Recording apparatus and conveyance method
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsHitoshi Nishitani, Yukiteru Yano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a recording apparatus, an ink ribbon is always placed under a tension by a stop torque of a torque limiter while a take-up bobbin is driven through the torque limiter when recording paper is conveyed near a stationary ink ribbon.
Claims15
A recording apparatus comprising:
- a thermal head including a heating portion in which a plurality of heating elements are linearly arranged;
- an ink ribbon on which ink is coated;
- a platen roller disposed opposite and parallel to the heating portion of the thermal head;
- a separating unit configured to separate the thermal head and the platen roller;
- a paper feed driving motor;
- a ribbon take-up motor;
- a torque limiter which can be driven and rotated by the ribbon take-up motor;
- a take-up bobbin which can be driven and rotated by the torque limiter and is configured to wind up used ink ribbon, and the torque limiter transmits a drive force of the ribbon take-up motor to the take-up bobbin;
- a supply bobbin configured to supply unused ink ribbon;
- a ratchet configured to act directly and indirectly on the supply bobbin, wherein the ratchet turns in conjunction with the take-up bobbin;
- an engaging member movable between an engaging state in which rotation of the supply bobbin is stopped by the engaging member engaging with the ratchet, and a disengaged state in which the supply bobbin is free to rotate;
- an engaging member switching unit configured to switch the engaging member between the engaging state and the disengaging state;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the separating unit to separate the thermal head and the platen roller, and control the recording apparatus to convey the recording paper while the engaging member is in the engaging state to prevent the supply bobbin from rotation, and control the ribbon take-up motor to be driven in the direction in which the ink ribbon is taken up such that the torque limiter transmits a drive force of the ribbon take-up motor to the take-up bobbin while skidding when the recording paper is moved between the thermal head and the platen roller without transferring ink of the ink ribbon.
A recording apparatus comprising:
- a supply bobbin configured to supply an ink ribbon;
- a locking unit locking the supply bobbin to prevent the supply bobbin from rotating;
- a take-up bobbin configured to wind up an ink ribbon supplied from the supply bobbin;
- a take-up bobbin driving unit configured to drive the take-up bobbin, wherein the take-up bobbin driving unit includes a torque limiter configured to transmit a drive force of a drive source to the take-up bobbin;
- a recording head configured to transfer ink of the ink ribbon onto recording paper;
- a platen roller configured to pinch the ink ribbon and the recording paper together with the recording head;
- a conveying unit configured to move the recording paper between the recording head and the platen roller;
- a separating unit configured to separate the recording head and the platen roller;
- and
- a control unit configured to control the separating unit to separate the recording head and the platen roller, and control the conveying unit to convey the recording paper while the take-up bobbin driven by the take-up bobbin driving unit applies a tensile force to the ink ribbon in a state that the supply bobbin is locked by the locking unit when the recording paper is moved between the recording head and the platen roller without transferring ink of the ink ribbon.
A method in a recording apparatus including a supply bobbin configured to supply an ink ribbon, a take-up bobbin configured to take up the ink ribbon supplied from the supply bobbin, a take-up bobbin driving unit configured to drive the take-up bobbin, wherein the take-up bobbin driving unit includes a torque limiter configured to transmit a drive force of a drive source to the take-up bobbin, a recording head configured to transfer ink of the ink ribbon onto recording paper, and a platen roller configured to pinch and hold the ink ribbon and the recording paper in collaboration with the recording head, the method comprising:
- separating the recording head from the platen roller;
- locking the supply bobbin to prevent the supply bobbin from rotating;
- driving the take-up bobbin to apply a tensile force to the ink ribbon while the toque limiter is skidding;
- and
- moving the recording paper between the recording head and the platen roller.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.