Tape cartridge and printing device

Abstract

The utility model relates to the technical field of printing equipment, in particular to a tape cartridge and printing equipment, the tape cartridge comprises a first shell and a second shell, a mounting column is arranged on the wall face, opposite to the second shell, of the first shell, and the outer wall face of the mounting column is sleeved with an elastic piece; a ribbon supply wheel is arranged on the surface, opposite to the first shell, of the second shell, and when the ribbon cartridge is installed on the printing equipment, the end, away from the first shell, of the ribbon supply wheel is connected with the printing equipment in a clamped mode; the colored tape supply wheel is provided with a containing cavity, when the first shell and the second shell are installed, at least part of the installation column is embedded into the containing cavity, the elastic piece is located between the inner wall face of the containing cavity and the outer wall face of the installation column, and the compressed elastic piece applies axial pressure to the colored tape supply wheel. According to the tape cartridge provided by the invention, the compressed elastic piece provides downward pressure for the ribbon supply wheel, the downward pressure can be converted into tension required by the ribbon supply wheel, and the tension of the ribbon in the printing process is more stable.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of printing equipment, and in particular to a tape box and a printing equipment. [Background technology]

[0002] With the maturity and promotion of thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies, as well as the richness and diversity of labels, label printing equipment and label ribbons have been widely used in offices, homes, and the power and telecommunications industries. Existing label printing equipment includes a printer body and a tape box. The tape box is detachably installed in the printer body. The tape box is installed with a medium tape and a ribbon. The printer body is provided with a print head. The pressure roller can press the medium tape and the ribbon in the tape box onto the print head. The print head transfers the toner on the ribbon to the medium tape through a thermal element, thereby completing the printing.

[0003] When installing the ribbon in the cassette, a spring sheet is usually placed on the ribbon supply wheel, which can provide downward pressure to the ribbon supply wheel to ensure that the ribbon maintains a certain tension during use. However, the existing spring sheet is easy to fall off during assembly and is not easy to install in place, resulting in longer assembly time and low assembly yield of the cassette; at the same time, there are few contact points between the spring sheet and the ribbon supply wheel. After the ribbon is continuously consumed, the downward pressure generated by the spring sheet will change due to the change of the contact point, resulting in unstable printing tension of the ribbon supply wheel, affecting the printing effect. [Contents of the utility model]

[0004] In view of this, the present application provides a tape box and a printing device, in which the elastic part in the tape box is simply installed, and the compressed elastic part provides downward pressure on the ribbon supply wheel. This downward pressure can be converted into the tension required by the ribbon supply wheel, and the tension of the ribbon is more stable during printing.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present application provides a tape cassette that is detachably connected to a printing device, the tape cassette comprising a first shell and a second shell, a mounting post being provided on a wall surface of the first shell opposite to the second shell, and an elastic member being sleeved on an outer wall surface of the mounting post;

[0006] A ribbon supply wheel is provided on a surface of the second housing opposite to the first housing, and when the ribbon cassette is installed on the printing device, an end of the ribbon supply wheel away from the first housing is engaged and connected with the printing device;

[0007] The ribbon supply wheel is provided with a receiving cavity. When the first shell and the second shell are installed, at least part of the mounting post is embedded in the receiving cavity. The elastic member is located between the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity and the outer wall surface of the mounting post, and the compressed elastic member applies axial pressure to the ribbon supply wheel.

[0008] In combination with the first aspect, the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity is provided with an abutting protrusion, the abutting protrusion is formed by extending from the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity in the axial direction, and the abutting protrusion is provided with an abutting surface;

[0009] When at least a portion of the mounting post is embedded in the receiving cavity, one end of the elastic member abuts against the abutting surface, and the other end of the elastic member abuts against a wall surface of the first shell opposite to the second shell.

[0010] In combination with the first aspect, the abutting surface is a plane or an inclined surface.

[0011] In combination with the first aspect, the abutting protrusion and the ribbon supply wheel are an integrally formed structure.

