阅读说明：本技术 碳带路径可变化的打印机 (Printer with variable carbon ribbon path ) 是由 庞静 周昌伟 魏勇 银中礼 李青松 毕袁勇 李俊 张涛 何俊豪 赖先友 于 2021-02-03 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明提供一种碳带路径可变化的打印机,包括机架、打印头组件和碳带盒,碳带盒包括壳体以及安装在壳体内的碳带供应端和回收端,壳体上从供应端至回收端的路径上设置有用于将碳带撑起的展平杆,打印机主体上设置有用于支撑碳带的展平部件,在碳带盒与机架连接前,碳带由碳带盒内的展平杆支撑；当碳带盒安装到机架上后,碳带由至少两个展平部件支撑,碳带与展平杆脱离；或者当碳带盒安装到机架上后,其中部分展平杆由被壳体约束转变为被机架约束,所述碳带通过被机架约束的展平杆和所述展平部件支撑。本发明,碳带路径从由碳带盒约束改变为由打印机主体约束,从而脱离了壳体上展平杆的约束,提升精度,提高打印质量。(The invention provides a printer with a variable carbon ribbon path, which comprises a rack, a printing head assembly and a carbon ribbon box, wherein the carbon ribbon box comprises a shell, a carbon ribbon supply end and a carbon ribbon recovery end which are arranged in the shell, a path from the supply end to the recovery end on the shell is provided with a flattening rod for supporting a carbon ribbon, a flattening part for supporting the carbon ribbon is arranged on a printer main body, and the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening rod in the carbon ribbon box before the carbon ribbon box is connected with the rack; when the carbon ribbon box is arranged on the rack, the carbon ribbon is supported by the at least two flattening components, and the carbon ribbon is separated from the flattening rods; or after the carbon tape box is installed on the frame, part of the flattening rods are converted from being restrained by the shell to being restrained by the frame, and the carbon tape is supported by the flattening rods and the flattening components restrained by the frame. According to the invention, the carbon ribbon path is changed from being constrained by the carbon ribbon box to being constrained by the printer main body, so that the constraint of the flattening rod on the shell is separated, the precision is improved, and the printing quality is improved.)

1. A printer with a changeable carbon ribbon path comprises a printer body and a carbon ribbon box, wherein the printer body comprises a rack and a printing head assembly installed on the rack, and the printer is characterized in that: the carbon ribbon cartridge comprises a shell, a carbon ribbon supply end and a recovery end, wherein the carbon ribbon supply end and the recovery end are arranged in the shell, a flattening rod used for supporting the carbon ribbon is arranged on a path from the supply end to the recovery end on the shell, a flattening component used for supporting the carbon ribbon is arranged on the rack and/or the printing head component, and the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening rod in the carbon ribbon cartridge before the carbon ribbon cartridge is connected with the rack; when the carbon ribbon box is installed on the rack, the carbon ribbon is supported by at least two flattening components, and the carbon ribbon is separated from the flattening rods; or after the carbon tape box is installed on the frame, part of the flattening rods are converted from being restrained by the shell to being restrained by the frame, and the carbon tape is supported by the flattening rods and the flattening components restrained by the frame.

2. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 1, further comprising: the flattening component is arranged on the frame and/or the printing head component in an unfolding and folding way; the rear side of casing is connected with the frame, and the rear side of this casing is provided with first via hole, and when carbon ribbon box and frame were connected, the printhead subassembly process in first via hole stretches into the casing, the carbon ribbon that is propped up by the flat pole in the carbon ribbon box is located printhead subassembly's periphery, the printing side that lies in printhead subassembly on the casing is provided with the printing window that is used for the carbon ribbon to expose.

3. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 1, further comprising: the carbon ribbon box comprises a shell, a carbon ribbon box body, a flattening rod, a frame and a flattening component, wherein the flattening rod is arranged on the shell in a floating mode, the frame is used for radially supporting and limiting the flattening rod arranged in a floating mode after the carbon ribbon box body is connected with the frame, and the carbon ribbon is supported or stretched by the flattening component and the flattening rod arranged in a floating mode.

4. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 3, further comprising: the flatting rod which is arranged in a floating way is a hollow tube, two ends of the hollow tube are arranged on the shell, and a radial movable gap is formed between the hollow tube and the shell; the support rod is arranged on the frame, after the carbon ribbon box is connected with the frame, the support rod penetrates into the hollow pipe to support and limit the hollow pipe, and the hollow pipe is separated from the constraint of the shell.

5. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 1, further comprising: and a positioning structure for installation and guide is arranged between the carbon tape box and the rack and/or between the carbon tape box and the printing head assembly, and the carbon tape box is connected with the rack through a locking structure.

6. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 2, further comprising: the flattening component and the flattening rod are arranged in a staggered mode, and the flattening rod is avoided when the flattening component is unfolded or folded.

7. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 1, further comprising: the frame is provided with a pressure adjusting structure, the printing head assembly and the pressure adjusting structure are rotatably arranged on the frame and can be unfolded and folded, the flattening component comprises a flattening shaft arranged on the pressure adjusting structure and/or a flattening plate arranged on the printing head assembly, and the flattening shaft and the flattening plate respectively move along with the pressure adjusting structure and the printing head assembly; or the flattening component is arranged on the rack and driven by a driving mechanism arranged on the rack.

8. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 7, further comprising: be provided with spacing handle in the frame, the front side of casing is provided with the handle via hole that is used for spacing handle to pass through, installs the back in the frame at the carbon ribbon box, spacing handle follows the handle via hole stretches out, after rotating spacing handle to stagger with the handle via hole, keeps off on the leading flank of casing, and is spacing between with casing and frame.

9. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 8, further comprising: the pressure adjusting structure and the printing head assembly are arranged in a linkage mode and are provided with different rotating centers, the limiting handle is connected with the pressure adjusting structure or the printing head assembly, and the pressure adjusting structure and the printing head assembly are driven to move when the limiting handle is rotated.

10. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 9, further comprising: the printing head component is installed on the rack through a support, the pressure adjusting structure and the printing head are both folded towards the support, the pressure adjusting structure is folded towards the inner side of the printing head component, the limiting handle is connected with the pressure adjusting structure, when the limiting handle is rotated, the pressure adjusting structure is unfolded outwards and enables the printing head to be ejected outwards, and the pressure adjusting structure is pressed on the printing head and used for adjusting the pressure of the printing head.

11. The variable ribbon path printer of claim 10, further comprising: a first reset spring is arranged between the printing head assembly and the support, a second reset spring is arranged between the pressure adjusting structure and the rack or the support, and a magnetic structure which is used for being attracted when folded is arranged between the pressure adjusting structure and the printing head assembly.

Technical Field

The invention belongs to the technical field of printers, and particularly relates to a printer with a variable thermal transfer ribbon path.

Background

The installation path of the carbon ribbon inside the thermal transfer printer is basically from the carbon ribbon supply end to the carbon ribbon recovery end. The ribbon installation path of the existing industrial thermal transfer printer is generally composed of a plurality of components such as a supply end, a flattening shaft, a printing head flattening component and a recovery end. The printing head assembly of the industrial thermal transfer printer has more internal adjusting functions and is relatively large in size. The relative position of the ribbon and the printhead is greatly offset. The carbon ribbon is a soft ribbon-shaped object, and the carbon ribbon with a complex path cannot form a regular shape in a natural state, so that the industrial thermal transfer printer is not designed with a carbon ribbon box; the traditional method is to manually adjust various functions, the adjusting position needs to be reserved, and if an integrated tape box is used, the size is large and the cost is high.

The conventional industrial type thermal transfer printer employs a method of manually installing a ribbon supply end and a recovery end, respectively. In the installation process, the carbon ribbon needs to bypass a plurality of flattening shafts and the bottom of the printing head, the path is complex, the space is narrow, and the operation is complex.

The existing small-sized thermal transfer printer has a carbon ribbon path which is basically consistent with that of an industrial printer and is relatively small in size, so that a carbon ribbon box is arranged in a part of the existing small-sized thermal transfer printer. Because the mini-size machine is slower, the requirement for flattening components on the path of the carbon ribbon is slightly lower, and the flattening components are basically completed by the structure in the carbon ribbon box. Meanwhile, the part of the carbon ribbon exposed out of the shell is in a straightening state, except that the carbon ribbon below the printing head can be changed along with the closing of the printing head when the printing head is closed, and the paths of the carbon ribbons at other positions can not be changed.

