Back to results
US 2002/0176729 A1Published application
Thermal ink ribbon traction device
OwnerErika Cinca Teijeiroinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Loading patent…
Loading patent…
OwnerErika Cinca Teijeiroinventor
Estimating the term…
Comprises an origin cylinder (1) of heat-sensitive ink ribbon (2), a rewinding cylinder (5), traction means and at least one marking header. It prevents an unused segment of ribbon being left between markings. It is characterised by a moving support (6) in which is guided the ribbon (2) such that the ribbon follows an additional path (16). It comprises braking means (10, 11, 12, 14) for the origin cylinder (1) such that when the ribbon (2) is tractioned and as the origin cylinder is braked, the support (6) is forced to move against the action of an elastic element (13), reducing the additional path (16) such that after a marking (a-b) the ribbon moves back, and with it the support (6), due to the action of the elastic element (13) so that the next marking (b-d) is made immediately after the first. The braking means are operated by the support (6) such that after one or more markings they are released, unrolling a length of ribbon (2) from the origin cylinder, then braking again, with the process repeated. The invention is applicable to marking with heat-sensitive headers.
1—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, comprising an origin cylinder (1) for the heat-sensitive ink ribbon (2) which is guided by small rollers (3) towards a rewinding cylinder (5) which is related to traction means, with at least one marking header along the path of the ribbon (2), so that between markings, by the rising and lowering of the header and with the advance of the ribbon (2) a segment of said ribbon is left unused, further comprising means for return and tensioning of the ribbon (2) which allow marking with the segments of the ribbon (1) not used in the advance;
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the action of the braking means for the origin cylinder (1) takes place when the moving support (6) reaches a certain advance position where it contacts the braking these, which means release the origin cylinder (1) so that the traction means (2) in the forward direction unwind the ribbon (2), and later during the return motion they cause the return of the moving support (6) by the action of the spring (13) and a new braking of the origin cylinder (1), the process thus being repeated.
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in above claims, characterised in that the braking means of the origin cylinder (1) consist of a swivelling lever (12) provided with a shoe (11) and complemented by a spring (14) which keeps the shoe (11) pressed against the shaft (11) of the origin cylinder (1).
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the swivelling lever (10) is placed in the path of the moving support (6), such that when said support contacts the lever the latter swivels, overcoming the action of the spring (14);
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the elastic element which complements the moving support (6) is a spring (13).
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the moving support (6) is retained in guides (8) in which it slides during its motion.
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in claim 2, characterised in that it includes a stop (9) which limits the motion of the support in its return path.
—Traction device for heat-sensitive ink ribbon, as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the guiding means for the ribbon (2) provided on the support are embodied in a roller (7).