[0012] In combination with the first aspect, a snap-in protrusion is provided at one end of the ribbon supply wheel away from the first shell, and the ribbon supply wheel is snap-connected with the printing device via the snap-in protrusion.

[0013] In combination with the first aspect, the clamping protrusion and the ribbon supply wheel are an integrally formed structure.

[0014] In combination with the first aspect, the elastic member is a spring.

[0015] In combination with the first aspect, the first shell and the second shell are connected by at least one of welding, positioning pin connection, fastener connection, snap connection or adhesive connection.

[0016] In combination with the first aspect, the tape cassette further includes a ribbon, and the ribbon is wound around the ribbon supply wheel.

[0017] In a second aspect, the present application provides a printing device, comprising a printer body and a tape cassette as described in any one of the first aspects, wherein the tape cassette is detachably installed in the printer body.

[0018] In the above scheme, the beneficial effects are:

[0019] In the tape box provided by the present application, after the first shell and the second shell are connected, at least a portion of the mounting post is embedded in the receiving cavity, so that the elastic member is located between the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity and the outer wall surface of the mounting post. The installation method of the elastic member is simple, and the elastic member is not easy to fall off during the assembly of the tape box, the assembly time is shortened, and the assembly yield of the tape box is improved; at the same time, the two ends of the compressed elastic member respectively abut the first shell and the ribbon supply wheel, which can provide axial downward pressure for the ribbon supply wheel, and this downward pressure can be converted into the tension required by the ribbon supply wheel. The contact area between the elastic member and the ribbon supply wheel is large. As the ribbon is consumed, the elastic member can automatically adjust the tension according to the change of the ribbon supply wheel, ensuring that the ribbon always maintains a constant tension during use, thereby ensuring the printing effect; and the elastic member is arranged inside the receiving cavity of the ribbon supply wheel, which can reduce the problem of tension change caused by friction between the ribbon and the elastic member, thereby improving the printing quality.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative labor.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a first shell of a tape box provided by the present application;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the structure of the second shell of the tape box provided by the present application;

[0023] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the structure of a printing device for installing a tape cassette provided in the present application;

[0024] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of the ribbon supply wheel of the ribbon cassette provided in the present application.

[0025] Figure ID:

[0026] 1. First shell; 11. Mounting column; 12. Elastic member; 2. Second shell; 3. Ribbon supply wheel; 31. Accommodating chamber; 311. Abutment protrusion; 312. Abutment surface; 32. Engagement protrusion; 4. Medium wheel; 5. Ribbon winding wheel; 6. Pressure roller; 7. Accommodating chamber; 100. Printing device; 101. Tape box accommodating part; 102. Printing assembly; 103. Pressure roller driving shaft; 104. Ribbon supply shaft; 105. Medium tape positioning shaft; 106. Ribbon winding shaft; 107. Medium tape outlet. [Specific implementation method]

[0027] In order to better understand the technical solution of the present application, the embodiments of the present application are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0028] It should be clear that the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present application.

[0029] The terms used in the embodiments of the present application are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present application. The singular forms "a", "said" and "the" used in the embodiments of the present application and the appended claims are also intended to include plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates other meanings.

[0030] It should be understood that the term "and / or" used in this article is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that there can be three relationships. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, the character " / " in this article generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0031] With the maturity and promotion of thermal transfer and thermal printing technologies, as well as the richness and diversity of labels, label printing equipment and label ribbons have been widely used in offices, homes, and the power and telecommunications industries. Existing label printing equipment includes a printer body and a tape box. The tape box is detachably installed in the printer body. The tape box is installed with a medium tape and a ribbon. The printer body is provided with a print head. The pressure roller can press the medium tape and the ribbon in the tape box onto the print head. The print head transfers the toner on the ribbon to the medium tape through a thermal element, thereby completing the printing.

