GB2283724A - Reloadable ink ribbon cassette - Google Patents

Abstract

A reloadable cassette for an ink printer ribbon includes first and second side plates 10, 15. Spacers 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b are secured to and extend from the first side plate 10, and releasably engage the second side plate 15, which has two portions 18 hingedly connected to the main part of the side plate and these portions are secured to ends of two of the spacers. The main part of the second side plate 15 is thus hinged relative to the first side plate 10. In a closed position the second side plate 15 lies parallel to the first side plate 10. By releasing the main part of the second side plate 15 from the spacers 13a, 13b, the main part of the second side plate may be pivoted to enable removal and insertion of the ribbon spools when an ink ribbon is to be replaced. <IMAGE>

Description

INK RIBBON CARRIER This invention relates to carriers for ink ribbons to facilitate handling of such ribbons and insertion of such ribbons into printing apparatus utilising the ribbon to effect printing. In particular the invention relates to ink ribbon carriers which can be reloaded a plurality of times with new ribbon.

Ink ribbons for use in printing apparatus such as typewriters or computer operated printers are commonly wound upon a reel or spool and in use in the printing apparatus the ribbon is drawn from a supply reel or spool and used ribbon is rewound onto a take up reel or spool.

For convenience in handling of ribbons and to facilitate insertion of the ribbon and to thread the ribbon along a feed path for the ribbon in the printing apparatus it is common for the supply and take up reels or spools to be mounted in a cassette or cartridge with the ribbon extending from the supply reel or spool to the take up reel or spool. The cassette or cartridge is so designed as to support the ribbon along a feed path corresponding to that required for the ribbon in the printing apparatus.

Accordingly by insertion of the cassette or cartridge into the printing apparatus the ribbon automatically extends along the required feed path and the take up reel or spool is engaged with drive means to rotate the take up reel or spool. The cassette or cartridge is usually manufactured of plastics mouldings formed so as to lock together to provide an enclosure for the ribbon and reels or spools.

The cassette or cartridge together with the contents thereof are intended to be disposed of when all the ribbon therein has been used and the construction of the cassette or cartridge is not intended to and does not easily permit reloading of thereof with new ribbon.

According to the invention a carrier for an ink printer ribbon comprises first and second side plates; a plurality of spacer members secured to and extending from said first side plate and means releasably securing said second side plate to free ends of said spacer members in spaced parallel relationship to said first side plate; and said first and second side plates being provided with means to rotatably support at least a first spool of wound ribbon between said first and second side plates.

Preferably the second side plate comprises a first portion rigidly secured to the first side plate and a second portion connected by a hinge connection to said first portion.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the drawings in which: Figure 1 illustrates a ribbon carrier, Figure 2 illustrates the ribbon carrier of Figure 1 opened to receive a ribbon, Figure 3 is a sectional view, to an enlarged scale, of a part of the ribbon carrier of Figure 1, and Figure 4 shows a ribbon loaded into the opened ribbon carrier of Figure 2.

Referring first to Figure 1, a ribbon carrier comprises first and second side plates 10, 11 held in spaced apart parallel relationship by means of pairs of spacer rods 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b. The side plates 10, 11 are shaped to co-operate with printing apparatus into which the carrier, when loaded with ribbon, is to be inserted. The side plates preferably are formed of relatively rigid synthetic plastics material. The side plate 11 is formed of a portion 15 secured by hinge connections 16, 17 to mounting elements 18, 19 respectively. In a preferred manner of construction with the side plates formed of synthetic plastics material, the portion 15 and mounting elements 18, 19 are moulded integrally together with the hinged connections therebetween, the hinged connections being formed as thin webs of material.The mounting elements 18 and 19 are rigidly secured by means of the pair of spacer rods 12a and 12b to the side plate 10. The hinge connections 16, 17 of the portion 15 to the mounting elements 18, 19 permit the portion 15 to be pivoted about the hinge connections away from the side plate 10 to an open position as shown in Figure 2. The side plates 10, 11 are provided with corresponding circular apertures 20, 21 to receive the ends of spools 22, 23 (Figure 4) on which a ribbon 24 is wound. Referring to Figure 4, when the portion 15 of the side plate 11 is in the open position, the spool 23 on which new unused ribbon 25 is already wound may be positioned in the carrier with one end of the spool 23 entered into the aperture 21 of the side plate 10.The free end of the ribbon is already secured to the spool 22 and the ribbon is drawn from the spool 23 along a path from the spool 23 past the spacer rod 13a round a first ribbon guide rod 14a, round a second ribbon guide rod 14b, past spacer rod 13b and the spool 22 is entered into the aperture 20 of the side plate 10. The portion 15 of the side plate is then pivoted about the hinge connections 16, 17 to the closed position as shown in Figure 1. As the portion 15 is moved into its closed position, the free ends of the spools 22, 23 enter the apertures 20, 21 respectively of the portion 15. The spools are thus supported for rotation between the side plates 10 and 11, the spool 23 acting as a supply spool and the spool 22 acting as a take up spool.The ribbon as it passes from the guide rod 14a to the guide rod 14b is available for co-operation with printing means of printing apparatus into which the carrier and ribbon is inserted.

