EP0189984A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Improvements in ribbon cassettes
Assignee: Francotyp Postalia GmbH
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Filing: 1986-01-15
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-01-15
Abstract
Abstract @ A ribbon cassette, such as in inked ribbon for a printing machine, has a supply spool and a take-up spool. An unwinding force is applied to the ribbon and the take-up spool is driven from the supply spool through a slip coupling. The configuration of the driving connection between the spools is such as to lead to a theoretical speed of the take-up spool which is always greater than is actually needed to match the speed of unwinding from the supply spool. Slip however occurs to match the speeds and to maintain tension in the ribbon.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan Harry
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 23:17
CPC Classifications
B; B41; B41J; B41J33/00; B41J33/14; B41J32/00; B41J35/00; B41J35/28; G; G07; G07B; G07B17/00; G07B17/00185; G07B17/00193; G07B2017/0025
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim
89 words
A ribbon cassette having a supply spool, a take-up spool and a ribbon, characterised in that, the supply spool (28) is adapted to be driven by an unwinding force applied to the ribbon (29) and in that the take-up spool (30) is adapted to be driven by the supply spool through a slip coupling (32) which, at beginning of ribbon transfer and throughout transfer thereafter, tends to wind the take-up spool at a speed greater than that necessary to match the speed of ribbon unwinding from the supply spool.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
89 words
A ribbon cassette having a supply spool, a take-up spool and a ribbon, characterised in that, the supply spool (28) is adapted to be driven by an unwinding force applied to the ribbon (29) and in that the take-up spool (30) is adapted to be driven by the supply spool through a slip coupling (32) which, at beginning of ribbon transfer and throughout transfer thereafter, tends to wind the take-up spool at a speed greater than that necessary to match the speed of ribbon unwinding from the supply spool.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
55 words
A ribbon cassette as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that an appropriate tension is maintained in the ribbon, and creation of slack is avoided, by the tendency of the take-up spool to wind on spent ribbon at an excess speed and slip occurs at the coupling to prevent the take-up spool snapping the ribbon.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
51 words
A ribbon cassette as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, characterised in that the slip coupling comprises an endless belt or band (32) extending around the supply and take-up spool in friction engagement therewith under a tension sufficient to impart slipping drive from the supply spool to the take-up spool.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
A ribbon cassette as claimed in claim 3, characterised in that the belt (32) passes around grooves (34,36) in or pulleys associated with the supply and take-up 'spool being sufficiently smaller than that of the supply spool to create a transmission ration appropriate to the required tendency to excess speed of the take-up spool.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
45 words
A ribbon cassette as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a resilient material is employed for the belt and the tension in the belt and coefficient of friction between the band and the grooves and/or the pulleys determines the slipping threshold.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
59 words
A ribbon cassette as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that at least one of the spools incorporates a one way clutch or lost motion connection (38,40) which permits manual rotation of the take-up spool in order to take up slack in the ribbon without rotating the supply spool through the drive between the two spools.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
43 words
A ribbon cassette as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the cassette contains an inked ribbon or the like for use in typewriting or printing apparatus or a thermally activated ink coated ribbon for use in a franking machine.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of printing using a thermal print head and a ribbon of thermally activated dye, characterised by the steps of producing relative movement between the print head on the one hand and the article to be printed and the ribbon on the other hand, wherein adhesion between the article and the ribbon is created by local heating of the ribbon and is used to effect drive of the ribbon past the print head from a supply spool to a take-up spool.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
82 words
A method of printing using a thermal print head and a ribbon of thermally activated dye, characterised by the steps of producing relative movement between the print head on the one hand and the article to be printed and the ribbon on the other hand, wherein adhesion between the article and the ribbon is created by local heating of the ribbon and is used to effect drive of the ribbon past the print head from a supply spool to a take-up spool.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as claimed in claim 8, characterised in that the spools are located in a cassette.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, characterised in that the cassette is stationary relative to the printing apparatus and the article is moved past the printing station or, in a system in which the printing station moves within the apparatus and the item is stationary, the cassette moves or may remain sationary.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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