Patent ID: 8333524

Claim:
A cartridge providing ribbon tension comprising: a cartridge housing having walls including a base cartridge wall horizontally extending across a bottom side of the cartridge; a first spool and a second spool contained at least in part in the cartridge, the first spool and the second spool extending between a pair of ends with at least one of the pair of ends having a driving portion; a ribbon extending from the first spool to the second spool; and at least one resistance-applying part extending around a portion of each of the first spool and the second spool, such that each of the first spool and the second spool are movable between a loaded position in which the at least one resistance-applying part is disengaged from the walls of the cartridge and an unloaded position in which the at least one resistance-applying part engages the walls of the cartridge; wherein a movement from the unloaded position to the loaded position occurs in a radial direction relative to an axis of rotation in each respective spool to lift the respective spool such that the resistance-applying part does not contact the base cartridge wall and wherein, when in the unloaded position, rotation of the respective spool is prevented by frictional engagement of the resistance-applying part with the base cartridge wall when the respective spool drops within the cartridge housing toward the bottom side of the cartridge.