The spacer rods 13a, 13b and guide rods 14a, 14b are rigidly secured to the side plate 10 by, for example, an end of each rod being entered with an interference fit into a corresponding bore in the side plate 10. The free ends of guide rods 14a, 14b enter apertures 26a, 26b respectively and the free ends of spacer rods 13a, 13b enter apertures 27a, 27b respectively in the portion 15 of side plate 11. The free ends of rods 14a, 14b are a sliding fit in the apertures 26a, 26b so as to locate the ends of the rods and maintain the rods in their desired positions to guide the ribbon. The free ends of the spacer rods 13a, 13b enter bores 32a, 32b respectively in the portion 15 and are formed as shown in Figure 3, with respect to the rod 13a, with a spherical part 28 on a neck 29 extending from a shoulder 30 of the rod.The inner face 31 of the portion 15 of side plate 11, when in the closed position, engages the shoulder 30 of spacer rods 13a, 13b to thereby locate the portion parallel to side plate 10. The spherical part 28 has a diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the bore 32a so that by exertion of pressure on the portion 15 the material of the portion surrounding the bore 32a is distorted sufficiently to permit the spherical part to enter the bore 32a. The length of the neck 29 is such that when the inner face 31 of the portion 15 is in engagement with the shoulder 30, the spherical part 28 extends beyond the portion 15 and engages tightly against an outer peripheral edge of the bore 32a and thereby maintains the portion in its closed position supporting the spools. It will be appreciated that the free ends of spacer rods 13a and 13b have the same form and engage with the portion 15 as shown in Figure 3 with respect to rod 13a.

If desired instead of forming the free ends of spacer rods 13a, 13b with spherical parts which are an interference fit with the portion 15, the ends of the rods may by grooved to receive clips, for example of 'C' shape pivotally mounted on the outer face of portion 15.

The spools on which the ribbon is wound may comprise merely a cylindrical core member as shown in Figure 4 or if desired the ribbon may be wound on reels having side cheeks. It will be appreciated that at least the spool or reel acting as a take-up spool or reel is provided with means to engage with drive means on printing apparatus to enable the take-up spool or reel to be driven and thereby wind used ribbon thereon. The ink ribbon may be a thermal transfer ink ribbon in which an ink carrying layer is supported on a film substrate.

In the embodiment described hereinbefore, the side plate 11 is formed of a part 15 connected by hinge connections to elements 18 and 19 and the elements 18, 19 are secured to the other side plate 10, however if desired the elements 18, 19 may be releasably connected to the spacer rods 12a, 12b and the part 15 may be rigidly connected to the elements 18, 19. In order to permit removal of the side plate from the remainder of the ribbon carrier the ends of the spacer rods 12a , 12b are formed in the same manner as the ends of the spacer rods 13a, 13b and the elements 18, 19 of the side plate 11 are an interference fit on the ends of the rods 12a, 12b.

It will be appreciated that the constructions of ribbon carrier described hereinbefore provide a convenient reusable carrier for ink ribbons. The releasable hinged side plate or removable side plate facilitate the insertion of new unused ribbons into the carrier and the removal of used ribbon therefrom. Accordingly the carrier may be used a plurality of times to support new ribbons and to facilitate insertion of the ribbons into the printing apparatus and thereby provides an economic reusable carrier for ribbons so that a user needs only to purchase replacement ribbons which can then be loaded by the user into the carrier.

Claims (6)

1. A carrier for an ink printer ribbon comprises first and second side plates; a plurality of spacer members secured to and extending from said first side plate and means releasably securing said second side plate to free ends of said spacer members in spaced parallel relationship to said first side plate; and said first and second side plates being provided with means to rotatably support at least a first spool of wound ribbon between said first and second side plates.

2. A carrier for an ink ribbon as claimed in claim 1 wherein said second side plate includes a first element secured to said first side plate by a first spacer member and a second element connected to said first element by a hinge connection and releasably connected to free ends of second spacer members, said means to rotatably support at least a first spool of wound ribbon being located in said second element of said second side plate.

3. A carrier for an ink ribbon as claimed in claim 1 or 2 wherein said first and second side plates are formed of synthetic plastics material.

4. A carrier for an ink ribbon as claimed in claim 2 wherein the free end of at least one of the second spacer members has an abutment and an end element projecting from said abutment; said end element having a neck adjacent said abutment and having an enlarged portion of greater width than said neck spaced from said abutment; said second element having an aperture located to receive said enlarged portion, said aperture being slightly smaller than said enlarged portion and the material of which said second element is formed being capable of yielding to an extent sufficient to permit said enlarged portion to extend through the aperture and thereby maintain said second element in engagement with said abutment.

5. A carrier as claimed in claim 4 wherein the enlarged portion is of generally spherical shape and extends beyond the second element such that a curved surface thereof adjacent the neck engages a surface of the second element remote from the abutment.

6. A carrier constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.