Thermal transfer printer and ribbon recovery drive mechanism assembled therein

Abstract

A ribbon recycle drive mechanism for a thermal transfer printer utilizes the drive mechanism required for print medium movement to drive ribbon recycle. This mechanism simplifies the printer's internal structure and effectively reduces the printer's manufacturing cost. The mechanism comprises a recycle support shaft and a drive wheel disposed at the end of the recycle support shaft for rotating the recycle support shaft. The drive wheel is clutchably connected to a driving gear driven by the drive force that drives the print medium through a clutch transmission assembly. The clutch transmission assembly forces the drive wheel and the driving gear to be connected when the print head moves to the print position and disconnected when the print head moves away from the print position or within a set time after the print head moves away from the print position. The shared drive mechanism for driving the print medium movement and the drive mechanism for driving the ribbon recycle synchronize the movement of the ribbon and the print medium, eliminating the complexity of independent control in the control circuit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a thermal transfer printer, in particular to a ribbon recovery mechanism of the printer. Background Art

[0002] The thermal transfer printer includes a ribbon cassette. One end of the ribbon in the ribbon cassette is wound on the unwinding reel, and the other end passes through the bottom of the print head and is wound on the take-up reel. The unwinding reel and the take-up reel are respectively mounted on the back substrate 1 arranged in the printer casing through the unwinding support shaft and the recovery support shaft. During operation, when the print head 4 moves to the printing position, the take-up reel starts to rotate, and the ribbon steps a set short distance as the print head 4 completes the printing of each line of content, thereby printing the toner on the ribbon onto the printing medium under the ribbon (the printing medium can be a hard card or metal plate, or a soft paper or fiber fabric).

[0003] Thermal transfer printers in the prior art usually require at least three motors (see Figure 17 、 18 As shown, the motors 81 and 82 drive the ribbon take-up reel, the motor 82 drives the print head 4, and the motor 83 drives the drive roller 6 assembly that moves the print medium to the bottom of the print head 4. The ribbon take-up reel is typically mounted on a rotating shaft (hereinafter referred to as the recovery support shaft 31). A gear or pulley (hereinafter referred to as the drive wheel 32) is provided at the end of the recovery support shaft 31. The ribbon motor 81 drives the drive wheel 32 through a transmission assembly, causing the recovery support shaft 31 to rotate and drive the take-up reel to recycle the ribbon printed by the print head 4. However, this arrangement has the following disadvantages:

[0004] 1) It is necessary to provide space for the ribbon motor 81 to be installed.

[0005] 2) The ribbon recovery speed and the speed of driving the printing medium to move need to be matched and set in the control circuit, which increases the difficulty of circuit design structure and debugging.

[0006] 3) A special ribbon motor 81 needs to be configured for the ribbon cassette take-up drum, which increases the manufacturing cost of the printer. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a ribbon recovery drive mechanism for a thermal transfer printer that utilizes the drive mechanism required for moving the printing medium to drive ribbon recovery, which simplifies the internal structure of the printer and can effectively reduce the manufacturing cost of the printer.

[0008] In order to solve the above technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is:

[0009] The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention includes a recovery support shaft and a driving wheel arranged at the end of the recovery support shaft to drive the recovery support shaft to rotate. The characteristic is that the driving wheel can be connected to the driving gear driven by the driving force of the driving medium through a clutch transmission component. The clutch transmission component causes the driving wheel and the driving gear to be connected to each other by power when the print head moves to the printing position, and to be disconnected from the power when the print head moves away from the printing position or within a set time after the print head moves away from the printing position.

[0010] The clutch transmission assembly includes a rotatable suspension bracket mounted on a back base plate located in the housing via a fixed frame rotating shaft, a driven gear or driven gear set mounted on the suspension bracket and rotatable around the fixed frame rotating shaft, and a spring hooked between the suspension bracket and the back base plate for rotating the suspension bracket. A clutch lever extending toward the print head is provided on one side of the suspension bracket on the print head. Correspondingly, a lever structure is provided on one side of the clutch lever on the fixed base plate on which the print head is mounted, which can touch the clutch lever and shift the clutch lever to drive the suspension bracket to rotate, or a push rod structure is provided at the end of the clutch lever to push the clutch lever to generate displacement.

[0011] The lever structure shifts the clutch lever as the fixed base plate rises or falls, causing the driven gear or driven gear set to disconnect or connect the power transmission chain between the drive wheel and the driving gear; or the lever structure shifts the clutch lever as the fixed base plate carrying the print head rotates forward or reverse, causing the driven gear to disconnect or connect the power transmission chain between the drive wheel and the driving gear;

[0012] The push rod structure prompts the driven gear or driven gear set to connect the driving wheel to the driving gear when the print head moves to the printing position, and prompts the driven gear or driven gear set to disconnect the driving wheel from the driving gear when the print head moves away from the printing position, or disconnect the power within a set time after the print head moves away from the printing position.

[0013] The driven gear set includes a first driven gear and a second driven gear; the first driven gear is connected to the driving wheel power, the first driven gear is meshed with the second driven gear, and the second driven gear is meshed with the driving gear in a detachable manner; the first driven gear and the second driven gear are both installed in the suspension bracket, the first driven gear is sleeved on the fixed frame shaft, and the second driven gear is installed on the frame side plate of the suspension bracket through a movable hinge structure.

[0014] The shift lever structure is a hook member provided on the bottom side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever is always overlapped on the hook member; as the fixed base plate rises or falls, the hook member and the clutch lever rise or fall, driving the suspension bracket to rotate in a set direction and forcing the second driven gear to disengage or engage with the driving gear;

[0015] Alternatively, the shift lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider provided on the side of the fixed base plate; the end of the clutch lever always contacts the side of the fixed base plate; as the fixed base plate rises or falls, the outwardly protruding slider triggers the clutch lever to descend or rise and drives the suspension bracket to rotate in a set direction so that the second driven gear engages or disengages with the driving gear;

[0016] Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a concave slider arranged on the side of the fixed base plate; the end of the clutch lever always touches the side of the fixed base plate; as the fixed base plate rises or falls, the concave slider triggers the clutch lever to rise or fall and drives the suspension bracket to rotate in a set direction to separate or engage the second driven gear with the driving gear.

