Printer assembly providing tension for idler pulley
OwnerEugene David Allen, Sung Hwan Song +1inventors
InventorsEugene David Allen, Sung Hwan Song, Ryan Timothy Ward
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A printer assembly includes an idler pulley, a printhead carrier belt, an idler-pulley spring, and a ratchet stop. The printhead carrier belt is operatively connected to the idler pulley and extends in an inboard direction from the idler pulley. The idler-pulley spring biases the idler pulley in an outboard direction to maintain belt tension as the belt lengthens during wear. The ratchet stop is located inboard of the idler pulley and operatively engages the idler pulley against movement of the idler pulley in the inboard direction, wherein such inboard movement would cause printing errors.
Claims20
A printer assembly comprising:
- a) an idler pulley;
- b) a printhead carrier belt operatively connected to the idler pulley and extending in an inboard direction from the idler pulley;
- c) an idler-pulley spring biasing the idler pulley in an outboard direction substantially opposite to the inboard direction;
- and
- d) a ratchet stop disposed inboard of the idler pulley and operatively engaging the idler pulley against movement of the idler pulley in the inboard direction.
A printer assembly comprising:
- a) an idler pulley;
- b) a printhead carrier belt operatively connected to the idler pulley and extending in an inboard direction from the idler pulley;
- c) an idler-pulley spring biasing the idler pulley in an outboard direction substantially opposite to the inboard direction;
- d) a printer housing;
- e) an idler-pulley frame rotatably supporting the idler pulley and movably attached to the printer housing for inboard and outboard movement with respect to the printer housing;
- and
- f) a ratchet stop disposed inboard of the idler pulley and having:
- (1) substantially-inboard-facing ratchet teeth attached to the idler-pulley frame, and
- (2) a ratchet pawl pivotally attached to the printer housing and operatively engaged with one of the ratchet teeth.
A printer assembly comprising:
- a) an idler pulley;
- b) a printhead carrier belt operatively connected to the idler pulley and extending in an inboard direction from the idler pulley;
- c) an idler-pulley spring biasing the idler pulley in an outboard direction substantially opposite to the inboard direction;
- d) a printer housing;
- e) an idler-pulley frame rotatably supporting the idler pulley and movably attached to the printer housing for inboard and outboard movement with respect to the printer housing;
- and
- f) a ratchet stop disposed inboard of the idler pulley and having:
- (1) a ratchet cam rotatably attached to the printer housing and operatively engaging the idler-pulley frame, and
- (2) a ratchet spring attached to the ratchet cam and to the printer housing and aligned substantially perpendicular to the inboard direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.