Bidirectional printer ribbon supply system
AssigneeZebra Technologies Corporation
InventorDaniel P. Lanigan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer includes: a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis; a pulley affixed to the shaft; and a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first or second direction responsive to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, wherein rotation of a spindle supported on the shaft in the first direction dispenses inside-coated ribbon toward a printhead, and rotation of the spindle in the second direction dispenses outside-coated ribbon toward the printhead.
Claims18
A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer, comprising:
- a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis;
- a pulley affixed to the shaft, the pulley includes a central track and an auxiliary track adjacent to the central track;
- and
- a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first direction or a second direction in response to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction,
- the bias member winding around a portion of the central track of the pulley and continuing to wind around a portion of the auxiliary track in response to rotation of the pulley.
A printer, comprising:
- a printhead;
- a frame;
- a ribbon supply spool;
- a shaft supported by the frame and carrying the ribbon supply spool, the shaft configured to rotate about an axis;
- a pulley affixed to the shaft, the pulley includes a central track and an auxiliary track adjacent to the central track;
- and
- a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first direction or a second direction in response to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction,
- the bias member winding around a portion of the central track of the pulley and continuing to wind around a portion of the auxiliary track in response to rotation of the pulley.
A method in a printer, the method comprising:
- supporting a shaft on a frame of the printer to rotate about an axis, wherein a pulley is affixed to the shaft;
- causing rotation of a ribbon supply spool carried by a spindle supported on the shaft in either of a first direction or a second direction;
- at a bias member operatively coupled to the pulley, responsive to rotation of the ribbon supply spool in either of the first or second direction, applying a force to the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, the bias member winding around a portion of a central track of the pulley and continuing to wind around a portion of an auxiliary track of the pulley in response to rotation of the pulley.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.