Printer

Claim 2

A thermal printer comprising: a thermal head having a plurality of heatable printing elements which transfer a coating on a support material adjacent to a recording medium to said recording medium in response to the application of heat to said printing elements; control means for moving the position of said thermal head relative to said recording medium beyond to a preset end point for recording by said thermal head on said recording medium; and means for separating said support material from said recording medium in accordance with the movement of the position of said thermal head subsequent to the preset end point.

Claim 3

A printer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means includes means for shifting the position of said thermal head to said recording medium in the direction in which the recording was carried out.

Claim 4

A printer as set forth in claim 1 wherein said control means includes means for shifting the position of said thermal head relative to said recording medium in the direction opposite to the recording direction.

Claim 5

A printer as set forth in claim 1 which further comprises means for moving said thermal head relative to said recording medium.

Claim 6

A thermal printer comprising: a thermal head having a plurality of heatable printing elements which transfer a coating on a support material adjacent to a recording medium to said recording medium in response to the application of heat to said printing elements; control means for controlling a recording breadth available for recording information on said recording medium by said thermal head; means for moving said thermal head relative to said recording medium further beyond the recording breadth controlled by said control means; and means for separating said support material from said recording medium in accordance with the movement of the position of said thermal head beyond the recording breadth.

Claim 7

A thermal printer comprising: a thermal head having a plurality of heatable printing elements which transfer a coating on a support material adjacent to a recording medium to said recording medium in response to the application of heat to said printing elements; control means for controlling a recording breadth available for recording information on said recording medium by said thermal head; means for moving said thermal head relative to said recording medium further beyond the recording breadth controlled by said control means; and means for separating said support material from said recording medium in accordance with the movement of the position of said thermal head beyond the recording breadth.

Claim 8

A printer as set forth in claim 5 wherein said coating is used which contains ink fusible by heat from said thermal head.

Claim 9

A printer as set forth in claim 6 which further comprises means for pressing said thermal head against said recording medium through said coating.

Claim 10

A printer as set forth in claim 5 which further comprises means for making an indication of support material exchange after said head moving means has moved said relative position of said thermal head to said recording medium.

Claim 11

In a thermal printer of the type which has a thermal head provided with heating resistor and an ink ribbon containing heat fusible ink and in which recording is carried out by pressing said thermal head against a recording paper through said ink ribbon so as to fuse said heat fusible ink, the improvement comprising: means for detecting the end of said ink ribbon; means for shifting the position of said thermal head relative to said recording medium in response to the end detection by said detection means; and means for stripping said ink ribbon from said recording medium according to the direction in which the position of said thermal head is shifted by said shifting means.

Claim 12

In a thermal printer of the type which has a thermal head provided with heating resistor and an ink ribbon containing heat fusible ink and in which recording is carried out by pressing said thermal head against a recording paper through said ink ribbon so as to fuse said heat fusible ink, the improvement comprising: means for detecting the end of said ink ribbon; means for shifting the position of said thermal head relative to said recording medium in response to the end detection by said detection means; and means for stripping said ink ribbon from said recording medium according to the direction in which the position of said thermal head is shifted by said shifting means.

Claim 13

A thermal printer as set forth in claim 9 wherein said detection means is formed of photo coupler.

Claim 14

A thermal printer comprising: a recording head having an element which transfers a coating on a support material adjacent to a recording medium to said recording medium by melting said coating with said element, control means for adjusting the relative position of said recording head to said recording medium subsequent to the end of a recording by said recording head, and means for separating said support material from said recording medium in accordance with the adjustment of the relative position.

Claim 15

A thermal printer comprising: a recording head having an element which transfers a coating on a support material adjacent to a recording medium to said recording medium by melting said coating with said element, control means for adjusting the relative position of said recording head to said recording medium subsequent to the end of a recording by said recording head, and means for separating said support material from said recording medium in accordance with the adjustment of the relative position.

Claim 16

A printer as set forth in claim 11 wherein said recording head is a thermal head.

Claim 17

A printer as set forth in claim 11 wherein said control means comprises means for moving said recording head to move said relative position.