And Includes Separable Assemblage Of Spools Patents (Class 400/208.1)
  • Patent number: 11560000
    Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a conveyance unit including a pair of rotation members that nip a roll sheet, and configured to convey the sheet by rotation of the pair of rotation members, a printing unit, and a control unit configured to, upon executing a new print job, cause the conveyance unit to perform a preparatory operation in which the sheet is conveyed in a forward direction and then conveyed in a reverse direction and stopped. If a predetermined condition is met after completion of a previous print job, the control unit causes the conveyance unit to perform the preparatory operation, and if the predetermined condition is not met after completion of a previous print job, the control unit does not cause the conveyance unit to perform the preparatory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Takuya Suto, Toshiro Sugiyama, Ryosuke Murata, Daigo Kuronuma, Kenji Shimamura, Ryo Harigae, Toshiaki Yamaguchi, Kouhei Tokuda
  • Patent number: 8432420
    Abstract: A thermal printer is proposed that includes an ink ribbon on which a color ink portion and a non-color ink portion are alternately formed in a conveyance direction, a supply bobbin on which the ink ribbon is wound, a take-up bobbin on which the ink ribbon is to be wound, and a housing that contains the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin. When an error occurs during transferring of an ink on the color ink surface, the ink ribbon is conveyed so that a portion of the ink ribbon exposed from the ink cassette between the supply bobbin and the take-up bobbin is the non-color ink portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Yuko Kakuta, Atsushi Takagi
  • Patent number: 8348529
    Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette includes first and second rotatable bodies that rotate with an ink ribbon held between the rotatable bodies in sandwiched relation. The second rotatable body includes a hole through which a shaft extends such that the second rotatable body is rotatably supported on the shaft. The shaft may have a circumferential surface conical toward the free end, and the hole may be a conical hole into which the conical shaft extends. The shaft may include a plurality of cylindrical shaft portions that are in line with one another and that have different diameters. The second rotatable body is formed with a plurality of cylindrical hole portions having different diameters corresponding to the cylindrical shaft portions such that the second rotatable body is rotatably supported on the shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Oki Data Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroyuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 8272795
    Abstract: A cartridge detachable from a printer has a roll paper unit including roll paper, a roller, and flanges, and a separation member used to pull out the roll paper from the roll paper unit. Upon rotating the roll paper unit in a direction to feed out the roll paper, the roll paper is brought into contact with the separation member, thereby pulling out the roll paper from the roll paper unit and feeding out the roll paper to outside the cartridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2012
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Minoru Tanabe, Etsuro Suzuki, Masahiko Chaya, Kenji Ito
  • Patent number: 7802933
    Abstract: A thermal printer cartridge is provided. The thermal printer cartridge comprising: a supply housing having a drive end and a non-drive end; a take-up housing having a drive end and a non-drive end; a stiffening linkage joining the non-drive end of the supply housing to the non-drive end of the take-up housing, the stiffening linkage being capable of elastic deflection to absorb a portion of the energy from an impact load; an elastically deformable linkage joining the drive ends, the resilient linkage being adapted to elastically deflect following a first deflection pattern and to absorb another portion of an amount of energy from a impact load; and a damping linkage joining the drive ends, the damping linkage being adapted to elastically deflect following a second deflection pattern that is different than the first deflection pattern and to absorb still another portion of an amount of energy from the impact load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
    Inventors: Paul A. Lysiak, Kevin H. Blakely, Joel S. Lawther
  • Patent number: 7736076
