Abstract:
A portable printer includes a housing having a cavity defined therein which supports a stock material for printing indicia thereon. The housing includes a power terminal which connects to a drive motor assembly configured to move the stock material through a paper path defined in the housing. A battery is loadable within the cavity and is movable from a first position spaced from the terminal to a second position in positive engagement with the terminal. A cover assembly is included which is pivotably supported on the housing and which is moveable from an open configuration for loading the stock material to a closed configuration to enable printing. The cover assembly includes a flexible print head mounted therein and a battery compartment having a ledge configured to operably engage the battery when the cover assembly is moved to the closed configuration to force the battery to the second position in positive engagement with the terminal.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/859,309 filed on Nov. 16, 2006, the entire contents of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     The present disclosure relates to portable printers and more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a portable label printer having a positively engaging battery locking system. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     A portable printer is particularly suitable for printing onto stock material such as direct thermal media (DT media) which may include but is not necessarily limited to: labels, receipts, item labels, shelf labels/tags, ticket stubs, stickers, hang tags, price stickers, etc.). The stock material may be receipt paper, paper which is releasable attached to a web carrier (or label-stock) or paper which includes a roll of continuous label material without a web carrier (so-called “linerless stock”). In one type of linerless stock, the adhesive side of the strip is releasable from the face side of the next convolution of the roll, similar to a roll of adhesive tape. When unwound, linerless stock can be difficult to convey through a printer and may ultimately foul the device during use due to the build-up of transferred adhesive. 
     Portable printers are typically used in warehouses, on factory floors and in retail establishments for ticket printing and inventory control, e.g., car return establishments. Ideally, the printers weigh only a few pounds and are small enough to be easily carried during use and/or easily attached to a belt or a harness-type device. This enables the user to print labels or receipts on demand without having to retrieve the printed label from a printing station. Because the printer is portable, the printer communicates with a host terminal or network connection via radio or optical interface and therefore does not require a cable connection. 
     One noted issue with some portable printers is the use of an externally attached battery, externally accessible battery, or battery pack to power the device which adds undesirable weight and size to the portable printer. To resolve this issue, some manufacturers have developed printers configured to use an internal battery housed within the portable printer housing. Problems may arise, however, during normal or sometimes rough handling of the device since the battery connection may become easily dislodged. Conversely, providing too tight a battery connection may pose problems for the user when loading, recharging and/or replacing the battery. 
     As a result, it would therefore be desirous to provide a portable printer which provides both an enhanced battery connection and which is easily loadable and unloadable from the printer for replacement or recharging purposes. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a portable printer including a housing having a cavity defined therein which supports a stock material (e.g., direct thermal media such as a roll of linerless paper, label or receipt paper) for printing indicia thereon. The housing includes a power terminal which connects to a drive motor assembly configured to move the stock material through a paper path defined in the housing. A pair of stanchions may be included which releasably support the stock material. A battery is selectively loadable within a first battery compartment disposed in the cavity. The battery is movable from a first position relatively spaced from the terminal to a second position in positive engagement with the terminal. 
     A cover assembly is included which is pivotably supported on the housing and which is moveable from an open configuration for loading the stock material to a closed configuration to enable printing. The cover assembly includes a flexible print head mounted therein and a second battery compartment. The flexible print head may be releasably mounted to or slidingly engageable with the cover assembly to facilitate assembly or replacement. The second battery compartment has a ledge defined therein configured to operably engage the battery when the cover assembly is moved to the closed configuration to force the battery to the second position in positive engagement with the terminal. 
     In one embodiment, the printer includes a release mechanism operably coupled to the housing and engageable with the cover assembly when the cover assembly is moved to the closed configuration. The release mechanism may be configured to include a pair of catches which mechanically engage a corresponding pair of mechanical interfaces on the cover assembly to secure the cover assembly relative to the housing. 
     In another embodiment, a platen roller is included which is operably coupled to the drive assembly. The platen roller may be made from a material which actively pulls or drags the stock material from the roll through the paper path. When linerless paper is utilized, the platen roller may be made from a material which does not adhere to the linerless paper when printing. 
     In still another embodiment, the housing may include a housing tray insertable within the cavity of the housing. The housing tray includes a lip at a front end thereof having a series of raised ridges which guide the stock material along the paper path. The raised ridges may be configured to reduce the contact area of the lip with the paper to facilitate conveyance of the stock material along the paper path. 
