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US 5,089,897 AGranted
Facsimile paper supply cartridge system
AssigneeSmith Corona Corporation
InventorCharles M. Curley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A facsimile machine and paper cartridge system wherein the facsimile machine is convertible by accepting disposable cartridges having either plain paper or paper coated with a thermal transfer coating, either cartridge having a paper flow path which reverses the natural curl of the paper to provide generally flat facsimile printouts. Each type of cartridge may also be provided with a wiping surface for cleaning the facsimile machine print head upon the insertion and removal of the cartridge from the machine.
Claims31
A facsimile machine and paper cartridge system, comprising:
- a facsimile machine having a housing with a recess and a print head, said print head being pivotally mounted to said housing to project into said recess;
- a paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including a cartridge housing with an access opening for accommodating said print head;
- a paper supply roll mounted within said cartridge housing, said roll having a supply of paper;
- a print platen secured within said cartridge housing so that said paper may be drawn in a web from said supply roll across said platen, said platen being located within said cartridges housing so that said print head may pass through said access opening to contact and push said web against said platen to transfer a facsimile message to said web.
1 more element
A facsimile machine and paper cartridge system, comprising:
- a facsimile machine having a housing with a recess, paper drive means for driving said paper and a print head, said print head being pivotally mounted to said housing to project into said recess and being subjected to a biasing force;
- a paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including a cartridge housing with an access opening configured to accommodate said print head, a paper supply roll mounted within said cartridge housing, said roll having a supply of paper, and a print platen having a contact surface disposed within said cartridge housing so that said paper may be drawn in a web from said supply roll across said contact surface;
- said platen being securely mounted within said cartridge housing near said access opening so that said print head may pass through said access opening to exert a biased contact against said web and said contact surface to transfer a facsimile image to said web;
- said cartridge having wiping means for cleaning said print head and disposed so as to wipingly engage said print head upon the insertion and removal of said cartridge from said recess.
1 more element
A facsimile machine and paper cartridge system, comprising:
- a facsimile machine having a housing with a recess and a print head, said print head being pivotally mounted to said housing to project into said recess;
- a plain paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including an access opening, a plain paper supply roll, and a thermal ribbon supply roll, said plain paper cartridge access opening designed to accommodate said print head for operational engagement in said plain paper cartridge;
- a thermal paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including an access opening and a thermal paper supply roll, said thermal paper cartridge access opening being designed to accommodate said print head for operational engagement in said thermal paper cartridge;
- and
- each said cartridge being provided with a print platen secured therein against which said print head is biased;
- said system being designed so that either said plain paper cartridge or said thermal paper cartridge may be operationally inserted in said recess without requiring adjustments to said machine.
3 more elements
A paper cartridge system for a facsimile machine having a recess and a print head projectable into the recess, comprising:
- a plain paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within the recess of the machine and including an access opening, a plain paper supply roll having a supply of plain paper, a thermal ribbon supply roll, and a print platen located in said cartridge so that a web of said paper and a web of said ribbon may be drawn across said platen, said plain paper cartridge access opening designed to accommodate the print head for operational engagement in said cartridge against said platen;
- a thermal paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within the recess of the machine and including an access opening, a thermal paper supply roll having a supply of thermal paper, and a print platen located in said cartridge so that a web of said paper may be drawn across said platen, said thermal paper cartridge access opening being designed to accommodate the print head for operational engagement in said cartridge against said platen;
- and
- said system being designed so that either said plain paper cartridge or said thermal paper cartridge may be operationally inserted in the recess of the machine without requiring adjustments to the machine.
1 more element
A facsimile machine and paper cartridge system, comprising:
- a facsimile machine having a housing with a recess and a print head, said print head being pivotally mounted to said housing to project into said recess;
- a paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including a cartridge housing with an access opening for accommodating said print head;
- said cartridge further including print head cleaning means including a wiping strip disposed on said cartridge housing to wipingly engage said print head upon insertion and removal of said cartridge from said machine.
A facsimile machine and paper cartridge system, comprising:
- a facsimile machine having a housing with a recess and a print head, said print head being pivotally mounted to said housing to project into said recess;
- a plain paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including an access opening, a plain paper supply roll, and a thermal ribbon supply roll, said plain paper cartridge access opening designed to accommodate said print head for operational engagement therein;
- a thermal paper cartridge configured for releasable disposition within said recess and including an access opening and a thermal paper supply roll, said thermal paper cartridge access opening being designed to accommodate said print head for operational engagement therein;
- said plain paper cartridge and said thermal paper cartridge each have a wiping surface designed to wipingly engage said print head as said cartridges are inserted into and removed from said machine;
- and
- said system being designed so that either said plain paper cartridge or said thermal paper cartridge may be operationally inserted in said recess.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.