RIBBON CASSETTE

Abstract: A ribbon cassette (10) includes a storage chamber (16) and means (62, 64) for directing an endless ribbon (30) from the storage chamber (16) along a print path and back to the storage chamber (16). The cassette (10) also includes a ribbon reversing chamber (52) which normally contains a Mobius twist of the ribbon (30) and which contains first and second guide means (54, 58) for guiding the ribbon (30) into and out of the reversing chamber (52). In order to remove possible irregular folds in the ribbon (30), a ribbon engaging member (82) is positioned in the reversing chamber (52) app­ roximately midway between the first and second guide means (54, 58). Said member (82) includes first and second end portions (90, 92) arranged to engage one side of the ribbon (30) when the normal Mobius twist is present in the reversing chamber (52), and a recess (84) which ac­ commodates part of the ribbon (30) when there is no twist in that part of the ribbon (30) extending through the reversing chamber (52).

Description: This invention relates to ribbon cassettes for use in printers. In present-day printers, it is common practice to provide and use a ribbon cassette carrying an endless printing ribbon which is caused to be driven along a print path at a printing station, and wherein the ribbon is either a pre-inked ribbon or a ribbon which is to be continuously or frequently reinked during the printing operation. The ribbon cassette itself may be of the stuffing-box type wherein the ribbon is contained within the cassette in random manner and such ribbon is unfolded at the cassette exit and caused to be driven past the printing station and then guided back into the cassette to be folded again in random manner therein. Additionally, a ribbon may be utilized in a Mobius loop configuration within the cassette which enables uniform use of both sides of the ribbon and also the upper and lower portions of each side thereof to prolong ribbon life. By a Mobius loop configuration is meant an endless ribbon incorporating a 180 degree twist (Mobius twist). A problem which may be experienced with known ribbon cassettes is that the ribbon may become irregularly twisted or folded, for example as a result of an edge of the ribbon being caught on a printer carriage. If the section of the ribbon along the print path becomes irregularly folded, the folded section may enter the storage area in operation and emerge therefrom while still in the irregularly folded condition. Such an occurrence may adversely affect the print quality and life of the ribbon. From GB-A-1596229 there is known a ribbon cassette including a storage chamber, means for directing an endless ribbon from the storage chamber along a print path and back to the storage chamber, and a ribbon reversing chamber which normally contains a Mobius twist of the ribbon and which contains first and second guide means for guiding the ribbon into and out of the ribbon reversing chamber. Two ribbon deflecting members are positioned in the ribbon reversing chamber approximately midway between the first and second guide means, each of the deflecting members engaging a respective one of opposite faces of the ribbon. This known cassette has no means for correcting any unintended twisting or folding of the ribbon. It is an object of the invention to provide a ribbon cassette which serves to alleviate the above-mentioned problem. According to the invention a ribbon cassette including a storage chamber, means for directing an endless ribbon from the storage chamber along a print path and back to the storage chamber, a ribbon reversing chamber which normally contains a Mobius twist of said ribbon and which contains first and second guide means for guiding said ribbon into and out of said ribbon reversing chamber, and a ribbon engaging member positioned in said ribbon reversing chamber approximately midway between said first and second guide means, characterized in that said ribbon engaging member includes first and second end portions arranged to engage one side of said ribbon when the normal Mobius twist is contained in said ribbon reversing chamber, and a recess which is arranged to accommodate part of said ribbon when there is no twist in that part of said ribbon extending between said first and second guide means in said ribbon reversing chamber. It is found that use in an impact printer of a ribbon cassette in accordance with the invention enables the printer to operate at high efficiency for extended periods of time. Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:- Fig. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a ribbon cassette or cartridge in accordance with the invention; Figs. 2A-2D illustrate an arrangement of a ribbon with an irregular fold or twist therein in successive stages of travel and also with ribbon frayed portions; Figs. 3A and 3B, respectively, show a perspective view and a right side view of a ribbon engaging member for correcting an irregular ribbon fold; Figs. 4A-4E show perspective views of successive stages of travel of the ribbon and the operation of correcting an irregularly folded portion; and Figs. 5A and 5B, respectively, show a perspective view and a right side view of another embodiment of the ribbon engaging member. In Fig. 1 is illustrated a ribbon cassette or cartridge, generally designated as 10, having a cover 12 removed upwardly therefrom to show the interior structure and the various components thereof in a preferred arrangement of the present invention. The cassette 10 includes a body 14, preferably of moulded plastic material and in the shape of a generally rectangular flat case, for supporting the ribbon and which cassette 10 is adapted to fit adjacent the printing station of a printer (not shown). The cassette body 14 includes a large cavity or chamber 16 formed in part by a front wall 18 extending nearly the width of the cassette 10, a rightward wall 20 of irregular shape and extending generally perpendicularly rearward from the wall 18, and a rearward wall 22 angling towards a middle portion of the left side of the cassette body 14, as viewed in Fig. 1. The ribbon cassette 10 also includes exterior walls 24, 26 and 28 in addition to the wall 18 for forming an enclosure for the ribbon 30. While the orientation of the cassette 10 itself is not critical to operation of the parts therein, the terms used herein may apply to the orientation of the cassette 10 when installed on a printer and wherein the wall 26, as illustrated in Fig. 1, is nearest the operator when the cassette 10 is placed in a horizontal position. The ribbon 30 of the endless type is provided in the cavity 16 and is caused to be guided and driven in a path as shown by the arrow 32 at the right side of the cavity 16 and as shown by the arrow 34 at the front of the cassette 10. The body 14 of the cassette 10 is completed beyond the defined walls 18, 20, 22 of the cavity 16 by the irregular-formed right side wall 28, the rear wall 26 and the left side wall 24. A second cavity 36 is formed in the rearward portion of the cassette body 14 by the angled wall 22, the rear wall 26 and a portion of the left side wall 24 for a purpose other than that of the present invention. The front part of the cassette 10 is formed of a hollow portion 40 extending across the width of the cassette body 14 and occupying the space from the wall 18 to the front edge 42. The hollow, generally rectangular portion 40 is formed to provide a housing or protective cover for a print head or a plurality of individual print heads of the solenoid type (not shown) which are a part of the printer with which the cassette is used in operation. When the cassette 10 is placed or mounted on the printer and the printer is operated, the print head or print heads are caused to be driven in a side-to-side direction under the protective cover of the cassette 10. A pair of openings 44, 46 are provided in the wall 18 adjacent the ends thereof for providing an outlet port 44 and and inlet port 46. The cover 12, shown upwardly in Fig. 1, encloses the cavity 16 and the cavity 36 of the body 14 of the cassette 10. A pair of projections 48, 50 at the front of the cover 12 and integral therewith fit into openings (not shown) in the cassette body 14 for securing the cover 12 thereon. At the right side of the large cavity 16 and being a portion of the body 14 of the cassette 10 is a third cavity 52 formed by the wall 20, a small portion of the wall 18 adjacent the opening 44, the wall 28 and a small portion of the wall 26 to provide a compartment for maintaining a twist in the ribbon 30 in Mobius-loop manner as illustrated by the ribbon in its path between a guide roller 54 journaled on a pin or shaft 56 at the rearward side of the cavity 52 and a guide roller 58 journaled on a pin or shaft 60 at the cavity 52 forward side. The wall 20 is connected with the wall 18 and approaches the roller 54 but is short of the rearward wall 26 to provide a passageway between the roller 54 and the wall 26 for the ribbon 30 to travel from the cavity 16 to the cavity 52. The guide rollers 54 and 58 extend parallel to each other in a vertical direction, whereby that part of the ribbon 30 extending between the rollers 54 and 58 would lie in a single vertical plane in the absence of a Mobius twist in said part of the ribbon 30. The ribbon 30 is caused to be moved or driven in the direction of the arrows 32 and 34 