Tape cartridge for a printing device

• US 5,533,818 A
• Filed: 01/17/1995
• Issued: 07/09/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brother Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: KROY LLC (Pubco Corporation)
• Inventors: Bahrabadi, Casey K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Eickholt, Eugene H.
• Application Number:
  US08/373,637
• Time in Patent Office: 539 Days
• Field of Search: 400/88, 400/196, 400/197, 400/207, 400/208, 400/208.1, 400/225, 400/229, 400/708, 200/238, 200/293
• US Class Current: 400/208
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/009 Detecting type of paper, e.g. by automatic reading of a code that is printed on a paper package or on a paper roll or by sensing the grade of translucency of the paper
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/42 Controlling printing material conveyance for accurate alignment of the printing material with the printhead; Print registering
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/04 Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/304 Bodily-movable mechanisms for print heads or carriages movable towards or from paper surface
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/4075 Tape printers; Label printers

Abstract

A cartridge with switch activation/deactivation members for automatically facilitating adjustment of print parameters to match tape supply upon insertion of the cartridge.

Claims

1. A cartridge for operative insertion into and use with a thermal printing device of the type having:

a cartridge receiving cavity having a cartridge receiving surface portion and a plurality of first switch receiving openings in said cartridge receiving surface portion;

a print assembly comprising a print head and a platen roller, said print head and said platen roller extending into said cavity and at least one being movable relative to the other between a print position in which said print head and platen roller are moved toward engagement with one another and a nonprint position in which said print head and platen roller are moved away from engagement with one another;

a switch assembly comprising a switch mounting member mounted in a fixed position relative to said cartridge receiving surface portion and carrying a plurality of depressible switches each having a plunger member moveable between an extended position and a depressed position wherein said plunger members extend through corresponding said first switch receiving openings, outwardly from said cartridge receiving surface portion and into said cartridge receiving cavity when in their extended positions and do not extend outwardly from said cartridge receiving surface portion when in their depressed position, said cartridge being insertable into said cartridge receiving cavity and comprising;

a cartridge housing having a cartridge surface portion for positioning adjacent to said cartridge receiving surface portion when the cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receiving cavity;

a spool of image receiving tape contained within said housing; and

at least one second switch receiving opening in said cartridge surface portion and aligned with one of said first switch receiving openings to allow the plunger member corresponding to said one first switch receiving opening to extend through said at least one second switch receiving opening to its extended position when said cartridge is inserted into the cartridge receiving cavity, each of said plurality of switches being in one of an on position or off position when its plunger member is in its extended position and being in the other of said on position or said off position when its plunger member is in its depressed position.

2. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein the number of switch receiving openings in said cartridge surface is at least one less than the number of the plurality of switches.

3. The cartridge of claim 1 further comprising a ribbon supply spool and a ribbon take-up spool.

4. The cartridge of claim 3 wherein said ribbon supply spool includes a supply of image transfer ribbon.

5. The cartridge of claim 3 including a supply of laminating tape.

6. The cartridge of claim 5 having top and bottom walls and an edge wall joining said top and bottom walls and further including a print head opening in one of said top and bottom walls.

7. The combination of the thermal printing device and the cartridge of claim 1.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the particular extended and depressed position of the plunger members of said plurality of switches provides information to said print head regarding the characteristics of said image receiving tape.

9. A combination of a thermal printing device and the cartridge of claim 1 wherein said plunger members are spring biased toward their extended positions.

10. The cartridge of claim 1 wherein said cartridge housing includes top and bottom walls and said bottom wall includes said cartridge surface portion.

11. The cartridge of claim 10 wherein said bottom wall is planar throughout.

12. The cartridge of claim 6 wherein said bottom wall includes an opening for a ribbon rewind support post opening.

13. The combination of claim 7 wherein said switch mounting member includes a printed circuit board.

14. The combination of claim 7 wherein said printing device includes an electronics connection board and a multiwire connector for conveying the on/off status of each of said plurality of switches from said switch mounting member to said electronics connection board.

15. The combination of claim 7 including at least four depressible switches.

16. The combination of claim 15 including at least five depressible switches.

17. The combination of claim 7 wherein the on/off combinations of said plurality of switches provide operating parameters to said print head.

18. The cartridge of claim 1 including the presence or absence of a second switch receiving opening in alignment with each of said first switch receiving openings whereby the presence of a second switch receiving opening allows the corresponding plunger member to extend to its extended position upon insertion of the cartridge and the absence of a second switch receiving opening causes movement of the corresponding plunger member to its depressed position upon insertion of the cartridge.

19. The cartridge of claim 1 said one second switch receiving opening allows the corresponding plunger to extend to its fully extended position without engagement with other structure.

20. A thermal printing device comprising:

a keyboard;

a cartridge receiving cavity with a cavity surface portion and a plurality of first switch receiving openings in said cavity surface portion;

a print head;

a switch assembly comprising a switch mounting member and a plurality of switches mounted thereto, each switch having an on/off actuation member moveable between an extended position and a depressed position and being biased toward said extended position, each of said switch members further being in one of an on position or off position when its actuation member is in an extended position and being in the other of said on position or off position when its actuation member is in a depressed position said switch mounting member being mounted in a fixed position relative to said cavity surface portion and in a position whereby said actuation members are aligned with and extend through corresponding said first switch receiving openings; and

a cartridge selectively insertable into said cartridge receiving cavity and comprising;

a cartridge housing having an exterior wall including a wall surface portion corresponding and adjacent to said cavity surface portion when said cartridge is inserted into said cartridge receiving cavity;

a supply of an image receiving tape; and

at least one second switch receiving opening in said wall surface portion aligned with one of the actuation members of said plurality of switches to allow said one actuation member to extend into said one second switch receiving opening to its extended position when said cartridge is inserted into said cartridge receiving cavity.

21. The thermal printing devices of claim 34 wherein said plurality of switches comprises a plurality of spring biased plunger switches.