JP2527403Y2 - Thermal printing element - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] [Industrial applications]

The present invention relates to a thermal printing element, and more particularly to a thermal printing element in which a heating element can be replaced.

[Prior art]

Since recording apparatuses using thermal printing elements are easy to maintain and inexpensive, their uses are increasingly expanding, such as printing on prepaid cards as well as facsimile and word processors. In this thermal printing element, most of the failures are caused by abrasion or peeling of the protective film provided on the surface of the heating resistor, and the printing is impossible due to the destruction of the resistor. For this reason, if only the heating element portion on which the resistor and its wiring are formed is replaceable, the driving integrated circuit of the heating element can be used as it is, so that the running cost as a recording apparatus can be reduced. In view of this, some flat thermal printing elements having a small number of resistive elements or element densities allow the heating element and the drive integrated circuit to be divided so that only the heating element can be replaced. In the case of a flat thermal printing element having a large number of heating elements and a high density, it is not easy to connect the terminals of the heating elements to the terminals of the driving integrated circuit, so that the heating elements and the driving integrated circuit are mounted on the same substrate. Therefore, the heating element and the driving integrated circuit cannot be divided.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

On the other hand, in a conventional cylindrical thermal printing element in which a heating element is formed on a cylindrical substrate, although the substrate itself is independent as a component, the substrate is integrated as a thermal printing element. When the resistor is damaged, only the substrate cannot be replaced. Such a problem of the conventional cylindrical thermal printing element will be described in detail with reference to the structural diagram shown in FIG. In FIG. 4, among the pair of holding members 1 and 2 which are combined with each other, a concave curved portion 1 formed on an upper portion of one of the holding members 1 is shown.
After the adhesive is applied to the substrate a, the cylindrical base material 3 is applied to the concave curved portion 1a, and the base material 3 is formed on the printing surface on which the resistors 3a formed on the base material 3 are arranged while the adhesive does not solidify. Rotate in the circumferential (arrow C) direction so that 3b is located directly above (in the direction of arrow A in the figure), and the terminal 3d of the wiring electrode 3c connected to the resistor 3a
Is aligned in the axial direction so that the position of the arrow matches the specified position in the axial direction (arrow B). Then, in a state where the terminal portion 4a of the flexible substrate 4 in which the driving integrated circuit IC is incorporated is brought into contact with the terminal portion 3d of the base material 3, the two holding members 1 and 2 are combined so as to sandwich the substrate 4, Finally, a screw 5 is inserted through the hole 2a provided in the holding member 2 and the hole 4a of the substrate 4 and screwed into a screw hole 1b formed in the other holding member 1, thereby fixing the two holding members 1 and 2 to each other. As a result, the overall shape is adjusted, and the two terminal portions 3d and 4a are electrically connected to each other by the pressing of the substrate 4 by the rubber material 6 provided at a predetermined portion of the holding member 2. In the thermal printing element having the above structure, when the resistor 3a is damaged and the base 3 needs to be replaced, when the base 3 is removed from the holding member 1, not only heating or treatment with a solvent is required, but also
Fixing a new base material to the holding member 1 is a complicated operation requiring the same circumferential and axial alignment as described above. Therefore, at present, it is common to replace the entire thermal printing element. The running cost of the device has increased. The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-described problem, and has as its object to provide a thermal printing element in which only a heating element can be replaced.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The thermal printing element of the present invention includes a cylindrical base material having a surface on which a resistor, a wiring electrode and a terminal are formed, a holding member for mechanically holding the base material and adjusting its outer shape, and provided on the base material. And a substrate having an integrated circuit for electrically driving the resistor, the substrate being connected to a connected terminal, and a substrate set for facilitating circumferential alignment of the substrate. A substrate holder is used as a base, and the substrate holder is detachably provided to the holding member.

[Action]

According to the above configuration, although the base material is fixed to the base material holder with an adhesive or the like, the base material holder itself is detachably provided with respect to the holding member. Everything can be easily replaced. In addition, when the base material is mounted on the base material holder, circumferential positioning can be easily performed. As for the axial alignment, a groove for mounting the substrate holder may be provided with a locking means for alignment in the groove for mounting the substrate holder.