by drive means, such as fully shown and described in United States Patent No. 4,616,942. It is, of course, to be noted that while the ribbon 30 is shown as a single folded strand adjacent the roller 54 in the exploded view of Fig. 1, the ribbon 30 is folded many times in random manner to substantially fill or stuff the cavity 16, and further that the cavity 16 includes a floor 61 to support and contain the ribbon 30. The ribbon 30 crosses a slightly raised dam portion (not shown) at the right side of the cavity 16, goes through the passageway formed by the end of the wall 20 and a projection 63 on the inside of the wall 26, turns the corner at roller 54, twists 180 degrees (the Mobius twist), as shown at 66, between the roller 54 and the roller 58, and then exits from the cavity 52 through the opening or outlet port 44 and moves towards the front edge 42 of the cassette 10. The ribbon 30 moves along the print path at the front edge 42 in the direction of the arrow 34 and then goes through the entrance or inlet port at 46 and towards the drive means (not shown) which is normally positioned at the leftward side of the cavity 16 adjacent the wall 24. The front of the cassette 10 includes guide means 62 and 64, along with a ribbon guard or shield 65 which is preferably a thin plastic strip secured to the front edge 42 of the cassette 10. The guide means 62 and 64 are formed to both support and guide the ribbon 30 as it turns the corners at the front of the cassette. The ribbon 30, at least in part, is directed along a path behind the guard 65 and may be in contact therewith as it travels past the printing station. The ribbon guard or shield 65 permits the feeding of the ribbon 30 past the printing station without staining the paper. Figs. 2A-2D illustrate an example of a relatively wide form of the ribbon 30 which is advanced from the cavity 16 of the cassette 10 through a ribbon twisting or reversing section 66 in the cavity 52, along the print path past the printing station, and back past the drive means (not shown) adjacent the cavity 36 and into the cavity 16. Fig. 2A shows the ribbon 30 rounding the roller 54, going through the ribbon reversing cavity 52, past the roller 58 and around the supporting guide 62. The ribbon is then advanced past the printing station wherein a print head carriage 68 is caused to travel in reciprocating motion. The ribbon 30 then goes around the supporting guide 64 and back into the cavity 16. Fig. 2A shows the ribbon 30 moving in the direction of the arrow 34, and exhibiting a straight length of the ribbon 30 with a top edge 70 and a bottom edge 72 with an encircling arrow 74 indicating a possible turning or twisting of the ribbon 30 in the counter-clockwise direction as viewed in the direction of travel of the ribbon. Fig. 2B shows a ribbon condition with irregular twisting of the ribbon 30 which may be caused when the ribbon cassette 10 is placed on the printer. The ribbon 30 between the guides 62 and 64 is subject to being caught on the print head carriage 68, or a printer ribbon guide (not shown), when being installed on the printer. If the installation is not properly done, the ribbon 30 can assume an irregular twisted condition when so caught on a printer part. The ribbon 30 is typically caused to be twisted in a direction wherein the lower edge 72 is turned upwardly toward the cassette 10 in the counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 74, and the ribbon 30 then has first and second folded or twisted portions, as at 76 and 78. Fig. 2C shows the advancement of the ribbon 30 in the direction of the arrow 34 wherein the folded or twisted portion 76 has turned the corner around the guide 64 and the portion 78 is moving past the printing station. Fig. 2D shows a condition of the ribbon 30 which has the twisted portion 78 and which portion has been subjected to repeated impacts by the printing mechanism, which has resulted in fraying, as at 80, of the ribbon 30 at the twisted portion. Referring back to Fig. 1, there is illustrated an irregular-shaped ribbon engaging member 82 at the upper right portion thereof and which is positioned midway between guide rollers 54 and 58 of the ribbon reversing section 66. Although shown as a separate part, the member 82 is customarily attached to or fixed as an integral part of the cover 12. As better illustrated in Figs. 3A and 3B, the member 82 is a thin plate member of generally square form except for defining a recess 84 having inclined sides 86 and 88 and a depth of at least one half the width of the ribbon 30. The member has rounded end portions 90 and 92 disposed on either side of the recess 84, the recess 84 extending away from, and tapering inwardly away from, a