[0017] The fixed frame rotating shaft of the suspension bracket and the recovery support shaft of the driving wheel are the same rotating shaft, and the driven gear is always connected to the driving wheel by gear meshing or connected to the driving wheel by belt transmission through a pulley coaxially arranged with the driven gear; the shift lever structure is a hook member provided on the bottom side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever is always overlapped on the hook member; as the fixed base plate rises or falls, the hook member carries the clutch lever up or down and drives the suspension bracket to rotate in a set direction to separate or mesh with the driving gear;

[0018] Alternatively, the shift lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider provided on the side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever always touches the side of the fixed base plate; as the fixed base plate descends, the outwardly protruding slider triggers the clutch lever to drive the suspension bracket to rotate and connect the driven gear to the driving wheel by force; as the fixed base plate rises, the outwardly protruding slider disengages from pushing the clutch lever, the suspension bracket rotates and disconnects the driven gear from the driving wheel by force;

[0019] Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a concave slider arranged on the side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever always touches the side of the fixed base plate; as the fixed base plate descends, the concave slider touches the clutch lever, causing the suspension bracket to rotate so that the driven gear is disengaged from the power connection with the drive wheel; as the fixed base plate rises, the concave slider pushes the clutch lever to drive the suspension bracket to rotate and connect the driven gear to the drive wheel with power.

[0020] The suspension bracket and the driving gear share the same rotating shaft, and the driven gear is always engaged with the driving gear; the shift lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider provided on the side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever always touches the side of the fixed base plate; as the fixed base plate descends, the outwardly protruding slider pushes the clutch lever to drive the suspension bracket to rotate and force the driven gear to engage with the driving wheel; as the fixed base plate rises, the outwardly protruding slider disengages the push on the clutch lever, the suspension bracket rotates, and the driven gear is disengaged from the driving wheel;

[0021] Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a concave slider provided on the side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever always touches the side of the fixed base plate; as the fixed base plate rises, the concave slider pushes the clutch lever to drive the suspension bracket to rotate and make the driven gear engage with the driving wheel; as the fixed base plate descends, the concave slider touches the clutch lever, causing the suspension bracket to rotate and the driven gear to disengage from the driving wheel;

[0022] Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a hook member provided on the bottom side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch lever is always overlapped on the hook member; as the fixed base plate rises or falls, the hook member carries the clutch lever up or down to drive the suspension bracket to rotate in a set direction and force the driven gear to separate or engage with the driving gear.

[0023] The fixed frame rotating shaft of the suspension bracket and the recovery support shaft of the driving wheel are the same rotating shaft, and the driven gear is always connected to the driving wheel for power by gear meshing or connected to the driving wheel for power transmission by a belt through a pulley coaxially arranged with the driven gear; the shift lever structure is a hook member arranged on the bottom side of the fixed base plate, and the end of the clutch rod is always overlapped on the hook member; as the fixed base plate rotates forward or reverse in the vertical plane, the hook member carries the clutch rod to rise or fall, driving the suspension bracket to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise and forcing the driven gear to separate or mesh with the driving gear.

[0024] The clutch transmission assembly includes a suspension bracket that is mounted on a back base plate located in the housing through a fixed frame rail and can perform linear reciprocating movement in the horizontal direction, a driven gear mounted on the suspension bracket, and a spring hooked between the suspension bracket and the back base plate for returning the suspension bracket to its original position. A clutch lever extending toward the print head is provided on the suspension bracket on one side of the print head. Correspondingly, an outer convex slider or an inner concave slider is provided on one side of the clutch lever on the fixed base plate on which the print head is mounted, which can push the clutch lever and drive the suspension bracket to move linearly. As the fixed base plate descends, the outer convex slider pushes the clutch lever to drive the suspension bracket forward and simultaneously engage the driven gear with the driving wheel and the driving gear. As the fixed base plate rises, the outer convex slider disengages from pushing the clutch lever, the suspension bracket returns to its original position, and the driven gear disengages from meshing with the driving wheel and the driving gear.

[0025] Alternatively, as the fixed base plate rises, the concave slider pushes the clutch rod to drive the suspension bracket forward and make the driven gear engage with the driving wheel and the driving gear at the same time; as the fixed base plate descends, the concave slider disengages from pushing the clutch rod, the suspension bracket returns to its position and makes the driven gear disengage from the driving wheel and the driving gear.

[0026] The driving gear is arranged at the end of a driving roller that drives the printing medium to move.

[0027] The driving wheel is a gear or a pulley; the push rod structure is a telescopic cylinder, a solenoid valve push rod, a cam, a gear rack or a linear motor independently controlled by the printer main control circuit.

[0028] A thermal transfer printer includes a ribbon cartridge, and is characterized in that a driving mechanism for driving a ribbon reel in the ribbon cartridge to rewind the ribbon is the ribbon recovery driving mechanism of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the present invention adopts an improved ribbon recovery drive mechanism, which significantly reduces the manufacturing cost of a thermal transfer printer equipped with the ribbon recovery drive mechanism. At the same time, the drive mechanism for driving the movement of the printing medium and the drive mechanism for driving the ribbon recovery are shared, which also makes the movement of the ribbon and the printing medium tend to be synchronized, eliminating the complexity of independent control on the control circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0030] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention (the ribbon recovery drive mechanism is the structure of the first embodiment, and the figure shows that the driving wheel in the recovery drive mechanism is dynamically connected to the driving gear).

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Orthographic plan view.

[0032] Figure 3 for Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the middle drive wheel and the driving gear being disconnected from each other.

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 1 Vertical cross-sectional view (cutting from the suspension bracket).

[0034] Figure 5 for Figure 1 Explosion diagram.

[0035] Figure 6 for Figure 5 Dorsal view.

[0036] Figure 7 for Figure 1 The ribbon recovery drive mechanism in the figure is a schematic diagram of the second embodiment (the driving wheel is dynamically connected to the driving gear).

[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 7 Schematic diagram of power disconnection between the middle drive wheel and the active gear.

[0038] Figure 9 for Figure 1 The ribbon recovery drive mechanism in the figure is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment (the driving wheel is connected to the driving gear in a power manner and the shifting rod structure is an outwardly convex slider).

[0039] Figure 10 for Figure 9 Schematic diagram of power disconnection between the middle drive wheel and the active gear.

