Hand held label printer spool
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A spool for supporting a roll of print media in a hand held printer, the combination comprising:
- a cylindrical core which extends through an opening in the roll of print media and enables the print media to unwind about a roll axis as the print media is consumed by the hand held printer;
hubs formed on two ends of the cylindrical core and shaped to fit in receptacles in the hand held printer;
memory means mounted in the spool and located near one hub;
a plurality of electrical contacts formed on the end of said one hub and positioned to engage a like number stationary contacts in one of the printer receptacles when the spool is mounted therein; and
electrical connections between said electrical contacts and said memory means; and
wherein the memory means stores information specifying the print media supported by the spool.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A hand held label printer receives spools containing print media of different sizes and types. Each spool contains a memory chip which stores information about its print media, and this information is conveyed to the printer through concentric electrical contacts on the end of the spool. The concentric electrical contacts engage stationary contacts on the printer, and this electrical connection is insensitive to incidental rotation of the spool when it is inserted into the printer and used.
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Citations
7 Claims
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1. A spool for supporting a roll of print media in a hand held printer, the combination comprising:
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a cylindrical core which extends through an opening in the roll of print media and enables the print media to unwind about a roll axis as the print media is consumed by the hand held printer; hubs formed on two ends of the cylindrical core and shaped to fit in receptacles in the hand held printer; memory means mounted in the spool and located near one hub; a plurality of electrical contacts formed on the end of said one hub and positioned to engage a like number stationary contacts in one of the printer receptacles when the spool is mounted therein; and electrical connections between said electrical contacts and said memory means; and wherein the memory means stores information specifying the print media supported by the spool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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Specification