plane containing the end portions 90 and 92. A recessed surface 94 extends between the end portion 90 and a rounded end corner 90 of the recess 84. Figs. 4A-4E illustrate the folded or twisted ribbon 30 correcting operation and are described in sequential manner. While Fig. 1 shows the ribbon 30 in a stuffing condition as emerging from the chamber or cavity 16, the ribbon 30 is shown in a stretched configuration in Fig. 4A for convenience of illustration of the folded or twisted portions 76 and 78. The folded or twisted portions 76 and 78 may be the result of inadvertently catching the ribbon 30 on a part or portion of the printer when installing the ribbon cassette 10, as mentioned above, and such portions 76 and 78 are carried through the entire path of the ribbon 30 in the stuffed condition while travelling or advancing through the cavity 16. The ribbon 30 approaches the twisting or reversing section 66 in cavity 52 after turning the corner around roller 54 in preparation for turning the ribbon 180 degrees in normal twisting operation. When the first folded or twisted portion 76 enters the ribbon reversing section 66, the normal Mobius twist in the cavity 52 cancels out the twist of the first portion 76, as shown being accomplished in Fig. 4B. Since the ribbon 30 is drawn in the direction of the roller 58, the upper edge of the ribbon 30 enters in and is guided by the recess 84 of the ribbon engaging member 82 for correcting the folded or twisted portion 76 and the ribbon 30 assumes an almost vertical position, as shown in Fig. 4C. As the ribbon is further advanced in the direction of the arrow 32, the second folded or twisted portion 78 enters the section 66 of cavity 52 and, being folded in a condition or state wherein the right edge thereof turns up, is made to contact the recessed surface 94 (see also Fig. 3A) of the member 82 for correcting the fold in the ribbon 30, as shown in Fig. 4D. The ribbon surface of the second folded portion 78 which is unfolded by the recessed surface 94 is positioned to assume an almost horizontal position about midway between the rollers 54 and 58 due in part to the leftward tension of the ribbon 30 and dependent upon the driving force applied and acting on the ribbon 30. Thus, both end portions 90 and 92 of the guide member 82 are brought into contact with the upper surface of the ribbon 30, as seen in Fig. 4E. The second folded or twisted portion 78 is used as the normal Mobius twist in the ribbon 30 and is retained in the cavity 52. It will be appreciated that the recessed surface 94 is disposed on that side of the recess 84 corresponding to that edge of the ribbon 30 which is turned upwardly on the approach side of the member 82, that is to say the side from which the ribbon approaches the member 82. In the case wherein the ribbon 30 is folded or twisted irregularly in a direction opposite the direction as just described, the guide member 82 is also effective for correcting such irregular folding or twisting. Thus, in this case, the first folded portion 76 is twisted in the same direction as the normal Mobius twist in the cavity 52. This means that when the first folded portion 76 enters the cavity 52 the part of the ribbon 30 within the cavity 52 is twisted by a total of 360 degrees. Because of this large angle of twist, the ribbon engaging member 82 is unable to prevent the original Mobius twist of 180 degrees from moving past the roller 58 and out of the cavity 52. Upon the original Mobius twist leaving the cavity 52, the first folded portion 76 becomes the normal Mobius twist so that, when the second folded portion 78 enters the cavity 52, the two folded portions 76 and 78 cancel each other out in the same manner as has been previously explained in connection with Figs. 4B and 4C. When the original Mobius twist returns to the cavity 52, it is retained in the cavity 52 by virtue of being engaged by the end portions 90 and 92 of the guide member 82, the ribbon 30 being now restored to its normal condition. It should be noted that the cavity 52 provides a passageway for the ribbon 30 which is wider than the ribbon width so as to permit the irregular folded portions 76 and 78 of the ribbon 30 to be returned to their normal state or condition by the driving tension on the ribbon 30 and with the aid of the recessed surface 94 of the member 82. The position and angle of the recess 84 in the member 82 and the position of the recessed surface 94 in the member 82 are selected in accordance with the ribbon folding angle, illustrated at 98 in Fig. 2B, which angle depends on the length of the front portion 42 of the ribbon cassette 10, the width of the ribbon 30, and the length of the print head carriage 68. Although in