Abstract:
A integrated cartridge of a printer has a paper cassette for holding paper, and a two-reel ribbon cassette for positioning a printer ribbon, connected by a pair of braces. The ribbon cassette is rotatable, with respect to the paper cassette, or collapsible to make the integrated cartridge more compact for storage.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a printer cartridge, and more specifically, to an integrated cartridge having both a paper cassette and a ribbon cassette. 
     2. Description of the Prior Art 
     Integrated cartridges contain both printing material such as paper and imaging material such as ink film or ribbon. These cartridges are commonly used in printers that utilize a thermal print head. Integrated cartridges are time saving and convenient when compared with using two separate cartridges, as the user is only required to install and maintain one cartridge. 
     FIG. 1 shows a prior art integrated cartridge  20 . The printing cartridge  20  comprises a paper cassette  21  for holding printing paper and an imaging material cassette  22  for imaging material. The imaging material is stored on rollers  23  and can be ink film, ink ribbon, or a similar roller based material. Disposed between the paper cassette  21  and the imaging material cassette  22  is a guide opening  24   a , which has a paper inlet  24   b  at the upper end, and a paper outlet  24   c  at the lower end. Supporting the printing paper in the paper cassette  21  is a paper support plate  25   a  connected to and pivoting about a pin  25   b . The pin  25   b  is attached at each end to the paper cassette  21 . 
     Under normal installation, the printing cartridge  20  is disposed inside a printer  30 , as shown in FIG.  2 . The printer cartridge  20  is supported by support brackets  31 , which are attached to the printer  30 . 
     During operation of the printer  30  when a sheet of paper (represented by a dashed line in all figures) is to be supplied, a lever  32  is rotated upwards to raise and tilt the paper support plate  25   a , which is caused to rotate about the pin  25   b , as shown in FIG.  3 . The top sheet of paper P is then brought into contact with a paper supplying belt  33 . The paper supplying belt  33  feeds the sheet of paper, which is first diverted by a guiding plate  34 , into the paper inlet  24   b  of the guide opening  24   a . The sheet of paper is discharged out of the guide opening  24   a  through the paper outlet  24   c  and is taken up by a capstan roller  35  and a pinch roller  36 . In this way, the sheet of paper is supplied to a platen roller  37  and a print head assembly  38 . 
     After the sheet of paper has been supplied, printing to that sheet of paper may commence, as is illustrated in FIG.  4 . The platen roller  37  rises to press the sheet of paper against the imaging material  1 . The print head assembly  38  lowers to support the imaging material  1 . Printing is carried out normally with the sheet of paper being taken up by a discharge belt  39 , and the flow of the sheet of paper being the reverse of that during supplying. The sheet of paper is ejected out of the printer  30  by the discharge belt  39  when printing is complete. 
     The prior art integrated cartridge lacks a compact form for efficient storage. 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide an integrated cartridge, comprising both a paper cassette and a ribbon cassette, capable of being reduced in size for storage. 
     According to the claimed invention, an integrated cartridge for a printer includes a paper cassette for placing paper and a ribbon cassette for positioning a ribbon. The ribbon cassette has a first reel and a second reel, on which a ribbon is positioned. The integrated cartridge further includes a brace having a first end connected to the paper cassette and a second end connected to the first reel of the ribbon cassette. The second reel of the ribbon cassette is capable of moving relative to a position of the first reel so as to reduce a space occupied by the integrated cartridge. 
     It is an advantage that the claimed invention uses a movable second reel in the ribbon cassette resulting in reduced space occupied when stored. 
     These and other objectives of the claimed invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art integrated cartridge. 
     FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the integrated cartridge shown in FIG. 1 installed into a printer. 
     FIG.  3  and FIG. 4 are cross-sectional views of the operation of the installed integrated cartridge and printer shown in FIG.  2 . 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a printer according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view along line  6 — 6  of the printer shown in FIG.  5 . 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an integrated cartridge according to the present invention. 
     FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the integrated cartridge shown in FIG. 7 in compact form. 
     FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the integrated cartridge shown in FIG. 7 in expanded form and installed into the printer shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the installed integrated cartridge shown in FIG. 9 during printing. 
     FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of an integrated cartridge shown in compact form according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 
     FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view of the integrated cartridge shown in FIG. 11 in expanded form and installed into the printer shown in FIG.  6 . 
     FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the installed integrated cartridge shown in FIG. 12 during printing. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     A printer  40  according to the present invention, as illustrated in FIG. 5, comprises a printer body  41 . As shown in the cross-sectional view along line  6 — 6  of the printer  40 FIG. 6, the printer  40  includes a paper take-up roller  42 , a paper separation roller  43 , and a paper separation pad  44  all for feeding a sheet of paper to a capstan roller  45  and a pinch roller  46 . Printing onto the sheet of paper is accomplished by use of a thermal print head  47 , a platen roller  48 , and a ribbon tension roller  49 . 
     An integrated cartridge  50  according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 7 in expanded form, includes a paper cassette  51  connected to a ribbon cassette  52  by a pair of braces  53 . The paper cassette  51  holds a supply of paper and the ribbon cassette  52  contains an ink ribbon disposed on a first reel  54   a  and a second reel  54   b.    
