EP0195863B1 - Thermal ink jet printer - Google Patents
Thermal ink jet printer Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- EP0195863B1 EP0195863B1 EP19850302146 EP85302146A EP0195863B1 EP 0195863 B1 EP0195863 B1 EP 0195863B1 EP 19850302146 EP19850302146 EP 19850302146 EP 85302146 A EP85302146 A EP 85302146A EP 0195863 B1 EP0195863 B1 EP 0195863B1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- thermal head
- printer
- ink
- hole
- recording medium
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
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Classifications
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B41—PRINTING; LINING MACHINES; TYPEWRITERS; STAMPS
- B41J—TYPEWRITERS; SELECTIVE PRINTING MECHANISMS, i.e. MECHANISMS PRINTING OTHERWISE THAN FROM A FORME; CORRECTION OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS
- B41J2/00—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed
- B41J2/005—Typewriters or selective printing mechanisms characterised by the printing or marking process for which they are designed characterised by bringing liquid or particles selectively into contact with a printing material
- B41J2/01—Ink jet
- B41J2/135—Nozzles
- B41J2/14—Structure thereof only for on-demand ink jet heads
- B41J2/14016—Structure of bubble jet print heads
- B41J2/14161—Structure having belt or drum with holes filled with ink
Description
- The present invention relates to a thermal ink jet printer.
- Many kinds of printers have been developed, both impact type and non-impact type. Non-impact printers include electronic photographic systems, electro static systems, thermal systems and ink jet systems. Ink jet systems are very silent, have low power consumption and are small and compact. However, ink jet systems have not become widely used. The main reason is due to plugging or stopping of the ink jet nozzle. Much research and development effort has been put into inks and nozzle shapes but trouble free operation of ink jet systems has not been achieved.
- The present invention aims to eliminate the above noted difficulty and insufficiency, and to provide a new ink jet printing machine using a thermal head member.
- In EP-A-14918 there is disclosed a thermal jet printer comprising an apertured member having at least one hole therein; means for introducing ink into the or each hole; at least one heating element, the or each said heating element being aligned or alignable with at least one said hole; means for mounting paper or other recording medium adjacent to the opposite surface of the apertured member; and means for energising the or a heating element when so aligned so as to cause the ink to be ejected from the respective said at least one hole and onto the recording medium as a result of bubble pressure caused by heat from said heating element.
- In the construction disclosed in EP-A-14918, however, the apertured member is a fixed member, and the heating is effected by a laser which is spaced from the apertured member. As made clear in EP-A-14918, such a construction requires that parts in the path of the laser beam must be transparent thereto and that the ink employed must have a good absorption for the energy of the beam.
- According, therefore, to the present invention, there is provided a thermal ink jet printer comprising an apertured member having at least one hole or recess therein; means for introducing ink into the or each hole or recess; at least one heating element, the or each said heating element being aligned or alignable with at least one said hole or recess; means for mounting paper or other recording medium adjacent to the opposite surface of the apertured member; and means for energising the or a heating element when so aligned so as to cause the inkto be ejected from the respective said at least one hole or recess and onto the recording medium as a result of bubble pressure caused by heat from said heating element, characterised in that the heating element is a thermal head element which is disposed in contact with one surface of the apertured member, the apertured member being a movably mounted member, and means being provided for moving the apertured member past the or each thermal head element.
- Preferably, the apertured member is an endless belt having a plurality of holes or recesses therein, the endless belt being arranged to receive inkfrom an ink tank.
- Thus the endless belt may be constituted by a film having holes or recesses therein each of which has a diameter of 10 to 200 pm.
- The or each thermal head element may be arranged when so energised, to cause ink ejection from one hole or recess only or, alternatively, from a plurality of holes or recesses simultaneously.
- There may be a plurality of thermal head elements which are arranged transversely of the recording medium, the energising means being arranged to energise selected thermal head elements.
- There may be a plurality of endless belts and respective inktanks, the inktanks being adapted to receive inks of different colours.
- Thus each endless belt may have a portion disposed adjacent to recording medium, the said portions being arranged successively in a length direction or direction of travel of the recording medium, each said portion being provided with respective thermal head elements.
- The or each endless belt may be mounted on rollers one of which is disposed within the respective ink tank.
- In another arrangement, each endless belt has a portion disposed adjacent the recording medium, the said portions being arranged successively in the breadth direction of the recording medium, each said portion being provided with a respective thermal head element.
- In this case, each endless belt may be entrained around a respective sponge roller, which extends into a respective ink tank.
- By appropriate movement of the apertured member and the recording medium, coupled with selective energisation of the thermal elements in a variety of configurations, both line and serial printing may be achieved.
- Use may if desired be made of a reciprocating sheet passing in front of a thermal head.
