Space saving integrated cartridge for a printer

Details Space saving integrated cartridge for a printer Space saving integrated cartridge for a printer

2002-04-17

2003-02-18

Tran, Huan (Department: 2861)

Incremental printing of symbolic information

Thermal marking apparatus or processes

Ink cassette or cartridge

C400S208100

Reexamination Certificate

active

06522349

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer cartridge, and more specifically, to an integrated cartridge having both a paper cassette and a ribbon cassette.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Integrated cartridges contain both printing material such as paper and imaging material such as ink film or ribbon. These cartridges are commonly used in printers that utilize a thermal print head. Integrated cartridges are time saving and convenient when compared with using two separate cartridges, as the user is only required to install and maintain one cartridge.
FIG. 1
shows a prior art integrated cartridge
20
. The printing cartridge
20
comprises a paper cassette
21
for holding printing paper and an imaging material cassette
22
for imaging material. The imaging material is stored on rollers
23
and can be ink film, ink ribbon, or a similar roller based material. Disposed between the paper cassette
21
and the imaging material cassette
22
is a guide opening
24
a
, which has a paper inlet
24
b
at the upper end, and a paper outlet
24
c
at the lower end. Supporting the printing paper in the paper cassette
21
is a paper support plate
25
a
connected to and pivoting about a pin
25
b
. The pin
25
b
is attached at each end to the paper cassette
21
.
Under normal installation, the printing cartridge
20
is disposed inside a printer
30
, as shown in FIG.
2
. The printer cartridge
20
is supported by support brackets
31
, which are attached to the printer
30
.
During operation of the printer
30
when a sheet of paper (represented by a dashed line in all figures) is to be supplied, a lever
32
is rotated upwards to raise and tilt the paper support plate
25
a
, which is caused to rotate about the pin
25
b
, as shown in FIG.
3
. The top sheet of paper P is then brought into contact with a paper supplying belt
33
. The paper supplying belt
33
feeds the sheet of paper, which is first diverted by a guiding plate
34
, into the paper inlet
24
b
of the guide opening
24
a
. The sheet of paper is discharged out of the guide opening
24
a
through the paper outlet
24
c
and is taken up by a capstan roller
35
and a pinch roller
36
. In this way, the sheet of paper is supplied to a platen roller
37
and a print head assembly
38
.
After the sheet of paper has been supplied, printing to that sheet of paper may commence, as is illustrated in FIG.
4
. The platen roller
37
rises to press the sheet of paper against the imaging material
1
. The print head assembly
38
lowers to support the imaging material
1
. Printing is carried out normally with the sheet of paper being taken up by a discharge belt
39
, and the flow of the sheet of paper being the reverse of that during supplying. The sheet of paper is ejected out of the printer
30
by the discharge belt
39
when printing is complete.
The prior art integrated cartridge lacks a compact form for efficient storage.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide an integrated cartridge, comprising both a paper cassette and a ribbon cassette, capable of being reduced in size for storage.
According to the claimed invention, an integrated cartridge for a printer includes a paper cassette for placing paper and a ribbon cassette for positioning a ribbon. The ribbon cassette has a first reel and a second reel, on which a ribbon is positioned. The integrated cartridge further includes a brace having a first end connected to the paper cassette and a second end connected to the first reel of the ribbon cassette. The second reel of the ribbon cassette is capable of moving relative to a position of the first reel so as to reduce a space occupied by the integrated cartridge.
It is an advantage that the claimed invention uses a movable second reel in the ribbon cassette resulting in reduced space occupied when stored.
These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5216441 (1993-06-01), Isobe
patent: 4-101875 (1992-04-01), None

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