Proposed is a dye-sublimation printer, and more particularly to a dye-sublimation printer that can systematically control upward and downward movements of a pick-up roller, upward and downward movements of a platen roller, and driving of a take-up reel gear according to forward and backward movements of a slide plate.

An example braking system is described including a support structure which is pivotable about a first axis and a braking mechanism including a gear engagement mechanism which is fixed with respect to the first axis. The gear engagement mechanism may have a first and a second toothed portion, a first gear wheel rotatable about a second axis, and a second gear wheel rotatable about a third axis. The first gear may be connected to a first damping mechanism to damp pivoting of the support structure in a first direction when the first gear wheel is engaged with the first toothed portion. The second gear wheel may be connected to a second damping mechanism to damp pivoting of the support structure in a second direction when the second gear wheel is engaged with the second toothed portion. A print target holder system and a printer system are also described.

A tape reel device includes a cartridge case (20) rotatably accommodating a spool (22b) around which an ink ribbon (22a) is wound, and a brake (3) for providing back tension to the ink ribbon (22a) unwound from the spool (22b). The brake (3) includes a sliding contact member (35) in sliding contact with end surface of the rotating spool (22b), a coil spring (36) urging the sliding contact member (35) in shaft direction of the spool (22b), and a rotation restrictor (37) for restricting rotation of the sliding contact member (35). The rotation restrictor (37) includes an engaging portion protruded from the cartridge case (20) to be inserted into the sliding contact member (35), and a to-be-engaged portion (44) which is protruded from inner circumference of the sliding contact member (35) and with which the engaging portion engages in rotation direction of the spool (22b).

A tape reel device includes a cartridge case (20) rotatably accommodating a spool (22b) around which an ink ribbon (22a) is wound, and a brake (3) for providing back tension to the ink ribbon (22a) unwound from the spool (22b). The brake (3) includes a sliding contact member (35) in sliding contact with end surface of the rotating spool (22b), a coil spring (36) urging the sliding contact member (35) in shaft direction of the spool (22b), and a rotation restrictor (37) for restricting rotation of the sliding contact member (35). The rotation restrictor (37) includes an engaging portion protruded from the cartridge case (20) to be inserted into the sliding contact member (35), and a to-be-engaged portion (44) which is protruded from inner circumference of the sliding contact member (35) and with which the engaging portion engages in rotation direction of the spool (22b).

A tape drive comprises a spool support (30) for supporting a tape spool (32), wherein the spool support comprises a support surface (34) mounted to a tape drive base plate (36) such that the support surface (34) is fixed against rotation relative to the base plate (36), the support surface (34) being configured such that, in use, as tape is removed from or wound onto the spool (32), the spool (32) rotates relative to the spool support (30) such that the spool (32) rotates around the support surface (34).

A tape drive comprises a spool support (30) for supporting a tape spool (32), wherein the spool support comprises a support surface (34) mounted to a tape drive base plate (36) such that the support surface (34) is fixed against rotation relative to the base plate (36), the support surface (34) being configured such that, in use, as tape is removed from or wound onto the spool (32), the spool (32) rotates relative to the spool support (30) such that the spool (32) rotates around the support surface (34).

A printer may include a printhead assembly, a clutch assembly, and/or a printer ribbon transport assembly. An example clutch assembly includes a first spool engagement member defining a first friction torque; a first friction member configured to frictionally engage the first spool engagement member; a second spool engagement member defining a second friction torque that is larger than the first fiction torque; and a second friction member configured to frictionally engage the second spool engagement member.

A mounting of a ribbon supply on a re-useable cartridge is described where the mounting is designed so that the supply friction, supply and control of the ribbon supply are substantially independent of the cartridge. When the supply rolls are initially mounted on the cartridge, the supply rolls are frictionally engaged with the cartridge to reduce the tendency for the supply rolls to rotate or move prior to being loaded into the printer, which would loosen the ribbon material by unwinding, thereby reducing slack in the ribbon material. When the cartridge is loaded into a card personalization machine, features on the card personalization machine automatically reduce the frictional engagement between the supply rolls and the cartridge, permitting the supply rolls to rotate substantially freely relative to the cartridge so that the supply friction, supply and control are substantially independent of the cartridge.

A tape cartridge mounted to a tape printer includes a ribbon feeding core on which an ink ribbon is wound so as to be capable of being fed and a ribbon winding core that winds the ink ribbon fed from the ribbon feeding core. In the tape cartridge, the ribbon feeding core includes a core body that winds the ink ribbon and a shaft engaging part formed at an end portion of the core body and engaged with a feeding-side driving shaft of the tape printer. The shaft engaging part protrudes in an axial direction of the core body from an end surface of the core body and is formed in a crown shape in which a plurality of convex portions and a plurality of concave portions are alternately arranged side by side in a circumferential direction.

A mounting of a ribbon supply on a re-useable cartridge is described where the mounting is designed so that the supply friction, supply and control of the ribbon supply are substantially independent of the cartridge. When the supply rolls are initially mounted on the cartridge, the supply rolls are frictionally engaged with the cartridge to reduce the tendency for the supply rolls to rotate or move prior to being loaded into the printer, which would loosen the ribbon material by unwinding, thereby reducing slack in the ribbon material. When the cartridge is loaded into a card personalization machine, features on the card personalization machine automatically reduce the frictional engagement between the supply rolls and the cartridge, permitting the supply rolls to rotate substantially freely relative to the cartridge so that the supply friction, supply and control are substantially independent of the cartridge.