Ink ribbon cartridge with C-shaped sideplates
AssigneeNu-kote International, Inc.
InventorsCarl William Holland, Donald J. Watters
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ink cartridge includes a housing, an ink ribbon (120), spools (50, 60) for holding the ribbon, and spindles (70, 72, 90, 92) received within openings of the spools. The housing has semi-cylindrical sections (10, 12) which receive the spools. The housing further includes c-shaped sideplates (24, 26, 34, 36) with openings for each spindle. The c-shaped sideplates selectively expand to receive the spindles and retain the spindles in position.
Claims21
An ink ribbon cartridge, comprising:
- an ink ribbon;
- first and second spools holding said ribbon;
- four spindles, wherein one of each of said spindles is received within an opening in an end of one of said spools;
- a housing having a first portion and a second portion, said first portion receives said first spool and said second portion receives said second spool;
- each of said portions comprises a pair of sideplates each having a C-shaped configuration with a single C-shaped groove having an uninterrupted inner surface for receiving a spindle, wherein each C-shaped sideplate and corresponding groove selectively expands to receive a spindle.
A method of inserting a take-up spool and a supply spool into an ink ribbon cartridge housing, comprising the steps of:
- inserting a first end of a take-up spool into a single C-shaped opening having an uninterrupted internal surface in a C-shaped sideplate of said housing;
- deforming said C-shaped sideplate and said C-shaped opening to access and receive said take-up spool;
- inserting a take-up spool second end opposite said first end in another single C-shaped opening in a C-shaped sideplate;
- deforming said another sideplate and said corresponding opening to receive said take-up spool in said opening;
- inserting a first end of a supply spool into a C-shaped opening in one of said sideplates;
- deforming said C-shaped sideplate and said corresponding opening to receive said supply spool in said opening;
- inserting a supply spool second end opposite said first said into a C-shaped opening in the other said sideplate;
- deforming said C-shaped sideplate and said corresponding opening to receive said supply spool in said opening.
An ink ribbon cartridge, comprising:
- an ink ribbon;
- first and second spools for holding said ribbon;
- a plurality of spindles, one of each spindles is received by an opening in an end of one of said spools;
- a housing having a pair of semi-cylindrical sections for receiving said first and second spools;
- each of said semi-cylindrical sections comprises a pair of c-shaped sideplates having a continuous c-shaped opening for receiving an end of one of said spools, each sideplate having first and second ends;
- and
- a pair of connecting members extending between two of said sideplates, said connecting members extending from said first ends of each of said sideplates, wherein said sideplates expand from said second ends not attached to said connecting members.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.