Film transfer apparatus

Details Film transfer apparatus Film transfer apparatus

2002-08-20

2004-03-09

Funk, Stephen R. (Department: 2854)

Typewriting machines

Including interposed inking device for record-medium

Ribbon-reversing mechanism

C400S695000, C400S207000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06702491

ABSTRACT:

The following disclosure is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2001-249348, filed on Aug. 20, 2001, which is incorporated into this application by reference.
FIELD OF AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a film transfer apparatus and more particularly to an improvement in a non-return mechanism for a take-up reel of a film transfer apparatus of a type which is formed by combining a cartridge unit and a case body with each other. A feed reel and a take-up reel around which a transfer tape adapted to be reversed on a transfer head is wound are supported by the apparatus so that the two reels can be rotated relatively and smoothly irrespective of an increase and a decrease in the amounts of the transfer tape wound around the reels.
FIG. 8
is a perspective view of a typical conventional film transfer apparatus, and
FIG. 9
an exploded view in perspective of the film transfer apparatus shown in FIG.
8
.
The conventional film transfer apparatus
01
is provided with a cartridge unit
01
and a case body
03
.
The cartridge unit
02
serves as a cover and is slightly laterally elongated, i.e., elliptic in a front elevation. The cartridge unit
02
is provided at one lateral end of a front side-opened, flat, case member
04
thereof with a cutout hole
05
as a window-like hole, from which a transfer head
06
is projected. In the case member
04
, a feed reel
07
and a take-up reel
08
are provided laterally spaced from each other. A portion of a coiled transfer tape
09
wound around the feed reel
07
and drawn out therefrom is reversed at a tip
06
a
of the transfer head
06
and then taken up around the take-up reel
08
.
The case body
03
is formed of a front-side opened, flat case member
010
having substantially the same contour in a front elevation as the cartridge unit
02
, but the contour of the case body being slightly larger than that of the cartridge unit. The case member
010
is provided at one lateral end thereof with a cutout hole
011
as a window-like hole. In the interior of the case member, a feed gear
012
and a take-up gear
013
are arranged laterally spaced from each other, both meshing with an intermediate gear
014
. These gears
012
,
013
are adapted to be rotated in the same direction.
The positions, shapes and sizes of the two cutout holes
05
,
011
are determined so that the cutout holes are aligned with each other when the cartridge unit
02
and the case body
03
are engaged with each other as will be described later.
To obtain the assembled film transfer apparatus
01
, the cartridge unit
02
and case body
03
are disposed the open sides thereof opposite to each other, and a shaft
015
in the center of the feed gear
012
is inserted into a shaft cylinder
016
in the center of the feed reel
07
with a shaft
017
in the center of the take-up gear
013
into a shaft cylinder
018
in the center of the take-up reel
08
. The transfer head
06
projects out from the cutout holes
05
,
011
of the mutually aligned cartridge unit
02
and case body
03
, and the cartridge unit
02
and case body
03
are thereby engaged with each other for forming one body.
In this film transfer apparatus
01
, the shaft
015
in the center of the feed gear
012
and the shaft
017
in the center of the take-up gear
013
are inserted into the shaft cylinders
016
,
018
of the feed reel
07
and take-up reel
08
respectively. The film transfer apparatus is operated as follows.
When the film transfer apparatus is moved rightward in
FIG. 8
as the transfer head
06
is pressing against a surface of a sheet, the transfer tape
09
slides on the tip
06
a
of the transfer head
06
and a portion of the transfer tape
09
which is wound like a coil around the feed reel
07
is turned. A turning force is transmitted to the feed gear
012
via the shaft
015
inserted in the shaft cylinder
016
of the feed reel
07
, and further to the take-up gear
013
operatively connected to the feed reel
07
.
The turning force is then transmitted to the take-up reel
08
via the shaft
017
in the center of the take-up gear
013
and the shaft cylinder
018
in which the shaft
17
is inserted.
Owing to the turning force thus transmitted, the portion of the coiled transfer tape
09
on the feed reel
07
which is drawn therefrom is reversed at the tip
06
a
of the transfer head
06
and then taken up around the take-up reel
08
.
To be precise, in an initial stage of a film transfer operation, the diameter of the coiled transfer tape
09
on the feed reel
07
is large, and that portion thereof taken up around the take-up reel
08
is small. However, as the transfer tape is used, the diameters of the coiled transfer tape on the feed reel
07
and take-up reel
08
are gradually reversed.
A compensation of the differing rotation ratio of the feed reel
07
to the take-up reel
08
is made by interposing a resistance member, for example, a suitable spring and a ring-shaped material between the shaft cylinder
016
of the feed reel
07
and the shaft
015
in the center of the feed gear
012
, or between the shaft cylinder
018
of the take-up reel
08
and the shaft
017
in the center of the take-up gear
013
so that the shafts
015
,
017
and shaft cylinders
016
,
018
are rotated relatively with a low resistance generated therebetween.
In order that an operator cannot move the film transfer apparatus reversely, a reverse rotation preventing mechanism is usually provided on the take-up reel
08
so that the transfer tape
09
is not drawn from the take-up reel
08
, and shaking of the apparatus during a transfer tape operation does not cause the transfer tape
09
on the take-up reel
08
to be turned back.
As a device for preventing a reverse rotation of the take-up reel
08
, a ratchet mechanism is disclosed, for example, in the Japanese patent laid-open document No. 104563/1997.
Namely, in the conventional apparatus according to
FIGS. 8 and 9
, a reverse rotation preventing annular toothed member
019
coaxial with the take-up gear
013
combined in one body with the shaft
017
supporting the take-up reel
013
, and an elastic plate type claw member
020
directed from a suitable portion of the take-up gear
013
toward the annular toothed member
019
are provided on an inner surface of the case body
03
, the claw member
020
being engaged with the annular toothed member
019
in a reverse rotation preventing manner.
However, when the annular toothed member
019
or the plate type claw member
020
of this conventional reverse rotation preventing mechanism are worn out or bent as these parts are used, resulting in that the functions thereof becoming incomplete, it is necessary to remove the cartridge unit
02
from the case body
03
, renew the case body
03
combined with the annular toothed member
019
in one body, or the take-up gear
013
provided with the claw member
020
, and then put the case body
03
and cartridge unit
02
together again.
Such operations are troublesome and need delicate carefulness, and various parts scatter and move. Therefore, a user cannot carry out such operations easily at all.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made to overcome the above-mentioned inconveniences. Namely an object of the invention is to provide a film transfer apparatus having a mechanism which is adapted to prevent a reverse rotation of a transfer tape-wound take-up reel and includes a check claw and check teeth, in which the check claw and one of the check teeth can be engaged with each other firmly and reliably. Another object of the invention is to provide a film transfer apparatus in which only the check claw member-carrying parts need to be renewed which can be done easily by a simple operation when the check claw should be broken or deformed resulting in that the functions thereof become incomplete.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects are solved in accordance with the present invention by a film transfer apparatus which comprises a cartridge unit and a case body adapted to be combin

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