JP2002166587A - Thermal head - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To halve the number of ICs for driving heating elements as compared with a prior art thermal head without deteriorating the print function of a thermal head. SOLUTION: Common electrodes 1-1 and 1-2 of a thermal head are arranged in correspondence with two groups of heating elements 21-22n divided in the center and each electrode is connected with each heating element. Two heating elements can be driven at one of driving terminals 63 provided on an IC6 for driving the heating elements and the driving terminal is connected with each heating element through conductor patterns 61 and 63. The heating element array, the common electrodes 1-1 and 1-2, and the conductor patterns 61 and 62 are formed of a single layer on an insulating substrate. Heating element drive data being inputted sequentially is conducted to each heating element while altering the conduction pattern for each group.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a line type thermal head which is used in a thermal printer, a thermal transfer printer, a facsimile or the like, and in which heating elements are arranged in rows.
The present invention relates to a line-type thermal head for reducing cost as a configuration capable of reducing the number of integrated circuits for driving a heating element.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a thermal head used in a thermal printer, a thermal transfer printer, a facsimile or the like is a line type thermal head in which heating elements are arranged in rows. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a conventional line type thermal head.

[0003] a plurality of heat elements 2 ₁ 2 _2n is in a state of being insulated from each other on one surface of the substrate, are arranged in a line. This number is the number of dots in one line. In FIG.
2n heating elements are shown. When energized in these heat generating element 2 ₁ to 2 _2n, the heating element may be understood that the energization emits Joule heat by supplying heat energy to the heat-sensitive paper or a transfer film or the like is adhered to face is there.

In order to energize the heating elements arranged in a row, the common electrode 1 is arranged in parallel with the rows formed by the heating elements on the insulating substrate surface on the same side as the arrangement surface of the heating elements. It is wired so that it becomes. The parallel portion of the common electrode 1, for energizing the respective heating element, corresponding to the number of the heat generating element is provided with a plurality of individual electrodes 1 ₁ to 1 _2n, each individual electrode corresponding It is connected to one end of the heating element. With each individual electrode, a voltage can be applied from the common electrode 1 to each heating element.

The other end of the common electrode 1 extends to a power supply point on the substrate. Each heating element 2 ₁ to 2 _2n, on the opposite side to being connected to the individual electrodes, the driving electrodes 3
₁ to 3 _2n, respectively. Heating element driving integrated circuit devices (hereinafter referred to as driving ICs) 4 and 5 include:
It mounted on a substrate, and the drive terminals provided on the drive IC4 and 5, between the drive electrodes 3 ₁ to 3 _2n are respectively connected by a conductor pattern.

[0006] In Figure 1, the drive terminal of the driving IC4 is connected respectively to the driving electrodes 2 ₁ to 2 _n, driving I
Each drive terminal of C5 is connected to each of the drive electrodes 2 _{n + 1 to} 2n. Therefore, the two driving ICs 4 and 5
In this example, 2n heating element elements are shared by n elements, and each driving IC selectively energizes and drives the n heating element elements. The driving ICs are provided so that a plurality of driving ICs are appropriately shared according to the number of heating elements.

As described above, the conventional line type thermal head is used.
The individual electrode 1₁Or 1_{Two n}And drive IC drive
Since the moving terminals are connected one to one, the thermal head
N is the total number of heating elements inside, and the driving terminals of the driving IC
When the number is m, the required number of driving ICs is N / m
(N needs to be an integral multiple of m).

[0008]

In recent years, thermal printers having a built-in line type thermal head (thermal printer) have features such as quietness, maintainability, high-speed printing, and the like. With the improvement of preservation,
Demand for printing in financial ATMs, POS systems, removable terminal devices and the like is increasing.

