Thermal printer with improved print head assembly
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsDaniel Charles Maslanka, Vlade Josif Kordovich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A thermal printer (10) includes a rotatable platen (34) having opposite shaft ends (122); a print head (30) extended parallel to the platen; a mounting bracket (76, 78, 84, 86) for supporting the print head adjacent the platen; an elongated beam spring (104) with opposite ends (106, 108); a fulcrum member (100, 102) extended from the mounting bracket to engage the beam spring between the ends; and cams (132-140) for engaging the opposite ends to deflect the beam spring and press the print head into engagement with the platen to define a nip for a dye donor web (31) and a receiver sheet (22).
Claims28
A thermal printer includes a rotatable platen having a pair of opposite shaft ends, a print head extended parallel with the platen, and means for supporting the print head adjacent the platen to enable the print head to press a dye donor web into contact with a receiver sheet and the receiver sheet into contact with the platen, and is characterized by:
- an elongated beam spring having opposite ends;
- a fulcrum member extended from the means for supporting to engage the beam spring at a position intermediate the opposite ends;
- and
- means for engaging the beam spring at the opposite ends to deflect the beam spring and thereby to press the print head into engagement with the dye donor web, the dye donor web into engagement with the receiver sheet, and the receiver sheet into engagement with the platen, with sufficient force (a) upon operation of the print head for thermal transfer of dye to the receiver sheet and (b) upon rotation of the platen for transport of either the dye donor web or both the dye donor web and the receiver sheet between the print head and the platen.
A print head assembly for a thermal printer of a type including a rotatable platen having a pair of opposite shaft ends, is characterized by:
- an elongated print head to be extended parallel with the platen;
- means for supporting the print head adjacent the platen to enable the print head to press a dye donor web into contact with a receiver sheet moving with the platen;
- an elongated beam spring having opposite ends;
- and
- a fulcrum member extended from the means for supporting to engage the beam spring at a position intermediate the opposite ends,
- whereby the opposite ends may be engaged within a thermal printer to deflect the beam spring and thereby to press the print head into engagement with a dye donor web with sufficient force, upon operation of the print head, for thermal transfer of dye to a receiver sheet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.