Media web cartridge for a printing system
View Patent ↗A media web cartridge for storing a media web to be introduced into a wallpaper printing system, the wallpaper printing system including a region to receive the media web cartridge and feed the media web past a printhead at least as wide as the width of the media web, the media web cartridge comprising: a casing which envelopes the media web; a fixed shaft about which the media web is wound and is free to rotate; two support members that each hold an opposite end of the shaft, the support members adapted to be supported by the casing and to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the casing; at least two feed rollers to draw the media web from about the shaft and force the media web through an exit region of the casing; and, at least one of the feed rollers including a coupling which protrudes through an opening in an end of the casing and is adapted to engage with a drive spindle provided in the printing system, the drive spindle adapted to rotate the at least one feed roller.
1. A media web cartridge for storing a media web to be introduced into a printing system, the printing system including a region to receive the media web cartridge and feed the media web past a printhead at least as wide as the width of the media web, the media web cartridge comprising:
a casing which envelopes the media web;
a fixed shaft about which the media web is wound and is free to rotate;
two support members that each hold an opposite end of the shaft, the support members adapted to be supported by the casing and to prevent rotation of the shaft relative to the casing;
at least two feed rollers to draw the media web from about the shaft and force the media web through an exit region of the casing, a groove in each feed roller being engaged with a lunette of an extension of at least one of the support members; and,
at least one of the feed rollers including a coupling which protrudes through an opening in an end of the casing and is adapted to engage with a drive spindle provided in the printing system, the drive spindle adapted to rotate the at least one feed roller.
2. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the casing is a hinged casing formed of two halves.
3. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a distal end of the casing is provided with a handle.
4. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein a top of the casing is provided with a folding handle.
5. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the fixed shaft is a hollow cylinder.
6. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the internal diameter of the wound media web is greater than the external diameter of the fixed shaft.
7. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the shaft is provided with at least one notch that engages at least one nib of at least one of the support members to prevent rotation of the shaft.
8. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein extension of the at least one of the support members is received by a slot in the casing.
9. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 8 , wherein there are two extensions.
10. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein one of the feed rollers is a driven roller and one of the feed rollers is an idler roller.
11. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 8 , wherein each support member holds a different feed roller.
12. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the coupling includes teeth provided on or in at least one of the feed rollers.
13. The media web cartridge as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the exit region is defined by an interface between the halves of the casing when closed.