[0009] On the other hand, however, market demands for lowering the price of printers are also increasing. In order to satisfy this demand, it is essential to reduce the cost of the thermal head portion, which has a high cost ratio among the main components of the thermal printer. Further, when looking at the cost configuration of the thermal head alone, if the cost of the heating element driving IC is the largest in terms of the composition ratio, and if it becomes possible to reduce the heating element driving IC, the thermal head, and hence the thermal printer Can be provided at low cost. However, with the increase in the number of heating elements due to the improvement in printing accuracy, the number of driving ICs must also increase, and this increase increases the production cost of the thermal head.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to provide a thermal head capable of reducing the number of heating element driving ICs in order to provide a thermal head at low cost. And

[0011]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a thermal head, comprising: a plurality of heating elements arranged in a row on an insulating substrate; One end of each of the heating elements is connected, the heating elements are divided into two groups of the same number, two common electrodes for supplying power to each group, and input data for driving the heating elements. A control circuit having a plurality of output terminals for supplying an energization signal to the other end of each of the heating elements, and a conductor connecting the output terminal and the other end. ing.

The heating elements are divided into 2 × n groups, the common electrode is provided for each group, and n control circuits for controlling the energization of the heating elements in two adjacent groups are provided. Has a data input to the control circuit, by a single signal line cascaded all the control circuits, one signal line is assigned to each control circuit, or a plurality of the control circuit The control is performed by a plurality of signal lines for each of the cascade-connected control circuits.

Further, the common electrode, the heating element, and a conductor pattern connected to the other end are formed on the same surface of the insulating substrate. Further, the control circuit is housed in a package, and the output terminal is:
The package is provided on a surface of the package, wherein the package has a center line in a longitudinal direction of the package at an angle with respect to a column line of the heating element, and each of the output terminals includes:
It is connected to the conductor connected to each heating element by a bonding wire, or connected to two conductors connected to each one heating element included in a different group by a bonding wire.

Further, the control circuit includes a shift register circuit for inputting heating element element drive data corresponding to the group, and by switching a data input direction to the shift register circuit, A latch register circuit that can change the energization signal pattern, or temporarily latches heating element drive data corresponding to the group, when reading the data into the latch register circuit, or When reading the data latched from the latch register circuit, the energization signal pattern can be changed for each group.

[0015]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments according to the present invention will be described.
This will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of the thermal head according to the present embodiment.
2n-number of heat elements 2 ₁ 2 _2n are arranged in a row on an insulating substrate, the heating element is energized is connected to the drive electrodes 3 ₁ to 3 _2n and the individual electrode 1 ₁ to 1 _2n This is the same as the line type thermal head shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

The configuration of the thermal head according to the present embodiment is significantly different from that of the conventional thermal head shown in FIG. 1 as follows. (a) In the conventional thermal head, the common electrode is formed integrally in parallel with the heating element row, whereas the common electrode of the thermal head of the present embodiment is divided into a plurality of heating elements. Each heating element is connected to a central portion of the element row or divided into a plurality of divided portions. (b) Two heating elements can be driven by one of the driving terminals provided on the heating element driving IC. (c) The common electrode, the individual electrode, and the conductor pattern are formed in a single layer on the substrate.

The configuration of the thermal head shown in FIG. 2 is a case where the common electrode 1 is divided into two parts corresponding to the central part of the heating element row to form common electrodes 1-1 and 1-2. Common electrode 1-1 individual electrodes 2 ₁ to 2 _n provided is connected respectively to the heating element 1 ₁ to 1 _n, the individual electrode 1 _{n + 1} to 1 _2n provided in the common electrode 1-2 are connected respectively to the heating element 2 ₁ to 2 _2n, divides by n pieces of heating element can be supplied with a voltage to each group of two common electrodes.

[0018] Then, the drive electrodes 3 ₁ to 3 _n provided on the heat generating element 2 ₁ 2 _n, between the drive terminals 63 provided in the driving IC package 6, the conductor pattern 61, respectively It is formed to connect. This conductor pattern is formed, for example, by printed wiring on a substrate. A conductor pattern 62 is provided between the drive electrodes 3 _{n + 1 to} 3 _2n provided on the heating elements 2 _{n + 1 to} 2 _2n and the drive terminals 63 provided on the drive IC package 6, respectively. Are connected to each other.