    Abstract: A ribbon cassette and a printer are provided for preventing an ink ribbon from being wound or drawn to a printing-portion paper transport unit of the printer so as to satisfactorily wind and transport the ink ribbon. A convex portion is formed on a wall-portion contact surface of a first connecting member opposed to a space portion, thereby securing a gap between a wall portion of the ribbon cassette and a printing-portion paper transport unit of the printer. A top portion of the convex portion comes in contact with a driven-roller mounting plate disposed in the space portion when a ribbon cassette is mounted in a ribbon cassette mounting portion of a printer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Zenko Motoki
  • Patent number: 7699549
    Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge includes spools each including a ratchet gear in one end portion. A cartridge body includes integrally formed resilient engagement pieces each including a ratchet portion that engages and disengages the ratchet gear of the respective spool and a compressed portion that is compressed by a compressing portion of a thermal transfer printer apparatus. When the ink ribbon cartridge is installed in the thermal transfer printer apparatus, the resilient engagement pieces behave such that the compressed portions are compressed by the compressing portions of the thermal transfer printer apparatus. Thereby, engagement between the ratchet gears of the respective spools and the ratchet portions is released, and the spools become rotatable in the cartridge body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 20, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Kiyotaka Dochi, Hitoshi Kamoda
  • Publication number: 20090324314
    Abstract: A cartridge detachable from a printer has a roll paper unit including roll paper, a roller, and flanges, and a separation member used to pull out the roll paper from the roll paper unit. Upon rotating the roll paper unit in a direction to feed out the roll paper, the roll paper is brought into contact with the separation member, thereby pulling out the roll paper from the roll paper unit and feeding out the roll paper to outside the cartridge.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2008
    Publication date: December 31, 2009
    Applicant: CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Minoru Tanabe, Etsuro Suzuki, Masahiko Chaya, Kenji Ito
  • Patent number: 7607844
    Abstract: The image forming apparatus includes a chassis having first and second side surfaces of the chassis; an ink sheet cartridge detachably disposed between the first and second side surfaces of the chassis; a take-up reel engaging the take-up bobbin; and a feed reel engaging the feed bobbin. The ink sheet cartridge includes a casing, a take-up bobbin and a feed bobbin disposed within the casing, first and second compression coil springs respectively coupled to circumferences of portions of the take-up bobbin and the feed bobbin so as to bias the take-up bobbin and the feed bobbin in the longitudinal direction. At least one of the take-up reel and the feed reel engages the corresponding one of the take-up bobbin and the feed bobbin without a biasing member being disposed between the first surface of the chassis and the corresponding one of the take-up bobbin and the feed bobbin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2009
    Assignee: Funai Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Daisuke Takasaka, Hiroshi Kinugawa, Koichi Chikumoto
  • Patent number: 7594770
    Abstract: An ink ribbon cassette is provided. A first and second ribbon-receiving parts of an ink ribbon cassette according to the invention includes wallsthat face each other with a predetermined distance therebetween. An ink ribbon slides on a first ribbon-sliding portion formed at a first wall of the first ribbon-receiving part and a second ribbon-sliding portion formed at a first wall of the second ribbon-receiving part, and is wound on a take-up reel from the feeding reel. A ribbon guide, which prevents the ink ribbon exposed at the second ribbon-sliding portion from coming in contact with a printer body (not shown) when the ink ribbon cassette is mounted in the printer body, is provided outside the second ribbon-sliding portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahito Maruyama, Yoshibumi Abe, Zenko Motoki
  • Patent number: 7537403
    Abstract: A ribbon cassette structure is provided. The provided ribbon cassette structure includes a cartridge having at least a rotating structure. The rotating structure includes a first actuating element, a first connecting element, a second actuating element and a support shaft. The first connecting element is located between the first actuating element and the second actuating element, and the second actuating element is located between the first actuating element and the support shaft.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2009
    Assignee: Lite-On Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Hui-Chun Ho, Pany-Yen Jao, Wei-Chih Hung, Chao-Kuan Wu
  • Patent number: 7436419
