The present application provides a torque limiter which includes a first torque limiting module for limiting a first torque with regard to a rotating direction and a second torque limiting module for limiting a second torque with regard to a counter direction of the rotating direction.

A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer includes: a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis; a pulley affixed to the shaft; and a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first or second direction responsive to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, wherein rotation of a spindle supported on the shaft in the first direction dispenses inside-coated ribbon toward a printhead, and rotation of the spindle in the second direction dispenses outside-coated ribbon toward the printhead.

A bidirectional ribbon supply system for a printer includes: a shaft supported by a frame of the printer, the shaft to rotate about an axis; a pulley affixed to the shaft; and a bias member coupled between the frame and the pulley to apply a force to the pulley in either of a first or second direction responsive to rotation of the pulley in the other of the first or second direction, wherein rotation of a spindle supported on the shaft in the first direction dispenses inside-coated ribbon toward a printhead, and rotation of the spindle in the second direction dispenses outside-coated ribbon toward the printhead.

A ribbon transport mechanism includes an input gear that receives rotational power from a transport motor. An intermediate gear, which engages with the input gear, receives the rotational power from the transport motor via the input gear and transmits the rotational power to a first paying out rotor. When the cartridge is attached, a paying-out-side one-way clutch suppresses the input gear from rotating in a first input direction and the intermediate gear from rotating in a first intermediate direction and permits the input gear to rotate in a second input direction and the intermediate gear to rotate in a second intermediate direction. An elastic member applies force to the intermediate gear in the second intermediate direction to reserve a clearance between the input gear and the intermediate gear and next to a front end of the intermediate gear in the first intermediate direction.

A ribbon transport mechanism includes an input gear that receives rotational power from a transport motor. An intermediate gear, which engages with the input gear, receives the rotational power from the transport motor via the input gear and transmits the rotational power to a first paying out rotor. When the cartridge is attached, a paying-out-side one-way clutch suppresses the input gear from rotating in a first input direction and the intermediate gear from rotating in a first intermediate direction and permits the input gear to rotate in a second input direction and the intermediate gear to rotate in a second intermediate direction. An elastic member applies force to the intermediate gear in the second intermediate direction to reserve a clearance between the input gear and the intermediate gear and next to a front end of the intermediate gear in the first intermediate direction.

A ribbon transport mechanism includes a transport gear train that transmits rotational power from a transport motor to paying out and winding rotors. The transport gear train has paying-out-side and winding-side one-way clutches. When the transport motor rotates in a first direction, the paying-out-side one-way clutch suppresses the rotational power from being transmitted to the paying out rotor, whereas when the transport motor rotates in a second direction, the paying-out-side one-way clutch permits the rotational power to be transmitted to the paying out rotor. When the transport motor rotates in the first direction, the winding-side one-way clutch permits the rotational power to be transmitted to the winding rotor, whereas when the transport motor rotates in the second direction, the transport motor suppresses the rotational power from being transmitted to the winding rotor. The paying-out-side one-way clutch and the winding-side one-way clutch are provided coaxially.

In a printer that drives by a ribbon motor (302), a winding axle that holds an ink ribbon positioned between a thermal head that performs a photographic printing operation with respect to a photographic medium conveyed along a sub-scanning direction and a platen that opposes the photographic print head with the photographic medium between the photographic print head and the platen, a flywheel (303) is coupled to a shaft of the ribbon motor (302), and a rotational force of the ribbon motor (302) is transmitted to the winding axle, via a worm gear (501) and a helical gear (502).

In a printer that drives by a ribbon motor (302), a winding axle that holds an ink ribbon positioned between a thermal head that performs a photographic printing operation with respect to a photographic medium conveyed along a sub-scanning direction and a platen that opposes the photographic print head with the photographic medium between the photographic print head and the platen, a flywheel (303) is coupled to a shaft of the ribbon motor (302), and a rotational force of the ribbon motor (302) is transmitted to the winding axle, via a worm gear (501) and a helical gear (502).

There is provided a ribbon winding mechanism including: a winding rotor; a first winding gear that is provided to be coaxial to the winding rotor and rotates the winding rotor; a second winding gear that is provided to be coaxial to the winding rotor and rotates the winding rotor via the first winding gear; a first torque limiter that limits torque, which is transmitted from the first winding gear to the winding rotor, to first torque; a second torque limiter that limits torque, which is transmitted from the second winding gear to the first winding gear, to second torque lower than the first torque; and a torque clutch that inputs power from a feed motor to the first winding gear when the first cartridge is mounted and inputs the power from the feed motor to the second winding gear when the second cartridge is mounted.

There is provided a ribbon winding mechanism including: a winding rotor; a first winding gear that is provided to be coaxial to the winding rotor and rotates the winding rotor; a second winding gear that is provided to be coaxial to the winding rotor and rotates the winding rotor via the first winding gear; a first torque limiter that limits torque, which is transmitted from the first winding gear to the winding rotor, to first torque; a second torque limiter that limits torque, which is transmitted from the second winding gear to the first winding gear, to second torque lower than the first torque; and a torque clutch that inputs power from a feed motor to the first winding gear when the first cartridge is mounted and inputs the power from the feed motor to the second winding gear when the second cartridge is mounted.