- The invention is illustrated, merely by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:-
- Figures 1 (a) and 1 (b) respectively show a cross-sectional view and a front view of a film which may be used in a printing machine in accordance with the present invention;
- Figures 2(a), 2(b) and 2(c) show the principle of operation of the printing machine according to the present invention;
- Figure 3(a) shows a cross-sectional view of a thermal head member forming part of the printing machine in association with hole or recess portions of the said film, and
- Figure 3(b) shows a front view thereof;
- Figures 4(a) and 4(b) are similar to Figures 3(a) and 3(b) respectively but show an alternative embodiment of thermal head;
- Figure 5 shows a perspective view of a monochrome line printer according to the present invention;
- Figure 6 shows a perspective view of a colour line printer according to the present invention;
- Figure 7 shows a perspective view of a colour serial printer according to the present invention; and
- Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of hole or recess portions of a film which may be used in a printing machine according to the present invention.
- Referring to Figures 1(a) and 1(b),
numeral 1 indicates a film of thin metal or heat resistant organic material such as polyimide; andnumeral 2 indicates a plurality of hole or recess portions which may be shaped in or on saidfilm 1, the diameter of each said hole orrecess portion 2 typically being about 10 to 200 pm. The diameter of theholes 2 is determined according to the thickness of thefilm 1 or the manner in which it is used. - Figures 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) illustrate a basic principle of the present invention. Recording ink 3 fills a plurality of hole or recess
portions 2. By moving thefilm 1, the hole orrecess portions 2 are moved across the surface of athermal head member 5 which has a plurality ofthermal head elements 4. At the same time, thethermal head element 4 which is aligned with a hole orrecess portion 2 is quickly heated by an applied electric current, whereby abubble 6 is formed between therecording ink 3 in the respective hole or recessportion 2 and thethermal head element 4 of thethermal head member 5. As a result, part or all of the recording ink in the said respective hole orrecess portion 2 is spouted from thehole 2 by pressure from thebubble 6. - Each
thermal head element 4 may be formed on thethermal head member 5. Thefilm 1 is completely in contact with thethermal head element 4, causing thebubble 6 to be enlarged toward the opened hole direction of said hole or recessportion 2, whereby the direction of ink ejection is precisely controlled. In the embodiments of Figures 1 to 3, onethermal head element 4 corresponds to one hole or recessportion 2 of thefilm 1 respectively. - Figures 4(a) and 4(b) show another embodiment of the present invention, in which one
thermal head element 4 energizes a plurality of hole or recessportions 2. The construction of Figures 4(a) and 4(b) has a higher reliability than the construction of Figures 1 to 3 from the standpoint of supplying an ink jet to a nozzle, whereby a mechanical construction for aligning a hole orrecess portion 2 and thethermal head element 4 is not necessary and the construction is greatly simplified. Several of the hole orrecess portions 2 are definitely located on thethermal head element 4 at a given time and skips in recording are completely eliminated. - Figure 5 shows a monochrome type line printer. The
film 1 is an endless belt whose width is the full width of a page, for example A4 or A3 width. A plurality of hole orrecess portions 2 are shaped in or on thefilm 1. The diameter of the hole or recessportions 2 depends on said film thickness. For example, the maximum diameter might be 50 pm in the case of a film thickness of 50 pm.Numeral 8 indicates a recording ink, and numeral 7 indicates an ink tank. Thefilm 1 is rotatably supported by a pair ofrollers ink 8 is transferred into the hole or recessportions 2 when thefilm 1 passes through theink tank 8 and is moved past thethermal head element 4 by rotation of therollers bubble 6 of Figure 2(b) and 2(c) may be caused between saidthermal head element 4 and recordingink 8 by quickly heating thethermal head element 4 by electric voltage application thereto by means not shown, thethermal head element 4 being disposed in contact with one surface 1a of thefilm 1. Therecording ink 8 is therefore spouted or ejected from theholes 2 onto arecording paper 11 by the bubble pressure, whereby a character or image may be recorded on thepaper 11, the latter being disposed adjacent to the opposite surface 1b of thefilm 1. - The
thermal head member 5 of Figure 5 has a plurality ofthermal head elements 4 extending in the breadth direction of the thermal head member 5 (i.e. transversely of the paper 11) and has a driving circuit (not shown) which drives or energises selectedthermal head elements 4, whereby the driving circuit construction is simplified. - The
recording paper 11 may be located on aplaten 13 adjacent the hole or recessportions 2. Therecording paper 11 is supported by a pair ofrollers platen 13. Numeral 10 indicates a blade to scrape off excess ink which adheres to thefilm 1 after passing through anink tank 8. Printing on therecording paper 11 is performed by selectively applying an electric voltage to thethermal head elements 4 from the driving circuit which may, for example, be constructed using an integrated circuit (not shown). - Figure 6 shows a construction for colour line printing function, a basic construction composed of a plurality of mechanisms for each colour source which may be basically similar to the monochrome mechanism of Figure 5.
