The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 12, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 29, 1997
Hiroaki Hosomi, Nagano-ken, JP;
Seiko Epson Corporation, Nagano-Ken, JP;
Abstract
A thermal printer for printing on a recording medium adapted to travel along a path through the thermal printer includes a frame and a thermal print head supported by the frame, the thermal print head carrying printing elements. A cover hinged to the frame is movable between an open position and a closed position. An elastomeric platen roller is rotatably supported by the cover, the thermal print head and the platen roller being relatively resiliently biased toward each other to urge the printing elements carried by the thermal print head into contact with a recording medium disposed between the thermal print head and the platen roller when the cover is in the closed position. The thermal print head includes a platen roller receiving surface positioned to intercept the elastomeric platen roller during movement of the cover to the closed position, the roller receiving surface having a contact area distributing the force exerted by the elastomeric platen roller against the thermal print head during the closing movement of the cover.