     The paper cassette  51  is attached to a first end of each brace  53  using a fixed connection. The ribbon cassette  52  is pivot connected to a second end of each brace  53  at the first reel  54   a  so that the ribbon cassette  52  can rotate 180° towards and over the paper cassette  51 . The housing of the ribbon cassette  52  is constructed in such a way as to not interfere with the ribbon tension roller  49  and the pinch roller  46  of the printer  40 . 
     Compact form of the integrated cartridge  50 , when the ribbon cassette  52  is rotated towards the paper cassette  51 , is illustrated in FIG. 8 with an arrow  60  indicating the rotation. The compact form is used for the purpose of storage. The integrated cartridge  50  can be installed into the printer  40  while in the compact form or alternately, while in the expanded form shown in FIG.  7 . 
     Please refer to FIG.  9  and FIG. 10, which detail the operation of the present invention integrated cartridge  50 . First, the integrated cartridge  50  is installed onto the printer body  41  in the compact form. The thermal print head  47  is then lifted, as shown in FIG. 9, to allow the ribbon cassette  52  to be rotated into the printer body  41 . Finally, the thermal print head  47  is lowered back into place and comes into contact with the ribbon R, as shown in FIG.  10 . Printing is then carried out normally. 
     During the printing process, illustrated in FIG. 10, a sheet of paper (shown as a dashed line in FIG. 10) from the paper supply P is taken up by the paper take-up roller  42  and fed between the paper separation roller  43  and paper separation pad  44 . The sheet of paper is then directed to the capstan roller  45  and the pinch roller  46 , which drive the sheet of paper between the thermal print head  47  and platen roller  48 . During printing, the platen roller  48  presses the sheet of paper firmly against the ribbon R, the ribbon R being supported by the thermal print head  47 . The thermal print head  47  can then heat the ribbon R and print to the sheet of paper. When printing is complete, the capstan roller  45  and pinch roller  46  eject the sheet of paper from the printer body  41 . 
     When the integrated cartridge  50  is to be removed from the printer body  41 , the sequence performed is opposite that of installation. Specifically, the thermal print head  47  is lifted, the ribbon cassette  52  is rotated into the compact form, the integrated print cartridge  50  is detached from the printer body  41 , and, finally, the thermal print head  47  is returned to its lower position. The integrated cartridge  50 , now in the compact form, may be stored efficiently. 
     A second embodiment of the present invention includes a second reel  54   b  of a ribbon cassette  52 ″ that can be moved in a transverse rather than rotational manner. This key difference between the second embodiment and the previously mentioned embodiment will now be detailed referencing FIG. 11, which shows a cross-sectional view of the integrated cartridge  50  in compact form. A first reel  54   a  of the ribbon cassette  52 ″ is attached to the second end of each brace  53  using a fixed connection. The ribbon cassette  52 ″ is extendable by means of a sliding mechanism  55 , such that the second reel  54   b  can move in a transverse direction indicated by an arrow  61  in FIG.  11 . The sliding mechanism  55  forms the sidewalls of the ribbon cassette  52 ″ housing connecting the first reel  54   a  and the second reel  54   b , and does not interfere with the ribbon tension roller  49 , the pinch roller  46 , or the thermal print head  47  of the printer  40 . 
     Please refer to FIG.  12  and FIG. 13, which detail the operation of the integrated cartridge  50  according to the second embodiment. First, the thermal print head  47  is lifted and the integrated cartridge  50  is installed onto the printer body  41  in the compact form. As shown in FIG. 12, the second reel  54   b  of the ribbon cassette  52 ″ is slid, as indicated by a horizontal arrow  62 , into the printer body  41 . After the second reel  54   b  is slid into place, a chassis mechanism of the printer  40  raises the capstan roller  45 , the pinch roller  46 , the platen roller  48 , and the ribbon tension roller  49  into place, as shown by an arrow  63  in FIG.  12 . Finally, the thermal print head  47  is lowered back into place and comes into contact with the ribbon R, as shown in FIG.  13 . Printing is then carried out in a manner identical to that described previously and illustrated in FIG.  10 . 
     When the integrated cartridge  50  according to the second embodiment is to be removed from the printer  41 , the sequence performed is opposite that of installation. First, the thermal print head  47  is lifted, and the chassis mechanism of the printer  40  lowers the capstan roller  45 , the pinch roller  46 , the platen roller  48 , and the ribbon tension roller  49  to avoid interference as the second reel  54   b  of the ribbon cassette  52 ″ is slid. The second reel  54   b  is then slid towards the first reel  54   a , and then the integrated cartridge  50  is detached from the printer body  41 . Finally, the thermal print head  47  is returned to its lower position. The integrated cartridge  50 , now in the compact form, may be stored efficiently. 
     The present invention, in either embodiment, can be used with various kinds of paper and is independent of paper size, thickness, or texture. Similarly, the present invention can accommodate a wide variety of printing ribbons and is not limited by the ribbon described. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited by a specific style of printer provided the printer is reasonably similar to the one described. 
     In contrast to the prior art, the present invention uses a rotatable or collapsible ribbon cassette. The ribbon cassette thus allows the integrated cartridge to be reduced in size so that the integrated cartridge can be stored more efficiently than the prior art. 
     Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention. Accordingly, the above disclosure should be construed as limited only by the metes and bounds of the appended claims.