Hand-held thermal transfer printer for labeling

Abstract

Various embodiments of a hand-held printer that includes an area for receiving a cassette carrying label material, a drive system for positioning the label material relative to a printhead, and a processing circuit for receiving inputs, producing outputs and controlling the drive system. In addition, a cassette having an ID circuit is described. The hand-held printer obtains information from the ID circuit when the cassette is inserted into the printer. The information may include, for example, a label type, label quantity, date information or information regarding printer settings for a print job previously printed from the cassette. In other embodiments, the hand-held printer may have a modular keyboard, such as a keyboard adapted for a particular application or language. The hand-held printer may include a latching mechanism that is capable of positioning a nip roller in relation to a printhead after a cassette is inserted and/or secure the cassette.

1 . A cassette comprising: 
 a roll of label material,    an ink ribbon disposed between and supported by a pair of spools, wherein each spool includes an adjustable flange to accommodate ink ribbons of varying widths; and    mechanical guide elements that position the label material and the ink ribbon in relation to a printhead when the cassette is inserted into a printer.    
   
   
       2 . In a hand-held printer that includes an area for receiving a cassette carrying label material, a drive system for positioning the label material relative to a print head, and a processing circuit for receiving inputs, producing outputs and controlling the drive system, a latching mechanism, comprising: 
 a radius arm having a pivot point at a first end and carrying a nip roller at a second end; and    a cassette latch, wherein movement of the cassette latch causes the radius arm to rotate about the pivot point.    
   
   
       3 . The hand-held printer of  claim 2 , wherein the cassette latch is a sliding latch that is moved by a user after inserting a cassette into the printer.  
   
   
       4 . The hand-held printer of  claim 2 , wherein movement of the cassette latch brings the nip roller into alignment with the printhead.  
   
   
       5 . The hand-held printer of  claim 2 , wherein the radius arm includes a lock seat.  
   
   
       6 . The hand-held printer of  claim 5 , further comprising a cassette lock that is positioned within the lock seat and a lock spring disposed between the radius arm and the cassette lock, whereby, when a cassette is inserted and the cassette latch is actuated, the cassette lock locks the cassette in place.