Thermal printer apparatus

A thermal printer apparatus comprising:

• means defining a sheet feed path along which a sheet to be printed on can be transported to a printing position, the sheet feed path extending along a first direction;
• a thermal print head located on one side of the sheet feed path and for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path;
• a print platen located on an opposite side of the sheet feed path and for printing onto a sheet which has been transported to the printing position along the sheet feed path;
• a spring mechanism for biasing the head and the platen towards each other to contact the sides of a sheet in the printing position to allow printing on the sheet in the printing position;
• a drive mechanism for moving the head and the platen in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction to allow printing on a sheet in the printing position to occur while the head and the platen are contacting the sheet in the printing position;
• and
• a cam mechanism for moving the head and the platen away from each other to move the head and the platen out of contact with a sheet in the printing position after printing on the sheet in the printing position has occurred;
• the drive mechanism and the cam mechanism cooperating to move the head and the platen back to their initial positions when the head and the platen are moved away from each other and out of contact with a sheet in the printing position to allow another printing to occur.

A thermal printer apparatus comprising:

• a sheet feeder for transporting a sheet to a printing position along a sheet feed path extending along a first direction;
• a thermal print head located on one side of the sheet in the printing position;
• a print platen located on an opposite side of the sheet in the printing position;
• and
• moving means for (i) moving the head and the platen from initial positions towards each other to contact the sides of the sheet in the printing position to allow printing on the sheet in the printing position, (ii) moving the head and the platen in a second direction which is transverse to the first direction to allow printing on the sheet in the printing position to occur while the head and the platen are contacting the sheet in the printing position, (iii) moving the head and the platen away from each other to move the head and the platen out of contact with the sides of the sheet in the printing position after printing on the sheet in the printing position has occurred, and (iv) moving the head and the platen back to their initial positions when the head and the platen are moved away from each other and out of contact with the sides of the sheet in the printing position to allow another printing to occur;
• the moving means including (i) a first arm to which the head is connected, (ii) a second arm to which the platen is connected, and (iii) a spring mechanism interconnecting the first and second arms and biasing the first and second arms towards each other and thereby biasing the head and the platen towards each other.