Ribbon drive and tensioning system for a print and apply engine for a printer
AssigneeZIH Corp.
InventorsKenneth Folke Ullenius, Robert A. Ehrhardt, Jr., Dale William Skamra
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus for driving and tensioning a ribbon includes a supply spindle for supplying a ribbon, a supply dancer assembly for applying tension to the ribbon, a printhead, a take-up dancer assembly for applying tension to the ribbon, and a take-up spindle for collecting spent ribbon. The supply dancer assembly is positioned downstream of the supply spindle. The printhead is positioned downstream of the supply dancer assembly. The take-up dancer assembly is downstream of the printhead. The take-up spindle is downstream of the take-up dancer assembly.
Claims31
An apparatus for tensioning a medium comprising:
- a supply assembly for supplying a medium;
- a first dancer assembly for applying tension to the medium, said first dancer assembly being disposed downstream of said supply assembly, said first dancer assembly including a spring-biased first dancing arm and a first channel, a first portion of the first dancing arm being capable of moving in and out of the first channel;
- a take-up assembly for taking up the medium, said take-up assembly disposed downstream of said first dancer assembly;
- a housing on which said first dancer assembly is mounted;
- and
- a second dancer assembly for applying tension to the medium, said second dancer assembly including a spring-biased second dancing arm mounted on said housing.
An apparatus for tensioning a medium comprising:
- a supply assembly for supplying a medium;
- a dancer assembly for applying tension to the medium, said dancer assembly being disposed downstream of said supply assembly, said dancer assembly including a spring-biased dancing arm and a channel, a portion of the dancing arm being capable of moving in and out of the channel;
- a take-up assembly for taking up the medium, said take-up assembly disposed downstream of said dancer assembly;
- a position sensor operable to sense the disposition of the dancing arm relative to the channel;
- and
- a motor coupled to one of said supply assembly and said take-up assembly, wherein said motor, based on input from said position sensor, controls said supply assembly or said take-up assembly.
A tensioning apparatus for tensioning a medium in a printing system, the printing system defining a path for a medium to travel in a downstream direction, the tensioning apparatus disposed in the path, the tensioning apparatus comprising:
- a housing;
- a first idler roller rotatably attached to said housing;
- a second idler roller rotatably attached to said housing, said second idler roller disposed downstream of said first idler roller;
- and
- a dancing arm comprising a proximal portion pivotally attached to said housing and a distal portion attached to the proximal portion, the distal portion movably disposed downstream of said first idler roller and upstream of said second idler roller such that a loop path for the medium is defined about the distal portion;
- wherein the loop path has a path length between the first idler roller and the second idler roller;
- wherein the proximal portion of said dancing arm is capable of pivoting toward said first roller and said second roller;
- wherein the distal portion of said dancing arm moves when the proximal portion pivots toward said first roller and said second roller such the path length of the loop path increases.
A printer defining a path for a medium to travel in a downstream direction, the printer comprising:
- a supply assembly;
- a medium extending from said supply assembly, said medium having a first surface and an opposing second surface;
- and
- a tensioning assembly downstream of said supply assembly, said tensioning assembly receiving said medium from said supply assembly, said tensioning assembly comprising a first idler roller contacting the first surface of said medium, a movable roller contacting the second surface of said medium downstream of the first idler roller, a second idler roller contacting the first surface of said medium downstream of the movable roller, and a generally U-shaped dancing arm on which the movable roller is rotatably mounted.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.