Credential Production Print Ribbon and Transfer Ribbon Cartridges
AssigneeFargo Electronics, Inc.
InventorTed M. Hoffman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ribbon cartridge for use in a credential production device is disclosed. The ribbon cartridge includes a take-up spool, a supply spool and a ribbon wound on the supply and take-up spools. The supply spool includes a loaded condition, in which a majority of the ribbon is wound on the supply spool and a minority of the ribbon is wound on the take-up spool. The take-up spool includes a loaded condition, in which a majority of the ribbon is wound on the take-up spool and a minority of the ribbon is wound on the supply spool. The ribbon wound on the supply spool in the loaded condition extends into the space occupied by the ribbon wound on the take-up spool when the take-up spool is in the loaded condition.
Claims20
A ribbon cartridge for use in a credential production device comprising:
- a take-up spool;
- a supply spool;
- and
- a ribbon wound on the supply and take-up spools;
- wherein:
- the supply spool includes a loaded condition, in which a majority of the ribbon is wound on the supply spool and a minority of the ribbon is wound on the take-up spool;
- the take-up spool includes a loaded condition, in which a majority of the ribbon is wound on the take-up spool and a minority of the ribbon is wound on the supply spool;
- and
- the ribbon wound on the supply spool in the loaded condition extends into the space occupied by the ribbon wound on the take-up spool when the take-up spool is in the loaded condition.
A method of feeding a ribbon from a supply spool to a take-up spool in a credential production device, the method comprising:
- providing the supply spool in a loaded condition, in which a majority of the ribbon is wound on the supply spool and a minority of the ribbon is wound on the take-up spool;
- and
- feeding the ribbon from the supply spool to the take-up spool until the take-up spool reaches a loaded condition, in which a majority of the ribbon is wound on the take-up spool and a minority of the ribbon is wound on the supply spool such that the supply spool in the loaded condition extends into a space occupied by the ribbon wound on the take-up spool when the take-up spool is in the loaded condition and the take-up spool in the loaded condition extends into a space occupied by the ribbon wound on the supply spool when the supply spool is in the loaded condition.
A ribbon cartridge for use in a credential production device comprising:
- a housing having a rear wall support and a front wall support that cooperate to form a supply spool receiver and a take-up spool receiver;
- a supply spool supported by the supply spool receiver, the supply spool having an axis of rotation;
- a take-up spool supported by the take-up spool receiver, the take-up spool having an axis of rotation;
- a ribbon wound on the supply and take-up spools, wherein the ribbon has a width;
- and
- a plane extending across the width of the ribbon wound on each of the supply and the take-up spools and through the axes of rotation of take-up spool and the supply spool, the plane is unobstructed by the housing of the ribbon cartridge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.