Printer cartridge

• US 7,201,522 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brady Worldwide Incorporated (Brady Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Brady Worldwide Incorporated (Brady Corporation)
• Inventors: Bandholz, Brent A., Carriere, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colilla; Daniel J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Crenshaw; Marvin P.
• Application Number:
  US11/020,333
• Publication Number:
  US 20050152732A1
• Time in Patent Office: 839 Days
• Field of Search: 400/578, 400/613, 400/616, 400/623, 242/578.2
• US Class Current: 400/578
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/044 Cassettes or cartridges containing continuous copy material, tape, for setting into printing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 11/0289 using electrical or electro-mechanical means B65C11/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65C 9/1892 Spools or cassettes for strips in general B65H75/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 16/02 Supporting web roll
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 16/106 in which power is applied to web roll
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/41358 moving on an arc of a circle, i.e. pivoting supporting means
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2301/5111 Printing; Marking
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 2701/192 Labels carrying webs or liners B65H2701/194
• CPC Class Codes: B65H 35/002 Hand-held or table apparatus B65H35/006 takes precedence

Abstract

A printer cartridge suitable for use in a cartridge-based printer houses and dispenses a roll of label media, and includes a housing having a top wall and a bottom wall. A yoke pivotally mounted between the top and bottom walls for pivotable movement about a pivot axis includes a label media supply shaft for holding a roll of label media. The label media supply shaft has a longitudinal axis spaced from, and parallel to, the pivot axis. A label media drive roller is rotatably mounted between the top and bottom walls, and a biasing means biases the yoke toward the label media drive roller to maintain the roll of label media in contact with the label media drive roller. Ratchet teeth fixed relative to at least one of the housing and yoke engage structure of the other of the housing and the yoke to prevent the yoke from pivoting away from the label media drive roller.

Claims

1. A printer cartridge for housing a roll of label media and dispensing the label media from the cartridge, said cartridge comprising:

a housing having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a yoke pivotally mounted between said top and bottom walls for pivotal movement about a pivot axis, and including a label media supply shaft for holding a roll of label media, said label media supply shaft having a longitudinal axis spaced from and parallel to said pivot axis;

a label media drive roller rotatably mounted between said top and bottom walls and engageable with the roll of label media;

at least one first ratchet tooth fixed relative to one of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller and a biasing means biases at least one said first ratchet tooth toward the said yoke and said housing to engage said at least one first ratchet tooth with structure fixed relative to said other of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

2. The printer cartridge as in claim 1, in which said yoke includes a media guide supporting one end of said label media supply shaft adjacent one of said top and bottom walls of said housing, and said at least one first ratchet tooth extends from said media guide toward said one of said top and bottom walls of said housing.

3. The printer cartridge as in claim 2, in which a second ratchet tooth extending from said one of said top and bottom walls engages said at least one first ratchet tooth to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

4. The printer cartridge as in claim 1, in which a resilient lever extending from the other of said yoke and said housing engages said at least one first ratchet tooth to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

5. The printer cartridge as in claim 1, in which a plurality of first ratchet teeth are fixed relative to one of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

6. The printer cartridge as in claim 1, in which said biasing means is a torsion spring wrapped around said pivot axis, said torsion spring biasing said yoke toward said label media drive roller to maintain the roll of label media in contact with said label media drive roller, and said torsion spring also biasing said at least one first tooth toward structure fixed relative to said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

7. The printer cartridge as in claim 1, including a rocker pad spaced fixed relative to one of said yoke and said housing, and being slidably engageable with a surface fixed relative to the other of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from twisting.

8. The printer cartridge as in claim 1, including a roll of label media supported by said label media supply shaft.

9. A printer cartridge for housing a roll of label media and dispensing the label media from the cartridge, said cartridge comprising:

a housing having a top wall and a bottom wall;

a yoke pivotally mounted between said top and bottom walls for pivotal movement about a pivot axis, and including a label media supply shaft for holding a roll of label media, said label media supply shaft having a longitudinal axis spaced from and parallel to said pivot axis;

a label media drive roller rotatably mounted between said top and bottom walls and engageable with the roll of label media;

at least one first ratchet tooth fixed relative to one of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from pointing away from said label media drive roller;

a rocker pad fixed relative to one of said yoke and said housing, and slidably engageable with a surface fixed relative to the other of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from twisting and a biasing means biases at least one said first ratchet tooth toward the said yoke and said housing to engage said at least one first ratchet tooth with structure fixed relative to said other of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

10. The printer cartridge as in claim 9, in which said yoke includes a media guide supporting one end of said label media supply shaft adjacent one of said top and bottom walls of said housing, and said at least one first ratchet tooth extends from said media guide toward said one of said top and bottom walls of said housing.

11. The printer cartridge as in claim 10, in which a second ratchet tooth extending from said one of said top and bottom walls engages said at least one first ratchet tooth to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

12. The printer cartridge as in claim 9, in which a resilient lever extending from the other of said yoke and said housing engages said at least one first ratchet tooth to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

13. The printer cartridge as in claim 9, in which a plurality of first ratchet teeth are fixed relative to one of said yoke and said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

14. The printer cartridge as in claim 10, in which said biasing means is a torsion spring wrapped around said pivot axis, said torsion spring biasing said yoke toward said label media drive roller to maintain the roll of label media in contact with said label media drive roller, and said torsion spring also biasing said at least one first tooth toward structure fixed relative to said housing to prevent said yoke from pivoting away from said label media drive roller.

15. The printer cartridge as in claim 9, including a roll of label media supported by said label media supply shaft.