- A
film 1y and arecording ink 8y are used for Yellow, afilm 1m and arecording ink 8m are used for Magenta, afilm 1c and arecording ink 8c for Cyan and a film 1blk and recording ink 8blk for Black. Thethermal head member 5 has a plurality of thermal head elements 4 (not shown in Figure 6) located behind each of thefilms recording inks films recording paper 11 by driving thethermal head elements 4 according to a timing signal drom a driving circuit (not shown) while feeding therecording paper 11 in a coordinated manner. That is to say, thefilms paper 11, each portion 1d, 1e, 1f, 1g being provided with respective thermal head elements 4 (not shown in Figure 6). - Figure 7 shows a construction of a colour serial printing machine having films 1γ, 1m, 1α and 1blk for Yellow, Magenta, Cyan and Black respectively; the films have a plurality of hole or
recess portions 2 respectively. Thefilms paper 11 and arranged successively in the breadth direction of the latter.Thermal head members films supply sponge rollers ink tanks Sponge rollers ink tanks recess portions 2 which contact and pass the surfaces of thesponge rollers films 1 y to 1blk, the thermal head members 4y to 4blk, thesponge rollers 16y to 16blk and the ink tanks 7yto 7b/kare compactly housed as a unitary colour reproducing head body, whereby it is possible to obtain a colour serial print system by reciprocating the colour recording head body across the width of therecording paper 11. - Figure 8 shows a cross-sectional view of typical hole or
recess portions 2 of thefilm 1. a and c are tapered portions, b is a parallel portion and d is a recess portion. The density of said hole orrecess portions 2 in thefilm 1 is determined by both the recording density and thermal head element density. - It is possible to make both monochrome and colour line and serial printers according to the present invention. It is also possible to completely eliminate ink jet stoppages by employing the hole or recess portions as the ink jet nozzles.
- Further, it is possible to obtain a higher recording density than conventional ink jet printers because many holes and recesses are shaped in the film and are shaped in one thermal head element of the thermal head member.
- The bubble pressure employed to spout the recording ink from the holes or recess portions to the recording paper is much higher than a conventional piezo electric element type ink jet nozzle.
- In the above embodiments of the present invention, the film employed is endless; however, the present invention is not limited in this construction. For example, it is possible to use another type of reciprocating film.
- Further, it is possible to make the ink tank and film as a cassette type unit, which may be readily replaced as required.
Claims (11)
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
DE8585302146T DE3573753D1 (en) | 1985-03-27 | 1985-03-27 | Thermal ink jet printer |
EP19850302146 EP0195863B1 (en) | 1985-03-27 | 1985-03-27 | Thermal ink jet printer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
EP19850302146 EP0195863B1 (en) | 1985-03-27 | 1985-03-27 | Thermal ink jet printer |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0195863A1 EP0195863A1 (en) | 1986-10-01 |
EP0195863B1 true EP0195863B1 (en) | 1989-10-18 |
Family
ID=8194181
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP19850302146 Expired EP0195863B1 (en) | 1985-03-27 | 1985-03-27 | Thermal ink jet printer |
Country Status (2)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0195863B1 (en) |
DE (1) | DE3573753D1 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9004631B1 (en) | 2013-10-31 | 2015-04-14 | Xerox Corporation | Method and apparatus for accumulating excess ink in a stationary receptacle in imaging devices that form images on intermediate imaging surfaces |
Families Citing this family (6)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
JPS61220860A (en) * | 1985-03-28 | 1986-10-01 | Toshiba Corp | Ink jet type recorder |
JPS62244645A (en) * | 1986-04-17 | 1987-10-26 | Toshiba Corp | Recording apparatus |
US4801953A (en) * | 1987-06-02 | 1989-01-31 | Xerox Corporation | Perforated ink transports for acoustic ink printing |
US4797693A (en) * | 1987-06-02 | 1989-01-10 | Xerox Corporation | Polychromatic acoustic ink printing |
GB8714192D0 (en) * | 1987-06-17 | 1987-07-22 | Roneo Alcatel Ltd | Franking machine |
DE59404446D1 (en) * | 1994-02-23 | 1997-11-27 | Oce Printing Systems Gmbh | THERMAL TRANSFER PRINTING DEVICE FOR TRANSFERING A PRINT IMAGE TO A RECORDING MEDIUM |
Family Cites Families (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
CH495590A (en) * | 1968-06-21 | 1970-08-31 | Precisa Ag | Method for printing characters and apparatus for carrying out the method |
CH548866A (en) * | 1971-11-17 | 1974-05-15 | Battelle Memorial Institute | PRINTING DEVICE WITH LIQUID INK, CONDUCTING ELECTRICITY. |
US4117497A (en) * | 1976-10-21 | 1978-09-26 | International Business Machines Corporation | Printing and displaying technology using selective laser beam pricking of liquid film for writing information |
FR2448979B1 (en) * | 1979-02-16 | 1986-05-23 | Havas Machines | DEVICE FOR DEPOSITING INK DROPS ON A SUPPORT |
GB2142583B (en) * | 1983-06-23 | 1987-03-25 | Nippon Telegraph & Telephone | Thermal ink transfer printer |
-
1985
- 1985-03-27 DE DE8585302146T patent/DE3573753D1/en not_active Expired
- 1985-03-27 EP EP19850302146 patent/EP0195863B1/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9004631B1 (en) | 2013-10-31 | 2015-04-14 | Xerox Corporation | Method and apparatus for accumulating excess ink in a stationary receptacle in imaging devices that form images on intermediate imaging surfaces |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
EP0195863A1 (en) | 1986-10-01 |
DE3573753D1 (en) | 1989-11-23 |
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