     In yet another embodiment, the lip includes a sensor disposed therein which is configured to regulate and/or monitor printing functions and parameters and relay information relating to thereto back to an internally-disposed PC board and/or remote network connection. The printing functions and parameters may be selected from the group consisting of stock material speed, “out of stock material” alert, “low stock material” alert, stock material thickness, stock material malfunction, printing malfunction, print speed, cover configuration, print head temperature and combinations thereof. 
     The present disclosure also relates to a portable printer having housing including a cavity defined therein which supports a stock material for printing indicia thereon. The housing includes a power terminal which connects to a drive motor assembly configured to move the stock material through a paper path defined in the housing. A battery is selectively loadable in the cavity and slideable from a first position being spaced from the terminal to a second position in positive engagement with the terminal. 
     A cover assembly is included which is pivotably supported on the housing and moveable from an open configuration for loading the stock material to a closed configuration to enable printing. The cover assembly includes a flexible print head mounted therein and a battery compartment. The battery compartment has a ledge defined therein configured to operably engage the battery when the cover assembly is moved to the closed configuration to force the battery to the second position in positive engagement with the terminal. A sensor is included which is disposed in the housing and which is configured to regulate and monitor information and relay the information back to an internally-disposed PC board and/or a remote network connection. The information may relate to: stock material speed, “out of stock material” alert, “low stock material” alert, stock material thickness, stock material malfunction, printing malfunction, print speed, cover configuration, print head temperature and combinations thereof. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Various embodiments of the subject instrument are described herein with reference to the drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a portable label printer in accordance with one embodiment of the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 2A  is a left, side view of the printer of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 2B  is a rear perspective view of the printer of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of the printer of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the printer of  FIG. 1  with parts separated; 
         FIG. 5  is an enlarged, perspective view with parts separated showing a housing, release assembly and motor assembly for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 6  is an enlarged, perspective view with parts separated showing a housing tray engageable with the housing, media support stanchions and a battery for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 7  is an enlarged, perspective view with parts separated showing a spacer block, side plates and a cover assembly which are engageable with the housing for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8A  is an enlarged, left perspective view of an option block for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8B  is an enlarged, right perspective view of an option block for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 8C  is an enlarged, perspective view with parts separated showing an optional smart card reader and magnetic card reader for use with the printer according to the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now in detail to  FIGS. 1-7  which show the operating features and intercooperating components of the portable printer generally identified as printer  10 . Printer  10  includes a housing  20  defined by sides  22   a  and  22   b , front  22   c  and rear  22   d  and a selectively openable cover  30  for accessing the internal operating components of the housing  20 . As best seen in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , housing  20  also includes a bottom tray  20   a  which defines a cavity  45  configured and dimensioned to receive a roll of stock material (not shown) for printing indicia thereon. As used herein, the term “stock material” refers to any type of paper used for printing purposes such as direct thermal media used for printing receipts, labels, hang tags, merchandise information, etc. 
     More particularly, housing tray  20   a  includes a pair of generally flexible media stanchions  41   a  and  41   b  configured to releasably and rotatingly mount the stock material between posts  41   a  and  41   b  (See  FIG. 6 ). Housing tray  20   a  also includes a battery slot  63  which is configured to slideably retain a battery  60  that supplies operating power to the printer  10 . The front of the housing tray  20   a  includes a lip  47  made from an elastomeric material. The lip  47  includes a plurality of raised ridges  47 ′ designed to reduce the overall area contact with the stock material, in particular, linerless stock, as the stock material is being advanced from the roll through the paper path  100  to prevent sticking and jamming. It is envisioned that the lip  47  may also include a non-stick coating which prevents adherence to the stock material as the stock material is being advanced through the paper path  100 . 
     As best shown in  FIG. 4 , housing tray  20   a  fits within a cavity  27   a  defined within housing  20  by sides  22   a ′ and  22   b ′ such that lip  47  generally aligns with a corresponding lip  43  disposed on front  22   c  of housing  20 . Housing  20  also includes a locking and release mechanism  49  which is disposed within the front  22   c  of housing  20  about a pivot bar  53 . Locking and release mechanism  53  includes catches  49   a  and  49   b  which operatively engage corresponding interfaces  39   a  and  39   b  in cover  30  to secure the inner-working components therein (e.g., battery  60 , stock, etc.). A locking release  29 , when depressed, pivots release mechanism  53  and disengages catches  49   a  and  49   b  from corresponding interfaces  39   a  and  39   b  to open the cover  30 . One or more springs  53   a  are used to bias the cover  30  in an open configuration and to facilitate engagement of the mechanically cooperating locking components  49   a ,  49   b  and  39   a ,  39   b , respectively. 
