Apparatus for re-inking the ribbon of a printer ribbon cartridge
AssigneeMannesmann Tally Corporation
InventorGrant W. Beach
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A printer ribbon cartridge (10) containing an internal re-inking mechanism (12) for re-inking the ribbon (14) housed in the cartridge is provided. The internal re-inking mechanism (12) comprises a drive assembly (30), pump (24), an eccentric (26), an ink reservoir (22), an ink feeding tube (34), a re-inking ring (30) and a transfer roller (38). As the ribbon (14) is threaded and propelled through the drive assembly (30), the drive assembly drives the pump (24) via the eccentric (26). The pump (24) pumps ink from the ink reservoir (22) to the re-inking ring (36) through the ink feeding tube (34). The ink is transferred from the re-inking ring (36) to the ribbon (14) via the transfer roller (38).
Claims16
In a printer ribbon cartridge housing a ribbon, wherein the printer ribbon cartridge includes a body having a first ribbon arm, a second ribbon arm and a drive assembly for moving the ribbon through the body, the improvement comprising an internal re-inking mechanism encased within the body for re-inking the ribbon, the internal re-inking mechanism having:
- (a) a pump having an inlet and an outlet, the pump mounted within the body of the printer cartridge and driven by the drive assembly of the printer cartridge which moves the ribbon through the body;
- (b) an ink reservoir coupled to the inlet of the pump so that the pump draws ink from the ink supply;
- (c) an ink feeding conduit coupled to the outlet of the pump;
- (d) a re-inking ring rotatably mounted in the body for receiving ink from said ink feeding conduit;
- and
- (e) a transfer roller rotatably mounted to the body in frictional engagement with both the re-inking ring and the ribbon for transferring ink from the re-inking ring to the ribbon.
In a printer ribbon cartridge housing a ribbon and including a first ribbon arm, a second ribbon arm, a body and a drive assembly through which the ribbon is threaded, the improvement comprising an internal re-inking mechanism for re-inking the ribbon, the re-inking mechanism including:
- (a) a pump mounted within the body, the pump being driven by the drive assembly and having an inlet and an outlet;
- a coupling mechanism for connecting the drive assembly to the pump;
- (c) an ink supply connected to the inlet of the pump so that the pump draws ink from the ink supply;
- (d) an ink feeding conduit connected to the outlet of the pump through which the pump pumps ink drawn from the ink supply;
- (e) a re-inking ring rotatably mounted to the body for receiving ink from the ink feeding conduit;
- and
- (f) a transfer roller rotatably mounted to the body in frictional engagement with the re-inking ring for transferring ink from the re-inking ring to the transfer roller as the transfer roller rotates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.