[0040] Figure 11 for Figure 1 The ribbon recovery drive mechanism in the figure is a schematic diagram of the third embodiment (the driving wheel is connected to the driving gear in a power manner and the lever structure is a concave slider).

[0041] Figure 12 for Figure 11 Schematic diagram of power disconnection between the middle drive wheel and the active gear.

[0042] Figure 13 for Figure 1 The ribbon recovery drive mechanism in the figure is a schematic diagram of the fourth embodiment (the driving wheel is dynamically connected to the driving gear).

[0043] Figure 14 for Figure 13 Schematic diagram of power disconnection between the middle drive wheel and the active gear.

[0044] Figure 15 for Figure 1 The ribbon recovery drive mechanism in the figure is a schematic diagram of the fifth embodiment (the driving wheel is dynamically connected to the driving gear).

[0045] Figure 16 for Figure 15 Schematic diagram of power disconnection between the middle drive wheel and the active gear.

[0046] Figure 17 The figure is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of a thermal transfer printer in the prior art (including the ribbon releasing and retracting mechanism).

[0047] Figure 18 for Figure 17 Explosion diagram.

[0048] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0049] Back substrate 1, drive motor 2, ribbon recovery drum 3, recovery support shaft 31, drive wheel 32, ribbon 33, print head 4, fixed base plate 41, hook piece 42, convex slider 43, concave slider 44, clutch transmission assembly 5, suspension bracket 51, rear side plate 511, bottom plate 512, front side plate 513, fixed frame shaft 514, clutch rod 515, fixed frame rail 52, slide groove 53, driven gear 54, driven gear group 55, intermediate gear 551, first driven gear 552, second driven gear 553, spring 56, upper hanging ring 561, lower hanging ring 562, drive roller 6, driving gear 7, ribbon motor 81, print head motor 82, drive roller motor 83. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0050] 1. Thermal Transfer Printer of the Present Invention (hereinafter also referred to as Printer)

[0051] It improves the driving mechanism for recovering the ribbon 33 in the ribbon box, so that the transmission mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the ribbon transmission mechanism) that drives the ribbon recovery drum 3 (also called the ribbon winding drum) to rotate and rewind the ribbon in the prior art and the transmission mechanism (hereinafter referred to as the medium transmission mechanism) that drives the printing medium (the printing medium can be a hard card, a hard aluminum plate, paper or a soft fiber fabric) to move share a driving motor 2, which effectively reduces the manufacturing cost of the printer. At the same time, it can also improve the synchronization between the ribbon 33 running speed and the printing medium moving speed.

[0052] The printer adds a clutch transmission assembly 5 between the ribbon transmission mechanism and the drive motor 2 or the medium transmission mechanism. When the print head 4 moves to the printing position (the movement of the print head 4 can be a lifting movement or a rotational movement), the power transmission chain between the drive motor 2 and the ribbon transmission mechanism is connected. When the print head 4 moves away from the printing position, the power transmission chain between the drive motor 2 and the ribbon transmission mechanism is disconnected. When the clutch transmission assembly 5 connects the power transmission chain between the drive motor 2 and the ribbon transmission mechanism, the rotation of the drive motor 2 is also transmitted to the ribbon transmission mechanism through the power transmission chain.

[0053] The clutch transmission assembly 5 may include a single gear (hereinafter referred to as the driven gear 54) or a gear transmission group (hereinafter referred to as the driven gear group 55). The power transmission chain refers to a mechanical energy transmission chain in which the power output from the drive motor 2 is transmitted to the ribbon drive mechanism via the clutch transmission assembly 5 to drive the ribbon reel to rotate and rewind the ribbon. Alternatively, the power transmission chain refers to a mechanical energy transmission chain in which the power output from the drive motor 2 is transmitted to the ribbon drive mechanism via the medium transmission mechanism and the clutch transmission assembly 5 to drive the ribbon reel to rotate and rewind the ribbon.

[0054] The power output by the drive motor 2 can be transmitted outwardly by a driving gear 7 directly arranged on the output shaft of the drive motor 2, or by a driving gear 7 arranged at the end of a driving roller 6 in the medium transmission mechanism driven by the drive motor 2, or by a driving gear 7 arranged on an intermediate node structure between the output shaft of the drive motor 2 and the drive roller 6 and driven by the drive motor 2.

[0055] The ribbon transmission mechanism of the present invention is preferably a gear or pulley (hereinafter referred to as a driving wheel 32) arranged on a support shaft (hereinafter referred to as a recovery support shaft 31) for driving the ribbon recovery drum 3 to rotate and located at the end of the support shaft.

[0056] To ensure that the ribbon 33 has a certain length between two consecutive print jobs (i.e., to allow the ribbon 33 to move a short distance before the next print job is started after the previous print job is completed), the clutch transmission assembly 5 of the present invention preferably connects the power transmission chain between the drive motor 2 and the ribbon recovery transmission mechanism at a set time before the print head 4 moves to the print position, or disconnects the power transmission chain between the drive motor 2 and the ribbon recovery transmission mechanism at a set time after the print head 4 moves away from the print position. The set time should ensure that the length between two print jobs is between 1 mm and 2 mm, and should not be too long, as this will consume more ribbon 33.

[0057] 2. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer of the present invention

[0058] The drive wheel 32 comprises the recovery support shaft 31, the drive wheel 32, the clutch transmission assembly 5 and the driving gear 7. The drive wheel 32 can be connected to the driving gear 7 by clutch transmission assembly 5, that is, when the print head 4 moves to the printing position or within the set time before moving to the printing position, the clutch transmission assembly 5 causes the drive wheel 32 to be connected to the driving gear 7 by power. When the print head 4 moves away from the printing position or within the set time after the print head 4 moves away from the printing position, the clutch transmission assembly 5 causes the drive wheel 32 to be disconnected from the driving gear 7 by power.

[0059] The transmission ratio between the driving wheel 32 and the active gear 7 in the power connection state must ensure that the linear speed of the ribbon recovery drum 3 when there is no recycled ribbon is greater than or equal to the printing linear speed of the medium. As printing progresses, more and more ribbons are recycled on the ribbon recovery drum 3, resulting in the diameter of the ribbon on the recycling drum becoming larger and larger, thereby increasing the linear speed of the recycled ribbon. It is necessary to set a slip mechanism between the ribbon recovery drum 3 and the driving wheel 32 to meet the requirement that the linear speed of the recycled ribbon is equal to the printing linear speed of the medium.

[0060] The ribbon recovery drive mechanism used in the present invention preferably has the following embodiments, and its structure is now described in detail.

[0061] 1. Example 1

[0062] like Figure 1 - Figure 6 As shown, the clutch transmission assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a driven gear set 55 .

[0063] The clutch transmission assembly 5 is composed of a suspension bracket 51 , a fixed frame shaft 514 , a driven gear set 55 , and a spring 56 .

[0064] 1) Suspension bracket 51

[0065] It is a concave frame plate with an integrated structure, which is divided into a rear side plate 511 (also called a frame side plate), a bottom plate 512 and a front side plate 513 (also called a frame side plate). Figure 2 For example, the inside of the figure is the back, and the direction of the figure pointing towards the observer is the outside), the suspension bracket 51 is installed on the back substrate 1 located in the casing through a rotating shaft (hereinafter referred to as the fixed frame rotating shaft 514), and the suspension bracket 51 can rotate freely around the fixed frame rotating shaft 514.

[0066] The spring 56 can be a tension spring, and a hook plate with an upper hanging ring 561 for hooking the spring 56 is provided on the bottom edge of the rear side plate 511; the spring 56 can also be a torsion spring, which is mounted on the fixed frame shaft 514, with one end hooked on the bottom edge of the rear side plate 511 and the other end hooked on the base plate 1; a short shaft column or a hinge structure is provided on the inner side surface of the rear side plate 511 close to the print head 4, and a clutch rod 515 extending toward the print head 4 is provided on the side of the front side plate 513 close to the print head 4.

[0067] 2) Driven gear set 55

[0068] In this embodiment, the driving wheel 32 is a gear.

[0069] The driven gear set 55 includes a first driven gear 552 and a second driven gear 553. The first driven gear 552 includes disc teeth and shaft teeth and is mounted between the rear side plate 511 and the front side plate 513 and sleeved on the fixed frame shaft 514. The second driven gear 553 is parallel to the first driven gear 552 and mounted on the short shaft column or mounted on the inner side surface of the rear side plate 511 via the hinge structure. The disc teeth of the first driven gear 552 are externally meshed with the driving wheel 32, and the shaft teeth of the first driven gear 552 are externally meshed with the second driven gear 553. The second driven gear 553 is externally meshed with the driving gear 7 in a detachable manner.

[0070] In this embodiment, an intermediate gear 551 mounted on the back substrate 1 is preferably provided between the disc teeth of the first driven gear 552 and the driving wheel 32 to change the rotation direction of the driving wheel 32. The intermediate gear 551 is placed outside the suspension bracket 51 and is externally meshed with the driving wheel 32; the disc teeth of the first driven gear 552 are externally meshed with the intermediate gear 551, the shaft teeth of the first driven gear 552 are externally meshed with the second driven gear 553, and the second driven gear 553 is externally meshed with the driving gear 7 in a detachable manner.

[0071] The spring 56 in this embodiment is preferably a tension spring, and the lower hanging ring 562 of the spring 56 is hooked on the back substrate 1 below the suspension bracket 51 and away from the print head 4.

[0072] In this embodiment, the print head 4 is mounted on a slide that can slide up and down (hereinafter referred to as a fixed base plate 41). The fixed base plate 41 is buckled on a slide rail. Driven by the print drive device, the fixed base plate 41 carries the print head 4 up or down, descends to the printing position to start printing, and rises away from the printing position to stop printing.

[0073] A lever structure is provided on one side of the clutch rod 515 on the fixed base plate 41, which can touch the clutch rod 515 and move the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate. The lever structure is a hook piece 42 arranged on the bottom side of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch rod 515 is always overlapped on the hook piece 42.

[0074] When the fixed base plate 41 rises, the hook member 42 and the clutch rod 515 rise to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate counterclockwise (called reverse rotation) and force the second driven gear 553 to separate from the driving gear 7 (see Figure 3 shown)

[0075] When the fixed base plate 41 descends, the suspension bracket 51 rotates clockwise (called forward rotation) under the reset force of the spring 56. When the print head 4 falls to the printing position, the suspension bracket 51 and the second driven gear 553 engage with the driving gear 7 (see Figure 2As shown), the driving gear 7 transmits power to the driving wheel 32 through the second driven gear 553, the first driven gear 552, and the intermediate gear 551 in sequence.

[0076] When the time for the second driven gear 553 to engage with the driving gear 7 needs to be set before the print head 4 moves to the printing position, it is necessary to adjust the end of the clutch rod 515 overlapped on the hook member 42 and the initial state of the hook member 42 to a loose overlap (the initial state is a tight overlap, which means that when the print head 4 starts to rise, the hook member 42 immediately triggers the clutch rod 515 to move and disengage the second driven gear 553 from the driving gear 7; the initial state is a loose overlap, which means that when the print head 4 starts to rise, a delay of a set time is required before the hook member 42 triggers the clutch rod 515 to move and disengage the second driven gear 553 from the driving gear 7).

[0077] This embodiment may also employ a push rod structure (not shown) independently controlled by the printer's main control circuit to establish a power connection between the drive wheel 32 and the driving gear 7. The push rod structure is disposed at the end of the clutch lever and is configured to push the clutch lever to cause displacement. When the print head 4 is moved to the printing position, the push rod structure causes the driven gear 54 to connect the drive wheel 32 to the driving gear 7. When the print head 4 is moved away from the printing position, the push rod structure causes the driven gear 54 to disconnect the drive wheel from the driving gear 7, or disconnect the drive wheel from the driving gear 7 within a set time after the print head 4 has moved away from the printing position.

[0078] The push rod structure is a telescopic cylinder, a solenoid valve push rod, a cam, a gear rack or a linear motor independently controlled by the printer main control circuit.

