Patent · US Expired

Capstan driven, endless printer ribbon cartridge

US4051944A · kind A · utility

4Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 17, 1976
Grant dateOct 4, 1977
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 17, 1996

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC B)Performing Operations; Transporting
  • CPC primaryB41J32/02
  • WIPO fieldTextile and paper machines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

A capstan driven, endless printer ribbon cartridge comprising an endless ribbon and a flat housing formed of a planar base and an enclosing planar top with downwardly projecting edge walls is disclosed. The housing includes an appendage within which a guide roller, or an inking roller, is located. Ribbon enters the housing via an edge wall slot located adjacent the guide or inking roller and runs around the roller to a relatively large aperture at which a pair of pinch rollers are located. The pinch rollers, when the cartridge is mounted in a suitable printer, press the ribbon against a capstan. The ribbon runs from the pinch rollers to the outer periphery of a rotatable ribbon roll located about a non-rotatable hub integrally formed with the base. The ribbon leaves the ribbon roll via an angle slot formed in the non-rotatable hub. A ribbon leaf spring having a semicircular hook-shaped end extends outwardly from the hub against the inner loop of the ribbon roll to provide tape withdrawal friction (output tension) and to assist in aligning the tape with the angle slot. The endless ribbon has the configuration of a Mobius strip.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.