    Abstract: In a consumable cassette having a recording material storage section 2 and an ink sheet storage section 1, a space 65 where a constituting component such as a supply roller 56 is to be disposed is formed in the cassette, when the cassette is attached to a recording apparatus. A movable member is movably disposed to cover the space, when the cassette is removed from the recording apparatus. Therefore, rigidity of the cassette is improved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 14, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7425974
    Abstract: In a consumable cassette detachably attached to a recording apparatus and containing a recording material and an ink sheet, a recording material storage section is constantly partially connected to an ink sheet storage section so as to be relatively displaceable in a direction in which the sections disunite from or unite with each other. The sections disunite from each other when the cassette is attached to the recording apparatus, and the sections unite with each other when the cassette is removed from the recording apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2008
    Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Toshihiro Ogawa
  • Patent number: 7139011
    Abstract: There is provided an ink sheet cartridge, which is provided with a cartridge body, a supply-side core tube, a takeup-side core tube, and spools detachably attached to end portions of the supply-side and takeup-side core tubes, respectively, and at least one intermediate connector that is interposed between at least one of the spools and corresponding one of the end portions of the supply-side and takeup-side core tubes. The corresponding one of the end portions at which the at least one intermediate connector is interposed id formed with a female engagement portion. The ink sheet cartridge further includes a male engagement member that is fitted into the female engagement portion from the outside so that the at least one intermediate connector is engaged with one of the supply-side and takeup-side core tubes having the female engagement portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2006
    Assignees: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha, General Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hisashi Igi, Toshiaki Ando, Takashi Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 7079167
    Abstract: An ink sheet cartridge and method of assembly for an ink sheet cartridge including a cartridge body rotatably supporting four spools. The spool includes a first rotation member having a transmission gear and a shaft member having a flange. The first rotation member is undetachably engaged with the shaft member within a support hole formed to the cartridge body while interposing a side plate between the transmission gear and the flange. An intermediate connector includes resilient pawls and projections for engaging respective mating groves and locking grooves formed to a takeup-side core tube, and is engaged with the flange of the shaft member 48.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2006
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Shigeyuki Hayashi
  • Patent number: 6905268
    Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge has a take-up spool (130) with an opening having a plurality of drive surfaces (200) and slip surfaces (202). The take up spool is preferably of a one-piece construction. A first spindle with a cantilever member (196) and a tab (198) extending therefrom is mounted on the take-up spool. When the drive surface engages a tab of the spindle, rotation of the spindle rotates the take-up spool. When one of the slip surfaces engages the tab of the spindle, the spindle rotates relative to the take-up spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2005
    Assignee: Nu-Kote International, Inc.
    Inventors: Carl William Holland, Paul J. Szwejbka
  • Patent number: 6835012
    Abstract: A ribbon cassette containing a supply core, a web located on the supply core, a storage core, a device for increasing the tension on the web as it passes from said supply core to said storage core to produce a tensioned web, a drive roller contiguous with the web, and a nip roller contiguous with the web. The said tensioned web is passed in a first rotary direction around a portion of the drive roller, and then it is passed in a second rotary direction around a portion of the nip roller, and then it is passed in a in rotary direction identical to the first rotary direction around a portion of the storage core. A nip is formed between the nip roller, the web, and the drive roller such that either the nip roller or the drive roller is compressed by at least about 0.001 percent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2004
    Assignee: International Imaging Materials Inc.
