EP0054664A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Ribbon feed system for a matrix printer
Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1981-10-20
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2001-10-20
Abstract
Abstract ribbon feed system for a matrix printer utilizes metering rollers (44,46) located on the printhead carrier (18) to maintain a substantially zero ribbon velocity relative to the receiving medium (12) with an on-carrier ribbon feed. By coordinating roller rotation with carrier motion, relative motion that would tend to cause smearing during mark formation is avoided. For printers that inject current into the ribbon to cause printing, friction drag is reduced and tension control is simplified by collecting current at the metering rollers for return to the printhead energizing circuitry. Such dual use of the metering rollers takes advantage of the firm intimate contact that exists for metering to establish a high quality electrical connection.
Inventors
- 👤 Steven Lewis Applegate
- 👤 James John Molloy
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 12:18
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J35/00; B41J35/04; B41J35/08; B41J33/00; B41J33/14; B41J33/38
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
243 words
A ribbon feeding arrangement for use in a printer of the kind that employs a printhead mounted on a carrier for performing various types of printing operations indicated by coded signals, said printhead being positioned to press a ribbon against a receiving medium in conjunction with a graphic printing type of printing operation that is characterized by a forward direction of carrier motion and results in mark formation on said receiving medium, characterized in that it comprises : a ribbon supply mounted to said carrier; a ribbon takeup mounted to said carrier; path means for defining a ribbon path between said ribbon supply and said ribbon takeup that wraps around said printhead; metering means for feeding said ribbon, said metering means including first and second cooperating metering rollers located on said carrier at a ribbon path location between said printhead and said ribbon takeup, which rollers are relatively located for nipping said ribbon; drive means for supplying metering motion that is coordinated to movement of said printhead carrier relative to said receiving medium, to at least one of said rollers, said drive means being connected to cause roller rotation in a direction for feeding said ribbon toward said ribbon takeup for said forward direction of carrier motion; coupling control means for selectively enabling and disabling said metering means; and means for connecting one of said rollers to provide a return path for printing currents that extend from said ribbon to said electrode drivers.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
243 words
A ribbon feeding arrangement for use in a printer of the kind that employs a printhead mounted on a carrier for performing various types of printing operations indicated by coded signals, said printhead being positioned to press a ribbon against a receiving medium in conjunction with a graphic printing type of printing operation that is characterized by a forward direction of carrier motion and results in mark formation on said receiving medium, characterized in that it comprises : a ribbon supply mounted to said carrier; a ribbon takeup mounted to said carrier; path means for defining a ribbon path between said ribbon supply and said ribbon takeup that wraps around said printhead; metering means for feeding said ribbon, said metering means including first and second cooperating metering rollers located on said carrier at a ribbon path location between said printhead and said ribbon takeup, which rollers are relatively located for nipping said ribbon; drive means for supplying metering motion that is coordinated to movement of said printhead carrier relative to said receiving medium, to at least one of said rollers, said drive means being connected to cause roller rotation in a direction for feeding said ribbon toward said ribbon takeup for said forward direction of carrier motion; coupling control means for selectively enabling and disabling said metering means; and means for connecting one of said rollers to provide a return path for printing currents that extend from said ribbon to said electrode drivers.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A ribbon feeding arrangement according to Claim 1 characterized in that said coupling control means enables said metering means for the graphic printing type of printing operation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
36 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2 characterized in that said drive means includes a cable that is fixed at either end and is wrapped around a shaft that moves with said carrier.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to any of Claims 1-3 characterized in that said coupling control means enables said drive means for printer operations that result in the formation of marks on said receiving medium.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to any of Claims 1-4 characterized in that said coupling control means enables said metering means for forward motion of said carrier.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
48 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to any of Claims 1-5 characterized in that a tension controlled ribbon brake is arranged on the ribbon feed path to the supply side of said printhead whereby the ribbon tension occurring at said printhead is controlled to remain in a preselected range.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
29 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to Claim 6 characterized in that said brake cooperates with a tension controlling arm that has a range of operations for ribbon slack removal.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
57 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to any of Claims 1-5 characterized in that said drive means includes takeup means for coupling relative carrier motion to said ribbon takeup and wherein disabling means, responsive to tension on the takeup side of said rollers, is provided for disabling said takeup means for takeup tension excursions above a preselected value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
39 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to any of Claims 1-8 characterized in that said drive means comprises a connection for transmitting carrier motion that causes the peripheral speed of said roller to be substantially equal to the carrier speed.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A ribbon feed arrangement according to any of Claims 1-9 characterized in that said printer is of the kind that employs a multi-electrode printhead.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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