Because of fast, the printing consumables is wide big, and the carbon ribbon utilizes the flat factor influence such as the large-scale casing precision is relatively poor that receives of casing inner structure exhibition easily, and the high-speed friction of casing and carbon ribbon brings more easily that printing quality is unstable simultaneously, the internal structure of carbon ribbon box hinders the scheduling problem. When a large-sized carbon tape cassette is used to support the carbon tape during printing, the strength of the carbon tape cassette must be increased, and the structural complexity and cost of the carbon tape cassette inevitably increase while the strength of the carbon tape cassette is increased, which is not preferable for consumable materials.

Disclosure of Invention

In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a printer with a variable thermal tape path, which reduces the influence of the cartridge housing on the thermal tape during printing.

In order to achieve the above objects and other related objects, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows:

a printer with a variable carbon ribbon path comprises a printer body and a carbon ribbon box, wherein the printer body comprises a rack and a printing head assembly arranged on the rack, the carbon ribbon box comprises a shell, a carbon ribbon supply end and a recovery end, the carbon ribbon supply end and the recovery end are arranged in the shell, a flattening rod used for supporting a carbon ribbon is arranged on a path from the supply end to the recovery end on the shell, a flattening part used for supporting the carbon ribbon is arranged on the rack and/or the printing head assembly, and the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening rod in the carbon ribbon box before the carbon ribbon box is connected with the rack; when the carbon ribbon box is installed on the rack, the carbon ribbon is supported by at least two flattening components, and the carbon ribbon is separated from the flattening rods; or after the carbon tape box is installed on the frame, part of the flattening rods are converted from being restrained by the shell to being restrained by the frame, and the carbon tape is supported by the flattening rods and the flattening components restrained by the frame.

Optionally, the flattening component is arranged on the frame and/or the printing head component in an unfolding and folding mode; the rear side of casing is connected with the frame, and the rear side of this casing is provided with first via hole, and when carbon ribbon box and frame were connected, the printhead subassembly process in first via hole stretches into the casing, the carbon ribbon that is propped up by the flat pole in the carbon ribbon box is located printhead subassembly's periphery, the printing side that lies in printhead subassembly on the casing is provided with the printing window that is used for the carbon ribbon to expose.

Optionally, the number of the flattening rods is at least two, one of the flattening rods is arranged on the shell in a floating mode along the radial direction, when the carbon ribbon cartridge is connected with the rack, the rack supports and limits the flattening rod arranged in the floating mode along the radial direction, and the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening component and the flattening rod arranged in the floating mode.

Optionally, the flatting rod which is arranged in a floating manner is a hollow tube, two ends of the hollow tube are arranged on the shell, and a radial movable gap is formed between the hollow tube and the shell; the support rod is arranged on the frame, after the carbon ribbon box is connected with the frame, the support rod penetrates into the hollow pipe to support and limit the hollow pipe, and the hollow pipe is separated from the constraint of the shell.

Optionally, a positioning structure for installation and guidance is arranged between the carbon tape cartridge and the rack and/or between the carbon tape cartridge and the printhead assembly, and the carbon tape cartridge is connected with the rack through a locking structure.

Optionally, the flattening component is disposed offset from the flattening rod and avoids the flattening rod when the flattening component is unfolded or folded.

Optionally, a pressure adjusting structure is arranged on the frame, the printhead assembly and the pressure adjusting structure are rotatably mounted on the frame and can be unfolded and folded, the flattening component includes a flattening shaft arranged on the pressure adjusting structure and/or a flattening plate arranged on the printhead assembly, and the flattening shaft and the flattening plate respectively move along with the pressure adjusting structure and the printhead assembly; or the flattening component is arranged on the rack and driven by a driving mechanism arranged on the rack.

Optionally, be provided with spacing handle in the frame, the front side of casing is provided with the handle via hole that is used for spacing handle to pass through, and after the carbon ribbon box was installed in the frame, spacing handle followed handle via hole stretches out, after rotating spacing handle to stagger with the handle via hole, keeps off on the leading flank of casing, and is spacing between with casing and frame.

