Abstract: There is disclosed a lightweight portable printer having a frame or housing with a print head and a cooperable platen roll mounted in the housing. The housing pivotally mounts a subassembly. The subassembly mounts an electric motor and gearing driven by the motor for driving the platen roll. The subassembly is resiliently urged to press the print head against the platen roll. The printer has a front door which provides access to the inside of the housing. The front door mounts the platen roll, a label delaminator, a pressure roll, a holder for mounting a supply roll of labels or tags, and a latch for latching the door to the housing and for camming the pressure roll into and out of cooperation with the platen roll.

Abstract: A print head is attached to a stepper motor that moves the print head toward and away from the surface of a printing medium. During a gap setting operation, a controller controls the stepper motor to move the print head to a maximum distance away from the surface of the printing medium. A print wire actuator coil for the print wire used in the gap setting operation is then energized. The print head is then positioned over the printing medium and the controller controls the stepper motor to move the print head in towards the printing medium. When the energized print wire touches the printing medium, the print wire begins to be pushed back into the print head. As the wire is pushed back, an air gap between a yoke and a print wire armature is created. The opening of the air gap increases the amount of flux detected by a Hall sensor. When the output voltage of the Hall sensor reaches a predetermined level, the controller determines that the print wire has pressed the ribbon and printing medium against the platen.

Abstract: A printer assembly with lateral and longitudinal self-alignment. The printer assembly has a frame, a door which swings open, a motor-driven platen disposed on the door, a print head movably disposed on the frame so as to engage the platen, and a spring coupled to the print head so as to produce both backward force to urge the print head against the platen when the door is closed and torque to rotate the print head upwardly when the door is opened. The frame is provided with a semi-cylindrical paper well and a generally triangular shape for ease of access to the paper well.

Abstract: A platen-gap regulation apparatus for regulating a carriage with respect to a platen of a printer, comprises: a pair of guide members rotatably mounted on the printer via an eccentric portion, for running the carriage; and regulating means for imparting the same rotational displacement quantity to both the guide members, wherein the carriage is separated from and drawn near to a printing reference plane in parallel thereto.

Abstract: A printing apparatus, particularly, a franking machine, with a movable printing-head guide includes a base, a guide connected to the base, a printing head, and an offsetting device. The guide moves the head, during printing, between first and second longitudinal positions in a given direction with respect to the base to effect a relative movement between the head and a print medium. The offsetting device prints images offset to one another transverse to the given direction and overlapping one another at most in an edge region of the images. The offsetting device is connected to the head and offsets the head relative to the base from a first transverse position into at least one second transverse position spaced from the first transverse position in a direction transverse to the given direction. The offsetting device is connected to the guide. A corresponding printing method, particularly, a franking impression is also provided.

Abstract: A platen-gap regulating apparatus for regulating a carriage with respect to a platen of a printer, comprises: a pair of guide members rotatably mounted on the printer via an eccentric portion, for running the carriage; and regulating means for imparting the same rotational displacement quantity to both the guide members, wherein the carriage is separated from and drawn near to a printing reference plane in parallel thereto.

Abstract: A head position adjustment mechanism includes two plates mounted so as to be displaceable in a scanning direction and in a sheet feed direction. The two plates can be adjusted independently in a scanning direction by angle adjusting levers that pivot the plates about reference pins. At least one plate can be adjusted in the sheet feed direction by a nozzle positioning adjusting lever that actuates a cam positioned to urge the plate in the sheet feed direction while the plate is guided by a reference pin.

Abstract: An apparatus for opening a platen in an impact printer is implemented. The apparatus permits rapid loading of a paper supply while maintaining the required tolerance in the spacing of the platen and a printhead. The mechanism also accommodates the printing of form documents in which the thickness of the document material may be variable. The mechanism adjusts to the varying thickness of the document medium while maintaining the required tolerance in the spacing between the platen and printhead.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding of indicia at a precise location called the amount field. In order to accomplish this, an optical sensor is provided in a transaction printer at a point-of-sale, to detect the edge of the check and stage it at a known location from the thermal, MICR print head. A clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen, and to engage two MICR read heads with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the transaction printer in a single, sequential operation.

