Control Assembly for Printhead of a Printing Apparatus

A thermal transfer printing apparatus comprising:

• a supply spool to provide an inked ribbon;
• a take-up spool to receive the inked ribbon, the inked ribbon extending between the supply spool and the take-up spool;
• one or more first motors coupled with one or both of the supply spool and the take-up spool, the one or more first motors being operable to drive one or both of the supply spool and the take-up spool to move the inked ribbon between the supply spool and the take-up spool;
• a first support piece on which a thermal transfer printhead is mounted to transfer ink from the inked ribbon onto a substrate on which printing will occur;
• a peel roller coupled with the first support piece, the peel roller being positioned relative to the thermal transfer printhead to hold the inked ribbon extending between the supply spool and the take-up spool away from the substrate;
• a second support piece coupled with the first support piece through a first track portion that allows the first support piece to move along a first axis;
• a third support piece coupled with the second support piece through a second track portion that allows the second support piece to move along a second axis;
• a first spindle coupled with the third support piece;
• a second spindle coupled with the third support piece;
• at least four drive-belt guides coupled with at least the second support piece;
• a drive-belt forming a continuous loop around the at least four drive-belt guides and the first spindle and the second spindle, the drive-belt being connected to the thermal transfer printhead or the first support piece;
• and
• one or more second motors coupled with the first spindle and with the second spindle, the one or more second motors being operable to move the drive-belt belt by rotating the first spindle and the second spindle in a same direction or in different directions, by a same amount or by different amounts, thereby causing the thermal transfer printhead to move with the first support piece along the second axis, along the first axis, or along the first axis and the second axis simultaneously.