# US 2008/0187385 A1 · Ink ribbon cartridge

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- Number: US 2008/0187385 A1
- Document ID: US20080187385A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 12/078,467
- Filed: 2008-03-31
- Published: 2008-08-07
- Earliest claimed: 2004-03-15
- Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
- Inventors: Hideki Yamamoto
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187385A1

## CPC

- B41J 17/32: Detachable carriers or holders for impression-transfer material mechanism
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

An ink ribbon cartridge including a cartridge frame, take-up shaft connecting members, and supply shaft connecting members is provided. The take-up shaft connecting members support and rotatably connect ends of a take-up shaft to the cartridge frame and the supply shaft connecting members support and rotatably connect ends of a supply shaft to the cartridge frame. At least one of the supply shaft connecting members includes a rotation member, an intermediate body, an urging member, and a spool portion, the spool portion is arranged substantially inside the supply shaft. The intermediate body is arranged between a portion of an inner surface of the rotation member and a portion of an outer surface of the cartridge frame, and the urging member is arranged substantially inside at least one of the spool portion and the rotation member and urges the inner surface of the rotation member closer to the outer surface of the cartridge frame.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ink ribbon cartridge, comprising:
housing means for rotatably supporting a take-up shaft and a supply shaft, the housing means being attachable/detachable relative to an image forming device;
a first supply shaft connecting means for connecting one end of the supply shaft to the housing means;
a second supply shaft connecting means for connecting another end of the supply shaft to the housing means;
a first take-up shaft connecting means for connecting one end of the take-up shaft to the housing means;
a second take-up shaft connecting means for connecting another end of the take-up shaft to the housing means, wherein the first supply shaft connecting means includes a back tension applying means for applying a back tension to the supply shaft, and the back tension applying means includes an urging means substantially inside an internal space of the first supply shaft connecting means.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ink ribbon cartridge of claim 1, wherein the back tension applying means includes a resistance generating member sandwiched between a portion of the first supply shaft connecting means which rotates when the supply shaft rotates and a surface of the attachable/detachable housing means.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The ink ribbon cartridge of claim 2, wherein the back tension applying means includes a fixing means on one of a surface of the first supply shaft connecting means and a surface of the housing means and a rotation resistance generating means on the other surface.

### Claim 4

An ink ribbon cartridge, comprising:
an attachable/detachable cartridge frame, the cartridge frame being attachable/detachable relative to an image forming device;
take-up shaft connecting members which attachably/detachably connect a take-up shaft to the cartridge frame; and
supply shaft connecting members which attachably/detachably connect a supply shaft to the cartridge frame, wherein at least one of the supply shaft connecting members comprises a back tension applying mechanism, the back tension applying mechanism applying a substantially predetermined amount of tension to the supply shaft, wherein the back tension applying mechanism is attachable/detachable relative to the cartridge frame and includes an intermediate member adjacent to a rotating portion of the at least one supply shaft connecting member.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The ink ribbon cartridge of claim 4, wherein the back tension applying mechanism includes an urging member housed substantially within the at least one supply shaft connecting member.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The ink ribbon cartridge of claim 4, wherein the intermediate member is sandwiched between a surface of the rotating portion of the at least one supply shaft connecting member and a surface of the attachable/detachable cartridge frame.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The ink cartridge of claim 6, wherein the back tension applying mechanism includes a fixing means for fixing the surface of the rotating portion to a first surface of the intermediate member and a rotation resistance generating means for generating a rotation resistance between a second surface of the intermediate member and the surface of the attachable/detachable cartridge frame.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The ink cartridge of claim 6, wherein the intermediate member is made of a least one of felt, rubber and cork.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The ink cartridge of claim 8, wherein the cartridge frame includes a first bearing member and a second bearing member, the first bearing member and the second bearing member being substantially parallel to each other.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The ink cartridge of claim 9, wherein the cartridge frame further includes at least one connecting member which connects the first bearing member to the second bearing member.