[0079] The lever structure in this embodiment can also be an outward convex slider 43 or an inward concave slider 44 (the structure and shape of the inward concave slider 44 can be seen in FIG. Figure 11 、 12 The structure and shape shown in FIG), the specific settings are as follows:

[0080] a. When an outwardly projecting slider 43 is used, it is disposed on the side of the fixed base plate 41; the end of the clutch lever 515 always touches the side of the fixed base plate 41; as the fixed base plate 41 rises or falls, the outwardly projecting slider 43 triggers the clutch lever 515 to descend or rise, driving the suspension bracket 51 to rotate in a predetermined direction so that the second driven gear 553 engages or disengages with the driving gear 7;

[0081] b. When a concave slider 44 is used, the concave slider 44 is arranged on the side of the fixed base plate 41; the end of the clutch rod 515 always touches the side of the fixed base plate 41; as the fixed base plate 41 rises or falls, the concave slider 44 triggers the clutch rod 515 to rise or fall and drives the suspension bracket 51 to rotate in a set direction so that the second driven gear 553 is separated from or engaged with the driving gear 7.

[0082] 2. Example 2

[0083] like Figure 7 、 Figure 8 As shown, the clutch transmission assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a driven gear 54 .

[0084] The clutch transmission assembly 5 is composed of a suspension bracket 51 , a fixed frame rotating shaft 514 , a driven gear 54 , and a spring 56 .

[0085] 1) Suspension bracket 51

[0086] It is a flat plate. The suspension bracket 51 is mounted on the back substrate 1 located in the housing through a rotating shaft (hereinafter referred to as the fixed frame rotating shaft 514). The fixed frame rotating shaft 514 and the driving wheel 32 share the same rotating shaft, that is, the suspension bracket 51 can rotate freely around the fixed frame rotating shaft 514.

[0087] In this embodiment, the driving wheel 32 can be a gear or a pulley.

[0088] A hook plate for the upper hanging ring 561 of the hook spring 56 is provided in the middle position of the bottom edge of the flat plate, a short shaft column or hinge structure is provided on the inner side surface of the flat plate near the print head 4, and a clutch rod 515 extending toward the print head 4 is provided on the side of the flat plate adjacent to the print head 4.

[0089] 2) Driven gear 54

[0090] The driven gear 54 is assembled on the short shaft column or installed on the inner side of the flat plate through the hinge structure. When the driving wheel 32 is a gear, the driven gear 54 is always engaged with the outside of the driving wheel 32. The driven gear 54 can be engaged with the outside of the driving gear 7 in a disengageable manner (when the driving wheel 32 is a pulley, a synchronous pulley rotating coaxially with the driven gear 54 is provided next to the driven gear 54, and the synchronous pulley is then connected to the driving wheel 32 by a belt).

[0091] The lower hanging ring 562 of the spring 56 is hooked on the back substrate 1 below the suspension bracket 51 and facing away from the print head 4.

[0092] In this embodiment, the installation method of the print head 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0093] Similarly, on the fixed base plate 41 on which the print head 4 is installed, a lever structure is provided on one side of the clutch rod 515, which can touch the clutch rod 515 and move the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate. The lever structure is a hook piece 42 arranged on the bottom side of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch rod 515 is always overlapped on the hook piece 42.

[0094] When the fixed base plate 41 rises, the hook member 42 and the clutch rod 515 rise to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate counterclockwise (called reverse rotation) and force the driven gear 54 to separate from the driving gear 7 (see Figure 7 shown)

[0095] When the fixed base plate 41 descends, the suspension bracket 51 rotates clockwise (called forward rotation) under the reset force of the spring 56. When the print head 4 falls to the printing position, the suspension bracket 51 and the driven gear 54 engage with the driving gear 7 (see Figure 8 As shown), the driving gear 7 transmits power to the driving wheel 32 through the driven gear 54.

[0096] The lever structure in this embodiment can also be an outward convex slider 43 or an inward concave slider 44 (the structure and shape of the inward concave slider 44 can be seen in FIG. Figure 11 、 12 The structure and shape shown in FIG), the specific settings are as follows:

[0097] a. When an outwardly projecting slider 43 is used, the outwardly projecting slider 43 is disposed on the side of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch lever 515 always touches the side of the fixed base plate 41; as the fixed base plate 41 descends, the outwardly projecting slider 43 actuates the clutch lever 515, driving the suspension bracket 51 to rotate and causing the driven gear 54 to be dynamically connected to the drive wheel 32; as the fixed base plate 41 ascends, the outwardly projecting slider 43 disengages from the clutch lever 515, and under the action of the spring 56, the suspension bracket 51 rotates and causes the driven gear 54 to be dynamically disconnected from the drive wheel 32;

[0098] b. When the concave slider 44 is used, the concave slider 44 is arranged on the side of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch rod 515 always touches the side of the fixed base plate 41; as the fixed base plate 41 descends, under the action of the spring 56, the concave slider 44 touches the clutch rod 515, causing the suspension bracket 51 to rotate so that the driven gear 54 is disconnected from the power connection with the drive wheel 32; as the fixed base plate 41 rises, the concave slider 44 pushes the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate and connect the driven gear 54 to the drive wheel 32.

[0099] 3. Example 3

[0100] like Figure 9 、 Figure 10 As shown, the clutch transmission assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a driven gear 54 .

[0101] The clutch transmission assembly 5 is composed of a suspension bracket 51 , a fixed frame rotating shaft 514 , a driven gear 54 , and a spring 56 .

[0102] 1) Suspension bracket 51

[0103] It is a flat plate. The suspension bracket 51 is installed on the back substrate 1 located in the casing through a rotating shaft (hereinafter referred to as the fixed frame rotating shaft 514). The fixed frame rotating shaft 514 and the driving gear 7 share the same rotating shaft, that is, the suspension bracket 51 can rotate freely around the fixed frame rotating shaft 514.

[0104] A hook plate (which may also be a hook pin) for the upper hanging ring 561 of the hook spring 56 is provided in the middle position of the right edge of the flat plate, a short shaft column or hinge structure is provided on the upper part of the inner side surface of the flat plate, and a clutch rod 515 extending toward the print head 4 is provided on the side of the upper edge of the flat plate adjacent to the print head 4.

[0105] 2) Driven gear 54

[0106] The driven gear 54 is assembled on the short shaft column or installed on the inner side of the flat plate through the hinge structure. It is parallel to the driving gear 7 above and below. The driven gear 54 is always engaged with the outside of the driving gear 7. The driven gear 54 can be engaged with the outside of the driving wheel 32 in a disengageable manner.

[0107] The lower hanging ring 562 of the spring 56 is hooked on the back substrate 1 below the suspension bracket 51 and close to the print head 4.

