Easy replacement of thermal print head and simple adjustment on print pressure

• US 10,384,462 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2016
• Issued: 08/20/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Datamax-O'Neil Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Saptu, Suraini Binte, Mokhtar, Noorasykin Binte
• Primary Examiner(s): Richmond, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US15/239,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20180050545A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,098 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/32 using thermal heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/33575 Processes for assembling process heads
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2/33595 Conductors through the layered structure
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 2202/14 Mounting head into the printer
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 25/312 with print pressure adjustment mechanisms, e.g. pressure-on-the paper mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 29/393 Devices for controlling or analysing the entire machine ; Controlling or analysing mechanical parameters involving printing of test patterns

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention describe a thermal print head (TPH) that is easily replaced in a slot on the side of a thermal printing device using a push/eject mechanism. Other embodiments of the present invention describe a thermal printing device where the print pressure is easily adjusted for different types of printing media (labels) by turning a turnknob. In preferred embodiments, the turnknob has three print pressure settings, high, medium, and low.

Claims

1. A thermal printing device comprising:

an internal slot having, on one end, an opening on one side of a housing of the thermal printing device for receiving and directly supporting a circuit board of a thermal print head with a contact connector terminal on a short edge of the thermal print head and a heating resistor element on a long edge of the thermal print head;

a push-activated connector, at the opposite end of the internal slot from the opening, configured to receive the thermal print head, the push activated connector is configured to lock the thermal print head to the thermal printing device when a first push is applied on the thermal print head and to release the thermal print head from the thermal printing device when a second push is applied on the thermal print head.

2. The thermal printing device of claim 1, wherein the thermal print head is partially ejected out of the thermal printing device when the thermal print head is released upon the application of the second push.

3. The thermal printing device of claim 1, wherein the push-activated connector for receiving the thermal print head comprises a receiving connector terminal.

4. The thermal printing device of claim 3, wherein the receiving connector terminal has plurality of contacts corresponding to plurality of contacts on the contact connector terminal.

5. The thermal printing device of claim 4, wherein each contact of the receiving connector terminal is in contact with a corresponding contact of the connector terminal on the thermal print head when the thermal print head is locked.

6. The thermal printing device of claim 1, wherein the push-activated connector further comprises a tray for holding the thermal print head.

7. The thermal printing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a cover for the internal slot.

8. The thermal printing device of claim 7, wherein the cover for the internal slot is selected from the group consisting of:

a slider, a cap, and a cover flap.

9. The thermal printing device of claim 1 further comprising:

a print pressure turn-knob configured to be rotated to different print pressure settings.

10. The thermal printing device of claim 9, wherein the print pressure turn-knob has a plurality of discrete print pressure settings, each associated with different print pressures.

11. The thermal printing device of claim 10, wherein the print pressure turn-knob has three discrete print pressure settings corresponding to low, medium, and high print pressures.

12. The thermal printing device of claim 10 further comprising:

a print pressure mechanism, wherein the print pressure mechanism applies the print pressure along the surface of the thermal print head and the print pressure mechanism is controlled by the print pressure turn-knob.

13. The thermal printing device of claim 12, wherein the print pressure mechanism comprises a bracket, a spring, a leave spring, and a detent.

14. The thermal printing device of claim 1, wherein the thermal print head can be received in the housing of the thermal printing device along any angle relative to an identified axis, wherein the angle is determined based on the design of the thermal printing device.

15. A method for inserting a thermal print head in a thermal printing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the thermal printing device, a thermal print head into an internal slot via an opening on a side of a housing of the thermal printing device, the internal slot having a push-activated connector at the end of the internal slot opposite the opening, and the internal slot directly supporting a circuit board of the thermal print head, wherein the circuit board of the thermal print head has a contact connector terminal on a short edge of the thermal print head and a heating resistor element on a long edge of the circuit board;

responsive to the application of a first push on the thermal print head, locking the thermal print head in the thermal printing device using the push-activated connector of the thermal printing device; and

responsive to the application of a second push on the thermal print head, releasing the thermal print head in the thermal printing device using the push-activated connector of the thermal printing device.

16. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

partially ejecting the thermal print head out of the thermal printing device when the thermal print head is released in response to the application of the second push.

17. The method of claim 15, the method further comprising:

receiving the thermal print head in the housing of the thermal print along an orientation, wherein the orientation is based on the design of the thermal printing device.

18. A thermal printing system comprising:

a thermal printing device comprising;

an internal slot with an opening on a side of the housing of the thermal printing device; and

a push-activated connector, at the opposite end of the internal slot from the opening, wherein the thermal printing device is operable to;

receive, in the internal slot through the opening, and directly support a circuit board of a thermal print head with contact connector terminal on a short edge of the thermal print head and a heating resistor element on a long edge of the circuit board;

responsive to the application of a first push on the thermal print head, locking the thermal print head in the thermal printing device using the push-activated connector; and

responsive to the application of a second push on the thermal print head, releasing the thermal print head from the thermal printing device using the push-activated connector of the thermal printing device; and

a thermal print head comprising;

a circuit board;

a plurality of heating resistor elements extending along a first long edge of the circuit board;

a plurality of contact connector terminals along one short edge of the circuit board; and

a conductor circuit pattern for establishing electrical connection between the plurality of heating resistor elements and plurality of contact connector terminals.

19. The thermal printing system of claim 18, wherein the thermal printing device is further operable to:

partially eject the thermal print head out of the thermal printing device when the thermal print head is released upon the application of the second push.

20. The thermal printing system of claim 18, wherein the push-activated connector for receiving the thermal print head comprises a receiving connector terminal.