Abstract: Disclosed are printers capable of easy and precise head gap adjustment. In the printer, a cam mechanism 61 consisting of a fixed cam 62 and a rotatable cam 63 put between each end of a platen 10 and a swing frame 4. The platen 10 is normally biased to the swing frame 4 by a torsion coil spring 14. A driving gear 64 rotatably supported on the swing frame 4 is engaged with a driven gear 63a formed on the rotatable cam 63. The driving gear 64 is rotated by an operating tool 66 inserted from above, whereby the rotatable cam 63 is rotated by gear drive. In accordance with the rotation of the rotatable cam 63, the platen 10 vertically moves with the fixed cam 62, whereby head gap with respect to a printing head is adjusted. The driving gear 64 can be unrotatable by securing a screw 65 as a rotatable axis thereof by operation from above, whereby the platen 10 is secured.

Abstract: Apparatus and method controls and varies a spacing between multiple print elements, such as ink jet print orifices, in a printing system. A signal representing at least one of an advance speed of a print medium in a feed direction in the printing system and an approximate drying time of an ink after being applied to the print medium is supplied to a controller. A device, responsive to the controller, varies the spacing between at least two print elements on the basis of at least one of the advance speed of the print medium and the approximate drying time of the ink.

Abstract: A printer in which loading of print media is greatly facilitated and in which modular construction is used in order to substantially reduce the number of parts normally needed for this type of printer. The printer includes a base and an associated cover that encloses an interior region of the printer. The cover is movable between opened and closed positions and mounts a spring biased platen roller which is engageable with a printhead fixed in the base, when the cover is closed. A cutter mechanism, including a fixed blade mounted to the cover and a reciprocating blade mounted in the base also separates whenever the cover is opened in order to further facilitate print media loading. The printhead is secured to a printhead mounting and control module which also includes componentry and circuitry needed to drive the printhead.

Abstract: A transaction printer includes the MICR encoding and reading of indicia at the point-of-sale. The printer reads the imprinted MICR indicia and determines whether the MICR indicia are verifiable. Unverified checks may be marked. An operator may be asked to determine whether a "bad" check (i.e., wrinkled, folded, torn, etc.) is the probable cause of the verification failure. If the check appears to be good, the MICR encoding function of the transaction printer may be disabled until a service technician is available to isolate the problem.

Abstract: According to the type of paper sheet specified through an operation unit (111) by the user, the environmental temperature detected by a thermistor (110), and the spacing between the paper sheet and a paper sensor, detected by a lift height sensor (113), respectively, the correction values for the start and end positions where the printing heads start and end the printing in a horizontal direction are beforehand stored in a memory (112). Before printing, a CPU (104) detects the paper edge positions of the paper sheet on the basis of the output from a paper sensor (303), and reads the corresponding correction values from the memory (112) according to the type of paper sheet, the environmental temperature and the lift height. A window control unit (106) corrects the paper edge position with the correction values, thereby generating a window signal which controls the side margins of the paper sheet.

Abstract: Both a printing-medium support (such as a platen) and a printhead-carriage slide-rod are supported and located in common from a single chassis. Preferably a pair of positive stops is used to locate the slide-rod, and a biasing retainer forcibly abuts the rod against, selectively, either stop of the pair of positive stops. Alternatively the two positive stops are instead used to locate the print-medium support--or separate pairs of such stops are used to locate both the slide-rod and the print-medium support respectively. A respective biasing retainer forcibly engages each located support element against one or the other of its stops. In another facet of the invention, an accurate system establishes and adjustably controls printhead-to-print-medium spacing without an assembly fixture. An adjustable mechanism (such as the biasing retainer mentioned above), distinct from both support elements, locates one of the two supports relative to the other.

Abstract: A print head 20 is placed upstanding on a chassis 25 through a protective member 26. A support shaft 28 to which a platen roller 21 is attached through a support member 27 is fixed at a lower end to the chassis 25. The support shaft 28 is fixed at an upper end to an upper attaching portion 25a of the chassis 25. A space restricting member 31 is provided to the upper attaching portion 25a so as to engage with an engaging lug 35 on the protective member 26 to restrict the upper ends of the print head 20 and the platen roller 21 at a predetermined space from each other. Thus, the upper ends of the print head 20 and the platen roller 21 are maintained at the predetermined space during printing to press the print head 20 and platen roller 21 against each other with a uniform pressure along their lengths. As a result, there is no difference in printing state between the upper and lower portions of the print head 20 and the platen roller 21, and uniform printing and improved print quality can be achieved.

