Patent Publication Number: US-7909522-B2

Title: Portable printer with adjustable media tray

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
     The present application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/859,382 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 selectively adjustable media support assembly. 
     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 buckle 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 necessarily require a cable connection. 
     Most portable printers are designed for use with one type of printing media or one particular size of print media, e.g., 2-inch label stock or 3-inch label stock. Other portable printers may be configurable to accommodate different stock when loading different media types and sizes. Many of the media support stanchions associated with these printers are not very versatile and not easily configurable or re-configurable for loading different sizes of stock material. As a result, even though these particular portable printers may be capable of accommodating variously-sized printing media, the difficulty of re-configuring the printer to support a different stock material may ultimately dissuade a user from using the portable printer in this fashion. 
     As a result, it would therefore be desirous to provide a portable printer which enables a user to easily configure and re-configure the media support stanchions for differently-sized media types. 
     SUMMARY 
     The present disclosure relates to a portable printer which includes a housing having a cavity defined therein. The housing is configured to house a roll of stock material (e.g., direct thermal media such as a roll of linerless paper, label or receipt paper) for printing indicia thereon and includes a drive motor assembly disposed thereon which moves the stock material through a paper path defined in the housing. A battery is loadable within a battery compartment disposed in the cavity and a cover assembly is pivotably supported on the housing. The cover assembly is selectively moveable from an open configuration for loading the roll of stock material to a closed configuration to enable printing. A flexible print head may be releasably or securely mounted to the cover assembly. 
     A selectively adjustable media support assembly is included which supports the roll of stock material. The media support assembly has a paper tray including a cam-shaped stanchion. The paper tray is slideable from a first position for supporting a roll of stock material of a first size to a second position for supporting a roll of stock material of a second size. The cam-shaped stanchion is rotatable from a first orientation which allows selective sliding adjustment of the paper tray and cam-shaped stanchion to a second orientation which locks the cam-shaped stanchion against a media support tray disposed in the housing. 
     In one embodiment, the media support assembly includes an arcuately-shaped flange which extends inwardly therefrom. The arcuately-shaped flange is configured to engage and at least partially encircle the roll of stock material when the media support assembly is slid into engagement with the roll of stock material. The cam-shaped stanchion may include a series of ribs which facilitate rotation and the cam-shaped stanchion between the first and second orientations. The cam shaped stanchion of the selectively adjustable media support assembly may be configured to prevent the cover assembly from moving to the closed configuration when the cam-shaped stanchion is disposed in the first orientation. 
     In one envisioned embodiment, a release mechanism operably couples to the housing and engages the cover assembly when the cover assembly is moved to the closed configuration. The release mechanism includes 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, the portable printer includes a platen roller operably coupled to the drive assembly. The platen roller is made from a material which pulls the roll of stock material through the paper path but does not adhere to the stock material as the stock material passes over the platen roller. 
     In yet another embodiment, the housing includes one or more sensors disposed therein, the sensors being configured to regulate and monitor printing functions and parameters and relay information relating to the printing functions and parameters back to an internally-disposed PC board and/or remote network connection. The printing functions and parameters may include: size of stock material, 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. 
     In one embodiment, the selectively adjustable media support assembly includes a plurality of interchangeable snap inserts for supporting rolls of stock of varying diameters. 
     The present invention may also relate to a portable printer having a housing with a cavity defined therein. The cavity supports a roll of stock material for printing indicia thereon and the housing includes a drive motor assembly configured to move the stock material through a paper path defined in the housing. A flexible print head may be releasably or securely mounted to the cover assembly. A battery is loadable within a battery compartment disposed in the cavity and a cover assembly is pivotably supported on the housing and is moveable from an open configuration for loading the roll of stock material to a closed configuration to enable printing. 
     A selectively adjustable media support assembly is included which supports the roll of stock material. The media support assembly has a paper tray including a cam-shaped stanchion. The paper tray is slideable within a media support tray from a first position for loading a roll of stock material of a particular size to a second position for securely supporting the roll of stock material in the housing. The cam-shaped stanchion is rotatable from a first orientation which allows selective sliding adjustment of the paper tray and cam-shaped stanchion to a second orientation which locks the cam-shaped stanchion against the media support tray. The paper tray may be configured to include an arcuately-shaped flange which extends inwardly therefrom and which engages and at least partially encircles the roll of stock material when the paper tray is slid into the second position. One or more sensors may be disposed in the housing and configured to automatically sense information relating to the roll of stock material and relay the information back to at least one of an internally-disposed PC board and/or remote network connection. The sensed information may relate to the size of stock material, type of stock material, an “out of stock material” alert and/or a “low stock material” alert. 
