Patent EP0121971A1 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0121971A1
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Apparatus for driving a ribbon cassette
Assignee: Daisy Systems Holland BV
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Filing: 1984-03-14
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-03-14
Abstract
Abstract @ An apparatus for driving a ribbon cassette (1) for a printer, which ribbon cassette includes a supply spool (11) and a take-up spool (7) between which an inked ribbon (20) extends, comprises a motor (2) for driving a driving shaft (4). The driving shaft can be directly coupled to the take-up spool of the ribbon cassette. A detector provides a signal to a processing unit in response to the ribbon transport, which processing unit can operate the motor for transporting a length of the ribbon as determined by a printed character. A ribbon cassette to be used at a printer with such an apparatus, comprises a cassette casing (18) with an output (21) and a feed opening (22), a supply (11) spool with a ribbon supply and a take-up (7) spool for the used ribbon. The inked ribbon is directly led from the supply spool through the output and feed openings to the take-up spool. Both spools each are provided with a hollow spool hub (6, 10) which is accessible to and can be coupled with a driving shaft (4) and a detection shaft (8), respectively, through an opening formed in the bottom wall (24) of the cassette casing.
Inventors
- 👤 Theodorus Adrianus Schuiling
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 19:26
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J33/00; B41J33/14; B41J33/16; B41J35/00; B41J35/36
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for driving a ribbon cassette for a printer, wherein the ribbon cassette includes a supply spool and a take-up spool, between which an inked ribbon extends, said apparatus comprises a motor for driving a driving shaft to which the ribbon cassette can be coupled, and a processing unit for operating the motor to transport a length of the ribbon determined by a printed character, characterized in that the driving shaft can be directly coupled with the take-up spool of the ribbon cassette, and in that a detector is provided, which detector provides a signal to the processing unit in response to the ribbon transport.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
105 words
Apparatus for driving a ribbon cassette for a printer, wherein the ribbon cassette includes a supply spool and a take-up spool, between which an inked ribbon extends, said apparatus comprises a motor for driving a driving shaft to which the ribbon cassette can be coupled, and a processing unit for operating the motor to transport a length of the ribbon determined by a printed character, characterized in that the driving shaft can be directly coupled with the take-up spool of the ribbon cassette, and in that a detector is provided, which detector provides a signal to the processing unit in response to the ribbon transport.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
124 words
Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing unit determines the ribbon supply in the ribbon cassette by means of a memory in which angular rotation values belonging to a predetermined signal of the detector and corresponding to consecutive values of the ribbon supply, are stored, wherein after reception of a control impulse the processing unit operates the motor until said predetermined signal of the detector is received, wherein the processing unit measures the actual angular rotation value and compares the measured value with the stored angular rotation values in order to determine the ribbon supply present, whereafter the processing unit energizes the motor at each printed character for an angular rotation determined by the ribbon supply present and the printer character.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, characterized by a switching means for delivering a control impulse to the processing unit at opening and closing a protection cover of the printer through which cover the ribbon cassette is accessible.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
29 words
Apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, charac - terized by means for delivering a control impulse to the processing unit each time after printing a number of characters.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
36 words
Apparatus according to claim 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that the detector generates an impulse signal at the transport of the ribbon, wherein said predetermined signal of the detector corresponds to at least one impulse.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that after reception of a control impulse the processing unit only initiates the measurement of the angular rotation after reception of a first impulse from the detector.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
34 words
Apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the processing unit delivers an alarm signal to an indicator if no impulse is received from the detector after a predetermined angular rotation of the motor.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
66 words
Apparatus according to claim 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that a rotatable detection shaft is provided, one end of which can be directly coupled to the supply spool, while the other end carries a disc having detection elements regularly distributed along its circumference, wherein the detector is located adjacent the circumference of the disc and generates an impulse at the passage of each detection element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
46 words
Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that the detector consists of a phototransistor located opposite of a light source, wherein a circumferential edge of the disc projects between the light source and the fototran- sistor, said circumferential edge having slits regularly distributed along the circumference.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
110 words
Ribbon cassette to be used in a printer having an apparatus according to anyone of the preceding claims, which ribbon cassette comprises a cassette casing with an output and a feed opening, a supply spool with a ribbon supply and a take-up spool for the used ribbon, characterized in that the inked ribbon is directly led from the supply spool through the output and feed openings to the take-up spool, wherein both spools each are provided with a hollow spool hub which is accessible for and can be coupled with a driving shaft and a detection shaft, respectively, through an opening formed in the bottom wall of the cassette casing.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
22 words
Ribbon cassette according to claim 10, characterized in that brake pads for the ribbon are provided in the output and feed openings.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
42 words
Ribbon cassette according to claim 10 or 11, characterized in that the cassette casing comprises a projecting boss at a first side and a locking edge at the opposite side, by means of which the ribbon cassette is lockable in the printer.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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