Abstract: A point-of-sale printer including a facility for encoding MICR indicia at a precise location called the amount field. A single stepper motor in combination with a unique bi-direction clutch mechanism is used to engage the print head with a platen, and to engage a read head with the check, so that indicia can be sequentially imprinted and read within the transaction printer.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent a sheet of continuous-form paper from slackening when it is fed back in a printer capable of feeding both sheets of continuous-form paper and cut-form paper.

Abstract: A printing apparatus and method can maintain an appropriate spacing between a print head and the overall printing surface of printing media of a wide range of thicknesses, with a platen mechanism that allows the printing medium to move in parallel displacement, namely both in a direction downstream along the advance of the printing medium and in a direction away from the print head.

Abstract: An image recording device being capable of setting a separating pawl and a print head at an appropriate location by a position changeover operation at one point according to types of recording sheets. The device comprises a sheet feeder having the separating pawl which is switched over to an effecting position or non-effecting position according to types of recording sheets, and a recording section having a print head for recording images onto the recording sheets passed through between a platen and the print head. The distance between the print head and the platen can be changed over, and linking to this changeover operation, the positions of the separating pawl is switched over.

Abstract: A print head assembly for use in a printer which includes a platen roller positioned adjacent a paper path and a first positioning member associated with the platen roller includes a print head and a support for the print head. The support is positioned for sliding along a longitudinal member. A second positioning member extends from one of the print head and the support for movement therewith. The second positioning member slides into contact with the first positioning member to position the print head relative to the platen roller. A cam follower arrangement urges the print head into engagement with the platen roller.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to prevent a sheet of continuous-form paper from slackening when it is fed back in a printer capable of feeding both sheets of continuous-form paper and cut-form paper.

Abstract: A dot-matrix line printer includes a printing shuttle which moves reciprocally to carry out a printing operation, and a balancing shuttle which moves in a direction opposite Lo the direction of the movement of the printing shuttle. The balancing shuttle is partly inserted in the printing shuttle so as not to interfere with the latter upon printing and so that the center of gravity of the balancing shuttle is located as close to the center of gravity of the printing shuttle as possible.

Abstract: A postage meter for printing an indicia image on a print surface of a mailpiece includes a print head having a plurality of nozzles through which ink is ejected to print the indicia image on the print surface during relative movement between the print head and the mailpiece; a registration plate having a registration surface against which the mailpiece is registered to define an operative gap between the nozzles and the print surface, the registration plate having an opening therein to expose the print surface to the nozzles to permit printing of the indicia image on the print surface; and a stop mechanism connected to the print head so that at times when the print surface of the mailpiece extends through the opening the stop mechanism prevents contact between the print surface and the nozzles during printing of the indicia image.

Abstract: A method for setting a predetermined head-to-print medium distance without utilizing a media clamp is provided. A print medium support surface has a contact length that is less than the length of the print medium. The distance between the print head and the support surface is set to a minimum. Stationary rollers and arcuate guides direct the print medium between a spacing device and the support surface without utilizing a clamp. A shim is interposed between the spacing device and the print medium to move the print head away from the print medium. The shim is retracted leaving the print head spaced from the print medium by the predetermined head-to-print medium distance.

Abstract: Improvement are described in the sliding assembly of a plotter and for a method for the adjustment of the spacing between a printing head and the printing media. The improvements consist in that the sliding assembly which comprises the movable carriage and the printing head is mounted on a main sliding guide parallel to the printing media with simultaneous lengthwise sliding capacity on said main sliding guide as well as being pivotable thereabout, until an adjustment value of the spacing between the printing head and the printing media is obtained. An abutment limits the pivot distance of the sliding assembly. The abutment is comprised of a second guide that is parallel to the main sliding guide The sliding assembly comprises two units connected by means of an articulated joint, the mutual position of both units being adjustable as to the angle or rotation.

Abstract: A compression tool embossing die having a frame and a movable embossing pad. The frame has a U-shaped member and two side plates attached to opposite ends of the U-shaped member. The side plates have slots therein. The embossing pad has an embossing pad member, a dowel and a backstop. The dowel has its ends movably located in the slots of the side plates. The pad member has two wedge shaped slots in its bottom surface. The die further comprises two springs located in the wedge shaped slots and biasing the embossing pad at a first position on the frame.