[0108] In this embodiment, the installation method of the print head 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0109] Similarly, on the fixed base plate 41 on which the print head 4 is installed, a lever structure is provided on one side of the clutch rod 515, which can touch the clutch rod 515 and move the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate. The lever structure is an outward convex slider 43 or an inward concave slider 44 arranged on the side of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch rod 515 can touch the side of the fixed base plate 41.

[0110] a. When the lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider 43, when the fixed base plate 41 descends, the outwardly protruding slider 43 pushes the end of the clutch lever 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate counterclockwise. When the print head 4 falls to the printing position, the suspension bracket 51 and the driven gear 54 engage with the drive wheel 32 (see Figure 9 As shown), the driving gear 7 transmits power to the driving wheel 32 through the driven gear 54.

[0111] When the fixed base plate 41 rises, the outer convex slider 43 disengages from pushing the end of the clutch rod 515. Under the action of the spring 56, the suspension bracket 51 rotates clockwise and disengages the driven gear 54 from the engagement with the driving wheel 32 (see Figure 10 shown).

[0112] b. When the lever structure is a concave slider 44, the end of the clutch lever 515 always touches the side of the fixed base plate 41; as the fixed base plate 41 rises, the concave slider 44 pushes the clutch lever 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate and cause the driven gear 54 to engage with the drive wheel 32; as the fixed base plate 41 descends, the concave slider 44 touches the clutch lever 515, and under the action of the spring 56, the suspension bracket 51 rotates and the driven gear 54 is disengaged from the drive wheel 32 (see Figure 11 、 Figure 12 shown).

[0113] The driving wheel 32 in this embodiment can be a pulley. At the same time, the driven gear 54 can also be a synchronous pulley with coaxial rotation. In order to prevent slippage between the driven gear 54 and the driving wheel 32 during power connection, a belt tensioning structure can be provided between the driving wheel 32 and the synchronous pulley of the driven gear 54.

[0114] 4. Example 4

[0115] like Figure 13 、 Figure 14 As shown, the clutch transmission assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a driven gear 54, and the driving wheel 32 is preferably a gear.

[0116] The clutch transmission assembly 5 is composed of a suspension bracket 51 , a fixed frame rail 52 , a slide groove 53 , a driven gear 54 , and a spring 56 .

[0117] 1) Suspension bracket 51

[0118] It is a flat plate. The suspension bracket 51 is installed in a slide groove 53 on the back substrate 1 inside the casing through a fixed rail 52. The slide groove 53 is horizontally arranged. The fixed rail 52 can carry the suspension bracket 51 in the slide groove 53 to perform linear reciprocating movement in the horizontal direction.

[0119] A hook plate (which may also be a hook pin) for the upper hanging ring 561 of the hook spring 56 is provided at the bottom corner of the right edge of the flat plate, a short shaft column or hinge structure is provided on the left side of the inner side surface of the flat plate, and a clutch rod 515 extending toward the print head 4 is provided on the side of the upper edge of the flat plate adjacent to the print head 4.

[0120] 2) Driven gear 54

[0121] The driven gear 54 is mounted on the short shaft or on the inner side of the plate via the hinge structure. The driven gear 54 can rotate freely on the short shaft or hinge structure. After the suspension bracket 51 is translated to the left by a set distance, the driven gear 54 can simultaneously engage with the driving wheel 32 and the driving gear 7.

[0122] The lower hanging ring 562 of the spring 56 is hooked on the back substrate 1 below the suspension bracket 51 and close to the print head 4.

[0123] In this embodiment, the installation method of the print head 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0124] Similarly, on the fixed base plate 41 on which the print head 4 is installed, a lever structure is provided on one side of the clutch rod 515, which can touch the clutch rod 515 and push the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to move linearly. The lever structure is an outward convex slider 43 or an inward concave slider 44 arranged on the side of the middle or lower middle part of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch rod 515 can touch the side of the middle or lower middle part of the fixed base plate 41.

[0125] a. When the lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider 43, when the fixed base plate 41 descends, the outwardly protruding slider 43 pushes the end of the clutch lever 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to move linearly to the left. When the print head 4 falls to the printing position, the suspension bracket 51 and the driven gear 54 are engaged with the driving wheel 32 and the driving gear 7 respectively (see Figure 13 As shown), the driving gear 7 transmits power to the driving wheel 32 through the driven gear 54.

[0126] When the fixed base plate 41 rises, the outer convex slider 43 disengages from pushing the end of the clutch rod 515. Under the action of the spring 56, the suspension bracket 51 moves linearly to the right and causes the driven gear 54 to disengage from the meshing with the driving wheel 32 and the driving gear 7 (see Figure 14 shown).

[0127] b. The lever structure is a concave slider 44 (the structure and shape of the concave slider 44 can be seen in Figure 11 、 12 ), as the fixed base plate 41 rises, the concave slider 44 pushes the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 forward and make the driven gear 54 engage with the driving wheel 32 and the driving gear 7 at the same time; as the fixed base plate 41 descends, the concave slider 44 disengages from pushing the clutch rod 515, and under the action of the spring 56, the suspension bracket 51 returns to its original position and disengages the driven gear 54 from the driving wheel 32 and the driving gear 7.

[0128] 5. Example 5

[0129] like Figure 15 、 Figure 16 As shown, the clutch transmission assembly 5 in this embodiment includes a driven gear 54. The driving wheel 32 in this embodiment can be a pulley, preferably a gear, and the driven gear can be a gear with the aforementioned synchronous pulley.

[0130] The clutch transmission assembly 5 is composed of a suspension bracket 51 , a fixed frame rotating shaft 514 , a driven gear 54 , and a spring 56 .

[0131] 1) Suspension bracket 51

[0132] It is a flat plate. The suspension bracket 51 is installed on the back substrate 1 located in the casing through a rotating shaft (hereinafter referred to as the fixed frame rotating shaft 514). The fixed frame rotating shaft 514 shares the same rotating shaft with the driving wheel 32, that is, the suspension bracket 51 can rotate freely around the fixed frame rotating shaft 514.

