Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Tsuneharu Nishikura

Kazuhiro Nishikawa

Tetsuya Hokamura

Takayuki Kawamura

Takashi Koike

A ribbon cassette for accommodating a length of inked ribbon for use with a thermal wax transfer printer. The cassette includes a generally cylindrical supply casing having a supply slot defined therein so as to extend parallel to a first longitudinal of the supply casing and rotatably accommodating therein a supply spool, a generally cylindrical take-up casing having a take-up slot defined therein so as to extend parallel to a second longitudinal axis of the take-up casing and also to the supply slot and rotatably accommodating therein a take-up spool, a length of inked ribbon having opposite ends engaged with the supply and take-up spools within the supply and take-up casings, respectively. The supply and take-up casings are connected together so as to extend parallel to each other by means of an elongated front plate secured at its opposite end portions to respective front open ends of the supply and take-up casings, and a slender bridge having opposite ends secured to respective rear ends of the supply and take-up casings. The take-up slot is located at a level generally aligned with a plane, containing the first and second longitudinal axes, and opening laterally outwardly so as to confront the supply casing. The supply and take-up slots is so positioned relative to each other as to permit a portion of the length of inked ribbon extending between the supply and take-up slots to extend diagonally upwardly from the supply slot towards the take-up slot.

Growing community of inventors

Ikoma, Japan

Tsuneharu Nishikura