The drive terminal 63 and the conductor pattern 61
The method of connection with the control units 62 and 62 will be described later. With such a connection configuration of the conductor patterns, it is possible to divide the element row composed of 2n heating element elements into two element rows of n elements and drive the heating. Therefore, only one drive IC package 6 for driving the heating element row is required.
Then, the common electrodes 1-1 and 1-2 and the heating element 2 ₁
To _22n and the conductor patterns 61 and 62 can be formed in a single layer on the same surface on one side of the substrate without forming multiple layers.

As a result, not only the manufacturing cost of the thermal head can be reduced, but also the size of the thermal head itself can be reduced. Here, the heating element 2
By ₁ to a line to be formed at 2 _2n, considered to print one line. Then, the heat generating element 2 ₁ 2 _2n
Are divided into two groups, and each heating element is driven by one driving IC, it is necessary to adopt a circuit configuration in consideration of the driving timing of the heating element row so that one line can be printed.

FIG. 3 shows an equivalent circuit of a driving IC mounted on the thermal head according to the present embodiment. 3, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals. However,
A voltage supply terminal CO is connected to the common electrodes 1-1 and 1-2.
M1 and COM2. As shown in the figure, a portion below the drive terminal 63 forms a main circuit of the drive IC.

The main circuit of the driving IC is a NAND circuit 7,
It comprises a latch register circuit 8 and a shift register circuit 9. Here, the number of the NAND circuits A _{1 to An} in the NAND circuit 7 is _{equal to} the number of the heating elements forming one group of the heating elements, that is, n pieces are prepared corresponding to FIG. It functions as drive switch means for driving heat generation.

[0023] input of the NAND circuit A ₁ to A _n is the output of latch register circuit 8, and a power supply control signal STB is connected. The shift register circuit 9 can input the data of one group of the heating element while shifting the data one bit at a time in accordance with the data input synchronous clock signal CLK. Data input signal Di is input from the register S _n-side, to resist the data of one group is shifted sequentially to the registers S _1.

[0024] Thus, explaining the reason for entering the data input signal Di from the register S _n side. Signal generating heat driving the heating element is, since transmitted in the order from the heating element 2 ₁ to 2 _n, if, if you enter the data transmitted from the register S _1, 1 group of data is shifted after being input to the register circuit 9, and outputs it to resist data in the latch circuit 8, the data sequence is output to latch register circuit 8, taken from the heating element 2 ₁ in the order opposite to the 2 _n I will.

Therefore, when data is transmitted from the shift register circuit 9 to the latch register circuit 8 such that the data arrangement is such that the driving output is transmitted from the latch register circuit 8 in the arrangement order of the heating elements, or When the drive output is sent to the NAND circuit 7, a special logic circuit must be incorporated so that the drive output to each heating element is in the order of the input data arrangement.

[0026] is obtained by so it may not include this logic circuit, when inputting input data to the shift register circuit 9 from the register S _n-side, for example, data to the heating element 21, the register S ₁ since the resist, when latching the data of the register S ₁ as it is in the register F ₁ of the latch register circuit 8, data corresponding to the heat generating element 2 ₁ is output, it can be heated and driven.

However, in the present embodiment, the conductor pattern 61
And 62 do not cross each other.
2 from that routed on the substrate basically includes a heating element group 2 ₁ 2 _n and the heating element group 2 _{n + 1} or 2 _2n is a relation of symmetry with each other on the wire.
Therefore, for example, when printing is performed on the drive control side of the thermal head while developing one line of character data in units of l dot lines, the heating element group 2 _{n + 1 to} 22 _n is energized. input data at the time of the relative data image to be transferred to the heating element group 2 ₁ 2 _n, by the mirror-reversed (mirror image conversion) form, it is necessary to input the data.

[0028] Therefore, the input terminal Di of the equivalent circuit of FIG. 3, the input data Di for energizing the heating element group 2 _{n + 1} or 2 _2n is before being input to the shift register circuit 9 is horizontally inverted It is assumed that the data array has been converted into a data array. FIG. 4 shows the operation of the circuit thus configured.
This will be described with reference to the time chart of FIG.