[0032] When installing the ribbon in the cassette, a spring sheet is usually placed on the ribbon supply wheel, which can provide downward pressure to the ribbon supply wheel to ensure that the ribbon maintains a certain tension during use. However, the existing spring sheet is easy to fall off during assembly and is not easy to install in place, resulting in longer assembly time and low assembly yield of the cassette; at the same time, there are few contact points between the spring sheet and the ribbon supply wheel. After the ribbon is continuously consumed, the downward pressure generated by the spring sheet will change due to the change of the contact point, resulting in unstable printing tension of the ribbon supply wheel, affecting the printing effect.

[0033] In view of this, the present application provides a tape box that is detachably connected to the printing device 100, please refer to Figure 1 to Figure 4 The tape box comprises a first shell 1 and a second shell 2. A mounting column 11 is provided on a wall of the first shell 1 opposite to the second shell 2. An elastic member 12 is sleeved on an outer wall of the mounting column 11.

[0034] A ribbon supply wheel 3 is provided on the surface of the second housing 2 opposite to the first housing 1. When the ribbon cassette is installed on the printing device 100, the end of the ribbon supply wheel 3 away from the first housing 1 is engaged and connected with the printing device 100.

[0035] The ribbon supply wheel 3 is provided with a receiving cavity 31. When the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 are installed, at least part of the mounting post 11 is embedded in the receiving cavity 31. The elastic member 12 is located between the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity 31 and the outer wall surface of the mounting post 11, and the compressed elastic member 12 applies axial pressure to the ribbon supply wheel 3.

[0036] In the above scheme, in the tape box provided by the present application, after the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 are connected, at least part of the mounting post 11 is embedded in the accommodating cavity 31, so that the elastic member 12 is located between the inner wall surface of the accommodating cavity 31 and the outer wall surface of the mounting post 11, and the installation method of the elastic member 12 is simple. The elastic member 12 is not easy to fall off during the assembly of the tape box, and the assembly time is shortened, thereby improving the assembly yield of the tape box; at the same time, the two ends of the compressed elastic member 12 respectively abut the first shell 1 and the ribbon supply wheel 3, which can provide the ribbon supply wheel 3 with an axial downward pressure, and this downward pressure can be converted into the tension required by the ribbon supply wheel 3, and the contact area between the elastic member 12 and the ribbon supply wheel 3 is large. As the ribbon is consumed, the elastic member 12 can automatically adjust the tension according to the change of the ribbon supply wheel 3, ensuring that the ribbon always maintains a constant tension during use, thereby ensuring the printing effect; and the elastic member 12 is arranged inside the accommodating cavity 31 of the ribbon supply wheel 3, which can reduce the problem of tension change caused by friction between the ribbon and the elastic member 12, thereby improving the printing quality.

[0037] The following is specifically described in conjunction with the embodiments:

[0038] The ribbon cassette of the present application is composed of a first shell 1 , a second shell 2 , a ribbon supply wheel 3 , a medium wheel 4 , a ribbon winding wheel 5 and a pressure roller 6 .

[0039] The tape cassette is installed in the printing device 100. The printing device 100 is provided with a tape cassette accommodating portion for installing the tape cassette. The tape cassette accommodating portion is substantially in a concave shape matching the tape cassette, and a printing component 102 is arranged in the tape cassette accommodating portion.

[0040] The printing assembly 102 includes a print head and a cover for accommodating the print head. The print head is used to generate heat during printing, and the heat generated can melt the carbon powder. It can be understood that after the print head is installed in the tape box accommodating portion, the print head is clamped with the pressure roller 6, and the cover is covered on the print head to play a role of dust and pressure resistance, thereby extending the service life of the print head.