Optionally, the pressure adjusting structure and the print head assembly are linked and have different rotation centers, and the limiting handle is connected with the pressure adjusting structure or the print head assembly and drives the pressure adjusting structure and the print head assembly to move when the limiting handle is rotated.

Optionally, the printhead assembly passes through the support mounting in the frame, pressure regulation structure and printhead assembly all to the support is folded up, just the pressure regulation structure fold up in it is inboard to beat the printer head, spacing handle with the pressure regulation structural connection, when rotating during spacing handle, the pressure regulation structure outwards expands and will beat the outwards ejecting of printhead assembly, just the pressure regulation structure is pressed and is used for adjusting the pressure to the printer head on the printer head.

Optionally, a first return spring is arranged between the printhead assembly and the support, a second return spring is arranged between the pressure adjusting structure and the frame or the support, and a magnetic structure for attracting when the pressure adjusting structure and the printhead assembly are folded is arranged between the pressure adjusting structure and the printhead assembly.

As described above, the present invention has the following advantageous effects: according to the invention, the path of the carbon ribbon is changed before and after the carbon ribbon box is installed, and the state that the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening rod in the carbon ribbon box is changed into the state that the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening component on the printer main body, so that the restraint of the flattening rod on the shell is released, and during printing, the carbon ribbon is released from the restraint of the shell in the movement process from the supply end to the recovery end, so that the path of the carbon ribbon is supported and restrained by the printer main body, the precision is improved, and the printing quality is ensured; the thermal transfer ribbon is separated from the restraint of the flattening rod, high-speed printing can be realized, and the thermal transfer ribbon is not interfered by the shell in the printing process.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a cassette with a ribbon cartridge attached to a frame (the ribbon is supported by a spreader bar on the housing);

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the carbon ribbon path of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a cassette after attachment to a frame (the ribbon is supported by a spreader on the frame);

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the carbon band path of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial perspective view of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of the printhead assembly mounted on a frame;

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of FIG. 6;

fig. 8 and 9 are perspective views of the carbon ribbon cassette from different viewing angles;

fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a carbon ribbon cassette.

Fig. 11 and 12 are perspective views from different perspectives of a deployed state of the printhead assembly.

Part number description:

100-a frame; 101-supporting shaft; 102-buckling; 103-claws; 104-a positioning column; 105-a support bar; 200-carbon tape cartridge; 201-a housing; 202-supply end; 203-recovery end; 204-carbon ribbon; 205-flattening rods; 206-a hollow tube; 207-a first via; 208-handle vias; 209-guide post; 210-print window; 211-positioning holes; 212-a guide surface; 213-a card hole; 300-a printhead assembly; 30-support; 31-a scaffold; 311-limiting groove; 312-a pilot hole; 32-a print head; 33-a pressure regulating structure; 331-a rotating shaft; 34-a flattened shaft; 35-flattening the plate; 36-a first return spring; 37-a limit handle; 38-a second return spring; 381-connecting block; 39-magnetic structure.

Detailed Description

The following description of the embodiments of the present invention is provided for illustrative purposes, and other advantages and effects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the present disclosure.

Examples

As shown in fig. 1 to 5, the printer with variable carbon tape paths in this example includes a rack 100 and a printhead assembly 300 mounted on the rack 100, the carbon tape cartridge 200 includes a housing 201, and a carbon tape supply end 202 and a recovery end 203 mounted in the housing 201, a flattening rod 205 for supporting the carbon tape 204 is disposed on a path from the supply end 202 to the recovery end 203 on the housing 201, that is, before the carbon tape cartridge 200 is mounted on the rack 100, a path of the carbon tape 204 is supported by the flattening rod 205 from the supply end 202 to the flattening rod 205 to the recovery end 203, the flattening rod 205 supports the carbon tape 204, and the number of the flattening rods 205 is usually two or more; the printer body is provided with a flattening component for supporting the carbon ribbon 204, and the flattening component is arranged on the rack 100, the print head assembly 300 or both the rack 100 and the print head assembly 300.