     The sides  22   a  and  22   b  of housing  20  are mounted to respective side  22   a ′ and spacer  21  by one or more mechanical interfaces  67 . Sides  22   a  and  22   b  may include various rubbers and other elastomeric components to protect the printer  10  during handling. A mounting clip  26  is also included and attached to the housing  20  which enables a user to mount the printer  10  to a belt or mechanical attachment on a belt loop. A battery aperture or slot  66  is defined in side  22   b ′ and aligns with battery slot  63  in tray  20   a . Battery aperture  66  also aligns with a terminal  21   b  disposed in spacer block  21  as discussed in more detail below. Battery aperture  66  may be dimensioned such that the battery  60  may only be inserted therein in one orientation to facilitate accurate loading. Battery aperture  66  may also include one or more interfaces which align with corresponding interfaces on the battery  60  to guide, secure and maintain the battery  60  in tight association within terminal  21   b  and to assure electrical continuity during handling and use. 
     Cover  30  includes an internal tray  30   a  which defines a cavity  35  dimensioned to house the roll of stock (not shown) when closed. One or more contours  34  and  34   a  are provided on the cover  30  and the tray  30   a , respectively, to stabilize the roll of stock material during rotation thereof. Cover  30  also includes a tear strip  33  disposed at the front thereof that is configured to allow a user to easily tear a strip of stock material from the remaining roll after a label or receipt, or other media has been printed. As best shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the cover tray  30   a  also includes a cover battery compartment  55  defined therein which is dimensioned to releasably and slideably secure battery  60 . Cover battery compartment  55  includes a ledge  57  which is configured to force the battery  60  in the direction of arrow “B” when the cover  30  is closed in the direction of arrow “A”. As can be appreciated by the present disclosure, the closing of cover  30  forces the battery  60  into positive electrical and mechanical engagement within terminal  21   b  disposed in spacer block  21  which provides secure and consistent power to the various internal electrical connections associated with the printer  10 . 
     A flexible print head  70  is located within the cover  30  and is configured to thermally imprint indicia onto the stock material as the stock material is advanced through the paper path  100 . More particularly, print head  70  mounts within cover  30  between interfaces  39   a  and  39   b  in substantial vertical registration with platen roller  48 . Flexible print head  70  is a non-floating type printing head which is configured to be fixed along the X, Y axes and movable in the Z axis only (i.e., movable relative to the platen roller  48 ). The print head  70  is powered by battery  60  and cooperates with one or more sensors  47   a  disposed in lip  47  of housing tray  20   a  or cover assembly  30  or tray  30   a.    
     The sensor  47   a  and the flexible print head  70  electrically communicate to regulate printing and alert the user of when the roll of stock is empty. The sensor  47   a  may also be configured to regulate or monitor other printing functions and/or parameters and relay such information back to an internally-disposed printed circuit board (PCBA)  130  or a remote networking connection (not shown) via a transceiver module  69 . Other printer functions and/or parameters may include: paper speed, paper thickness, paper malfunction, “out of stock material” alert, “low stock material” alert, printing malfunction, print speed, cover configuration (i.e., open/closed), the temperature of the print head  70 , etc. One or more additional PCBA boards (not shown) may be utilized to monitor one or more of these functions. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 5-7 , platen roller  48  is configured to advance the stock material through the paper path  100 . As such, the platen roller  48  is designed to include a surface material designed to both grab and advance the stock from the roll and through the paper path  100  but which is generally non-adhereable to the stock material especially when utilizing a linerless stock. 
     A pair of bushings  48   a  is included to mount the platen  48  in the housing  20 . One end of the platen  48  includes a keyed interface  48 ′ which mates with a corresponding interface (not shown) on a drive motor assembly  64  which drives the platen  48  to advance the stock material from the roll. Drive motor assembly  64  is configured to securely mount against side  22   b ′ and electrically interface with a battery plate  23  and battery  60 . A battery charging plate may be operatively coupled to the PCBA  130  and is configured to manage or regulate the battery level and/or regulate the charging operation of the battery  60  when the printer  10  is engaged to a docking station or connected to a remote power source. 
