Thermal printer having a structure for supporting a print head with a driver on its front surface

Claim 1

A thermal printer wherein a printing operation is effected by a print head which is movable along a print line relative to a recording medium while the print head and the recording medium are held in contact with each other via a thermal print ribbon, comprising: a platen having a bearing surface for supporting said recording medium, said bearing surface extending in a direction parallel to said print line; said print head having a flat front surface which faces said recording medium supported by said platen, said flat front surface being a generally L-shaped surface including an upright portion having a length perpendicular to said print line, and a horizontal portion which extends horizontally from one of opposite ends of said upright portion, said length of said upright portion being greater than a width of said thermal print ribbon; a plurality of printing elements which are arranged on said upright portion of said flat front surface of the print head, in a direction intersecting said print line; head supporting means for supporting said print head movably between a printing position in which said printing elements contact said recording medium on said platen, and a retracted position in which said printing elements are spaced away from the recording medium, said head supporting means providing, at least in said printing position thereof, a wedgeshaped clearance between said flat front surface of said print head, and a plane tangent to said bearing surface of said platen, said wedge-shaped clearance increasing with a distance from said printing elements in said direction parallel to said print line; and a head driver secured to said horizontal portion of said flat front surface of said print head such that said head driver is spaced from said printing elements in said direction parallel to said print line and thereby positioned within said wedge-shaped clearance, said head driver being electrically connected to said plurality of printing elements, for controlling energization of said printing elements.