Before the ribbon cartridge 200 is attached to the chassis 100, the ribbon 204 is supported by the flattening rods 205 in the ribbon cartridge 200, the flattening rods 205 may be parallel or non-parallel to each other, and the flattening rods 205 support the ribbon to avoid the printhead assembly 300 when mounted on the chassis; when the carbon tape cartridge 200 is mounted on the rack 100, the path of the carbon tape 204 changes, specifically, there are two cases: one is that the carbon ribbon 204 is completely supported by the flattening components, and the carbon ribbon 204 is separated from all the flattening rods 205, i.e. after the carbon ribbon cassette 200 is mounted on the rack 100, the carbon ribbon 204 is supported or stretched by the flattening components on the printer main body except the recovery end 203 and the supply end 202, and is not constrained by the flattening rods 205 on the housing 201, wherein, the number of the flattening components is at least two, and the flattening components can be arranged on the rack 100, the printhead assembly 300 or both the rack 100 and the printhead assembly 300;

alternatively, when the carbon tape cartridge 200 is mounted on the rack 100, a part of the flattening rod 205 is out of the constraint of the housing 201 and is converted to be constrained by the rack 100, and the carbon tape 204 is supported or stretched by the flattening rod 205 and the flattening component constrained by the rack 100, that is, after the carbon tape cartridge 200 is mounted on the rack 100, the part of the flattening rod 205 is limited by the rack 100 and then serves as the flattening component of the rack 100.

In both cases, the ribbon 204 has at least two supports on a flattened member constrained by the printer body.

The path of the carbon ribbon 204 is changed before and after the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is installed, the state that the carbon ribbon 204 is supported by the flattening rod 205 in the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is changed into the state that the carbon ribbon 204 is supported by the flattening component on the printer main body, so that the constraint of the flattening rod 205 on the shell 201 is removed, and during printing, the carbon ribbon 204 is removed from the constraint of the shell 201 in the moving process from the supply end 202 to the recovery end 203, so that the carbon ribbon path is supported and constrained by the printer main body, the precision is improved, and the printing quality is ensured; the thermal transfer ribbon 204 is separated from the restraint of the flattening rod 205, high-speed printing can be realized, meanwhile, the thermal transfer ribbon 204 is not interfered by the shell 201 in the printing process, the strength requirement on the shell 201 is not high, and the cost is reduced conveniently.

As shown in fig. 6 to 10, when the thermal transfer ribbon cartridge 200 is connected to the chassis 100, a side facing the chassis 100 is a rear side, a side facing away from the chassis 100 is a front side, a first through hole 207 is provided at a rear side of the housing 201 of the thermal transfer ribbon cartridge 200, after the thermal transfer ribbon cartridge 200 is mounted on the chassis 100, the housing 201 covers a periphery of the print head assembly 300, the print head assembly 300 extends into the housing 201 through the first through hole 207, the thermal transfer ribbon 204 supported by the flattening rod 205 is located at a periphery of the print head assembly 300, a print window 210 for exposing a flattening portion of the thermal transfer ribbon 204 is provided on the housing 201 at a print side of the print head assembly 300, and during printing, the print head assembly 300 ejects the thermal transfer ribbon 204 from the print window 210 to perform printing.

In one embodiment, the flattening member is disposed on the frame 100 or the printhead assembly 300 in an expandable and collapsible manner; either the frame 100 or the printhead assembly 300 is provided with a foldable and unfoldable flattening part, and since the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is mounted on the frame 100, the carbon ribbon 204 is located at the periphery of the printhead assembly 300, and the housing 201 covers the printhead assembly 300, the unfolding and folding can be realized in a rotating manner, so as to realize the compactness of the structure. Before the carbon tape cartridge 200 is removed from the chassis 100, after the folding of the flattening member and the lifting of the printhead assembly 300, the supply end 202 is retracted to tension the carbon tape 204, returning the carbon tape cartridge 200 to the pre-installation state, with the carbon tape 204 supported or stretched by the flattening rod 205 in the carbon tape cartridge 200.

As shown in fig. 10, in one embodiment, the number of the flattening rods 205 is at least two, in this case three, one of which is radially floatingly disposed on the housing 201, and the other two of which are mounted on the housing 201 and radially fixed; during printing, the thermal transfer ribbon 204 is supported or tensioned by at least one flattening component and a floating flattening rod 205, and the floating flattening rod 205 is convenient to adapt to the switching of the path state on one hand and avoids the fluctuation after the thermal transfer ribbon is transferred to the rack on the other hand.