It is assumed that data D1 and D2 for one line are sequentially input to the data input terminal as a data input signal Di. First, with respect to the data D1, the shift register circuit 9 outputs the data D1 for each synchronous clock signal CLK.
Registering is performed while shifting in the order of input from the registers _Sn to S1 for each one heating element driving data in ₁ .

When all the data in the data D1 is registered in the shift register circuit 9, the latch signal LAT is input to the latch circuit 8. At this time, the latch circuit 8
Fetches and latches the corresponding data from the shift register circuit 9. For example, data of the register S ₁ is
The register F _1, the data of the register S ₂ includes a register F ₂
Each is latched.

When all the data in the data D1 are latched, the communication control signal STB is set to the high (H) level and supplied to the NAND circuit 7. At this time, the common electrode 1-
The supply voltage is supplied to the first voltage supply terminal COM1. Therefore, for example, when the drive data is present in the register F1, since two inputs of the NAND circuit A ₁ is a both high (H) level, the output of the NAND circuit A ₁ becomes low (L) level. However, the voltage supply terminal COM1, since high energizing voltage (H) level is supplied, the heat generating element 2 ₁ is heated and driven by the level difference. Thus, if there drive data to another register F ₂ to F _n, it can be heated and driven to the heating element corresponding thereto.

On the other hand, as for the data D2, the data D1
All the data in the register has been latched by the latch register circuit 8.
Then, immediately, in the same manner as the data D1, the shift register
An input is made to the circuit 9. If you do so,
No intermittent delay occurs. Corresponds to data D1
The latch data of the latch register circuit 8 is
Child 2 ₁Or 2_nAt the end of driving the data D2
Are input to the shift register circuit 9
The latch signal LAT is supplied to the latch register circuit 8.
Supply and latch data of the shift register circuit 9
And latches the data.

Then, the energization control signal STB is set high (H).
Level, and the voltage supply terminal C of the common electrode 1-2.
OM2 is set to a high (H) level. Here, the voltage supply terminal COM1 common electrode 1-1, the low (L) level is supplied, the heating element 2 ₁ 2 _n, not be energized. A latch register circuit 8, heating element if 2 _{n + 1} to the drive data corresponding to the 2 _2n is only to be latched by NAND circuits A ₁ to A _n are operated, heat elements 2 _{n + 1} or 2 _2n can generate heat.

In this way, the input data Di after the data D3 is processed in the same manner as described above, and the heating element row is driven to generate heat. In the above, a specific example in which the heating element rows constituting the thermal head are divided into two groups and the common electrode is divided into two has been described. However, the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. It may be divided.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5, it may be divided into four parts. A heating element column, heat elements 2 ₁ to 2 _m, 2
_{m + 1} to 2 _2m, 2 _{2m + 1} or 2 _3m, and 2 _{3m + 1} to 2 _4m
And the common electrodes 11 to 14 are arranged corresponding to each group. In the conventional thermal head, four driving ICs are required, but in this example of four divisions, only two driving ICs 10 and 11 are needed, and the number can be reduced. And even if the number of common electrodes increases, FIG.
As shown in (1), they can be arranged in parallel on the substrate surface, and the heating element row and the conductor pattern can be formed in one layer on the same plane.

Further, when the heating element row is divided into eight groups, the way of supplying data Di to each shift register circuit in the driving ICs 15 to 18 is shown in FIG.
8 to FIG. In order to synchronize the driving ICs 15 to 18, the synchronous clock signal CLK is input to the clock input terminals CK of all ICs. And input data D
i is input to the data input terminal Di of each IC.

In the example of FIG. 6, the driving ICs 16 to 18
Are supplied to the respective input terminals Di from the data output terminal Do of the preceding driving IC, and are sequentially input to the respective shift register circuits. Further, in the example of FIG.
Data Di ₀ , Di ₁ , Di ₂ , and Di ₃ are independently supplied to input terminals Di of C15 to C18, respectively, and input to the respective shift register circuits in parallel.

