Printing cartridge

A printing cartridge for supplying tape and ribbon in a printing apparatus having a printing station, said printing cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge housing:
• a spool of image carrying tape rotatably supported within said housing;
• a spool of printing ribbon rotatably supported within said housing;
• a guide means comprising an elongated member integrally joined with said cartridge housing by an integral hinge portion and adapted for limited pivotal movement with respect to said cartrigde housing about said hinge portion for guiding said tape and ribbon from said cartridge toward the printing station of said printing apparatus, said guide means including a pair of elongated guide members joined together along their opposing longitudinal edges to define an opening extending therethrough in the longitudinal direction of said elongated member for passage of said tape and ribbon, said pair of guide members being integrally joined at their ends remote from said cartridge housing by hinge portions spaced from each other for guiding said tape and ribbon as they exit from said guide means, one of said guide members further including an elongated rib integrally joined therewith and extending in a longitudinal direction of said one guide member;
• first and second braking means for creating a drag on said tape and ribbon, respectively, for resisting free movement thereof from said cartridge;
• and
• a generally thin flat divider disposed within said opening and having opposite edges retained between opposing longitudinal edges of said guide members, said divider being further disposed between said tape and ribbon during their passage through said opening and between at least a portion of said elongated rib and the other of said guide members.

A printing cartridge for supplying tape and ribbon in a printing apparatus comprising:

• a cartridge housing;
• a spool of image carrying tape rotatably supported within said housing;
• a spool of printed ribbon rotatably supported within said housing;
• a guide means comprising an elongated member integrally joined with said cartridge housing by an integral hinge portion and being adapted for limited pivotal movement with respect to said cartridge housing about said hinge portion, said elongated member including an opening extending therethrough in a longitudinal direction of said elongated member for passage of said tape and ribbon;
• first and second braking means for creating a drag on said tape and ribbon, respectively, for resisting free movement thereof from said cartridge;
• and
• a generally thin, flat divider disposed within said opening and having opposite edges retained between opposing longitudinal edges of said guide members, said divider being further disposed between said tape and ribbon during their passge through said opening.

A tape and ribbon supply system for use in a printing apparatus having a printing station, said tape and ribbon supply system comprising:

• a tape-ribbon cartridge;
• a supply of image carrying tape supported within said cartridge;
• a supply of printing ribbon supported within said cartridge;
• and
• a guide means comprising an elongated guide member for guiding said tape and ribbon, one above the other, from said cartridge toward the printing station, said guide means including means for creating a drag on said tape and ribbon for resisting free movement thereof through said guide means and means for maintaining separation between said tape and ribbon during the passage thereof through a substantial portion of the length of said elongated guide means.

A printing cartridge for supplying tape and ribbon in a printing apparatus having a printing station, said printing cartridge comprising:

• a cartridge housing;
• a spool of image carrying tape rotatably supported within said housing;
• a spool of printing ribbon rotatably supported within said housing;
• a guide means comprising an elongated guide member integrally joined with said cartridge housing and extending outwardly therefrom for guiding said tape and ribbon, one above the other such that a first flat face of said tape is in face-to-face registration with a first flat face of said ribbon, from said cartridge toward the printing station of said printing apparatus, said elongated guide member including a pair of elongated guide sections joined together at one of their ends by end hinge means for rendering said guide sections selectively pivotable with respect to one another, one of said guide sections having its other end integraly joined with said housing and each of said guide sections having means along each of their longitudinal edges for joining said sections together along said longitudinal edges to define an opening therebetween extending through said guide means in the longitudinal direction thereof for passage of said tape and ribbon.