In this example, the flatting bar 205 arranged in a floating manner is a hollow tube 206, two ends of the hollow tube 206 are installed on the housing 201, one end of the hollow tube 206 is supported by a short shaft 214 arranged on the inner wall of the front side of the housing 201, a larger radial gap is formed between the hollow tube and the short shaft 214, the other end of the hollow tube is supported in a mounting hole of the housing 201, so that radial floating is realized, and the hollow tube is convenient to be separated from radial constraint of the housing 201 when the rack 100 is connected, in this example, the short shaft 214 is a convex; the flatting rod 205 arranged in a floating manner can be supported on the shell 201 in other manners, for example, both ends of the flatting rod can be supported through mounting holes, and the flatting rod can be a solid rod and is connected and positioned with holes arranged on a rack; the frame 100 is provided with a support rod 105, when the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is connected with the frame 100, the support rod 105 penetrates through the hollow tube 206 to support and limit the hollow tube 206, so that the hollow tube 206 is restrained and used as a flattening part of the frame 100; wherein the support rod 105 and the hollow tube 206 can be clamped or in clearance fit; the support rod 105 and the hollow tube 206 also provide positioning and guiding during connection.

When the carbon ribbon cartridge is assembled on the frame, the carbon ribbon cartridge is guided by the hollow tube 206 which is arranged in a floating way, so that the carbon ribbon cartridge is convenient to install, after entering the positioning shaft 105 on the frame, the floating function of the carbon ribbon cartridge can also complete the task, and the hollow tube 206 can be positioned front and back and left and right at the moment, and only one degree of freedom is left for rotation. Before the ribbon is assembled, the ribbon can be attached to the hollow tube 206 to fluctuate, and after the ribbon is assembled on the frame, the fluctuation of the ribbon is eliminated along with the positioning of the hollow tube 206, so that the ribbon is prepared for printing, and the ribbon is free from fluctuating from the degree of freedom of fixing the ribbon.

A positioning structure for installation and guidance is arranged between the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 and the rack 100 and/or between the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 and the printhead assembly 300, in this example, a plurality of positioning holes 211 are arranged on the rear side surface of the housing 201, corresponding positioning posts 104 are arranged on the rack 100, and the positioning posts 104 extend into the positioning holes 211 and are positioned by the positioning holes 211 and the positioning posts 104 when in connection; the positioning column 104 may be an elastic telescopic structure, such as a spring and a top pin, the spring and the top pin are installed on the rack 100, the spring keeps the top pin in a pressed state, and the rack 100 is provided with a limiting structure for limiting the ejection range of the top pin. The carbon tape cartridge 200 has two guide posts 209 on the inner side of the front side, and the outer end cover of the bracket 31 is provided with corresponding guide holes 312, so that the guide posts 209 are inserted into the guide holes 312 during mounting, and can be used for positioning and mounting and supporting the housing 201.

The housing 201 and the frame 100 may be connected by a buckle 103 or a clip, in this example, a buckle hole 213 is opened at the rear side of the housing 201, two buckles 103 are provided on the frame 100, the buckle 103 is clamped into the buckle hole 213 to lock the housing 201 and the frame 100, when the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is mounted on the frame 100, the carbon ribbon supply end 202 and the recovery end 203 are supported by the support shaft 101 on the frame 100 and transmit torque, or are detachably connected to the support shaft 101 by the claw 102 or the like, or are limited in the housing 201.

In this example, in order to further limit the position of the thermal transfer ribbon cartridge 200, the position limiting handle 37 is rotatably disposed on the printhead module 300 or the chassis 100, the handle through hole 208 for passing the position limiting handle 37 is disposed on the front side of the casing 201, after the thermal transfer ribbon cartridge 200 is mounted on the chassis 100, the position limiting handle 37 extends out of the through hole, the position limiting handle 37 is operated to rotate, and when the position limiting handle 37 rotates to be staggered with the through hole, the position limiting handle stops on the front side surface of the casing 201 to limit the front and back directions of the casing 201. Specifically, the limiting handle 37 is an operating mechanism which drives the flattening component to be unfolded and folded at the same time, after the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is installed, the limiting handle 37 rotates downwards to be closed, the limiting handle 37 can block the carbon ribbon cartridge 200, and if the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is not installed in place, the limiting handle 37 cannot be closed, so that the effect of preventing the carbon ribbon cartridge from being assembled in place can be achieved. Meanwhile, after the limiting handle 37 is closed, the limiting handle is blocked in front of the carbon ribbon cartridge 200, so that the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 can be prevented from being unlocked by misoperation.

