High capacity ribbon supply arrangement
AssigneeCreative Associates
InventorRoy J. Lahr
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ribbon supply arrangement for a printer is provided with a first ribbon supply portion having supply and take-up reels therein, the ribbon being provided to a second ribbon supply portion which is installed on a carriage of the printer. In one embodiment, the first ribbon supply portion is pivotally coupled to the second ribbon supply portion, and also pivotally coupled to a pivot coupling on the frame of the printer such that the bulk of the weight of the first ribbon supply portion, including the ribbon supply therein is borne by the frame, and not the print carriage. In a further embodiment, the first ribbon supply portion is provided with a large supply reel and a plurality of take-up reels.
Claims11
In a printer comprising a chassis, a paper support platen mounted on said chassis, a printing carriage, means mounting said printing carriage for translation with respect to said chassis and said paper support platen, a ribbon supply system comprising:
- a ribbon reel support means
- a ribbon feed reel and a ribbon take-up reel both rotatably mounted on said ribbon reel support means in a predetermined orientation with respect to one another;
- first means for pivotally mounting said ribbon reel support means to said printing carriage;
- second means for pivotally mounting said ribbon reel support means to said chassis wherein at least a portion of the weight of said ribbon reel support means having rotatably mounted thereon said feed reel and said take-up reel is borne by said second means;
- means for permitting reciprocating movement of said ribbon reel support means with respect to said chassis responsive to translation of said printing carriage with respect to said chassis.
A ribbon drive arrangement for engaging a ribbon having a longitudinal dimension and urging the ribbon in a direction substantially along said longitudinal dimension, said ribbon drive arrangement comprising:
- a drive member mounted for rotation about a first axis of rotation, said drive member having a first predetermined number of ribbon engagement rollers arranged equidistant from said first axis of rotation, each ribbon engagement roller having an individual axis spaced from said first axis and being mounted to said drive member for rotation about each of said individual axes;
- an idler member mounted for rotation about a second axis of rotation, said idler member having a second predetermined number of ribbon engagement rollers arranged equidistant from said second axis of rotation, each ribbon engagement roller having an individual axis of rotation spaced from said second axis and being mounted to said idler member for rotation about each of said individual axes;
- said ribbon engagement rollers on said drive member and said idler member meshing respectively with each other as said drive member and said idler member are rotated about their respective axes of rotation, the print ribbon being interposed between said meshing ribbon engagement rollers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.