Improved structure of inked ribbon cartridge and thermal transfer color printer

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(11)

EP 0 869 009 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88)	Date of publication A3:
	10.11.1999 Bulletin 1999/45

(43)	Date of publication A2:
	07.10.1998 Bulletin 1998/41

(21)	Application number: 98105743.3

(22)	Date of filing: 30.03.1998

(51)	International Patent Classification (IPC)⁶: B41J 17/32

(84)	Designated Contracting States:
	AT BE CH DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE
	Designated Extension States:
	AL LT LV MK RO SI

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Priority:

31.03.1997 JP 97992/97
22.04.1997 JP 118804/97
26.12.1997 JP 369397/97
26.12.1997 JP 369398/97

(71)	Applicant: VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN, LIMITED
	Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 221-0022 (JP)

(72)	Inventors:
	Yonemitsu, Satoshi Asahi-ku, Yokohama (JP) Takahashi, Masaki Tokyo (JP)

(74)	Representative: Leson, Thomas Johannes Alois, Dipl.-Ing. et al
	Patentanwälte Tiedtke-Bühling-Kinne & Partner, Bavariaring 4 80336 München 80336 München (DE)

(54)	Improved structure of inked ribbon cartridge and thermal transfer color printer

(57) An inked ribbon cartridge and a portable color printer are provided which are compact in size and capable of printing color images with high quality. The inked ribbon cartridge includes an inked ribbon wound between a supply bobbin and a take-up bobbin. The take-up bobbin is smaller in diameter than the supply bobbin for preventing a maximum diameter of the inked ribbon all wound on the take-up bobbin from exceeding that of the inked ribbon wound about the supply bobbin before use, which is caused by formation of air layers between adjacent turns of the inked ribbon wound on the take-up bobbin. The supply bobbin is covered by a cartridge casing, while the take-up bobbin is exposed outside the cartridge casing, thereby achieving a compact and light weight construction of the inked ribbon cartridge.

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