[0041] Meanwhile, a roller drive shaft 103, a ribbon supply shaft 104, a medium belt positioning shaft 105 and a ribbon winding shaft 106 are also provided in the tape box accommodating portion. The roller drive shaft 103 is used to be sleeved with the roller 6 in the tape box and transmit a driving force to drive the roller 6 to rotate in a clockwise direction. The medium belt positioning shaft 105 is used to install a medium belt roll, which is a hollow structure formed by winding the medium belt in the tape box and can be sleeved on the medium belt positioning shaft 105. When the medium belt roll is positioned on the medium belt positioning shaft 105, one end of the medium belt is connected to the roller 6 shaft and contacts the wall of the roller 6. At this time, when the roller 6 rotates in a clockwise direction, the friction between the roller 6 and the medium belt will drive the medium belt roll on the medium belt positioning shaft 105 to rotate in a clockwise direction. At this time, the medium belt is continuously fed out and contacts the roller 6. The ribbon supply shaft 104 is used to position and install the ribbon roll. The ribbon roll is a hollow structure formed by winding the ribbon in the ribbon box, which can be mounted on the ribbon supply shaft 104. When the ribbon roll is positioned on the ribbon supply shaft 104, one end of the ribbon roll extends to wrap around the printing component 102 and then is connected to the ribbon winding shaft 106. The ribbon winding shaft 106 can rotate, thereby driving the ribbon on the ribbon supply shaft 104 to be continuously fed out, and the used ribbon is wound around the ribbon driving wheel for recycling.

[0042] It can be understood that when the ribbon and the medium tape are installed, the ribbon is in contact with the medium tape and is clamped between the print head and the pressure roller 6, that is, the pressure roller 6, the medium tape, the ribbon and the print head are arranged and distributed. At this time, the print head is heated, and the melted toner on the ribbon can be attached to the medium tape to form a printing pattern; and the pressure roller 6 and the ribbon driving wheel rotate synchronously, so that the medium tape and the ribbon are continuously fed out to ensure the continuity of the printing process.

[0043] Furthermore, a media tape outlet 107 is provided on one side of the tape box accommodating portion. After the media tape that has completed the toner attachment process is sent out of the tape box, it leaves the printing device 100 from the media tape outlet 107 .

[0044] In some embodiments, since the pressure roller 6 is located in the tape cassette and the print head is located in the tape cassette accommodating portion, the printing process requires that the print head and the pressure roller 6 are located at the same height. Therefore, the tape cassette has an accommodating cavity 7, so that after the tape cassette is installed in the tape cassette accommodating portion, the print head can be embedded in the tape cassette and clamped with the pressure roller 6. Specifically:

[0045] The tape cassette includes a first shell 1 and a second shell 2. Along the installation direction of the tape cassette, the first shell 1 is the upper shell of the tape cassette, and the second shell 2 is the lower shell of the tape cassette. The lower shell is the part that contacts the bottom wall of the tape cassette accommodating portion and is the structural installation position of the tape cassette. The first shell 1 can be used to protect the structure installed on the second shell 2 from being damaged. It can be understood that the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 can enclose a tape cassette with a chamber, and the medium tape, the color ribbon and the pressure roller 6 can be installed in the chamber. It should be noted that the connection method between the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 can be at least one of welding, locating pin connection, fastener connection, snap connection or adhesive connection. For the tape box connected by welding, the connection strength between the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 is high and not easy to separate; for the tape box connected by fasteners such as screws, the connection strength between the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 is high and firm; for the tape box connected by locating pins, the assembly process is simple; for the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 connected by snap connections, the disassembly process is easy, which is convenient for the replacement of the internal structure; for the tape box connected by adhesive connection, the connection is smooth and the appearance is neat. The connection method between the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 can be selected according to actual needs, and it is not limited here. Preferably, the connection method between the first shell 1 and the second shell 2 is connected by locating pins.

[0046] The surface of the second housing 2 opposite to the first housing 1 includes a medium tape installation area, a printing area and a ribbon installation area.

[0047] A hollow media wheel 4 is provided in the media tape installation area, and the media tape can be wound on the media wheel 4 to form a media tape roll. When the tape box is installed in the tape box accommodating portion, the media tape positioning shaft 105 can penetrate into the media wheel 4, and at this time, the media wheel 4 can rotate relative to the media tape positioning shaft 105. It can be understood that when the pressure roller 6 rotates to drive the media tape to move, the media tape pulls the media wheel 4 to rotate relative to the media tape positioning shaft 105, so that the media tape is continuously fed out.

