The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 13, 1996
Filed:
Jun. 07, 1995
Edward A Nardone, Wakefield, RI (US);
Paul S Follett, Wakefield, RI (US);
Harry D Schofield, Narragansett, RI (US);
Paul R Caron, Tiverton, RI (US);
Chris S Rothwell, North Kingstown, RI (US);
Atlantek, Inc., Wakefield, RI (US);
Abstract
A removable cassette assembly is provided for mounting thermal transfer ribbon in a single-pass multi-color thermal printer. The thermal printer includes a platen roller, a web of receptor media received around the platen roller, a thermal print head, a cantilever support for mounting the print head in corresponding relation to the platen roller, and a pair of drive rollers for advancing the receptor media. The cassette assembly consists of a cassette body, a supply roll for storing a length of unused thermal transfer ribbon, a take-up roll for taking up used ribbon. The rolls are mounted for rotation on the cassette body and the cassette body is received onto the cantilever support for positioning of the ribbon between the print head and the receptor media. The ribbon is driven through the print nip by friction between the receptor media and the print head. The take-up roll engages with a drive motor when the cassette is received onto the cantilever for driving take-up of the ribbon. In a similar manner, the supply roll engages with a clutch mechanism to control pay-out of the ribbon when the cassette is received onto the cantilever.