Abstract: An automatic adjusting device for accurately adjusting a platen gap including an encoder 14 for outputting pulse signals in accordance with a moving distance of a carriage, a pulse width detector for detecting a pulse width of the pulse signal when the carriage is moved from a reference position in a direction of the platen, a difference calculator for calculating a difference between a pulse width of the pulse signal sent from the pulse width detector and a pulse width of a stored pulse signal, a contact detector for judging a contact position of the recording head with the platen surface by comparing the difference with the reference value, and a controller for controlling a platen gap in accordance with the thickness of a recording medium charged on the platen detected by a pulse signal sent from the encoder and a signal sent from the contact detector.

Abstract: A thermal printer is provided with an integrated sensor that detects the printhead position without requiring a custom cable assembly or other sensing components. The thermal printer comprises a rotatable platen and a printhead disposed relative to each other to define a print region therebetween through which a print media is transported. The printhead may be selectively pivoted between a closed position abutting the platen and an open position substantially separated from the platen. The printhead is operable to print information onto the print media as the print media is transported by rotation of the platen when the printhead is pivoted to the closed position. The printhead further comprises a circuit board coupled thereto that is pivotable in cooperation with the printhead. The circuit board is operably coupled to a central controller to receive control signals and provide the control signals to the printhead.

Abstract: A printing medium which has been fed from a hopper is transported along a transport path having a U-shape. The transport path is formed by first and second linear paths and a curved path. The printing medium is transported along each path in the order of the first linear path, the curved path and the second linear path. When the printing medium passes through the first linear path, the print head performs the printing onto a front surface of the printing medium. Thereafter, the printing medium reaches the second linear path through the curved path. When the printing medium passes through the second linear path, the print head performs the printing on a back surface of the printing medium. At the timing for transporting the printing medium along the curved path, the print head is moved from the vicinity of the first linear path to the second linear path. Thus, the print head is moved and set to be ready for printing in the two positions.

Abstract: An imaging device which reciprocatively transports a recording sheet to form a color image thereon. A front extreme end of the recording sheet is clamped between a pair of rollers, and the pair of rollers are reciprocatively moved along a recording sheet feed path, while clamping the recording sheet therebetween, to repeatedly execute an image forming process. After completion of the repeated image forming processes, at least one of the pair of rollers is driven to rotate, to thereby transport the recording sheet forwardly on the feed path.

Abstract: It is an object of the invention to prevent a sheet of continuous-form paper from slackening when it is fed back in a printer capable of feeding both sheets of continuous-form paper and cut-form paper.

Abstract: A gap adjusting device moves a print head vertically via a carriage shaft eccentrically supported by a displacement gear. The displacement gear is provided with a gap lever, which restricts rotational movement of a driving force transmission mechanism by abutting on a stop when a pulse motor drives the print head to move away from a platen. The pulse motor becomes out of phase, thereby defining the position as a reference position. The amount of rotation of the pulse motor is adjusted, starting from the reference position, thereby adjusting a vertical position of the print head. The reference position of the print head is established without the risk of causing damage to dot pins, by defining the initial condition of the pulse motor.

Abstract: A decentering collar to hold and rotate a carriage by a fixed decentering amount. The position the carriage is moved relatively by rotation of the decentering collar to one of two positions having the same height with respect to the center of rotation of the decentering collar in the direction of the print paper feed. From these two positions, a position can be selected by operation of the adjustment lever that is appropriate for the thickness of the print paper.

Abstract: A lever is rotatably mounted on a carriage on which a print head in a printer is mounted. The lever is integrally formed with an eccentric cam and a projection. Either a first position where a guide plate in the printer is sandwiched on its both surfaces by a first cam surface of the eccentric cam and the projection or a second position where the guide plate is sandwiched on its both surfaces by a second cam surface of the eccentric cam and the projection is selected by rotating the lever, thereby adjusting a head gap.

Abstract: To provide a printing apparatus in which a mechanical portion that is heavy in weight and needs a high precision is fixed to simplify a structure and to perform a high speed operation with a high quality printing. A piece of printing paper P is guided between a printing head 1 and a platen 2 for printing. A pair of stationary frame plate 20 are mounted to face each other on a base frame for supporting the printing head, and a platen driving unit 3 for contacting the platen 2 against the printing head 1 and separating the platen 2 away from the printing head 1 is mounted on the base frame. A guide shaft 4 for guiding a carrier 7, that carries thereon the printing head, in a printing direction, a carrier the 5 for driving the carrier in the printing direction, and stoppers 6 that face the platen around the printing head with their ends protruding toward the platen beyond a front surface of the printing head are fixed to the stationary frame plates 20.