[0133] A hook plate for the upper hanging ring 561 of the hook spring 56 is provided in the middle position of the bottom edge of the flat plate, a short shaft column or hinge structure is provided on the inner side surface of the flat plate near the print head 4, and a clutch rod 515 extending toward the print head 4 is provided on the side of the flat plate adjacent to the print head 4.

[0134] 2) Driven gear 54

[0135] The driven gear 54 is assembled on the short shaft column or installed on the inner side of the flat plate through the hinge structure. The driven gear 54 is always engaged with the outside of the driving wheel 32. The driven gear 54 can be engaged with the outside of the driving gear 7 in a disengageable manner.

[0136] The lower hanging ring 562 of the spring 56 is hooked on the back substrate 1 below the suspension bracket 51 and facing away from the print head 4.

[0137] In this embodiment, the print head 4 is mounted on a fixed base plate 41 that can rotate forward or reverse in a vertical plane in the direction of printing medium conveyance. The fixed base plate 41 is mounted on a rotating shaft provided on the back base plate 1. Driven by the printing drive device, the fixed base plate 41 can carry the print head 4 to rotate counterclockwise to the printing position, or rotate clockwise until the print head 4 leaves the printing position.

[0138] Similarly, on the fixed base plate 41 on which the print head 4 is installed, a lever structure is provided on one side of the clutch rod 515, which can touch the clutch rod 515 and move the clutch rod 515 to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate. The lever structure is a hook piece 42 arranged on the bottom side of the fixed base plate 41, and the end of the clutch rod 515 is always overlapped on the hook piece 42.

[0139] When the fixed base plate 41 rotates clockwise, the hook member 42 carries the clutch rod 515 upward to drive the suspension bracket 51 to rotate counterclockwise (called reverse rotation) and force the driven gear 54 to separate from the driving gear 7 (see Figure 16 shown)

[0140] When the fixed base plate 41 rotates counterclockwise, the suspension bracket 51 rotates clockwise (called forward rotation) under the reset force of the spring 56. When the print head 4 rotates to the printing position, the suspension bracket 51 and the driven gear 54 engage with the driving gear 7 (see Figure 15 As shown), the driving gear 7 transmits power to the driving wheel 32 through the driven gear 54.

[0141] The lever structure in the above-mentioned embodiments 2 to 5 can also be replaced by the push rod structure described in embodiment 1. At the same time, the settings of the convex slider 43, the concave slider 44 and the hook member 42 for starting the clutch lever action in the above-mentioned embodiments can be interchangeable in each embodiment.

Claims

1. A ribbon recovery drive mechanism for a thermal transfer printer, comprising a recovery support shaft (31) and a drive wheel disposed at the end of the recovery support shaft (31) for driving the recovery support shaft (31) to rotate, characterized in that: The driving wheel (32) is connected to a driving gear (7) driven by a driving force for moving a driven printing medium via a clutch transmission component (5). When the print head (4) moves to a printing position or within a set time before moving to the printing position, the clutch transmission component (5) causes the driving wheel (32) to be connected to the driving gear (7) by power. When the print head (4) moves away from the printing position or within a set time after the print head (4) moves away from the printing position, the clutch transmission component (5) causes the driving wheel (32) to be disconnected from the driving gear (7) by power. The printing medium is a hard card, a hard aluminum plate, paper or a soft fiber fabric.

2. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clutch transmission assembly (5) comprises a rotatable suspension bracket (51) mounted on a back substrate (1) located in a housing via a fixed frame rotating shaft (514), a driven gear (54) or a driven gear set (55) mounted on the suspension bracket (51) and rotatable around the fixed frame rotating shaft (514), and a spring (56) hooked between the suspension bracket (51) and the back substrate (1) for causing the suspension bracket (51) to rotate. A clutch rod (515) extending in the direction of the print head (4) is provided on the suspension bracket (51) at one side of the print head (4). Correspondingly, a lever structure capable of contacting the clutch rod (515) and shifting the clutch rod (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) to rotate is provided on the fixed substrate (41) on which the print head (4) is mounted, or a push rod structure capable of pushing the clutch rod to generate displacement is provided at the end of the clutch rod. The lever structure shifts the clutch lever (515) as the fixed base plate (41) rises or falls, prompting the driven gear (54) or the driven gear set (55) to disconnect or connect the power transmission chain between the driving wheel (32) and the driving gear (7); or the lever structure shifts the clutch lever (515) as the fixed base plate (41) and the print head (4) rotate forward or backward, prompting the driven gear (54) to disconnect or connect the power transmission chain between the driving wheel (32) and the driving gear (7); The push rod structure prompts the driven gear (54) or the driven gear set (55) to connect the driving wheel to the driving gear (7) when the print head (4) moves to the printing position, and prompts the driven gear (54) or the driven gear set (55) to disconnect the driving wheel from the driving gear (7) when the print head (4) moves away from the printing position, or disconnects the driving wheel from the driving gear (7) within a set time after the print head (4) moves away from the printing position.

3. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driven gear set (55) includes a first driven gear (552) and a second driven gear (553); the first driven gear (552) is connected to the driving wheel power, the first driven gear (552) is meshed with the second driven gear (553), and the second driven gear (553) is meshed with the driving gear (7) in a detachable manner; the first driven gear (552) and the second driven gear (553) are both installed in the suspension bracket (51), the first driven gear (552) is sleeved on the fixed frame shaft (514), and the second driven gear (553) is installed on the frame side plate of the suspension bracket (51) through a movable hinge structure.

4. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The shift lever structure is a hook member (42) provided on the bottom side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch rod (515) is always overlapped on the hook member (42); as the fixed base plate (41) rises or falls, the hook member (42) drives the clutch rod (515) to rise or fall, driving the suspension bracket (51) to rotate in a set direction and forcing the second driven gear (553) to separate from or engage with the driving gear (7); Alternatively, the shift lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider (43) provided on the side of the fixed base plate (41); the end of the clutch lever (515) always touches the side of the fixed base plate (41); as the fixed base plate (41) rises or falls, the outwardly protruding slider (43) triggers the clutch lever (515) to fall or rise and drives the suspension bracket (51) to rotate in a set direction so that the second driven gear (553) engages or disengages with the driving gear (7); Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a concave slider (44) provided on a side of the fixed base plate (41); the end of the clutch lever (515) always touches the side of the fixed base plate (41); as the fixed base plate (41) rises or falls, the concave slider (44) triggers the clutch lever (515) to rise or fall and drives the suspension bracket (51) to rotate in a set direction so that the second driven gear (553) is separated from or engaged with the driving gear (7).

5. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixed frame rotating shaft (514) of the suspension bracket (51) and the recovery support shaft (31) of the driving wheel (32) are the same rotating shaft, and the driven gear (54) is always connected to the driving wheel (32) by gear meshing or connected to the driving wheel (32) by belt transmission through a pulley coaxially arranged with the driven gear (54); the shifting rod structure is a hook member (42) arranged on the bottom side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch rod (515) is always overlapped on the hook member (42); as the fixed base plate (41) rises or falls, the hook member (42) carries the clutch rod (515) to rise or fall and drives the suspension bracket (51) to rotate in a set direction so that the driven gear (54) is separated from or engaged with the driving gear (7); Alternatively, the shift lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider (43) provided on the side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch lever (515) always touches the side of the fixed base plate (41); as the fixed base plate (41) descends, the outwardly protruding slider (43) triggers the clutch lever (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) to rotate and to connect the driven gear (54) to the driving wheel (32) in a power connection; as the fixed base plate (41) rises, the outwardly protruding slider (43) disengages from pushing the clutch lever (515), the suspension bracket (51) rotates and to disconnect the driven gear (54) from the power connection with the driving wheel (32); Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a concave slider (44) provided on the side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch lever (515) always touches the side of the fixed base plate (41); as the fixed base plate (41) descends, the concave slider (44) touches the clutch lever (515), causing the suspension bracket (51) to rotate so that the driven gear (54) is disconnected from the power connection with the driving wheel (32); as the fixed base plate (41) rises, the concave slider (44) pushes the clutch lever (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) to rotate and to connect the driven gear (54) to the driving wheel (32) in power.

6. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The suspension bracket (51) and the driving gear (7) share the same rotating shaft, and the driven gear (54) is always engaged with the driving gear (7); the shift lever structure is an outwardly protruding slider (43) provided on the side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch lever (515) always touches the side of the fixed base plate (41); as the fixed base plate (41) descends, the outwardly protruding slider (43) pushes the clutch lever (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) to rotate and force the driven gear (54) to engage with the driving wheel (32); as the fixed base plate (41) rises, the outwardly protruding slider (43) disengages from pushing the clutch lever (515), the suspension bracket (51) rotates and causes the driven gear (54) to disengage from the driving wheel (32); Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a concave slider (44) provided on the side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch lever (515) always touches the side of the fixed base plate (41); as the fixed base plate (41) rises, the concave slider (44) pushes the clutch lever (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) to rotate and make the driven gear (54) engage with the driving wheel (32); as the fixed base plate (41) descends, the concave slider (44) touches the clutch lever (515), causing the suspension bracket (51) to rotate and the driven gear (54) to disengage from the driving wheel (32); Alternatively, the shift lever structure is a hook member (42) provided on the bottom side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch rod (515) is always overlapped on the hook member (42); as the fixed base plate (41) rises or falls, the hook member (42) and the clutch rod (515) rise or fall, driving the suspension bracket (51) to rotate in a set direction and forcing the driven gear (54) to separate from or engage with the driving gear (7).

7. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 2, characterized in that: The fixed frame rotating shaft (514) of the suspension bracket (51) and the recovery support shaft (31) of the driving wheel (32) are the same rotating shaft, and the driven gear (54) is always connected to the driving wheel (32) in a gear meshing power connection or connected to the driving wheel (32) in a belt transmission power connection via a pulley coaxially arranged with the driven gear (54); the shifting rod structure is a hook member (42) arranged on the bottom side of the fixed base plate (41), and the end of the clutch rod (515) is always overlapped on the hook member (42); as the fixed base plate (41) rotates forward or reverse in a vertical plane, the hook member (42) and the clutch rod (515) rise or fall, driving the suspension bracket (51) to rotate counterclockwise or clockwise and forcing the driven gear (54) to separate or engage with the driving gear (7).

8. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The clutch transmission assembly (5) comprises a suspension bracket (51) which is mounted on a back substrate (1) located in a housing via a fixed frame rail (52) and can perform linear reciprocating movement in a horizontal direction, a driven gear (54) mounted on the suspension bracket (51), and a spring (56) hooked between the suspension bracket (51) and the back substrate (1) for returning the suspension bracket (51). A clutch rod (515) extending in the direction of the print head (4) is provided on one side of the suspension bracket (51) and located on the back substrate (1). Correspondingly, a clutch rod (515) which can push the clutch rod (515) is provided on one side of the clutch rod (515) on the fixed substrate (41) on which the print head (4) is mounted. The clutch rod (515) drives the outward convex slider (43) or the inward concave slider (44) of the suspension bracket (51) to move linearly; as the fixed base plate (41) descends, the outward convex slider (43) pushes the clutch rod (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) forward and causes the driven gear (54) to mesh with the driving wheel (32) and the driving gear (7) at the same time; as the fixed base plate (41) rises, the outward convex slider (43) disengages from pushing the clutch rod (515), the suspension bracket (51) returns to its original position, and causes the driven gear (54) to disengage from the driving wheel (32) and the driving gear (7); Alternatively, as the fixed base plate (41) rises, the concave slider (44) pushes the clutch rod (515) to drive the suspension bracket (51) forward and simultaneously causes the driven gear (54) to engage with the driving wheel (32) and the driving gear (7); as the fixed base plate (41) descends, the concave slider (44) disengages from pushing the clutch rod (515), the suspension bracket (51) returns to its original position and causes the driven gear (54) to disengage from the driving wheel (32) and the driving gear (7).

9. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of a thermal transfer printer according to any one of claims 3 to 8, characterized in that: The driving gear (7) is arranged at the end of a driving roller (6) that drives the printing medium to move.

10. The ribbon recovery drive mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to claim 9, characterized in that: The driving wheel (32) is a gear or a pulley; the push rod structure is a telescopic cylinder, a solenoid valve push rod, a cam, a gear rack or a linear motor independently controlled by the printer main control circuit.

11. A thermal transfer printer, comprising a ribbon cartridge, characterized in that: The driving mechanism for driving the ribbon reel in the ribbon cassette to rewind the ribbon is the ribbon recovery driving mechanism of the thermal transfer printer according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

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