Thermal printer with static electricity discharger

A thermal printer for transferring ink from an ink transfer ribbon to a major print surface of a substrate, the substrate comprising first and second opposed major surfaces, the printer having a battery for providing power to the printer and the battery having a battery ground, the printer comprising:

• a housing;
• a substrate support rotatably coupled to the housing for supporting a roll of substrate to be printed;
• an ink transfer ribbon support rotatably coupled to the housing for supporting a roll of ink transfer ribbon;
• a thermal print head positioned within the housing;
• a platen positioned to engage a sandwich of the substrate and ink transfer ribbon unrolled from the respective substrate and ink transfer ribbon supports with ink transfer ribbon in contact with the major surface of the substrate, the platen being rotatably coupled to the housing and rotatable to move the engaged sandwich of the substrate and ink transfer ribbon in a print flow path relative to and in contact with the thermal print head, the thermal print head being operable to heat the ribbon to print the substrate at a print location in the print flow path;
• an ink transfer ribbon take up rotatably coupled to the housing and positioned to receive ink transfer ribbon separated from the substrate following printing by the thermal print head;
• a cutter in the print flow path downstream from the thermal print head and operable to sever the substrate to separate a portion of the substrate;
• and
• at least one elongated electrically conductive static discharger comprising a brush comprising bristles positioned in contact with at least one of the first and second major surfaces of the substrate at a location downstream in the print flow path from the print location, wherein the bristles are electrically coupled to the battery ground.

A method of operating a thermal printer comprising:

• moving a substrate and a contacting thermal ink containing ribbon in a downstream direction along a print path through a printer housing of the printer;
• heating the thermal ink containing ribbon in contact with the substrate with a thermal print head to cause the transfer of ink from the ribbon to the substrate to print the substrate;
• separating the ribbon from the substrate following the printing of the substrate;
• cutting the substrate to a desired length at a location along the print path that is downstream from the print head;
• and
• contacting at least one major surface of the substrate following printing by the print head with electrically conductive bristles coupled to an internal electrical ground of the printer so as to discharge static electricity from the printed substrate.