The flattening components and the flattening rods 205 are arranged in a staggered mode, the flattening rods 205 are avoided in the unfolding process and the folding process, and interference is avoided.

As shown in fig. 2, 3, 6 and 7, in one embodiment, the frame 100 is provided with a pressure adjusting structure 33, the printhead assembly 300 is rotatably mounted on the frame 100 through a bracket 31, the pressure adjusting structure 33 is rotatably mounted on the frame 100 through a rotating shaft 331, the rotating axis is parallel to the axis of the flattening rod 205, and the printhead assembly 300 and the pressure adjusting structure 33 can be unfolded and folded; the flattening component comprises a flattening shaft 34 arranged on the pressure adjusting structure 33 and/or a flattening plate 35 arranged on the printing head assembly 300, the flattening shaft 34 is parallel to the flattening rod 205, the flattening shaft 34 moves along with the pressure adjusting structure 33, and the flattening plate 35 moves along with the printing head assembly 300.

In another embodiment, the flattening component is separately arranged on the rack and driven by a driving mechanism separately arranged on the rack, the motion mode of the flattening component can be linear motion, rotation and the like, and the flattening component can be driven by a motor when moving from an initial avoiding position (before the carbon ribbon cartridge is loaded) to a position for supporting the carbon ribbon (after the carbon ribbon cartridge is loaded).

The printhead assembly 300 includes a carriage 30 and a printhead 32 mounted on the carriage 30, a flattening plate 35 is mounted on a front end of the carriage, and the carriage 30 is rotatably mounted on a bracket 31 or a frame 100.

Wherein the support of the ribbon 204 can be accomplished with two supports, such as the printhead assembly 300 and the hollow tube 206, or the printhead assembly 300 and the flattened shaft 34.

In this example, after the print head assembly 300 and the pressure adjustment structure 33 are unfolded by rotating the limit handle 37, the ribbon 204 is supported by the hollow tube 206, the print head 32, the flattening plate 35, and the flattening shaft 34. The flattening shaft 34 can be adjusted up and down, or the flattening plate 35 can be adjusted up and down and back and forth, so that the parallelism and the positions of the flattening shaft 34, the flattening plate 35 and the hollow pipe 206 can be adjusted, and the carbon belt deviation and crumpling problems can be solved; the adjusting mode can be realized through a screw, an adjusting hole and the like.

In this embodiment, the pressure adjusting structure 33 and the print head assembly 300 are linked and have different rotation centers, and the limiting handle 37 is connected to the pressure adjusting structure 33 or the assembly 300, so that when the limiting handle 37 is rotated, the pressure adjusting structure 33 and the assembly 3002 can be simultaneously driven to move to be unfolded and folded.

Specifically, the pressure adjusting structure 33 is folded inside the assembly 300, the limiting handle 37 is connected to the pressure adjusting structure 33, when the limiting handle 37 is rotated, the pressure adjusting structure 33 is driven to expand outward and eject the assembly 300 outward, the pressing structure of the pressure adjusting structure 33 presses the print head 32 to apply pressure to the print head 32, and the support 31 or the outer end cover thereof is provided with a limiting groove 311 for limiting the rotation range of the limiting handle 37. As shown, the pressure adjustment structure 33 and the printhead assembly 300 are folded in the same direction and are folded relatively, thereby facilitating compactness.

As shown in fig. 11 and 12, in order to facilitate the folding and restoring of the printhead assembly 300 and the pressure adjusting structure 33, a first return spring 36 is disposed between the printhead assembly 300 and the frame 100 or the frame 31, a second return spring 38 is disposed between the pressure adjusting structure 33 and the frame 100 or the frame 31, and in order to ensure that the printhead 32 is folded in place, a magnetic structure 39 for engaging when folding is disposed between the pressure adjusting structure 33 and the printhead assembly 300, that is, a magnet is disposed on an opposite surface of the printhead assembly 300 and the pressure adjusting structure 33 in the folded state, or one of the magnet and the other is a metal part, so as to attract the printhead assembly 300 back, ensure the stability of the restoring, and avoid interference with the printhead assembly 300 when the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is mounted or dismounted. After the magnet is attracted, the acting force on the spring is reduced, and the service life of the spring is prolonged.