    
    
     
       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. 2  is a left, side view of the printer of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 3  is a rear perspective view of the printer of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 4  is a front perspective view of the printer of  FIG. 1  shown in an open configuration; 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of the printer of  FIG. 1  with parts separated; 
         FIG. 6  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. 7  is an enlarged, perspective view with parts separated showing a housing tray engageable with the housing and a selectively adjustable media support assembly for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 8  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; 
         FIGS. 9A-9C  are front perspective views of the printer according to the present disclosure showing the actuation sequence of the selectively adjustable media support assembly; 
         FIG. 10A  is an enlarged, left perspective view of an option block for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 10B  is an enlarged, right perspective view of an option block for use with the printer according to the present disclosure; and 
         FIG. 10C  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; 
         FIG. 11  is an enlarged, perspective view showing a series of snap inserts which may be utilized for different stock material having varying diameters; and 
         FIG. 12  shows an alternate embodiment of a portable label printer and adjustable media support assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure; and 
         FIGS. 13A-13C  are front perspective views of the printer of  FIG. 12  showing the actuation sequence of the selectively adjustable media support assembly. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Turning now in detail to  FIGS. 1-9C  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 . Housing  20  also includes a bottom tray  20   a  which defines a cavity  45  configured and dimensioned to receive a roll of stock material for printing indicia thereon (see  FIG. 5 ). 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  is configured to operably engage a selectively engageable media support assembly  200  which releasably and rotatingly mounts paper stock (not shown) for printing purposes. 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  that guides the paper stock to a roller or platen  48  which is configured to advance the paper stock as explained in more detail below. The lip  47  may include one or more sensors, e.g.,  47   a ,  47   b  which cooperate with an internally disposed printed circuit board (PCBA)  130  or network connection (not shown) via a transceiver module  69  to provide information relating to the paper stock for printing purpose, e.g., size, type, thickness, low paper alert, etc. Details relating to the sensors  47   a  and  47   b  are explained below with respect to the operation of the printer  10 . Lip  47  may also include a non-stick coating which prevents adherence to the stock material (especially linerless stock if used) as the stock is being advanced through the defined paper path  100 . One or more additional PCBA boards (not shown) may be utilized to monitor one or more of these functions. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , 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 sides  22   a ′ and  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 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 from the remaining roll after a label has been printed. Cover  30  may also include a flexible spine or cable  71  which is configured to engage the internal tray  30   a . Flexible spine  71  is configured to electrically communicate with the printer PCBA  130  and includes a sensor  47   b  disposed at a distal end thereof which provides information relating to the stock material for printing purpose, e.g., size, type, thickness, low paper alert, etc. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , 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  towards the terminal  21   b  when the cover  30  is closed. 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 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 . Additional sensors, e.g.,  47   b , may be positioned within the housing, cover tray  30   a  or cover  30  depending upon a particular purpose. The sensor(s)  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 internally-disposed 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. As can be appreciated, other sensors,  47   b , may also be utilized with sensor  47   a  to regulate the various printing parameters and functions. With particular respect to  FIG. 5  and as mentioned above, cover  30  may also include a sensor  47   b  at one end of flexible spine or cable  71  which is engaged within cover tray  30   a  and configured to electrically communicate with the PCBA  130 . Sensor  47   b  is disposed in vertical registration with sensor  47   a . It is envisioned that the two sensors  47   a  and  47   b  may be configured to cooperate with one another to provide information relating to the stock material for printing purpose, e.g., size, type, thickness, low paper alert, etc. 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 5 and 6 , platen roller  48  is configured to advance the stock 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 material from the roll and through the paper path  100 . In the instance where linerless stock is utilized, the platen roller  48  also includes a surface which is generally non-adhereable to the linerless adhesive on the underside of the stock. 
