Thermal printing device and tape supply cartridge therefor

• US 5,056,940 A
• Filed: 06/04/1990
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: KROY LLC (Pubco Corporation)
• Inventors: Basile, Peter A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, Eugene H.
• Application Number:
  US07/533,123
• Time in Patent Office: 498 Days
• Field of Search: 400/196, 400/196.1, 400/207, 400/208, 400/208.1, 400/235.1, 400/120, 400/120 HE, 400/56, 400/58, 271/184
• US Class Current: 400/235.1
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

A thermal printing device or the like and a tape or tape-ribbon cartridge designed for operative insertion into and use with such device. The device and cartridge of the present invention includes a tape drive system for driving the tape or tape and ribbon through the thermal printing device including a drive roller connected with the machine and a corresponding drive roller mounted within the cartridge and biased toward the machine drive roller. The device and cartridge of the present invention also includes an alignment system comprising a floating alignment member for insuring proper transfer alignment between the platen and the printhead.

Claims

1. A tape supply cartridge for operative insertion into and use with a thermal printing device or the like having a print station for forming a selected image onto a tape and an elongated rotatably driven first tape advancement roller rotatably supported within said printing device and including a first generally cylindrical roller portion and a first drive member mounted to said first roller for rotation therewith, said cartridge comprising:

a cartridge housing having top and bottom walls and an edge wall joining said top and bottom walls;

a supply of tape for receiving a printed image;

guide and alignment means for guiding said tape into alignment with said print station; and

an elongated second tape advancement roller disposed within said cartridge housing and having a second generally cylindrical roller portion and a second drive member mounted to said second roller for rotation therewith, said second roller rotatably mounted within a portion of said cartridge and said second drive member adapted for operative engagement with said first drive member, the longitudinal axis of said second roller portion being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first roller portion, said tape being disposed between said first and second roller portions for engagement therewith and said first and second drive members being engaged with one another when said cartridge is operatively inserted into said device; and

bias means for biasing one of said first and second tape advancement rollers toward the other.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said first and second drive members comprise first and second drive gears, respectively.

3. The cartridge of claim 2 wherein said second roller portion engages said tape when said cartridge is operatively inserted into said device.

4. The cartridge of claim 3 wherein said second roller portion includes at least one generally annular rubber ring member disposed within said second roller portion and extending outwardly from the outer cylindrical surface thereof to assist in gripping said tape.

5. The cartridge of claim 1 including a slidable yoke member having yoke means for rotatably supporting said second tape advancement roller and means for slidably mounting said yoke member within said cartridge.

6. The cartridge of claim 5 wherein said yoke member is slidably mounted between said top and bottom walls.

7. The cartridge of claim 5 wherein said bias means includes at least one spring biasing said yoke member toward said first tape advancement roller.

8. The cartridge of claim 5 including stop means for limiting the sliding movement of said yoke member.

9. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said first and second drive members are mounted near the lower ends of their respective tape drive rollers and are equal in diameter to provide generally equal rotational speed of said first and second roller portions.

10. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said second tape advancement roller is positioned downstream from said print station.

11. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said cartridge is replaceable and disposable.

12. The cartridge of claim 1 having a supply of ribbon and including a ribbon rewind spool rotatably mounted between said top and bottom walls and on an axis generally perpendicular to said top and bottom walls.

13. The cartridge of claim 12 including a ribbon rewind drive member for receiving a rotatable drive shaft and clutch means positioned between said drive member and said ribbon rewind spool whereby said spool is caused to rotate to the extent ribbon is available to be rewound.

14. The cartridge of claim 13 wherein said clutch means includes a rubber "O" ring.

15. A thermal printing device or the like comprising:

an apparatus housing having a cartridge receiving portion;

a print station for forming a selected image on a strip of tape;

an elongated first tape advancement roller rotatably supported within said apparatus housing and including a first generally cylindrical roller portion for engagement with said tape and a first drive member mounted to said first roller for rotation therewith;

a replaceable and disposable cartridge for operative insertion into said device comprising;

a cartridge housing having top and bottom walls and an edge wall joining said top and bottom walls;

a supply of tape for receiving a printed image;

guide and alignment means for guiding said tape into alignment with said transfer station; and

an elongated second tape advancement roller disposed within said cartridge housing and having a second generally cylindrical roller portion and a second drive member mounted to said second roller for rotation therewith, said second roller rotatably mounted within a portion of said cartridge and said second drive member adapted for operative engagement with said first drive member, the longitudinal axis of said second roller portion being generally parallel to the longitudinal axis of said first roller portion, said tape being disposed between said first and second roller portions for engagement therewith and said first and second drive members being engaged with one another when said cartridge is operatively inserted into said device; and

bias means for biasing one of said first and second tape advancement rollers toward the other.