     Drive motor assembly  64  consists of a two-part stepper motor including components  64   a  and  64   b  which cooperate to drive the platen  48 . Other types of drive assemblies are also envisioned as known in the art and may include variable-speed motors, single-speed motors, AC Motors, DC Motors, brushless DC Motors, servo motors, brushed DC servo motors, brushless AC servo motors, stepper motors, linear motors, etc. Internally-disposed gearing (not shown) may also be included in the motor components  64   a  and  64   b  to regulate the rotational speed of the platen  48  as needed to advance the stock. 
     A spacer block or option block  21  is disposed between sides  22   b  and  22   b ′ of the housing  20 . Spacer block  21  includes an internal cavity  21   a  defined therein that is configured to house drive motor assembly  64 , PCBA  130  and other electrical components described below. As best shown in  FIGS. 8A-8C , the spacer block  21  may be replaced with an option block  121  which includes a smart card reader/writer  250  or a magnetic card reader/writer  350 . Other types of readers are also contemplated, RFID readers, barcode scanners, Aztec Code scanners, etc. As can be appreciated, during manufacturing and assembly, the user indicates what type of reader is desirable and simply mounts that particular reader in place of the spacer block  21 . This greatly facilitates assembly. In addition, combination readers may also be substituted for the spacer block  21 , e.g., a magnetic card reader  350  and smart card reader  250  or any other combination of the above-mentioned readers. 
     PCBA  130  is also housed within spacer block cavity  21   a  and is configured to control the operation of the printer  10  and print head  70  and regulate the charging of the battery. As mentioned above, the PCBA  130  may also be configured to control or monitor various other functions and/or parameters of the printer  10  such as paper speed, paper thickness, paper malfunction, printing malfunction, print speed, cover configuration (i.e., open/closed), the temperature of the print head  70 , etc. A wireless transceiver  69  electrical couples to the PCBA  130  and is dimensioned to receive and transmit data and/or operating instructions from a remote networking connection (not shown). Various electrical controls  110   a - 110   c  are positioned on side  22   b  of the housing and configured to electro-mechanically communicate with the PCBA  130  to allow user input and printer control. 
     In operation, the user actuates the release lock  29  to unlock the cover  30  with respect to the housing  20 . A roll of stock material is loaded and engaged for rotation between stanchions  41   a  and  41   b . An edge of the stock material is pulled over lips  47  and  43 . The battery  60  is loaded within battery compartment  63  and pushed in the direction of arrow “B”. The user then closes the cover  30  which locks with the housing by virtue of locking release mechanism  49 . As the cover is closed, the ledge  57  of the cover battery compartment  55  in cover  30  forces the battery  60  into positive engagement within terminal  21   b  to power the internal electrical connections disposed in the housing  20 . Closing the cover  30  also aligns the stock material in vertical registration with the print head  70 . 
     Moreover, closing the cover  30  also prevents the stanchions  41   a  and  41   b  from moving outwardly (i.e., away from one another) to maintain the stock material secure within the cover  30 . The stanchions  41   a  and  41   b  may include one or more mechanical interfaces (e.g., tongues) which operably cooperate and interface with corresponding mechanical interfaces (e.g., grooves) in the cover  30  to secure the stanchions  41   a  and  41   b  in place when the cover  30  is closed. As can be appreciated, this insures that the stanchions  41   a  and  41   b  do not accidentally open potentially dislodging the stock material during handling. Roll supports  48   a  and  48   b  may be included which support the roll of stock material for rotational purposes. 
     Once the cover  30  is closed, the user then turns the printer  10  to “wake” from a “sleep mode” by actuating one of the controls, e.g.,  110   a , on the side  22   b  of the housing  20 . The printer  10  may be configured to go through a series of start-up tests before readying for printing, e.g., the PCBA  130  queries the sensor  47   a  (or other sensors not shown) whether stock material is loaded and properly positioned within the printer  10  prior to allowing printing to commence. Other tests may also be performed such as querying the network host for instructions or configuration settings. The PCBA  130  may also include various subroutines and algorithms which control, inter alia, the printing speed and/or print output of the printer. 
