supply case guided by the installation/removal guide when the supply case is removed from the holder is a direction of a vector which does not contain a component of a vector a direction of which is opposite to a direction in which the foil film is drawn out from the supply reel.

20. The film unit according to claim 19 , wherein the first guide shaft is located out of a region defined by causing the supply case to be projected in the predetermined direction.

21. The film unit according to claim 20 , wherein at least part of the first guide shaft is located in a region defined by causing the supply case to be projected in a perpendicular direction

Assignees

• Brother Ind Ltd

Inventors

• Ichikawa Tomoya

Classifications

• G03G15/6517

  Apparatus for continuous web copy material of plain paper, e.g. supply rolls; Roll holders therefor · CPC title

• G03G15/6511

  Feeding devices for picking up or separation of copy sheets · CPC title

• G03G15/6508

  Automatic supply devices interacting with the rest of the apparatus, e.g. selection of a specific cassette (matching the image with the size of the copy material G03G15/5095) · CPC title

• G03G15/6502

  Supplying of sheet copy material; Cassettes therefor · CPC title

• G03G15/65

  Apparatus which relate to the handling of copy material (handling sheets or webs in general B65H; for photographic purposes in general G03B) · CPC title