【Example】

The structure of the thermal printing element according to the present invention and the method of replacing the substrate will be described below with reference to FIGS. In these drawings, the same members as those in FIG. 4 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 1, the base material 3 is mounted on the holding member 1 via a base material holder 11, and these base material holder 11 and the holding member 1 are shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3. Will be described. In FIG. 2, a substrate holder 11 having the same length as the axial length of the substrate 3 in the longitudinal direction has a concavely curved portion 11a for receiving the substrate 3 formed on the upper surface thereof. 11 has a flat bottom surface 11b and a side surface 11c perpendicular to the bottom surface 11b, and the right end in the figure is an end surface 11d. At the upper part of the holding member 1 in FIG.
Side (arrow E direction) to mount the substrate holder 11
When viewed from above, an L-shaped groove 1b is formed, and the groove 1b
In the figure, a plane parallel to the holding member 1 is designated as 1b ', and a plane orthogonal to the plane is designated as 1b ". At the right end of the groove 1b, a locking piece 1c used for positioning is formed. Next, the operation of assembling the thermal printing element and replacing the substrate 3 using the substrate holder 11 and the holding member 1 will be described.First, as shown in Fig. 2, the adhesive of the substrate holder 11 was applied. The base material 3 is positioned in the concave curved portion 11a, and the base material 3 is positioned in the circumferential direction (arrow) under a microscope such that the printing surface 3b on which the resistors 3a of the base material 3 are arranged is positioned in the direction of arrow A in the figure. C), and the axial position is adjusted so that the terminal 3d coincides with the specified position in the axial direction (arrow B).
The substrate holder 11 to which the substrate 3 is fixed in this way is prepared in advance as a repair part. Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the substrate holder 11 to which the substrate 3 is fixed is fitted into the groove 1b of the holding member 1. At this time, the bottom surface 11b and the side surface 11c of the
The end surface 11d of the base material holder 11 is brought into contact with the locking piece 1c after being applied to the surfaces 1b 'and 1b "of the base material 1b. The printing surface 3b faces directly above the holding member 1 (in the direction of arrow D) and has a terminal portion.
3d comes to coincide with the specified position in the axial direction (arrow B). Thereafter, similarly to the conventional example, the holding members 1 and 2 are combined so as to sandwich the substrate 4, and the two holding members 1 and 2 are fixed to each other by screws 5. As a result, the base member 11 and the base member 3 are fixed at predetermined positions between the holding members 1 and 2, and the terminal members 3d of the base member 3 and the terminal portions 4a of the substrate 4 are electrically connected. You. That is, the difference in structure between the conventional thermal printing element and the present invention is as follows.
In the conventional thermal printing element, the base material 3 is bonded and fixed to the holding member 1, but in the present invention, the base material 3 is not directly bonded to the holding member 1, but is fixed between the holding members 1 and 2. This is that it is bonded and fixed to the base material holder 11 which is clamped and fixed. For this purpose, the number of components constituting the thermal printing element of the present invention is increased by only one point on the substrate holder 11, but the manufacturing process is not complicated. Therefore, when the resistor 3a is broken and needs to be replaced, the screw 5 is loosened and the pressing of the rubber 6 against the substrate 4 is released, so that the base member held between the two holding members 1 and 2 is restrained. Since the material holder 11 is free, the substrate holder 11 can be removed in the direction of arrow A. Thereafter, the base material holder 11 to which the base material 3 is fixed, which has been prepared in advance, may be fitted into the groove 1a of the holding member 1 and assembled in the same manner as described above. As a modification, the base material 3 may be appropriately fixed to the base material holder 11 so that the base material holder 11 can be positioned in the circumferential direction and the axial direction of the base material 3 within the groove 1b of the holding member 1. Yes, but since each of these members is fine,
Such alignment on the holding member 1 is difficult.
Thus, as in the present embodiment, if the positioning of the base material 3 is performed on the base material holder 11, the positioning operation becomes relatively easy, and the base material holder 11 to which the base material 3 is fixed in this manner. Is provided as a repair part,
Can be easily and quickly exchanged. Also, if a metal material having good heat conductivity is used for the base material holder, heat can be efficiently dissipated from the base material and the temperature of the base material can be made uniform, thereby contributing to an improvement in printing quality. Can be formed of resin, and the production cost can be reduced.

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, in the present invention, the base material is fixed to the holding member which is detachable from the holding member in order to fix the base material to the holding member. It is possible to easily attach a new base material holder to which the base material is fixed by removing the material holder from the holding member, and the drive integrated circuit can be used as it is without replacement, so that the running cost of the recording apparatus can be reduced. In addition, when the base material is mounted on the base material holder, the positioning in the circumferential direction can be easily performed. Alignment of the material in the axial direction can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the thermal printing element of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing attachment of a substrate to a substrate holder in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view showing attachment of a material holder to a holding member, and FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional thermal printing element. 1,2 ... holding member, 1b ... groove, 3 ... substrate, 3a ... resistor, 3b ... printing surface, 3c ... wiring electrode, 3d ... terminal part, 4
... board, 4a ... terminal, 5 ... screws, 6 ... rubber, 11
…… Substrate holder.

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A cylindrical base material having a surface on which a resistor, a wiring electrode and a terminal are formed, a holding member for mechanically holding the base material and adjusting its outer shape, and a terminal provided on the base material And a substrate on which an integrated circuit for electrically driving the resistor is incorporated, wherein the substrate is set as a base for setting the base in order to facilitate the circumferential alignment of the base. A thermal printing element, wherein a material holder is used and the substrate holder is detachably provided to the holding member. 2. The thermal printing element according to claim 1, wherein locking means is formed in the groove of the holding member provided with the base material holder for positioning the base material in the axial direction.