[0038] Further, in the example of FIG. 8, is supplied data Di ₀ input to the input terminal Di of the drive IC15, the input terminal Di of the drive IC 16, the input data Di ₀ preceding the driving IC15 From the output terminal Do, the data Di
₀ is input. Then, similarly, the driving IC 18
Is supplied with the data Di ₁ input to the driving IC 17.

Next, depending on the arrangement of the driving IC,
The miniaturization of the thermal head will be described.
According to the present embodiment, the wiring and the like do not become a multilayer,
Since the thermal head can be formed in one layer, the size of the thermal head can be reduced. However, in order to further reduce the size of the thermal head, it is conceivable to further reduce the area of the prepared substrate by devising the arrangement of the driving IC on the substrate. A specific example is shown in FIG.

FIG. 9A shows the relationship between the driving IC package 6 and the conductor patterns 61 and 62 in the thermal head shown in FIG. The generally used heating element driving IC package 6 is often rectangular. As shown in FIG. 2, when the long sides of the package 6 are arranged in parallel with the heating element row, the conductor pattern 61 connected to the drive terminal 63 can be shortened. However, the conductor patterns 62 also connected to the drive terminals 63
Considering the overlap with the conductor pattern 61, the wiring is a detour as shown in the figure.

Here, the short side of the IC package 6 is a, the long side thereof is b, and the width of the detour portion of the conductor pattern 62 is c. When the wiring area of the conductor pattern is to be reduced with the position of the IC package 6 shown in FIG. 9A, an element that can be reduced is the width c. However, the width c has a limit due to the relationship between the conductor pattern width of the conductor pattern 62 and the wiring density. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the width d ₁ in the relation of d ₁ = a + c.

From this, furthermore, the conductor pattern 61
Considering the layout of the IC package 6, the IC package 6 is arranged such that the center line in the longitudinal direction of the package 6 and the row line of the heating element group have an inclination angle of θ. With this arrangement of the IC package 6 is inclined with respect to the heat generating element rows, the width d ₂ corresponding to the width d ₁ ^{is, cosθ × (a 2 + b} 2)
^1/2 .

Here, a = 2 mm, b = 8 mm, c = 3 mm,
When θ = 45 °, d ₁ = 11 mm, and d ₂ =
4. 12 mm. Therefore, space saving in the height direction can be achieved by d ₁ -d ₂ = 6.88 mm. As a result, the design margin of the conductor pattern is increased, and the size of the thermal head can be reduced.

The width from the heating element row to the lower end of the conductor pattern can be made smaller by adjusting the position of the IC package 6 itself as well as by tilting the IC package 6 with respect to the heating element row. it can. Also, I
The tilt direction of the C package 6 is not limited to the tilt direction shown in FIG. 9B, but is opposite to the tilt direction of the IC package 6 shown in FIG. You may.

Next, the conductive pattern 6 is applied to the driving terminal 63 provided on the heating element driving IC package 6 shown in FIG.
The case where 1 and 62 are connected will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 shows two connection modes in (a) and (b). 2, the same parts as those in FIG. 2 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and a part is shown in an enlarged manner.

In (a), connection pads 64 connected to the conductor patterns are formed on the substrate together with the conductor patterns 61 and 62. Then, the conductor pattern 62
The drive IC package 6 is placed on the substrate so as to straddle the top. Therefore, the driving terminals 63 and the connection pads 64 provided on the driving IC package 6 are connected to the bonding wires 6.
Connect with 5.

In this connection, a plurality of drive terminals 63 provided on the drive IC package 6 may be provided along one of the long sides of the package. Also, instead of the connection form using bonding wires, the driving I
C may be a ball grip package. A ball grip as a drive terminal may be provided on the back surface of the drive IC package 6 and connected to the connection pad 64.

