Patent Publication Number: US-2009238628-A1

Title: Printing mechanism of barcode printer

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a printing mechanism of a barcode printer, and in particular to a printing mechanism that is applicable to a barcode printer and features the shortest carbon ribbon collection path between a carbon ribbon axle and a carbon ribbon collection axle to thereby provide a space-economic printing mechanism. 
     2. The Related Arts 
     A conventional barcode printer includes a printing mechanism functioning to effect printing operation of a barcode label inside the barcode printer. In the printing process, a toner that is required for the printing operation carried out by a printing head is supplied by a carbon ribbon in order to have desired barcodes and digits printed on the barcode labels. However, the conventional printing mechanism of the barcode printer has to collect the used carbon ribbon. Thus, a carbon ribbon collection axle must be provided inside the barcode printer. The conventional printing mechanism of the printing head is designed in such a way to ensure the positional arrangement of the carbon ribbon collection axle and the carbon ribbon can avoid the interference between carbon ribbon collection and feeding of the barcode labels. This elongates the conveyance or feeding path between the carbon and the carbon ribbon collection axle, making the overall size of the barcode printer bulky, eventually leading to trouble and inconvenience of mounting/dismounting of the carbon ribbon and also increasing the manufacturing costs of the barcode printer, as well as the amount of space occupied by the barcode printer. This is not economically efficient. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Due to the elongated feeding path between the carbon ribbon and the carbon ribbon collection axle, the conventional printing mechanism of the barcode printer is disadvantageous in being inconvenient to recycle and clean the carbon ribbon and having a bulky size and increased costs. 
     Thus, the present invention is aimed to provide a printing mechanism for a barcode printer, wherein the printing mechanism comprises a frame, a printing head, a carbon ribbon axle, and a carbon ribbon collection axle, wherein the frame is mounted to an upper end portion of an upper casing member; the printing head is mounted in the frame to effect printing of labels; the carbon ribbon axle is arranged in a lower portion of the frame and is located below the printing head for connecting and retaining a carbon ribbon that supplies a toner required for carrying out the printing of the labels by the printing head; and the carbon ribbon collection axle is arranged in an upper portion of the frame and is located above the printing head in an arrangement that is reversed to the carbon ribbon axle to allow the carbon ribbon from the carbon ribbon axle to be rolled up in the carbon ribbon collection axle after the printing operation carried out by the printing head, whereby the carbon ribbon from the carbon ribbon axle can be wound around and collected by the carbon ribbon collection axle in a shortest path. Thus, a printing mechanism featuring a reduced length of carbon ribbon collection path and a reduced accommodation space is provided. 
     The effectiveness of the printing mechanism of a barcode printer in accordance with the present invention is that the barcode printer has a shortest path between the carbon ribbon and the carbon ribbon collection axle so that the mounting/dismounting and cleaning of the carbon ribbon is made convenient and the overall size of the barcode printer is reduced, resulting in enhanced industrial utilization of the present invention. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view showing a barcode printer in which a printing mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention is mounted; 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 1  but with a carbon ribbon axle and a carbon ribbon collection axle removed; 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a practical application of the printing mechanism of the present invention in a barcode printer; and 
         FIG. 4  is schematic side elevational view illustrating collection of a carbon ribbon from the carbon ribbon axle to the carbon ribbon collection axle. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference to the drawings and in particular to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a printing mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention, generally designated at  100 , is provided for a barcode printer, which is designated with reference numeral  200 . The printing mechanism  100  comprises a frame  10  that forms at least one pair of mounting holes  11  that receives bolts  111  to fix the frame  10  to an upper end portion of an upper casing member  210  of the barcode printer  200 . The frame  10  forms a first chamber  12  in a lower portion thereof and also forms a second chamber  13  in an upper portion thereof. The first chamber  12  is delimited by opposite side walls, each of which forms a carbon ribbon axle connector  121 . The second chamber  13  is delimited by opposite side walls each of which forms a carbon ribbon collection axle connector  131 . The carbon ribbon axle connector  121  and the carbon ribbon collection axle connector  131  are both in operative coupling with a driving mechanism (not shown) of the barcode printer  200  to be driven by the barcode printer  200 . 
     A printing head  20  is arranged at a location between the first chamber  12  and the second chamber  13 . The printing head  20  functions to carry out printing on a barcode label  300  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     A carbon ribbon axle  30  is coupled to the carbon ribbon axle connectors  121  of the first chamber  12  of the slide rail  10 , and thus, the carbon ribbon axle  30  is received in the first chamber  12 , functioning to wind and store a carbon ribbon  400  that supplies toner required for printing operation of the barcode label  300  carried out by the printing head  20 . 
     A carbon ribbon collection axle  40  is rotatably coupled to the carbon ribbon collection axle connectors  131  of the second chamber  13  of the slide rail  10  and thus, the carbon ribbon collection axle  40  is received in the second chamber  13  in an arrangement reversed to the carbon ribbon axle  30  for functioning to rewinding or rolling up and collecting the carbon ribbon  400  after the printing operation of the barcode label  300  is carried out by the printing head  20  (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     Also referring to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , which demonstrate an application of the printing mechanism  100  in accordance with the present invention in a barcode printer  200 , the barcode printer  200  has a lower casing member  220  in which label retainers  230  are provided for retaining the barcode label  300 , preferably in the form of a roll. The upper casing member  210  of the barcode printer  200  is connected with a cover  240  for selectively closing the second chamber  13 . The barcode label  300  is supplied from a front end of the lower casing member  220 . When the upper casing member  210  is closed onto the lower casing member  220 , the carbon ribbon  400  mounted on the carbon ribbon axle  30  supplies the toner that is needed for carrying out the printing operation of the barcode label  300 . The barcode label  300 , after having been printed by the printing head  20 , is fed outward through the front end of the barcode label  300 . The used carbon ribbon  400  that has been used to carry out the printing operation is forwarded into the second chamber  13  through the upper portion of the frame  10  to be rolled up and collected by the carbon ribbon collection axle  40  (as indicated by the arrows of  FIG. 4 ). The carbon ribbon axle  30  and the carbon ribbon collection axle  40  define therebetween a shortest path for collecting the used carbon ribbon  400 . 
     Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiment thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims.