Jimmy R Rowe

US Patent:

61557315, Dec 5, 2000

Filed:

Oct 17, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/953085

Inventors:

John Bertalan - Riverton WY
Jeffery C. Cooper - Riverton WY
Bernard V. Masson - Nicholasville KY
James S. Carter - Denver CO
Jimmy R. Rowe - Riverton WY
Russel Hugh Marvin - Voorheesville NY

Assignee:

Axiohm Transaction Solutions, Inc. - San Diego CA

International Classification:

B41J 1126

US Classification:

400621

Abstract:

A printer in which loading of print media is greatly facilitated and in which modular construction is used in order to substantially reduce the number of parts normally needed for this type of printer. The printer includes a base and an associated cover that encloses an interior region of the printer. The cover is movable between opened and closed positions and mounts a spring biased platen roller which is engageable with a printhead fixed in the base, when the cover is closed. A cutter mechanism, including a fixed blade mounted to the cover and a reciprocating blade mounted in the base also separates whenever the cover is opened in order to further facilitate print media loading. The printhead is secured to a printhead mounting and control module which also includes componentry and circuitry needed to drive the printhead. The module which may be in the form of a circuit board assembly also mounts control switches which are actuatable by other printer structure or by buttons that are accessible from the exterior of the printer. A resilient alignment mechanism is used to promote uniform cutting contact between the fixed blade and reciprocating blade when the cover is closed.