Ribbon cartridge and printer drive system for the ribbon

In a printer having a printer deck for mounting a printer cartridge containing print ribbon, a drive mechanism for the print ribbon, comprising:

• drive and idler rollers carried by said printer and projecting from said printer deck;
• a lever carrying said idler roller and mounted for movement on said printer deck for moving said idler roller laterally toward and away from said drive roller;
• means for moving said lever between a first position for engaging the print ribbon between said rollers and a second position spacing said idler roller from said drive roller;
• means for biasing said lever for movement into one of said first and second positions;
• means for detenting said lever in the other of said first and second positions;
• control means for displacing said lever from said detented position enabling said lever for movement toward said one position;
• a ribbon stripper actuating member for engagement with a ribbon stripper in the cartridge and carried by said printer deck for movement toward and away from said rollers;
• and
• an arm interconnecting said member and said moving means such that said member is movable toward and away from said rollers in response to movement of said idler gear toward and away from said drive roller, respectively.

A parts kit for assembly into a ribbon cartridge for a printer having a ribbon drive mechanism, including a pair of rollers for engaging a ribbon therebetween, comprising:

• a top wall part having portions for defining in part a storage chamber for a ribbon;
• a bottom wall part having portions for defining in part the storage chamber for the ribbon, said bottom wall part having an opening for receiving the ribbon drive mechanism upon loading the assembled cartridge into the printer;
• one of said top and bottom wall parts including portions defining at least in part ribbon entrance and ribbon exit arms;
• said top and bottom wall parts being adapted for assembly one with the other to form the ribbon cartridge with said portions of the top and bottom wall parts defining a storage chamber for the ribbon;
• a stripper for assembly within the cartridge, said stripper including a pair of laterally spaced stripper elements for stripping ribbon from the rollers and defining a slot therebetween for receiving ribbon upon assembly of the kit to form the cartridge and loading thereof into the printer;
• said stripper having guides for mounting the stripper within the cartridge upon its assembly for movement in a direction toward and away from said bottom opening, said stripper having at least one pin projecting therefrom and through said bottom wall part for engagement by the drive mechanism upon loading the assembled cartridge into the printer.

A stripper for location in a ribbon cartridge for stripping ribbon from drive rollers and guiding the ribbon into a storage chamber of the cartridge, comprising:

• a stripper body for generally horizontal slidable movement within the cartridge toward and away from the drive rollers and having a laterally extending wall;
• a pair of laterally spaced stripper elements projecting forwardly from said stripper body and defining a forwardly extending slot for receiving ribbon therebetween;
• upstanding wall portions projecting from said laterally extending wall and located rearwardly of said stripper elements for engaging ribbon in the storage chamber of the cartridge on the side of the stripper body opposite said stripper elements, said wall portions having an opening therebetween for receiving ribbon from said slot for entry into the storage chamber;
• and
• a pair of pins projecting downwardly from said laterally extending wall adjacent its opposite ends and for termination below said stripper elements.