Abstract: A printer assembly for dispensing a printer media and printing on the printer media as it is dispensed. The printer assembly includes a housing with a container portion and a lid portion, and a latching mechanism configured to coordinate latching, unlatching and biasing of the lid with locking and unlocking of the printer media supply from a media supply assembly. The latching mechanism may be configured to urge the lid portion away from the container portion when the lid portion is unlatched. The latching mechanism can include a locking surface that is configured to engage a locking surface on relatively movable media support members, restraining relative movement of the media support members and locking down the media supply therein when the latching the lid portion closed. The locking surface is positioned external to opposing, relatively movable surfaces of the media support members enabling a compact assembly for hand held printers.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a docking station and an associated method for docking a portable printer are provided. The portable printer has a printhead, media drive, and media support externally configured to be latched onto the docking station, and the docking station is adapted for convenient one-hand docking and undocking of the portable printer. The docking station includes a base member having a first surface configured to receive the portable printer, and a latching mechanism including a manually operable actuator and coupled thereto one or more latches adapted to automatically engage and securely dock the portable printer on the first surface of the base member when the printer is positioned on the first surface. The actuator is capable of actuating the latch to unlatch a latched printer and to bias the printer outwardly for removal of the printer from the station.

Abstract: An electrical connection for communicating between electrical terminals is provided, as is a collar for retaining the cable of such a connection and associated methods. The connection can include a first modular connector engaged to a first electrical terminal of a printer, a second connector engaged to a second terminal, and a cable extending between the first and second connectors. The first terminal of the printer can be configured to communicate via a first plurality of electrical contacts using a USB protocol and via a second plurality of electrical contacts using another protocol. In some cases, a third connector can be provided on the cable such that the first terminal can communicate to the second connector using the first protocol or to the third connector using the second protocol. The collar can be slidably disposed on cables of various configurations and engaged to a terminal to secure one of the connectors on the cable to the terminal.

Abstract: A multiple compact disk (CD) carousel mechanism for a CD player has a novel loading drawer mechanism employing the combination of a pin arm and a uniquely configured drawer guide slot (within which a pin attached to the end of the pin arm travels) attached to the underside of the drawer for carrying out the following operations: drawer opening; drawer locking in the opened position; drawer closing; and drawer locking in the closed position. The improved design obviates the need for prior art rack and pinion gears for drawer movement, and also obviates the need for separate prior art drawer lock-in and drawer lock-out mechanisms (requiring additional springs, levers and gears).