Ribbon guide for thermal printers and method of installation

Abstract

A ribbon guide used to install a thermal ribbon in a thermal printer, the ribbon guide having a bottle shaped profile and being formed of V-Max® brand synthetic paper. The ribbon guide has three integral portions, a first portion having a cross-shaped slit and a hole, a second portion that may be used for gripping by an operator, and a third portion for receiving printed advertising and/or other useful information. The synthetic paper is a multi-layer product comprised of thin individual layers of high density polyethylene that have been extruded, stretched, bias-cut and cross laminated. The cross-shaped slit receives the very thin thermal ribbon and allows the ribbon guide to connect and hold the thermal ribbon during installation of the thermal ribbon in the thermal printer. After loading a reel of thermal ribbon onto a supply spindle and connecting the thermal ribbon to the ribbon guide, an operator may grip the second portion of the ribbon guide, and thread the ribbon guide through the internal mechanisms of the thermal printer including passed a print head to a reel on a take-up spindle. Using the ribbon guide reduces thermal ribbon handling by an operator and thus hands are cleaner and less likely to smell, and the hands of the operator are kept away from moving and/or hot parts of the thermal printer. Forming the ribbon guide of the V-Max® brand synthetic paper reduces the amount of dust, oil and dirt entering the interior of the thermal printer and gives the ribbon guide enough self-support to allow it to load the thermal ribbon. The ribbon guide may also be used as an advertising platform and as a helpful tool.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.