In (b), the connection pad 64 connected to the conductor pattern 61 and the connection pad 66 connected to the conductor pattern 62 are formed separately on the substrate. Then, the driving IC package 6 is set between the connection pads 64 and 66. Therefore, the drive terminal 63 and the connection pad 64 are connected by a bonding wire 65, and the drive terminal 63 and the connection pad 66 are connected by a bonding wire 67.
To connect each other.

In the connection form (b), the manner of providing the drive terminals is the same as in the connection form (a). FIG.
As shown but, in the present embodiment, as the conductive patterns 61 and 62 do not intersect, the conductor patterns 61 and 62 since it was routed on a substrate, basically, the heating element group 2 ₁ the 2 _n and the heating element group 2 _{n + 1} to 2 _2n, and has a symmetry relationship with each other on the wire. Therefore, the heating element group 2
Input data when energizing the _{n + 1} to 2 _2n, compared data image to be transferred to the heating element group 2 ₁ 2 _n, by the mirror-reversed (mirror image conversion) form, it is necessary to input the data.

In the equivalent circuit shown in FIG. 3, before print data in units of one dot line is input to the shift register circuit 9 as input data Di, each print element element group corresponds to the symmetry relation of each heat element group. Are converted to input data whose sequence is reversed. Therefore, in the case where the input data Di transmitted serially is generated and energized in the heating element driving IC, the driving data is converted into a form in which the arrangement order is inverted (mirror image relation) for each heating element group. Will be described.

The configuration of the shift register circuit 9 in the driving IC is changed so that the input data Di can be transferred in a form in which the arrangement order is reversed (mirror image relation) for each heating element group. . FIG. 11 shows a circuit configuration of the shift register circuit 19. FIG. 3 shows a case where the number of heating elements in one group in FIG. 3 is n = 144, and the number of dots in one line is 288.

The shift register circuit 19 has a register S
₁ to S ₁₄₄ are arranged, in synchronization with the synchronizing clock CLK, the input data Di is shifted one bit is input. Therefore, in response to the selection signal level input to the selection terminal SEL, the input data Di, and if inputted from the register S ₁ side are selected in the case where the input from the register S ₁₄₄ side.

For example, when a high (H) level signal is input to the selection terminal SEL, the amplifier AMP1 becomes active, and the input data Di is input one bit at a time from the register S1. At this time, the amplifier AMP2, since the low (L) level is supplied by the inverter INV, the amplifier AMP2 is not operated, the input from the register S ₁₄₄ side is prevented. When a low (L) level signal is input to the selection terminal SEL, the shift register circuit 19 performs the reverse operation.

By incorporating the shift register circuit 19 in place of the shift register circuit 9 of FIG. 3, the shift register circuit 19 is provided at a timing based on the signal of the selection terminal SEL with respect to the input data Di input serially. Of the data transferred to the latch register circuit 8 can be inverted. Therefore, even if two groups in the heating element row are connected to each other in an inverted relationship,
According to the data arrangement of the input data Di, 288 heating elements can be driven to generate heat in one line.

Further, by switching the input direction of the shift register circuit, according to the data arrangement of the input data Di,
Although the case where one line of the heating element is driven to generate heat has been described, the data latch procedure of the latch register circuit 8 or the transfer procedure of the latch data to the NAND circuit 7 may be changed according to the heat generation drive timing for each heating element group. By switching, according to the data arrangement of the input data Di,
It is also possible to drive 288 heating elements in one line.

For example, when the data registered in the shift register circuit 9 is transferred to the latch register circuit 8, the logic is performed on the correspondence between the registers S1 to Sn and the registers F1 to Fn, and the heating element group to be driven is taken. Each time, the data array can be inverted. The same applies to the case where the data is inverted when data is transferred to the NAND circuit 7.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the common electrode of the thermal head is divided into a central portion or a plurality of corresponding heating element rows and connected to each heating element. By using two heating elements that can be driven by one of the driving terminals provided in the common electrode,
Since the individual electrodes and the conductor patterns can be formed in a single layer on the substrate, and the number of the heating element driving ICs can be reduced, the production cost of the thermal head can be reduced and the size can be reduced.