[0048] The printing area includes a housing cavity 7 and a roller shaft hole for embedding the print head. Specifically, a first opening is provided on the first housing 1, and a second opening is provided on the second housing 2. A housing cavity 7 is formed between the first opening and the second opening and runs through the height direction of the tape cassette. When the tape cassette is installed in the tape cassette accommodating portion, the print head can be accommodated in the housing cavity 7 along the height direction. The roller shaft hole is used to install the pressure roller 6. The pressure roller 6 can be sleeved on the pressure roller drive shaft 103 at the roller shaft hole, and the pressure roller drive shaft 103 drives it to rotate.

[0049] A hollow ribbon supply wheel 3 and a ribbon winding wheel 5 are provided in the ribbon installation area. A clamping protrusion 32 is provided at one end of the ribbon supply wheel 3 away from the first housing 1. The ribbon supply wheel 3 is clamped and connected with the printing device 100 through the clamping protrusion 32. The clamping protrusion 32 and the ribbon supply wheel 3 are an integrally formed structure. One end of the ribbon is wound around the ribbon supply wheel 3 to form a ribbon roll, and the other end is wound around the printing assembly 102 and then wound around the ribbon winding wheel 5. When the ribbon cassette is installed in the cassette accommodating portion, the ribbon supply shaft 104 can be inserted into the ribbon supply wheel 3, and the ribbon winding shaft 106 can be inserted into the second positioning shaft. In addition, the ribbon supply wheel 3 can rotate relative to the ribbon supply shaft 104, and the ribbon winding wheel 5 can rotate with the ribbon winding shaft 106. It can be understood that when the ribbon driving wheel drives the ribbon winding wheel 5 to rotate, the ribbon is continuously wound around the ribbon winding wheel 5, thereby driving the ribbon supply wheel 3 to rotate relative to the ribbon supply shaft 104, and continuously feeding out the ribbon.

[0050] In some embodiments, the ribbon needs to maintain proper tension during the printing process. Proper tension ensures uniform contact between the ribbon and the print head, making the printed text or image clearer and more uniform. If the tension is insufficient, the ribbon may wrinkle or sag during the printing process, resulting in blanks or incomplete printing in the printed area, or get stuck or entangled during the printing process, resulting in a jam. In addition, proper tension can prevent the ribbon from slipping during the printing process, ensuring that the ribbon moves at a predetermined speed.

[0051] Therefore, a mounting column 11 integrally formed with the first shell 1 is provided on the wall surface of the first shell 1 relative to the second shell 2, and an elastic member 12 is sleeved on the outer wall surface of the mounting column 11. The type of the elastic member 12 can be selected according to actual needs, such as elastic rubber, elastic silicone, spring, etc., and can be selected according to actual needs, which is not limited here. Preferably, the elastic member 12 used in this application is a spring.

[0052] The ribbon supply wheel 3 is provided with a receiving cavity 31, and the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity 31 is provided with a contact protrusion 311, and the contact protrusion 311 is formed by extending from the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity 31 toward the axial direction, and the contact protrusion 311 is provided with a contact surface 312, and the contact surface 312 of the present application is a plane or an inclined surface, and the contact protrusion 311 and the ribbon supply wheel 3 are an integrally formed structure, and can also be set as a detachable structure, which can be selected according to actual needs and is not limited here. Preferably, the contact protrusion 311 and the ribbon supply wheel 3 are an integrally formed structure.

[0053] When the first shell 1 is connected to the second shell 2, at least part of the mounting post 11 drives the elastic member 12 to embed into the accommodating cavity 31. The elastic member 12 is located between the inner wall surface of the accommodating cavity 31 and the outer wall surface of the mounting post 11. One end of the elastic member 12 abuts against the abutting surface 312, and the other end of the elastic member 12 abuts against the wall surface of the first shell 1 relative to the second shell 2. At this time, the compressed elastic member 12 applies axial pressure to the ribbon supply wheel 3. This pressure can be converted into tension during the ribbon conveying process, so that the ribbon remains taut and ensures the printing effect.