    Inventor: Joel D Neri
  • Patent number: 6702490
    Abstract: A recording medium station 53 includes sheet set portions to which rolls of toner sheets 4′ with cover films 6 stuck thereto and rolls of image receiving sheets 2′ with cover films 6 stuck thereto are set, and cover film winding-up portions located close to the sheet set portions. Those sheet set portions and the cover film winding-up portions are disposed along the circumferential outer surface of the recording medium station 53. An end of the cover film 6 slightly stripped off the recording medium is fixed to the wind-up shafts 12, and the cover film 6 stripped off the recording medium set to the medium setting shafts 10 is wound up with a wind-up shaft 12. The stripped cover film 6 is wound up with the wind-up shafts 12.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2004
    Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiharu Sasaki
  • Patent number: 6623192
    Abstract: An ink ribbon cartridge includes a frame having a first side, a second side, a third side, and fourth side. The first side and the second side extend in a widthwise direction and have supporting portions. The third side and the fourth side extend between the first side and the second side in a lengthwise direction perpendicular to the widthwise direction. The third side is formed with a protrusion protruding upward from an upper surface of the third side. A pair of tubes extend in the lengthwise direction and are supported by the supporting portions. An ink ribbon is wound around the pair of tubes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 23, 2003
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventor: Yoshikatsu Kameyama
  • Patent number: 6543945
    Abstract: A user does not have to observe the orientation of a supply-side film core and a roll-up-side film core, when placing them into a case. Shaft sections are disposed at both ends of the supply-side film core and the roll-up-side film core made of resins. The shaft sections have different diameters from each other. Each shaft section has a diameter corresponding to each supporting section. The user can therefore set the ink film in a predetermined position and orientation in the case as a single step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2003
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Masahiro Nakashima, Takaharu Kobayashi, Takashi Watanabe
  • Publication number: 20030044212
    Abstract: A film transfer apparatus includes a mechanism which is adapted to prevent a reverse rotation of a take-up reel (8) for a tape. The mechanism is formed of a check claw (29) and reverse rotation preventing teeth (30). The check claw and one of the teeth are engaged with each other firmly and reliably. When the check claw should be broken or deformed to cause the function thereof to become incomplete, only the member provided with the check claw needs to be renewed easily by a simple operation. A check pin (23) inserted from the outer side of a cartridge unit (2) into a cylindrical retainer shaft (20) on which the take-up reel is rotatably mounted is combined in one body rotationally with the take-up reel. The check pin is engaged in a reverse rotation preventing manner in a tightly winding direction with respect to the cartridge unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Applicant: TOMBOW PENCIL CO., LTD
    Inventor: Kenji Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 6522349
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2003
    Assignee: Hi-Touch Imaging Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yen-Chi Lee
  • Patent number: 6473109
    Abstract: A ribbon cartridge structure for a printing head of a large printer, the structure has a ribbon cartridge, an external and an inner clamping piece, the ribbon cartridge is provided with an “L” shaped sheet member of which the two ends are respectively extended to connect with two cylinders. Each cylinder has a rotation axle, and has on the periphery thereof an opening for extending of a color ribbon therethrough. The “L” shaped sheet member is provided on both sides thereof with at least an engaging portion to respectively connect with the corresponding protruding portion on one side of and the corresponding hooking portion on the other side of each of the clamping pieces. The color ribbon is extended between the external and the inner clamping pieces. Thereby, the whole printer have the effects of firm connecting and convenient assembling, improved tidiness of the color ribbon and easiness of reeling the color ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2002
    Assignee: Great Computer Corp.