     A cap  48   a  is included to facilitate mounting the platen  48  in the housing  20 . One end of the platen  48  may include 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 from the roll. Drive motor assembly  64  is configured to securely mount against side  22   b ′ and electrically interface with the PCBA  130  and battery  60 . 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  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. The battery charging board  23  is operatively coupled to the PCBA 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. 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 and smart card reader or any other combination of the above-mentioned readers. 
     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 transceiver module  69  is included which operatively 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 to allow user input and printer control. 
     As best shown in  FIG. 7 , the printer  10  includes a selectively adjustable media support assembly  200  which allows a user to easily adjust the printer  10  for various paper sizes. Media support assembly  200  is moveable from a first position for supporting a roll of stock material of a first size to a second position for supporting a roll of stock material of a second size. Preferably, the media support assembly  200  adjusts to preset discreet configurations to accept paper stock, e.g., label stock, in standard industry sizes such as 2-inch, 3-inch, 4-inch, etc. It is also envisioned that the adjustable media support assembly may be infinitely adjustable within the printer  10  to accommodate non-standard paper stock sizes. 
     Media support assembly  200  includes a paper support tray  210  having an arcuately-shaped flange  208  which extends inwardly therefrom configured to at least partially encircle and retain a roll of stock when disposed therein. Paper support tray  210  also includes spindle  207   a  which is configured to cooperate with a corresponding spindle  207   b  (See  FIG. 9A ) to bracket the roll of stock for rotational purposes. Media support assembly  200  also includes a cam-shaped stanchion  205  which is rotatable from a first orientation which allows selective sliding adjustment of the paper tray  210  to a second orientation which locks the paper tray  210  against the media support tray  20   a . More particularly, the rotatable stanchion  205  essentially acts like an eccentric cam such that the user can freely slide and adjust the paper tray  210  against a roll of particularly-sized stock and then rotate the stanchion  205  to lock the roll of stock in place for printing. When disposed in the first orientation, the cam shaped stanchion  205  prevents closing and latching of the cover  30 . As can be appreciated, this assures the user that the stock material is secured prior to operation of the printer  10 . 
     The bottom of the cam-like stanchion  205  includes a flexible flange  215  which is configured to wedge against the bottom  45   a  of tray  20   a  to lock the media support assembly  200  in place. Flexible flange  215  may be made from an elastomeric material with high friction properties to enhance the locking power of the stanchion  205  against tray  20   a.    
     The upper portion or user friendly portion of the stanchion  205  may include one or more ergonomically enhanced features such as a figure tab  211  to facilitate rotation of the stanchion  205  from an unlocked orientation to a locked orientation. A spring clip  209  (or any other mechanical attachment) may be used to lock the stanchion  205  to the paper support tray  210 . The paper support tray  210  may also include a flange  69  at a rear thereof which matingly engages a corresponding shelf  269  in housing tray  20   a  to facilitate consistent sliding movement of the paper support tray  210  within the housing  20  (See  FIGS. 9A-9C ). 
     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 within the media support assembly  200  between spindles  207   a  and  207   b . As best shown in  FIGS. 9A-9C , the media support assembly  200  is slid inwardly in the direction of arrow “C” such that the paper stock engages spindle  207   b . Once the paper is slid into proper position against spindle  207   b , stanchion  205  is rotated in the direction of arrow “D” to lock the media support  200  for printing purposes. 
     An edge of the stock is then pulled over lips  47  and  43 . The battery  60  is loaded within battery compartment  63  and moved towards terminal  21   b . Once the stanchion  205  is rotated and locked to secure the stock material, the user then closes the cover  30  which locks with the housing  20  by virtue of locking release mechanism  49 . As the cover  30  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 paper in vertical registration with the print head  70 . 
     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 both sensors  47   a  and  47   b ) whether paper is loaded and properly positioned within the printer  10  prior to allowing printing to commence. The PCBA  130  may also individually query the other sensors  47   b  to determine paper size or other printing parameters relating to the paper stock. 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. To unload the paper, the user simply rotates the stanchion  205  in the opposite direction to unlock the paper support tray  210  such that the paper tray  210  may be slid outwardly (i.e., opposite arrow “C”) to unload the paper for replacement. 