Abstract: A recording apparatus for recording an image, by a recording device, on a recording medium having been conveyed to a position opposite to the recording device. The apparatus comprises a conveyor for conveying the recording medium to a recording region where a platen is disposed, a detector for detecting a floating amount and/or a floating angle of the recording medium with respect to the platen, and a selector for selecting either a first mode to continue the recording operation by varying the distance between the recording device and the recording medium in accordance with the detected result of the detector or a second mode to stop the recording operation. According to such a recording apparatus, it is possible to perform a high-quality recording operation since the distance between the recording head and the recording medium can be kept optimum.

Abstract: According to a method of adjusting a head gap, a wire dot head is set to a predetermined position of a reference head gap; a printing pattern for detecting printing time is printed by a plurality of pins; reference printing times of respective pins are detected. Next, a test printing is performed with test printing dots previously selected from printing data, and printing time of the test printing is detected. Then, the thickness of the printing media is calculated based on the reference printing time and the printing time of the test printing. At that time, a rule of thumb in which the difference of the printing time corresponds to the difference of the head gap, is used. Then, a shift amount of the wire dot head is calculated for setting the head gap to an optimum value according to the thickness of the printing media, and gap shifting mechanism shifts the wire dot head by the shift amount. This leads to highly accurate detection of the head gap and improves printing quality thereof.

Abstract: In a printer, a carrier having a print head and an indicator mounted thereon is moved toward and away from the platen, so that the carrier is at one of a retracted position at which a distance between the print head and the platen is at a maximum, a contact position at which a switch member mounted on the indicator is in contact with a surface of a printing sheet, and a printing position at which the carrier is slightly retracted from the contact position to define a predetermined gap between the print head and the printing sheet. A switch member for detecting a printing sheet, i.e., a thickness of the sheet, is mounted on a flat portion of the indicator.

Abstract: An impact printer having a print head, the print head having a movable armature, a printing wire fixed to the armature, and sensor for detecting movement of the armature. The position of the armature is monitored based on an output of the sensor. A home sensor detects whether the print head is at a home position. A paper end sensor detect whether a printing medium is between the platen and the print head. A gap motor means adjusts a gap between the printing wire and the platen. A gap controller is responsive to detection signals output by said home sensor and said paper end sensor, for controlling the print head to swing the armature so as to cause the tip of said printing wire to strike the platen, determining a time of impact of the tip with the platen based on the monitored position of the armature, performing a comparison of the time of impact with a predetermined impact time, and outputting a drive signal to the gap motor for adjusting the gap according to a result of the comparison.

Abstract: In forming a desired print gap between a sheet of paper fed on a platen and a print head by driving a moving mechanism for changing a space between the platen and the print head, a condition where the space between the platen and the print head becomes smaller than a predetermined value is detected, and in this case the space between the platen and the print head is increased by a driving portion for driving the moving mechanism. Accordingly, when a thin paper is used as the sheet of paper, cutting, wrinkling, etc. of the thin paper can be prevented.

Abstract: A print material variable support mechanism to reduce buckling of print material toward a printhead during printing. The preferred embodiment includes a moveable platen pivotally mounted adjacent a drive roller. The platen is positioned adjacent and below a printhead such that the printhead and the platen define a print zone therebetween. A measuring device is operatively associated with a print controller such that the print controller effects movement of the platen during relatively high ink density printing such that the sheet is allowed to buckle downwardly. In the preferred embodiment, the measuring device is an ink drop counter which determines how many ink drops are placed on the sheet to create the desired image.

Abstract: There is disclosed a portable printer for printing on either tags or labels. Its print head assembly includes a thermal print head, a platen roll. The printer has a housing with front, rear and top portions, a single horizontal printed circuit board, and a vertically extending battery pack which is releasably attached to the rear portion and is directly plug-connectable to the circuit board. The print head assembly, a peel roller and a releasable presser roll are located at the front portion of the housing. The print head assembly includes a spring arrangement for urging the print head into pressure contact with the platen roll. The spring arrangement has main springs and an auxiliary spring. The auxiliary spring bears against the housing and the print head assembly.

