Transfer printer

A transfer printer comprising:

• a main body;
• printing means including a print head and a platen in contact with the print head;
• the print head and platen being arranged in the main body, for printing information on a recording medium transported between the print head and the platen;
• a ribbon supply device for supplying a transfer ribbon between the print head and the recording medium;
• said ribbon supply device including a ribbon unit and a ribbon drive section for driving the ribbon unit, arranged in the main body, the ribbon unit including:
• a ribbon supporting frame;
• first and second rotating shafts rotatably supported on the ribbon supporting frame;
• the transfer ribbon being wound around the first and second rotating shafts;
• a tension shaft rotatably supported on the ribbon supporting frame and in contact with the transfer ribbon at a position between the first rotating shaft and the printer head;
• and
• a ribbon drive shaft rotatably supported on the ribbon supporting frame and in contact with the transfer ribbon at a position between the second rotating shaft and the print head;
• said first and second rotating shafts, the tension shaft, and the ribbon drive shaft extending in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the platen;
• and
• said first rotating shaft and the tension shaft are arranged symmetrically to the second rotating shaft and the ribbon drive shaft when viewed from an imaginary plane extending in a direction parallel to and between the first and second rotating shafts and between the tension shaft and the ribbon drive shaft;
• and
• supporting means for supporting the ribbon unit, the supporting means including:
• a fixed member arranged in the main body;
• a slider carrying the ribbon unit thereon;
• and
• means for removably retaining the ribbon unit on the slider;
• the slider being engageable with the fixed member and being movable between a first position where the ribbon unit engages the ribbon drive section and a second position where the ribbon unit is situated outside the main body;
• and
• said ribbon unit being mountable on the slider in a manner such that the first and second rotating shafts are replaced with each other and the tension shaft and the ribbon drive shaft are replaced with each other when the ribbon supporting frame is moved 180 degrees around an imaginary axis on an imaginary plane extending perpendicular to the first rotating shaft.

A transfer printer comprising:

• a main body;
• printing means including a print head and a platen in contact with the print head, which are arranged in the main body, for printing information on a recording medium transported between the print head and the platen;
• a transfer ribbon;
• and
• a ribbon supply device for supplying the transfer ribbon between the print head and the recording medium, said ribbon supply device including a ribbon unit, removably attached to the main body and having the transfer ribbon and supply and take-up shafts wound with the transfer ribbon, and a ribbon drive section attached to the main body, for driving the ribbon unit;
• each of the supply shaft and the take-up shaft of the ribbon unit including:
• a ribbon set shaft;
• a cylindrical first core removably mounted on the ribbon set shaft to extend in a direction substantially parallel thereto and wound with the transfer ribbon, the cylindrical first core having a predetermined length;
• positioning means provided at one end portion of the ribbon set shaft, for engaging one end of the first core mounted on the ribbon set shaft so as to position the one end of the first core with respect to the ribbon set shaft;
• holding means provided at the other end portion of the ribbon set shaft and situated at a distance substantially equal to the predetermined length of the first core from the positioning means, for elastically engaging another end of the first core to hold another end of the first core;
• an engaging portion provided on the ribbon set shaft between the positioning means and the holding means;
• a cylindrical second core adapted to be mounted on the ribbon set shaft in place of the first core and wound with another transfer ribbon narrower than the first transfer ribbon, the second core being shorter than the predetermined length of the first core and having one end portion for engaging the holding means;
• and
• auxiliary positioning means removably mounted on the ribbon set shaft and positioned by the engaging portion provided on the ribbon set shaft, for engaging another end portion of the second core mounted on the ribbon set shaft so as to position the another end of the second core.