Ribbon cartridge with shield

Claim 2

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers having a printhead and paper to be printed thereon, comprising: a main ribbon storage compartment and a pair of arms extending generally in the same direction from the compartment, a ribbon stored in the compartment and extending from one arm and entering the other of the arms, a gap between the arms defining an exposed ribbon path essentially parallel to the print plane of the printer and between the plane of the paper on which the printing is to occur and the printhead, a bridge joining the arms below the lower edge of the ribbon in the gap, a shield mounted in part by the bridge and lying on the side of the ribbon facing the paper, said shield preventing the paper from engaging and displacing the ribbon from the ribbon path, and having a substantially flat central panel extending across the gap, a window in the shield through which the printhead may engage the ribbon to make an impression on the paper, said shield further having oppositely directed end wings extending from said flat central panel in a direction out of the plane of the central panel and extending rearwardly, said pair of arms each having a front surface extending from the gap, and means adhesively securing each wing to the compartment arm front surfaces.

Claim 3

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers as defined in claim 1 further characterized by a recess in the upper surface of the bridge, and a tab forming part of the shield and engaging in the recess to support the shield.

Claim 4

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers as defined in claim 1 further characterized by a bend in the shield causing the tab to incline rearwardly and downwardly from the vertical, said bend deflecting any folds in the paper from the plane of the ribbon in the gap as the paper moves upwardly in front of the ribbon.

Claim 5

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers as defined in claim 1 further characterized by a tab on the bridge extending downwardly, and a slot in the shield receiving the tab on the bridge to lock the shield to the bridge.

Claim 6

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers as defined in claim 1 further characterized by said bridge having a most-forward edge along the gap terminating rearwardly of the shield central panel.

Claim 7

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers having a printhead and paper to be printed thereon, comprising: a main ribbon storage compartment and a pair of enclosed arms extending generally in the same direction from the compartment, the ends of the arms being spaced apart to form a gap with the ribbon emerging only from an opening at the end of one arm and reentering the cartridge only through an opening at the end of the other arm, a ribbon stored in the compartment and extending from the opening of one arm and entering the opening in the other arm, the ribbon exposed in the gap being positioned to be engaged by the printhead against the paper in the print plane of the ribbon, said gap between the arms defining an exposed ribbon path essentially parallel to the print plane of the printer and between the plane of the paper on which the printing is to occur and the printhead, a bridge joining the arms below the lower edge of the ribbon in the gap, a shield mounted in part by the bridge and lying on the side of the ribbon facing the paper, said shield preventing the paper from engaging and displacing the ribbon from the ribbon path, and having a vertical substantially flat central panel extending across the gap, said shield in addition to the central panel having oppositvely directed end wings each having means securing each wing to the compartment arms on the outer exposed surface of the arms with the wings extending in a direction out of the plane of the central panel and extending rearwardly, and a window in the shield through which the printhead may engage the ribbon to make an impression on the paper, said shield mounted to the bridge comprising a tab bent rearwardly and downwardly of the vertical flat central panel of said shield to engage with tab engaging means on the bridge, said tab and vertical flat central panel defining a bend with the bend deflecting any folds in the paper from the plane of the ribbon in the gap as the paper moves upwardly in front of the ribbon.

Claim 8

A ribbon cartridge for high speed printers having a printhead and paper to be printed thereon, comprising: a main ribbon storage compartment and a pair of enclosed arms extending generally in the same direction from the compartment, the ends of the arms being spaced apart to form a gap with the ribbon emerging only from an opening at the end of one arm and reentering the cartridge only through an opening at the end of the other arm, a ribbon stored in the compartment and extending from the opening of one arm and entering the opening in the other arm, the ribbon exposed in the gap being positioned to be engaged by the printhead against the paper in the print plane of the ribbon, said gap between the arms defining an exposed ribbon path essentially parallel to the print plane of the printer and between the plane of the paper on which the printing is to occur and the printhead, a bridge joining the arms below the lower edge of the ribbon in the gap, a shield mounted in part by the bridge and lying on the side of the ribbon facing the paper, said shield preventing the paper from engaging and displacing the ribbon from the ribbon path, and having a vertical substantially flat central panel extending across the gap, said shield in addition to the central panel having oppositvely directed end wings each having means securing each wing to the compartment arms on the outer exposed surface of the arms with the wings extending in a direction out of the plane of the central panel and extending rearwardly, and a window in the shield through which the printhead may engage the ribbon to make an impression on the paper, said shield mounted to the bridge comprising a tab bent rearwardly and downwardly of the vertical flat central panel of said shield to engage with tab engaging means on the bridge, said tab and vertical flat central panel defining a bend with the bend deflecting any folds in the paper from the plane of the ribbon in the gap as the paper moves upwardly in front of the ribbon.