A thermal printer having a printhead, a printhead arm to engage and disengage the printhead, a platen roller, a user interface, and a printhead pressure adjustment mechanism is provided. The improvement consists of at least one force sensor adapted to sense the pressure between the printhead and the platen roller in real-time. The force sensor is communicatively linked to the user interface. The user interface is configured to display the pressure measured by the force sensor in real-time.

A thermal printer having a printhead, a printhead arm to engage and disengage the printhead, a platen roller, a user interface, and a printhead pressure adjustment mechanism is provided. The improvement consists of at least one force sensor adapted to sense the pressure between the printhead and the platen roller in real-time. The force sensor is communicatively linked to the user interface. The user interface is configured to display the pressure measured by the force sensor in real-time.

Embodiments of the present invention describe a thermal print head (TPH) that is easily replaced in a slot on the side of a thermal printing device using a push/eject mechanism. Other embodiments of the present invention describe a thermal printing device where the print pressure is easily adjusted for different types of printing media (labels) by turning a turnknob. In preferred embodiments, the turnknob has three print pressure settings, high, medium, and low.

Various embodiments are directed to a printhead pressure arm assembly for a printing device. In various embodiments, the printhead pressure arm assembly comprises a pressure arm comprising an arm base element defined by an arm base length; and distal arm wings extending from a distal end of the arm base element in outward directions perpendicular to the arm base length, wherein the pressure arm defines a T-shaped configuration; and one or more leaf spring elements operably secured to a respective bottom surface of each distal arm wing and configured to operatively engage a printhead assembly; wherein each leaf spring element defines a flexible configuration to facilitate an elastic contact with the printhead assembly; and wherein the leaf spring elements define evenly distributed contact points through which the printhead pressure arm assembly is configured to apply a collective pressure force onto the printhead assembly in an at least substantially uniform distribution.

Various embodiments are directed to a printhead pressure arm assembly for a printing device. In various embodiments, the printhead pressure arm assembly comprises a pressure arm comprising an arm base element defined by an arm base length; and distal arm wings extending from a distal end of the arm base element in outward directions perpendicular to the arm base length, wherein the pressure arm defines a T-shaped configuration; and one or more leaf spring elements operably secured to a respective bottom surface of each distal arm wing and configured to operatively engage a printhead assembly; wherein each leaf spring element defines a flexible configuration to facilitate an elastic contact with the printhead assembly; and wherein the leaf spring elements define evenly distributed contact points through which the printhead pressure arm assembly is configured to apply a collective pressure force onto the printhead assembly in an at least substantially uniform distribution.

A thermal printer having a printhead, a printhead arm to engage and disengage the printhead, a platen roller, a user interface, and a printhead pressure adjustment mechanism is provided. The improvement consists of at least one force sensor adapted to sense the pressure between the printhead and the platen roller in real-time. The force sensor is communicatively linked to the user interface. The user interface is configured to display the pressure measured by the force sensor in real-time.

A printing apparatus includes a printhead on a movable carriage; an operating unit operating by a driving force of a driving source; a transmitting unit being displaced by the driving force between a position where the transmitting unit transmits the driving force to the operating unit and a non-transmitting position; a movable member arranged on a moving path of the carriage; a restricting member being displaced, in coordination with a displacement of the movable member, between a position where the displacement of the transmitting unit is restricted and a non-restricting position; and a selecting member provided between the movable member and the restricting member. The selecting member is displaced between a position where the movable member and the restricting member are coordinated with each other by the selecting member and a non-coordinating position.

A printing apparatus includes a printhead on a movable carriage; an operating unit operating by a driving force of a driving source; a transmitting unit being displaced by the driving force between a position where the transmitting unit transmits the driving force to the operating unit and a non-transmitting position; a movable member arranged on a moving path of the carriage; a restricting member being displaced, in coordination with a displacement of the movable member, between a position where the displacement of the transmitting unit is restricted and a non-restricting position; and a selecting member provided between the movable member and the restricting member. The selecting member is displaced between a position where the movable member and the restricting member are coordinated with each other by the selecting member and a non-coordinating position.

Provided is a photo printer including: a base adapted to accommodate paper therein; a pickup roller protruding from the bottom of the base to feed the paper accommodated in the base forwardly; a platen roller disposed in front of the base to discharge the paper fed by the pickup roller forwardly; a head located above the platen roller to apply given heat to the paper; a swing bracket having a mounting portion formed at the front side thereof in such a manner as to be coupled to the head and coupling portions formed at the rear side thereof in such a manner as to be rotatably coupled to the base to allow the head to swing; and pressurizing means adapted to pressurize the head downwardly to allow the head to come into close contact with the paper advancing into the space between the head and the platen roller.

Provided is a photo printer including: a base adapted to accommodate paper therein; a pickup roller protruding from the bottom of the base to feed the paper accommodated in the base forwardly; a platen roller disposed in front of the base to discharge the paper fed by the pickup roller forwardly; a head located above the platen roller to apply given heat to the paper; a double feed prevention member disposed on the front end of the base to form a slit adapted to pass a sheet of paper therethrough, wherein the double feed prevention member has a wedge-shaped front surface so that the lower end thereof is inclined downwardly from both sides thereof toward the center thereof.