Typewriting machines – Including interposed inking device for record-medium – Including mechanism for shifting ribbon laterally at...
Patent
1988-11-23
1992-01-14
Burr, Edgar S.
Typewriting machines
Including interposed inking device for record-medium
Including mechanism for shifting ribbon laterally at...
4002162, B41J 3514
Patent
active
050805118
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a serial printer having a printing head movable along a platen, and more particularly to a color printer equipped with a shift apparatus for an ink ribbon having a plurality of longitudinally parallel color regions. The present invention can be applied to a printer of the type that is used with an ink ribbon held in a cassette or a cartridge, such as a wire dot matrix printer, and a heat sensitive transfer printer.
The ink ribbon cassette containing an ink ribbon with a plurality of longitudinally parallel color regions, for example, yellow, cyan, magenta, and black belt-shaped sections is well known, and in a color printer equipped with such an ink ribbon cassette, the ink ribbon cassette is mounted tiltably on the carriage of the printing head, the ink ribbon is shifted perpendicularly to the length of the ink ribbon along with the movement of the cassette, and thereby the desired color region will be adapted to the print line.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The tilt arrangement of an ink ribbon cassette is used for changing the color of the color printer, and also is used for rendering the print line visible when the carriage is returned. As a tilt arrangement for rendering the print line visible, one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,636,098 issued on Jan. 13, 1987 is known, and in this arrangement, a single stepper motor is mounted on the carriage of the printing head, drives the ink ribbon when the carriage is advanced and acts to tilt the cassette when the carriage is returned. In the tilt arrangement for changing the color in a color printer, it was general that a power source independent of the stepper motor for advancing the ink ribbon is provided. However, since this method makes the cost of the apparatus high, it was suggested that the cassette is tilted by a cam mechanism that is operated in connection with the movement of the carriage. In such an tilt arrangement, for example, in the tilt arrangement disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 71690/1987 published on Apr. 2, 1987, together with a cam wheel, a ratchet wheel is pivotally mounted on the carriage, when the carriage reaches a specified operating position beyond the terminal position, the control lever mounted on the frame moves the cam wheel together with the ratchet wheel angularly thereby causing the cassette holder with a cam follower to tilt.
In a color printer that can shift the color of the ink ribbon by the cassette tilt arrangement including a cam mechanism that operates in connection with the movement of the carriage of the printing head, it is required that both the home position of the carriage and the home position of the cassette holder are detected precisely thereby controlling the movement of the carriage. The home position of the carriage is set at the central position or the terminal position on the one side of the frame, and the carriage is operated with the home position as the starting point. The home position of the cassette holder is set at the tilt position where a specified color region on the ink ribbon of the ink ribbon cassette secured to said holder is adapted on the print line, and the color is changed using the home position as the starting point. Conventionally, separate sensors are arranged to these home positions, and when the carriage and/or the cassette holder are positioned in the corresponding home positions, the sensors related to them are operated. As the sensor, use is made of a transmission type photo-interprepter, a reflective type photo-interpreter, or a microswitch.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to provide a serial type printer that is used together with an ink ribbon cassette wherein a cassette holder is provided for tiltably mounting the ink ribbon cassette on a carriage of a printing head, and the cassette holder is mounted on said carriage, and is moved by a tilt arrangement including a cam mechanism that operates in conjunction with the movement of said carriage.
Another object of the invention i
REFERENCES:
patent: 4280767 (1981-07-01), Heath
patent: 4368993 (1983-01-01), Brass
patent: 4697942 (1987-10-01), Yagi et al.
Adams Bruce L.
Burr Edgar S.
Hilten John S.
Star Seimitsu Kabushiki Kaisha
Wilks Van C.
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