Abstract: In a thermal printer, a driving apparatus moves a thermal head both longitudinally of and perpendicularly toward and away from a platen. A racing or idle rotating of gears is utilized in a driving mechanism for reciprocatingly moving a carriage carrying the head. Further, sector gears are used in a loading mechanism for moving the head toward and away from the platen. By combining these two unique structures, the rotational force of a drive motor is converted into the driving force to move the head toward and away from the platen when the carriage is switched between its forward movement and its backward movement. The result is that the carriage driving mechanism and the head load mechanism are operated by the common drive motor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a floppy disk drive which can removably receive a cartridge containing a floppy disk and which can travel a READ/WRITE head to the desired track on the floppy disk while rotating the floppy disk at a constant speed for effecting the desired read/write action under an electric-magnetic conversion. The drive is of a top-up type which includes a frame portion and a carrier which can be popped up from the frame portion. The frame portion includes a spindle motor for directly driving the floppy disk, a plurality of positioning pins for positioning the disk cartridge relative to the spindle motor, and a carriage carrying the READ/WRITE head for travelling the head to the desired track on the disk. The carrier is pivotably supported by the frame portion and adapted to receive the disk cartridge. The cartridge can be loaded into the lower portion of the carrier upon popping-up of the carrier.

Abstract: A floppy disk drive having a frame portion which includes a spindle motor for directly driving a floppy disk, a plurality of pins for positioning a disk cartridge relative to the spindle motor and a carriage carrying head for contacting the disk to READ/WRITE information there and for travelling to the desired track on the disk by the carriage, and a carrier pivotably mounted on the frame portion and adapted to contain the disk cartridge therein. The carrier for the disk drive further includes a cartridge guide pivotably and parallel-movably mounted therein and adapted to receive the disk cartridge, whereby the disk cartridge can be inserted into the cartridge guide when the cartridge guide is opened relative to the carrier at the pop-up position of the carrier, and the cartridge guide can be moved upwardly and parallel relative to the carrier to a predetermined position while holding the disk cartridge when the carrier is engaged by the frame portion.