Abstract: An automatic platen gap adjusting apparatus is provided with (i) a stepping motor for moving a carriage provided with a recording head in the direction of a platen, (ii) a rotary encoder for producing a plurality of pulse signals proportional to the rotational speed of the motor, the rotary encoder being equipped with a detection mark on its circumference, (iii) a time difference integrating device for obtaining the integrated value of the time difference between the pulse signal from the rotary encoder and the driving pulse of the stepping motor, while moving the carrier from a reference position in the direction of the platen, and (iv) an abutment decision device for detecting whether the value thus obtained has reached a predetermined value. The thickness of the paper is calculated by a paper thickness calculation device according to the number of pulses produced up to the moment the signal is produced from the abutment decision device.

Abstract: A thermal printer comprising a line type thermal head which is arranged substantially in parallel with the shaft of a platen and is swingably supported about the longitudinal central portion thereof can obtain clear printed letters and prevent the abrasion of the platen due to the direct contact between the thermal head and the platen even if the recording paper varies in width or thickness or is set on the platen one-sided. To achieve the above object, members for restricting the swinging of the thermal head are prodded at both end portions thereof, one of the members being adjustable in its restricting position and the thermal head is supported by a head supporting means composed of a head plate, a head frame and tension springs so as to be movable toward or away from the platen so that the thermal head is separated from the platen according to the thickness of the recording paper and does; not contact the platen.

Abstract: The carriage mounting the print head, for a printer, is supported at an upper guide bar with an upper bearing and at a lower guide bar with a lower-right bearing and a lower-left bearing. The printing device prints characters while driving the print head in reciprocal movement along the guide bars. The lower-left bearing has an eccentric center relative to the axis of the lower-guide bar. A lever fitted on the lower-left bearing allows the operator to rotate the lower-left bearing relative to the axis of the lower guide bar to adjust the height of print.

Abstract: A dot matrix printing head and related printing apparatus, the print head comprising a plurality of printing electromagnets, each having a magnetic core, an energization winding, a movable armature for actuation of a printing element and a first abutment element defining a first rest position of the armatures, where electrically energizeable means are provided for controlling the position of a second abutment element which defines a second rest position of the armatures, so as to change the air gap width between each armature and the related magnetic core and the stroke of the related printing element, depending on requirement of printing on single copy sheets or multiple copy sheets, and where, in addition to gap adjustment, the duration of the energization time interval of the printing electromagnets, their energization frequency and the advancement speed of the print head relative to a printing medium are modified to achieve the best performances, both when printing on single copy sheet and on multiple cop

Abstract: In a printing device having an abutment (10) intended for supporting a recording medium (52), a print head (32) which is movable relative to the abutment (10) in the direction of the lines, an actuating drive (28, 26, 24) for setting the print head distance relative to the abutment (10) and a pressing element (36) which extends the full width of the recording medium and presses the recording medium (52) onto the abutment (10) and can be deflected in accordance with the thickness of the recording medium (52), a magnet (54) is arranged on one of the parts (pressing element 36, part 46 fixed to the print head) and at least one Hall probe (56) is arranged on the respective other part (part 46 fixed to the print head, pressing element 36) in such a way that the magnet (54) and the Hall probe (56) can be brought into congruence with one another in a predetermined print head position corresponding to a measurement position, a circuit arrangement (60) being provided to measure the Hall voltage and to regulate the lat

Abstract: An ink jet printer, including a gap regulating member that can forward a recording medium correctly by causing the recording medium to approach a recording head as closely as possible involving minimal parts. An upper surface of the gap regulating member serves as a surface for guiding travel of an ink jet head and a lower surface thereof serves as a surface for guiding a recording medium. The gap regulating member is disposed adjacent to a start end of an upwardly rotating region on a sheet feed roller in such a manner that the gap regulating member intersects a circumferential surface of the sheet feed roller at a small angle.

Abstract: A printing device which employs a platen frame mounted on a resin or plastic base frame with a pivoting joint and a rocker spring which biases the frames together which creates a floating platen frame. A main guide shaft is mounted on the base frame and supports a print head. A clearance member fixed to the platen frame extends toward the main guide shaft and is pressed against a clearance adjustment member attached to at least one end of the main guide shaft. The clearance adjustment member allows adjustment of the platen gap while the clearance member and bias spring automatically adjust the paten gap under various printing conditions. Using this gap fixing device, the platen gap can be maintained constant even if the frame expands due to heat, thus facilitating the use of resin frames. At the same time, by using a floating platen frame and positioning a feed motor and other components on the platen frame, noise and vibrations are decreased.