Label printer-cutter with mutually exclusive printing and cutting operations

A label printer-cutter comprising:

• a frame;
• a print head assembly connected to the frame, the print head assembly including a print head for printing to a label media;
• a cutting assembly connected to the frame, the cutting assembly comprising:
• a cutter to cut the label media;
• and
• a pair of rollers connected to the frame;
• a roller positioning assembly comprising a slide plate for positioning the pair of rollers into one of a cutting position and a non-cutting position;
• and
• a controller in operative association with the print head assembly, the cutting assembly and the roller positioning assembly;
• wherein the controller ensures that printing to and cutting of the label media in the label printer-cutter are mutually exclusive.

A system for effecting mutually exclusive printing and cutting operations in a label printer-cutter, the system comprising:

• a frame;
• a label media supply to supply a label media;
• an ink ribbon supply to supply a thermally-sensitive ink for application to the label media;
• a print head assembly connected to the frame, the print head assembly including a thermal print head for printing a dot line using the thermally-sensitive ink to the label media;
• a cutting assembly connected to the frame, the cutting assembly for cutting of the label media;
• and
• a controller in operative association with the print head assembly and the cutting assembly;
• wherein the controller can be programmed to control the print head assembly and the cutting assembly such that printing to and cutting of the label media does not occur simultaneously in the label printer-cutter.

A label printer-cutter comprising:

• a frame;
• a print head assembly connected to the frame, the print head assembly comprising:
• a print head lift cam connected to the frame;
• a print head assembly pin in operative association with the print head lift cam, the assembly pin housing a print head load spring that can be compressed via rotation of the cam so as to transfer a media-specific load to the label media;
• a print head mount connected to the print head assembly pin;
• and
• a print head pivot pin that passes through, so as to pivotally connect, the print head assembly pin and the print head mount;
• and
• a thermal print head connected to the print head mount, the print head for printing a dot line to the label media;
• a cutting assembly connected to the frame, the cutting assembly comprising:
• a plotter cutter slide rail pivotally secured to the frame;
• a plotter cutter connected to the plotter cutter slide rail for plotter cutting the label media;
• an end cutter slide rail secured to the frame;
• an end cutter connected to the end cutter slide rail for end cutting the label media;
• and
• a drive mechanism connected to the plotter cutter and the end cutter for driving at least one of the plotter cutter to perform a plotter cut to the label media and an end cutter to perform an end cut to the label media;
• and
• a controller in operative association with the print head assembly and the cutting assembly;
• wherein the controller can be programmed to control the print head assembly and the cutting assembly such that printing to and cutting of the label media cannot occur simultaneously in the label printer-cutter.