16. The device of claim 15 wherein said first roller is rotatably mounted with respect to a portion of said apparatus housing.

17. The device of claim 15 including means for selectively rotating said first roller.

18. A thermal printing device or the like for transfering a selected image from a ribbon to a tape comprising:

a housing;

a fixed printhead lying in a first plane and connected with said housing;

a rotatable platen mounted on a rotation shaft, said shaft being disposed in a plane generally parallel to said first plane; and

means for aligning said platen relative to said printhead including a platen yoke member for rotatably receiving said platen, a platen alignment shelf rigidly secured to said printhead and extending outwardly therefrom for supporting said platen yoke member, and means for selectively moving said platen forwardly into operative alignment with said printhead and rearwardly out of operative alignment with said printhead.

19. The device of claim 18 including a platen actuator arm connected with said platen yoke member, said platen actuator arm being pivotally connected with a portion of said housing.

20. The device of claim 19 wherein said means for moving said platen includes a linear actuator connected with said platen actuator arm.

21. The device of claim 20 including a spring member disposed between said platen actuator arm and a portion of said linear actuator and override means for exerting a relatively constant force on said platen in a direction toward said printhead.

22. The device of claim 18 wherein said means for moving said platen includes means for exerting a relatively constant transfer force on said platen in a direction toward said printhead.

23. The device of claim 22 wherein said means for exerting a relatively constant transfer force on said platen includes a spring member, a linear actuator and an override means.

24. A thermal printing device or the like comprising:

an apparatus housing having a cartridge receiving portion;

a print station for forming a selected image on a strip of tape;

a replaceable and disposable cartridge for operative insertion into said cartridge receiving portion, said cartridge having a supply of tape for receiving a printed image;

tape advancement means comprising a first tape advancement roller including a first generally cylindrical roller portion for engagement with said tape and a first drive member for rotation with said first roller and a second tape advancement roller having a second generally cylindrical roller portion for engagement with said tape and a second drive member for rotation with said second roller, at least one of said first and second advancement rollers being movable toward the other to cause gripping engagement of said tape between said first and second roller portions and operative engagement between said first and second drive members; and

bias means for biasing one of said tape advancement rollers toward the other.

25. The device of claim 24 wherein said first and second drive members comprise first and second toothed gears, respectively.

26. The device of claim 24 wherein at least one of said first and second drive members is driven.

27. The device of claim 24 including means for causing selective movement of at least one of said first and second rollers toward the other.

28. The device of claim 27 wherein, upon insertion of said cartridge into said cartridge receiving portion, one of said first and second rollers is selectively movable toward and away from the other roller and the position of the other of said first and second rollers is fixed relative to said apparatus housing.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein said one roller is biased toward said other roller.

30. The device of claim 29 wherein said one roller is selectively movable between an inoperative position in which said one roller is spaced from said other roller and said first and second drive members are disengaged from one another and an operative position in which said one roller is in biased engagement with said other roller, with said tape positioned therebetween, and said first and second drive members are engaged with one another.

31. The device of claim 24 including means for causing selective movement of one of said first and second rollers toward and away from the other of said first and second rollers.

32. The device of claim 31 wherein said one roller is selectively movable between an inoperative position in which said one roller is spaced from said other roller and said first and second drive members are disengaged from one another and an operative position in which said one roller is in biased engagement with said other roller, with said tape positioned therebetween, and said first and second drive members are engaged with one another.

33. The device of claim 32 wherein said one roller and its corresponding drive member are fixed to a common shaft for rotation therewith.

34. A thermal printing device or the like comprising:

an apparatus housing having a cartridge receiving portion;

a print station for forming a selected image on a strip of tape;

a replaceable and disposable cartridge positioned within said cartridge receiving portion, said cartridge having a supply of tape for receiving a printed image;

a tape advancement assembly comprising a first tape advancement roller having a first generally cylindrical roller portion, a first drive member for rotation with said first roller, a second tape advancement roller having a second generally cylindrical roller portion and a second drive member for rotation with said second roller, said first and second tape advancement rollers being positioned such that said first and second roller portions are opposed to one another and positioned on opposite sides of said tape, at least one of said first and second advancement rollers being movable between an inoperative position in which said first and second roller portions are spaced from one another and said first and second drive members are disengaged and a tape advancement position in which said first and second roller portions are moved toward engagement with one another with said tape positioned therebetween and said first and second drive members are engaged; and

bias means for biasing one of said tape advancement rollers toward the other.

35. The device of claim 34 wherein one of said first and second tape advancement rollers is rotatably supported relative to said apparatus housing and the other of said first and second tape advancement rollers is rotatably supported within said cartridge.