     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. 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, e.g., ports, electrical components, etc. 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 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 operative coupled to the clip  354  and configured for electrically communication with head  352 . A spring clip 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. 
       FIG. 11  shows a series of snap inserts  300   a - 300   b  which may be utilized to accommodate rolls of stock material with varying diameters. For example, the inserts are selectively configurable to allow a user to easily customize the selectively adjustable media support assembly  200  for different types and/or size rolls of stock, 2-inch, 3-inch, etc. which may, in some instances, include diameters of different sizes. Preferably, the snap inserts  300  are generally concentrically arranged to nestingly receive one another to facilitate assembly from an old diameter size to it new diameter size. 
       FIGS. 12-13C  show another embodiment of a portable printer  1000  for use with variously-sized label stock. Similar to  FIGS. 1-11 , printer  1000  includes a housing  1020  defined by sides and a selectively openable cover  1030  for accessing the internal operating components of the housing  1020 . Housing  1020  also includes a bottom tray  1020   a  which defines a cavity  1045  configured and dimensioned to receive a roll of stock material for printing indicia thereon (see  FIG. 5 ). 
     Printer  1000  includes a selectively adjustable media support assembly  1200  which allows a user to easily adjust the printer  1000  for various paper sizes. Much like the above described media support assembly  200 , media assembly  1200  is moveable from a first position for supporting a roll of stock material of a first size to a second position for supporting a roll of stock material of a second size (See arrow “C” of  FIGS. 13A-13C ). Media support assembly  1200  includes a paper support tray  1210  which is bifurcated to define a pair of arcuately-shaped flanges  1208   a  and  1208   b  which extend inwardly therefrom and which are configured to at least partially encircle and retain a roll of stock when disposed therein. Paper support tray  1210  also includes spindle  1207   a  which is configured to cooperate with a corresponding spindle  1207   b  (See  FIGS. 13A-13C ) to bracket the roll of stock for rotational purposes. 
     Media support assembly  1200  also includes a cam-shaped stanchion  1205  which is rotatable from a first orientation which allows selective sliding adjustment of the paper tray  1210  to a second orientation which locks the paper tray  1210  against the media support tray  1020   a . Stanchion  1205  operates in a similar fashion to stanchion  205  described above. More particularly, the rotatable stanchion  1205  acts like an eccentric cam such that the user can freely slide and adjust the paper tray  1210  against a roll of particularly-sized stock and then rotate the stanchion  1205  to lock the roll of stock in place for printing. When disposed in the first orientation, the cam shaped stanchion  1205  prevents closing and latching of the cover  1030 . As can be appreciated, this assures the user that the stock material is secured prior to operation of the printer  1000 . 
     Similar to cam-like stanchion  205  described above, the bottom of the cam-like stanchion  1205  includes a flexible flange  1215  which is configured to wedge against the bottom  1045   a  of tray  1020   a  to lock the media support assembly  1200  in place. In this particular embodiment, flexible flange  1215  is made from a thick and durable elastomeric material with higher friction properties to further enhance the locking power of the stanchion  1205  against tray  1020   a . Cam-like stanchion  1205  also includes an ergonomically-friendly finger tab  1211  having an arcuate flange section  1211   a  which facilitates rotation thereof and a series of mechanical interfaces  1217   b  which cooperate with a corresponding series of mechanical interfaces  1217   a  on the media support assembly  1200  to regulate and facilitate consistent locking and unlocking of the cam-like stanchion  1205  against the bottom  1045   a  of the support tray  1020   a.    
     Bottom support tray  1020   a  may also include a raised tongue-like platform  1040  which is configured to help support the stock material during installation. The tongue-like platform  1040  is also configured to interleave (or interface between) the bifurcated flanges  1208   a  and  1208   b  of media support assembly  1200  when the media support assembly  1200  is moved in the direction of arrow “C” (See  FIGS. 13A and 13B ). The flanges  1208   a ,  1208   b  and the tongue-like platform  1040  cooperate to evenly support the ends of the stock material when loaded into the media support assembly  1200 . 
     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 envisioned that linerless paper or linered paper may be utilized with the printer  10  depending upon a particular purpose. 
     It is also 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 or when the print head  70  needs replacement. 
     In another embodiment, the paper stock material may include an indicator included therewith which is configured to communicate with one of the sensors 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 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.