    Inventor: Jin-Sheng Lai
  • Patent number: 6352380
    Abstract: A cassette, particularly for a printing mechanism provided with a thermal printing head, with a ribbon reel and a ribbon take-up reel, includes a housing composed of two wall portions which are spaced apart from each other, wherein the wall portions have grooves, integrally formed indentations or slots, wherein outer portions of the ribbon reel or take-up reel are supported in the grooves or indentations or slots so as to be slidable essentially transversely of the axis of the respective reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2002
    Assignee: Frama AG
    Inventor: Werner Haug
  • Patent number: 6290408
    Abstract: A friction mechanism exerts a frictional force on a feed pinch roller to apply a proper tensile load to an ink ribbon when the ink ribbon is fed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 1999
    Date of Patent: September 18, 2001
    Assignee: Alps Electric Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hideki Yorozu
  • Patent number: 6276849
    Abstract: A thermal transfer printer including a chassis having opposing side frame members. A pair of cones are each rotatably mounted to one of the opposing side frame members. At least one of the cones has a convex surface with one or more teeth formed thereon. A spool is supported between the pair of cones, wherein the cone teeth engage an end of the spool for rotatably driving the spool. The spool has an elongated body with outwardly extending crush ribs which hold labeling media or ink ribbon thereon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2001
    Assignee: Brady Worldwide, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark A. Feitel, Scott C. Milton
  • Patent number: 6257780
    Abstract: An ink ribbon is formed form a belt shaped sheet body, and is wound around a pair of tubes. Spools are detachably mounted at each end of the tube bodies. An ink ribbon cartridge includes side plates formed with supporting openings for supporting corresponding spools. Each supporting opening is formed with a cutout portion defined by edges. When the ink ribbon cartridge is mounted in a facsimile machine, the spools are freely rotatable within the supporting openings. On the other hand, when the ink ribbon cartridge is dismounted from the facsimile machine, engagement protrusions formed to the spools catch on the edges defining the cutout portions, thereby preventing the spools form rotating. As a result, the ink ribbon will not unintentionally greatly loosen.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 1999
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2001
    Assignee: Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
    Inventors: Shingo Ito, Yoshikatsu Kameyama
  • Patent number: 6224277
    Abstract: Disclosed are various embodiments of packaging for a roll of a web which is attached to a take-up core. The web is arranged so that it packages the roll together with the core, ready for shipment without the need for additional packaging. The web can include an ink ribbon and a leader connected to the ink ribbon.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 1999
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2001
    Assignee: International Imaging Materials, Inc.
    Inventors: Anthony C. Dolce, Robert S. Eaton, Joel D. Neri
  • Patent number: 6195111
    Abstract: A dye ribbon cassette for thermal transfer printing comprising a casing containing bearing means having rotatably mounted thereon a cylindrical member having on its periphery a mark carrying information capable of being detected by a sensor on rotation of the member and means operatively engageable with a drive source which is disposed outside of the casing to cause rotation of the member. The cassette may include a pair of identical, spaced apart, shafts rigidly mounted at one end of the casing, one of the shafts forming the bearing means for the cylindrical member, the shafts forming respectively mounting points for a feed spool and a take up spool.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Assignee: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC
    Inventors: Anthony J Nelson, Terence J Burch, Jeffrey B Orton, Richard A Hann
  • Patent number: 6183153
    Abstract: A holder for roll-type print media and a roll-type print media cassette, for easing replacement of a roll, including a printing apparatus capable of detecting the presence of a roll-type print media. The holder and cassette include supporting means for supporting the roll-type print media rotatively and regulating means for regulating the unwinding of the print media. The printing apparatus includes print media supporting means for supporting the roll-type print media rotatively such that the position of the axis of rotation is fixed. A contact sensor for detecting the presence of roll-type print media is also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Corporation
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kamoda, Shinichi Kondo, Yoshihiro Okamoto, Nobuyuki Kamitani, Morihiro Deura
  • Patent number: RE40202
    Abstract: A ribbon cassette 10 includes a cassette case 11 having a first accommodating portion 12, a second accommodating portion 13, and a connecting portion 14 connecting the first and second accommodating portions 12 and 13, a feeding core 12 and a take-up core 42 rotatably accommodated respectively in the first and second accommodating portions 12 and 13, and an ink ribbon R having a large width which can be fed from the feeding core 40 and taken up by the take-up core 42 through a connecting member 14, wherein there is provided in the first accommodating portion 12 in the vicinity of the connecting member 14 a shaft 19 extending along the direction of the width of the ink ribbon R, wherein there is provided in the connecting member 14 an edge portion 18a of a wall portion 18 opposed to the shaft 19, and wherein the ink ribbon R fed out from the feeding core 40 is bent at the shaft 19, and then bent in the opposite direction by the edge portion 18a before it is taken up by the take-up core 42, whereby it is possib
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2008
    Assignee: ALPS Electric Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Hitoshi Funaki, Mitsuo Tsushima, Eihin Setsu