Substrate carrier and printhead mounting for printer

A printer for printing onto a substrate comprising a housing, a printhead mounted in said housing and secured in a reference position, a generally planar carrier for a substrate, a drive for said carrier to move said carrier in a plane relative to said printhead, the drive comprising a drive roller on one side of the carrier and a reaction member on an opposite side of the carrier, the drive roller engaging the carrier for directly driving and moving the carrier relative to the printhead, a separate cartridge mounting the printhead, said cartridge being slidably removable from said housing, a latch for securing the cartridge on the housing with the printhead in the reference position, a ribbon carrying dye sublimation materials, said ribbon being provided on a supply roll, a take-up roll for receiving ribbon which has been used for printing, the supply and take-up rolls being mounted on said cartridge, such that the printhead and supply and take-up rolls are removable as a unit from said housing for loading said ribbon, said cartridge having a lower side, the printhead having a printing portion open to the lower side, and supports for said supply and take-up rolls accessible from the lower side for inserting the supply and takeup rollers and positioning said ribbon across the printhead when the cartridge is removed from the housing.

A thermal transfer printer for printing on substrates comprising a housing, a cartridge removably mounted in said housing and securable in a working position, a printhead mounted on said cartridge, a ribbon supply mounted on said cartridge for providing a ribbon movable relative to a portion of the printhead, and exposed at one surface of the cartridge, a platen mounted in said housing, a movable generally planar carrier for supporting a substrate to be printed and movable between a loading position and a printing position, and a friction drive roller for frictionally engaging the carrier under a resilient force between the drive roller and the carrier, the carrier being removable from the friction drive and the housing.

In a printer having a printhead for printing onto a substrate, the improvement comprising a carrier for the substrate forming a generally planar member having a surface for supporting the substrate, a friction drive for the carrier for receiving the carrier at an inlet end of the printer and providing a drive throughout the printing operation only by friction acting directly on the carrier, the carrier having ribs along opposite side edges of the carrier that project from the plane of the carrier, and the carrier being removable from the printer.

In a printer having a printhead for printing onto a substrate, the improvement comprising a carrier for the substrate forming a generally planar member having a surface supporting the substrate, a friction drive for the carrier for receiving the carrier at an inlet end of the printer and providing a drive throughout the printing operation only by friction acting directly on the carrier, said carrier is being made of a conformable material to permit flexing in a transverse direction, and the carrier being removable from the printer.

In a printer having a printhead for printing onto a substrate, the improvement comprising a carrier for the substrate forming a generally planar member having a surface supporting the substrate, a friction drive for the carrier for receiving the carrier at an inlet end of the printer and providing a drive throughout the printing operation only by friction acting directly on the carrier, said friction drive comprising a plurality of drive rollers spaced longitudinally along the printer, the drive rollers engaging a first surface of the carrier sequentially, and the carrier being resiliently held between the drive rollers and reaction members for creating a friction drive force on the carrier.

In a printer having a printhead for printing onto a substrate, the improvement comprising a carrier for the substrate forming a generally planar member having a surface supporting the substrate, a substrate recess formed in the surface, said substrate recess being cut into an irregular peripheral shape, a friction drive for the carrier for receiving the carrier at an inlet end of the printer and providing a drive throughout the printing operation only by friction acting directly on the carrier, the carrier being removable from the printer.