Claims
- 1. A printer comprisinga main body; a printing head; an elongated platen; a guide member; a first body member connected with respect to said main body, supporting one of said printing head and said platen, and moveable between a first position with said printing head opposing and adjacent to said platen, and a second position with said printing head spaced away from said platen; a second body member connected with respect to said main body, supporting said guide member, and moveable between a third position with said guide member adjacent and parallel to said platen, and a fourth position with said guide member spaced away from said platen; wherein said first and second body members are relatively closer to each other when in said first and third positions respectively, and relatively farther from each other when in said second and fourth positions respectively.
- 2. The printer of claim 1 wherein said first and second body members are pivotably attached with respect to said main body.
- 3. The printer of claim 2 wherein said first body member is pivotably supported about a first axis, said second body member is pivotably supported about a second axis, and said body members pivot in opposite directions when moving away from the positions in which they are relatively closest to each other.
- 4. The printer of claim 1 wherein said platen and said guide member are rollers.
- 5. The printer of claim 1 wherein said printing head is supported by said first body member.
- 6. The printer of claim 1 wherein said platen is supported by said first body member.
- 7. The printer of claim 1 wherein said printing head is a thermal printing head.
- 8. The printer of claim 1 further comprising a printing medium path within said main body and a label detector within said main body, adjacent to said printing medium path.
- 9. The printer of claim 8 further comprising a motor mechanically coupled to move said second body member between said third and fourth positions.
- 10. The printer of claim 9 wherein said motor moves said second body member in response to a signal generated by said label detector.
- 11. The printer of claim 1 wherein said printer further comprises an outer housing, and said first and second body members form portions of said outer housing.
- 12. The printer of claim 1, further comprising a spring urging said guide member against said platen when said first body member is in said first position.
- 13. A printer having a separator for removing printed labels from a base sheet comprisinga main body; a printing medium holder within said main body; a printing head; an elongated platen; a guide roller; a first body member pivotably connected with respect to said main body, supporting one of said printing head and said platen, and moveable between a first position with said printing head opposing and adjacent to said platen, and a second position with said printing head spaced away from said platen; a second body member pivotably connected with respect to said main body, supporting said guide roller, and moveable between a third position with said guide roller adjacent and parallel to said platen, and a fourth position with said guide roller spaced away from said platen; wherein said first and second body members are relatively closer to each other when in said first and third positions respectively, and relatively farther from each other when in said second and fourth positions respectively; and wherein the axis of said movement of said first body member is parallel to the axis of said movement of said second body member, and said body members pivot about their respective axes in opposite directions when moving away from the positions in which they are relatively closer to each other.
- 14. The printer of claim 13 wherein an S-curved base sheet path is formed between said platen and said printing head, then over said guide roller and then between said platen and said guide roller when said first and second body members are in said first and third positions respectively.
- 15. The printer of claim 13, further comprising a spring urging said guide roller against said platen when said first body member is in said first position.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation of Serial No. 09/169050, filed Oct. 9, 1998, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,945.
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Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09/169050 |
Oct 1998 |
US |
Child |
09/568702 |
|
US |