# US 7,410,312 B1 · Toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus

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- Number: US 7,410,312 B1
- Document ID: US7410312B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 11/945,625
- Filed: 2007-11-27
- Granted: 2008-08-12
- Earliest claimed: 2007-11-27
- Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation
- Inventors: Stacy L. Arrington; Richard H. Harris; Dean F. Herring; Robert A. Myers
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7410312B1

## CPC

- B41J 2/32: using thermal heads
- B41J 25/34: Bodily-changeable print heads or carriages
- B41J: TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS

## Abstract

A toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus including; a print head mounting bracket including a front face and a rear face, a plurality of print head mounting stud holes and a plurality of cable clamp mounting slots formed in the print head mounting bracket, each of the plurality of cable clamp mounting slots including a side slot and a vertical slot, a capture latch operatively connected to the print head mounting bracket, a plurality of key-slots formed in the capture latch and aligned with the plurality of mounting stud holes, and a floating cable clamp including a plurality of shoulder pins disposed on a rear face thereof, each of the plurality of shoulder pins including a neck configured to pass through the plurality of cable clamp mounting slots and a head configured to be larger than a width of the vertical slot of the cable clamp mounting slots.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus comprising:
a print head mounting bracket including a front face and a rear face disposed substantially opposite the front face;
a plurality of print head mounting stud holes formed in the print head mounting bracket;
a plurality of cable clamp mounting slots formed in the print head mounting bracket, each of the plurality of cable clamp mounting slots including a side slot and a vertical slot;
a capture latch operatively connected to the rear face of the print head mounting bracket;
a plurality of key-slots formed in the capture latch and aligned with the plurality of mounting stud holes; and
a floating cable clamp including a plurality of shoulder pins disposed on a rear face thereof, each of the plurality of shoulder pins including a neck configured to pass through the plurality of cable clamp mounting slots and a head configured to be larger than a width of the vertical slot of the cable clamp mounting slots,
wherein the floating cable clamp is configured to be pivotally coupled to the print head mounting bracket by the shoulder pins and the cable clamp mounting slots.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a spring element disposed on the front face of the print head mounting bracket, the spring element configured to provide a pivoting force to the floating cable clamp.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the capture latch is operatively connected to the rear face of the print head mounting bracket via a plurality of capture latch mounting studs disposed on the rear face of the print head mounting bracket and a plurality of capture latch mounting slots formed in the capture latch and aligned with the plurality of capture latch mounting studs.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a handle disposed on the capture latch, the handle configured to facilitate a horizontal movement of the capture latch.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The toolless thermal print head mounting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the floating cable clamp comprises:
a front clamp; and
a rear clamp connected to the front clamp,
wherein the front clamp and the rear clamp are configured to restrain a cable therebetween.