Single pass ribbon cartridge for impact printers and impact printer receiving such cartridge.

摘要

A ribbon cartridge (16) is provided to be used in a high speed impact printer having means (36) for driving only one reel in the ribbon cartridge, the take-up reel. The ribbon cartridge comprises a cartridge housing having an open end, and supply (13) and take-up (15) reels rotatably mounted in said housing. The supply reel supports an inventory of unused ribbon web (12) which runs from the supply reel to the take-up reel. A rib (31) is mounted in the cartridge housing facing the open end in a position closer to the supply reel than to the take-up reel. The printer into which the ribbon cartridge is to be inserted contains driving means (36) for driving only the take-up reel. The printer receiving means into which the cartridge is to be inserted includes a stop element (32) disposed so as to block the rib to stop the engagement of the cartridge and the receiving means when the cartridge is being inserted in a direction towards the undesirable engagement of the drive means with the supply reel rather than with the take-up reel.