[0054] In actual application, when the tape cassette is installed in the tape cassette accommodating portion of the printing device 100, the roller drive shaft 103 of the printing device 100 cooperates with the roller 6, the medium tape positioning shaft 105 cooperates with the medium wheel 4, the ribbon supply shaft 104 cooperates with the ribbon supply wheel 3, and the ribbon winding shaft 106 cooperates with the second ribbon shaft. When printing starts, the print head abuts the ribbon and the medium tape against the roller 6, and the print head heats up to melt the carbon powder on the ribbon on the medium tape. At the same time, in order to maintain the continuity of the printed information, the roller drive shaft 103, the medium tape positioning shaft 105, the ribbon supply shaft 104 and the ribbon winding shaft 106 rotate simultaneously, the roller 6 cooperates with the roller drive shaft 103 to send the medium tape out of the printing device 100, the ribbon supply shaft 104 cooperates with the ribbon winding shaft 106 to drive the ribbon to feed, and the elastic member 12 continuously provides tension during the printing process until the printing is completed.

[0055] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application, rather than to limit them. Although the present application is described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, a person of ordinary skill in the art should understand that the technical solutions described in the above embodiments can still be modified, or some or all of the technical features can be replaced by equivalents. However, these modifications or replacements do not deviate the essence of the corresponding technical solutions from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

1. A tape cassette, detachably connected to a printing device (100), characterized in that: The tape box comprises a first shell (1) and a second shell (2); a mounting column (11) is provided on a wall surface of the first shell (1) opposite to the second shell (2); an elastic member (12) is sleeved on an outer wall surface of the mounting column (11); A ribbon supply wheel (3) is provided on a surface of the second housing (2) opposite to the first housing (1); when the ribbon cassette is mounted on the printing device (100), an end of the ribbon supply wheel (3) away from the first housing (1) is snap-connected with the printing device (100); The ribbon supply wheel (3) is provided with a receiving cavity (31); when the first shell (1) and the second shell (2) are installed, at least a portion of the mounting post (11) is embedded in the receiving cavity (31); the elastic member (12) is located between the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity (31) and the outer wall surface of the mounting post (11); and the compressed elastic member (12) applies axial pressure to the ribbon supply wheel (3).

2. The tape box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner wall surface of the receiving cavity (31) is provided with an abutment protrusion (311), the abutment protrusion (311) is formed by extending from the inner wall surface of the receiving cavity (31) in the axial direction, and the abutment protrusion (311) is provided with an abutment surface (312); When at least a portion of the mounting column (11) is embedded in the receiving cavity (31), one end of the elastic member (12) abuts against the abutment surface (312), and the other end of the elastic member (12) abuts against the wall surface of the first shell (1) relative to the second shell (2).

3. The tape box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The abutting surface (312) is a plane or an inclined surface.

4. The tape box according to claim 2, characterized in that: The abutting protrusion (311) and the ribbon supply wheel (3) are an integrally formed structure.

5. The tape box according to claim 1, characterized in that: A snap-in protrusion (32) is provided at one end of the ribbon supply wheel (3) away from the first shell (1), and the ribbon supply wheel (3) is snap-connected to the printing device (100) via the snap-in protrusion (32).

6. The tape box according to claim 5, characterized in that: The clamping protrusion (32) and the ribbon supply wheel (3) are an integrally formed structure.

7. The tape cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that: The elastic member (12) is a spring.

8. The tape cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that: The connection method between the first shell (1) and the second shell (2) is at least one of welding, positioning pin connection, fastener connection, snap connection or adhesive connection.

9. The tape cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that: The ribbon box also includes a ribbon, which is wound on the ribbon supply wheel (3).

10. A printing device (100), characterized in that: The printing device (100) comprises a printer body and a tape cassette according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the tape cassette is detachably installed in the printer body.

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