     To unload or replace the battery  60  from the housing  20 , the user simply grasps the exposed end of the battery  60  and tilts the exposed end towards the terminal  21   b . This disengages the battery  60  from the terminal  21   b  and allows the battery  60  to be pulled or slid out of the housing  20  for replacement purposes. 
     The printer  10  communicates with the host computer or network connection to enable printing. As such, various instructions and data are transmitted to the PCBA  130  and the operator may selectively initiate printing as desired, or alternatively, the host or network connection may initiate printing remotely. The printer  10  may also transmit information (e.g., configuration setting, operating parameters, etc.) back to the host computer or network connection via transceiver module  69 . When inactive, the printer  10  is designed to power down to a so-called “sleep mode” and essentially “wake up” when any radiofrequency signal is received from the network connection, the user initiates a print command or one or more of the electrical controls is activated. The printer  10  may also be configured to awake on the reception of another type of signal, RFID signal, RS232 signal, infrared signal (IRdA), Bluetooth signal, USB signal, etc. As can be appreciated, the various components relative to these different communication elements may be included as required to allow the printer  10  to operate in this fashion. For example, one envisioned printer includes a USB or data port  73  which electrically connects to the PCBA  130  to allow communication between the printer and one or more external devices. One or more flexible connectors  77  may be utilized to provide electrical continuity among the various electrical components. 
     As mentioned above,  FIGS. 8A-8C  show one envisioned embodiment wherein an option block  121  may be used to replace the spacer block  21 .  FIGS. 8A-8C  actually show a combination option block  121  which employs both a smart card reader  250  and a magnetic card reader  350  therein. It is contemplated that option block  121  may be configured to only include the smart card reader  250  or the magnetic card reader  350  or both. Optionally, the option block  121  may be sold as shown with only the smart card reader  250  including the electronic components disposed therein or, likewise, the magnetic card reader  350  may be sold in the same fashion. 
     As best shown  FIG. 8C , option block  121  includes both the smart card reader  250  and the magnetic card reader  350 . Smart card reader is disposed within cavity  121   a  defined in option block  121  and includes a reader  252  which electrically communicates with PCBA  130 . A clip or flexible cable connection  254  may be included which electrically couples to the PCBA board  130 . Smart card reader  250  when disposed in cavity  121   a  aligns in an offset fashion with a slot  251  defined in option block  121  thereby allowing a user to insert a smart card (not shown) into slot  251  for reading and/or writing purposes. 
     Magnetic card reader  350  includes a read/write head  352  which mounts within cavity  121   a  by way of a clip  354 . A flexible cable connect  358  is operatively coupled to the clip  354  and configured for electrically communication with head  352 . A spring clip  356  may be utilized to facilitate mounting the magnetic card reader  350  within cavity  121   a . Magnetic card reader  350  when disposed in cavity  121   a  aligns in an offset fashion with a slot  351  defined in option block  121  thereby allowing a user to insert a card (not shown) into slot  351  for reading and/or writing purposes. 
     From the foregoing and with reference to the various figure drawings, those skilled in the art will appreciate that certain modifications can also be made to the present disclosure without departing from the scope of the same. For example, it is envisioned that the cover  30  and cover tray  30   a  may be partially translucent to allow a user to visually inspect the stock for replacement purposes. The flexible print head  70  may be engaged in a snap-fit or slide-fit manner within the cover  30  to allow replacement thereof in the case of a malfunction. Sensor  47   a  (or another sensor (not shown) may be operably coupled to the print head  70  to alert a user of abnormal print head  70  condition for replacement purposes. 
     In another embodiment, the stock material may include an indicator included therewith which is configured to communicate with the sensor  47   a  to alert the user prior to an “out of stock material” or “low stock material” alert. For example, the last couple of revolutions of the roll may be constructed from a different stock material, a different color stock material or a different thickness stock material which is easily sensed by the sensor  47   a  to alert the user of a low stock condition. 
     The printer may also include one or more terminals which allow the printer to electrically couple to a docking station for charging purposes or to retrieve data from a terminal. 
     While several embodiments of the disclosure have been shown in the drawings, it is not intended that the disclosure be limited thereto, as it is intended that the disclosure be as broad in scope as the art will allow and that the specification be read likewise. Therefore, the above description should not be construed as limiting, but merely as exemplifications of particular embodiments. Those skilled in the art will envision other modifications within the scope and spirit of the claims appended hereto.