Ink film with cores having different diameter shaft sections

Details Ink film with cores having different diameter shaft sections Ink film with cores having different diameter shaft sections

2001-03-30

2003-04-08

Colilla, Daniel J. (Department: 2854)

Typewriting machines

Including interposed inking device for record-medium

Package for ribbon facilitating mounting of ribbon on...

C400S208000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06543945

ABSTRACT:

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a contrast agent film rolling device used in a printer.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A thermal transfer system using ink film for printing has been widely used in a printer. The thermal transfer system comprises a thermal head as a printing means, a supply-side-film core supplying an rolled ink film in accordance with the supply of paper, and a film core rolling up the ink film after printing. The cores are disposed ahead and behind the thermal head.
FIG.
7
(
a
) is a perspective view of the printer having the ink film, FIG.
7
(
b
) is an perspective view of an exploded ink film cassette. As shown in FIG.
7
(
a
), the printer includes case
1
and removable ink film cassette
2
. As shown in FIG.
7
(
b
), ink film cassette
3
includes cassette housing
3
, supply-side film core
4
and roll-up-side film core
5
which are rotatable and removable in cassette housing
3
, and ink film
6
rolled up and held with a tension by supply-side film core
4
and roll-up side film core
5
.
More specifically, supply-side film core
4
and roll-up-side film core
5
are typically paper tubes made of corrugated paper. One end of virgin ink film
6
is attached to supply-side film core
4
, and the other end is attached to roll-up-side film core
5
. The paper tube of supply-side film core
4
is usually the same size as that of roll-up-side film core
5
. Gear flange
7
, which is used for roll-up-driving the cores in the device, is inserted into both ends of each core, and gap
8
is formed in both ends of each core to carry rotation.
When ink film
6
has been used up, a new ink film
6
may be inserted along with new supply-side film core
4
and roll-up-side film core
5
. Then, gear flanges
7
are inserted with proper orientation into the paper tubes of film cores
4
and
5
. Ink film
6
(along with cores
4
and
5
) is placed in cassette housing
3
.
It is possible for cassette housing
3
to be replaced in case
1
as a single step. The roll-up side and the supply side film cores must be set in a predetermined position and orientation, and the ink-coated side of ink film
6
must face correctly. Consequently, the user need only place cassette housing
3
in the correct orientation in case
1
. A conventional device may comprise contacting piece
9
. Contacting piece
9
helps the user to notice whether cassette housing
3
is properly positioned and oriented within case
1
.
On the other hand, in another conventional device, for cost reduction, cassette housing
3
is omitted, and only cores
4
and
5
are placed in the device. This device has no feature to prevent cores
4
and
5
from being placed incorrectly. A similar structure to cassette housing
3
can be formed in four gear flanges
7
inserted into cores
4
and
5
, and the structure can place cores
4
and
5
only in a predetermined position and orientation in the device. However, there is still a problem that the paper tubes must be placed in the device after checking each core's position.
Furthermore, regardless of the presence or absence of cassette housing
3
holding film cores
4
and
5
, whenever the user places the ink film in case
1
, the conventional thermal transfer printer requires the user to make burdensome operations such as observing the orientation of the gear flange placed at paper tubes of cores
4
and
5
, and further the orientation of the ink film placed in case
1
.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a printer employing a contrast agent (i.e. ink) film, shaft sections at both ends of a supply-side film core and a roll-up-side film core, have different diameters. Gears are disposed at one end of the supply-side film core and one end of the roll-up-side film core. Supporting sections correspond to the diameters of each shaft section.
In an alternative exemplary embodiment, a holding section is provided for rotatably holding the shaft section of one end of the roll-up-side core, a supporting section for rotatably holding the shaft section in the other end of the roll-up-side film core, and another supporting section for rotatably holding the shaft sections of both ends of the supply-side film core.


REFERENCES:
patent: 4924242 (1990-05-01), Fukawa
patent: 5492422 (1996-02-01), Kondo
patent: 5562352 (1996-10-01), Whritenor et al.
patent: 3-33477 (1991-07-01), None
patent: 08058199 (1996-03-01), None
patent: 10016341 (1998-01-01), None
Kuroda et al., machine translation of JP 8-58199, from Japanese Patent Office website.

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