Further, even if the common electrode for supplying the voltage to each heating element is divided into a plurality of parts, the common electrodes do not cross each other on the substrate, and the design of the voltage feeding point is easy.

[0059]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the number of heating element driving ICs to half that of the conventional thermal head without deteriorating the printing function of the thermal head. Thus, an inexpensive thermal head can be provided.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a conventional thermal head.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a thermal head in an embodiment according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an equivalent circuit for driving a heating element in the thermal head according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2;

4 is a diagram for explaining an operation timing chart in the circuit configuration shown in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a thermal head according to another embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a first specific example of data input to the heating element driving IC according to FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a second specific example of data input to the heating element driving IC according to FIG. 5;

8 is a first specific example of data input to the heating element driving IC according to FIG. 5; FIG.

FIG. 9 is an example of an arrangement of a heating element driving IC in a thermal head according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a specific example of wire bonding to a heating element driving IC according to the present embodiment.

FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a specific example of performing mirror image conversion using the shift register circuit according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1-1, 1-2, 11-14 ... Common electrode 2 ... Heating element 3 ... Heating element individual electrode 4-6, 10-18 ... Heating element drive IC package 61, 62 ... Conductor pattern 63 ... Drive Terminals 64, 66: Connection pads 65, 67: Bonding wire 7: Heating element drive circuit 8: Latch circuit 9, 19: Shift register circuit

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Katsuhiro Maeda 2-3-5 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Inside Fujitsu Takamizawa Component Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takao Endo 2-3-3 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo No. 5 Fujitsu Takamizawa Component Co., Ltd. F term (reference) 2C065 GA01 KK03 KK06 KK16 KK20 2C066 AA12 AB02 AC02 AC13

Claims (12)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of heating elements arranged in a row on an insulating substrate, one end of each of the heating elements arranged on the insulating substrate and connected to each other, and the same number of the heating elements are provided. Two common electrodes that are divided into two groups and feed power to each group, and an energizing signal is applied to the other end of each of the heating elements for each of the groups according to input data for driving the heating elements. A thermal head, comprising: a control circuit having a plurality of output terminals to be supplied; and a conductor connecting the output terminal and the other end. 2. The heating element elements are divided into 2 × n groups, the common electrodes are provided for each group, and n control circuits for controlling the energization of the heating element elements in two adjacent groups are provided. The thermal head according to claim 1, further comprising: 3. The thermal head according to claim 2, wherein data input to the control circuit is performed by a single signal line in which all the control circuits are cascaded. 4. The thermal head according to claim 2, wherein one signal line is assigned to each data input to the control circuit. 5. The thermal head according to claim 2, wherein the data input to the control circuit is performed by cascading a plurality of the control circuits and a plurality of signal lines for each of the cascaded control circuits. 6. The thermal head according to claim 1, wherein the common electrode, the heating element, and a conductor pattern connected to the other end are formed on the same surface of the insulating substrate. 7. The thermal head according to claim 1, wherein the control circuit is housed in a package, and the output terminal is provided on a surface of the package. 8. The thermal head according to claim 7, wherein a longitudinal center line of the package has an angle with respect to a row line of the heating element. 9. The thermal head according to claim 7, wherein each of the output terminals is connected to the conductor connected to each heating element by a bonding wire. 10. The thermal head according to claim 9, wherein each of the output terminals is connected to two conductors connected to each one of the heating elements included in the different groups by a bonding wire. 11. The control circuit includes a shift register circuit that inputs heating element drive data corresponding to the group, and switches a data input direction to the shift register circuit, so that each of the groups is controlled. 2. The thermal head according to claim 1, wherein said energization signal pattern is changed. 12. The control circuit includes a latch register circuit for temporarily latching heating element drive data corresponding to the group, and when the data is read into the latch register circuit or when the latch register circuit reads the data. 2. The thermal head according to claim 1, wherein when the data latched from the circuit is read, the energization signal pattern is changed for each group.