this embodiment of the invention, the ribbon engaging member 82 for correcting an irregularly folded or twisted ribbon 30 and for retaining a normal Mobius twist in the cavity 52 is provided in a manner wherein both end portions 90 and 92 (Fig. 3A) of such member are brought into contact with the upper surface of the ribbon 30 at the point where the ribbon assumes a generally horizontal position in the cavity 52, the same effect can be attained by providing the ribbon engaging member 82 under the ribbon 30 so that both end portions 90 and 92 can be brought into contact with the lower surface of the ribbon 30. Figs. 5A and 5B show a modification of the ribbon engaging member which comprises a thin plate member 100 of generally square form except for defining a cutout or recess 102. The recess 102 leaves rounded end portions 104 and 106 and a recessed surface 108 between the recess 102 and the portion 106. The member 100 has a separation end or projection 110 extending backwardly towards the roller 54 (Fig. 1) which projection is provided and used for unfolding the second folded or twisted portion 78 more effectively. The projection 110 may be rod-shaped or have some other configuration for guiding the ribbon 30 to correct an irregular fold or twist therein. The irregularly folded or twisted ribbon 30 can be corrected by the guide apparatus wherein the member 82 is provided and positioned approximately at the centre of the ribbon reversing cavity 52 (Fig. 1), that is to say approximately midway between the guide rollers 54 and 58.

Claims: A ribbon cassette including a storage chamber, means (62,64) for directing an endless ribbon (30) from the storage chamber along a print path and back to the storage chamber, a ribbon reversing chamber (52) which normally contains a Mobius twist of said ribbon and which contains first and second guide means (54,58) for guiding said ribbon (30) into and out of said ribbon reversing chamber, and a ribbon engaging member (82) positioned in said ribbon reversing chamber approximately midway between said first and second guide means (54,58), characterized in that said ribbon engaging member includes first and second end portions (90,92) arranged to engage one side of said ribbon when the normal Mobius twist is contained in said ribbon reversing chamber (52), and a recess (84) which is arranged to accommodate part of said ribbon (30) when there is no twist in that part of said ribbon extending between said first and second guide means (54,58) in said ribbon reversing chamber. A ribbon cassette according to claim 1, characterized in that said ribbon engaging member (82) is in the form of a plate-like member oriented in a direction normal to the direction of travel of said ribbon within said ribbon reversing chamber (52). A ribbon cassette according to claim 2, characterized in that said ribbon engaging member (82) is provided with a projection (110) which extends from said ribbon engaging member (82) in a direction opposite to the direction of travel of said ribbon (30) within said ribbon reversing chamber (52) and which is arranged to engage said one side of said ribbon when the normal Mobius twist is contained in said ribbon reversing chamber (52). A ribbon cassette according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said storage chamber (16) is provided with a cover (12) to which said ribbon engaging member (82) is secured. A ribbon cassette according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said first and second guide means (54, 58) serve to guide said ribbon (30) within said ribbon reversing chamber (52) in such a manner that that part of said ribbon extending between said first and second guide means in said ribbon reversing chamber would lie in a single plane in the absence of a Mobius twist in said part of said ribbon. A ribbon cassette according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said recess (84) tapers inwardly away from a plane containing said end portions (90, 92). A ribbon cassette according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said recess (84) extends in a predetermined direction away from a plane containing said end portions (90, 92), and said ribbon engaging member (82) includes a recessed surface (94) extending between said recess (84) and one of said end portions (90, 92), said recessed surface being located on that side of said recess corresponding to that edge of said ribbon (30) which is bent towards said predetermined direction on the approach side of said ribbon engaging member (82).

Inventors: MATSUMOTO, KAZUNORI, NAGASAWA, HIDEO
Applicants: NCR INTERNATIONAL INC.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: B41J33
IPC codes: B41J32, B41J33