In this embodiment, the second return spring 38 can also perform a state maintaining function, that is, when the pressure adjusting structure 33 is opened or folded along with the limiting handle 37, the state is maintained, and the state is changed when the limiting handle 37 is operated by external force, as shown in fig. 12, the upper end of the second return spring 38 is fixed, the lower end of the second return spring 38 is connected to a connecting block 381, the connecting block 381 is rotatably installed on the frame, the connecting block 381 rotates along with the swinging of the pressure adjusting structure 33, a limiting part (e.g., a protrusion) is disposed between the connecting block 381 and the frame 100, and a connecting line between two ends of the second return spring 38 and a rotation center of the connecting block 381 forms; when the limit knob 37 is turned to the open state of fig. 12, the second return spring 38 is tensioned, and the limit prevents the link block 381 from swinging back, thereby maintaining the state; when the limit handle 37 is operated to make the connecting block 381 overcome the resistance of the limit, the connecting block 381 is folded along with the reverse rotation of the limit handle 37 and the pressure adjusting structure 33, and also kept in this state due to the tension of the second return spring 38 and the effect of the limit on the connecting block 381 until there is an external intervention.

In this example, the edge of the first via 207 is provided with a chamfer or guide surface 212 to facilitate guided mounting between the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 and the printhead assembly 300.

According to the invention, two flattening rods 205 and a hollow tube 206 are arranged in the carbon tape box 200, and are matched with the carbon tape supply end 202 and the recovery end 203 to form a carbon tape path, so that the carbon tape 204 is supported and stretched, and the carbon tape 204 can bypass the printing head assembly 300 and is arranged on the outer side of the printing head assembly 300; before the ribbon cartridge 200 is installed in the printer, the ribbon path is routed from the supply end 202, the hollow tube 206, the two flattening rods 205, and the recovery end 203, as shown in fig. 10; before the carbon tape box 200 is installed in the machine and the printing head 32 is not opened, the carbon tape path is unchanged, and the hollow pipe 206 is supported by the supporting rod 105 on the rack 100 and is used as a flattening part of the rack 100; after the print head 32 is opened as shown in fig. 4, the ribbon 204 is supported by the flattening plate 35 and the flattening shaft 34 on the print head assembly 300, the ribbon 204 is separated from the two flattening rods 205 inside the cassette body, the path of the ribbon 204 is changed, and the path of the ribbon 204 is the supply end 202-the hollow tube 206-the print head 32 and the flattening plate 35-the flattening shaft 34-the recovery end 203.

The carbon tape cartridge 200 has a first through hole 207 with a closed periphery on the rear side, through which the printhead assembly 300 can pass when being installed, a housing 201 for enclosing the printhead assembly 300, and three positioning holes 211 on the rear side of the housing 201 for supporting and positioning the housing 201 after the housing 201 is installed on the rack 100.

According to the invention, the path of the carbon ribbon 204 is changed before and after the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is installed, and the state that the carbon ribbon 204 is supported by the flattening rod 205 in the carbon ribbon cartridge 200 is changed into the state that the carbon ribbon is supported by the flattening component on the printer main body, so that the constraint of the flattening rod 205 on the shell 201 is removed, and during printing, the carbon ribbon 204 is removed from the constraint of the shell 201 in the moving process from the supply end 202 to the recovery end 203, so that the path of the carbon ribbon 204 is supported and constrained by the printer main body, the precision is improved, and the printing quality is ensured; the thermal transfer ribbon 204 is separated from the restraint of the flattening rod 205, so that high-speed printing can be realized, and meanwhile, the thermal transfer ribbon 204 is not interfered by the shell 201 in the printing process.

Any person skilled in the art can modify or change the above-mentioned embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that all equivalent modifications or changes which can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical spirit of the present invention be covered by the claims of the present invention.