JP2693242B2 - Energized recording head - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a current-carrying type recording head for printing or printing images, characters, and the like, and more particularly, to a structure of a leading end portion of such a recording head. is there.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, many proposals have been made regarding an energization type recording head, and in particular, regarding a recording head in which a recording electrode and a return electrode are formed with a substrate in a multi-layered structure, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Sho 61-61 -35972, JP-A-62-292461, JP-A-54-141140, JP-A-58-12790,
The structure is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 61-230966.

And, as recorded in those patent publications, the energization type recording is film-like (that is, film-like or layer-like) formed by being carried or applied on the surface or inside of a sheet, ribbon, roller or the like. A current is passed through the electrodes of the recording head to the resistance layer or the current-carrying layer of the recording medium or the color recording paper, and the Joule heat generated in the resistance layer melts, sublimates or diffuses the ink layer of the film,
It is recognized as a method of performing desired printing and printing by transferring the image onto a predetermined transfer receiving paper or coloring a predetermined portion of a recording medium or a recording paper. Also,
In the energization type recording, this resistive layer is not only a layer of an electric resistor, but also a conductive ink layer or an electric resistor ink layer which also serves as an ink layer, or a thermosensitive coloring containing an electrolyte. It is recognized that any layer, such as a layer, can be used as long as it is a so-called conductive layer or a current-carrying layer.

By the way, in such an energization type recording head,
In order to suppress the crosstalk between the electrodes and to improve the printing or printing quality of the electrodes, it is necessary to reduce the distance between the recording electrode and the return electrode, but an electrical insulating layer provided between the electrodes. In the case where is composed of a thin plate that can meet such a requirement, it is extremely difficult to handle such a thin plate at the time of manufacturing the recording head, and the mechanical strength cannot be sufficiently secured. The problem is inherent,
In practice, it was not something that could be adopted at all.

Therefore, in the conventional case, the recording electrode and the return electrode are supported on separate substrates, and these substrates are
A recording head having a multi-layer structure has been considered by laminating and integrating with an adhesive via an electric insulating layer so that the electrode supporting surface sides face each other. Is because there is an adhesive layer between the recording electrode and the return electrode, the thickness of such an adhesive layer is likely to change depending on the application amount and application form of the adhesive and tends to be non-uniform. Moreover, the accuracy of the distance between the electrodes was poor, and it was difficult to improve the quality of printing or printing.

(Problems to be Solved) The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and the problem to be solved is to solve the above-mentioned problems, improve the accuracy of the distance between electrodes, and perform printing. (EN) It is intended to obtain an energization type recording head in which the quality of printing is good and the mechanical strength of the recording head as a whole can be advantageously secured.

(Solution) In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides an electrically insulating substrate, a recording electrode supported by one surface of the substrate, and a recording electrode supported by the other surface of the substrate. In the energization type recording head, wherein the substrate and the electrode are made to come into contact with a film recording medium or a color recording sheet having at least a resistance layer to be energized, the substrate is provided with the return electrode. Formed of a material that is more easily abraded than the electrode, has a cutout portion of a predetermined depth on at least one surface side of its tip, and extends a predetermined length from the head tip to the head base side. While being thinner than the portion on the head base side, a reinforcing body is provided on the substrate notch forming surface side of the head tip end portion so as to be located at least in the recess formed by the notch section. Pasting The present invention is directed to an energization type recording head characterized in that a thin and thick portion of the head tip portion is reinforced.

(Specific Configurations / Examples) In order to clarify the present invention more specifically,
A detailed description will be given with reference to the illustrated embodiment.

First, FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show an example of a recording head having a laminated structure according to the present invention, in which 2 is a substrate having an electric insulation property, and a stripe is formed on one surface of the substrate 2. A large number of recording electrodes 4 in the form of stripes, and a large number of stripe-shaped return electrodes 6 corresponding to the recording electrodes 4 on the other surface of the substrate 2 Are supported on the respective surfaces of the substrate 2.

By the way, the substrate 2 is made of a material that is more easily abraded than the electrodes (4, 6) in consideration of the contact property of the electrode end surface with respect to the film-shaped recording medium or color recording paper to be brought into sliding contact. Is used, especially the electrode (4,
A ceramic-based substrate with a hardness less than that of 6) that is easily worn and suitable for precision processing is preferably selected. Among them, a free-cutting glass ceramic substrate containing mica, a nitrogen-boron substrate, and a free-cutting property containing boron nitride. A ceramic substrate or a free-cutting glass ceramic substrate, a free-cutting ceramic substrate containing boron nitride and aluminum nitride or a free-cutting glass ceramic substrate is preferable, and among them, a free-cutting glass ceramic substrate containing mica is preferable. It will be used particularly advantageously.

Then, such a substrate 2 is made thin by providing a cutout portion having a predetermined depth on one surface side thereof at a portion corresponding to the head tip portion thereof. In other words, the substrate 2 is the head tip portion (the lower portion in FIG. 2) that is brought into contact with the film-shaped recording electrode or the color recording paper.
In the above, from the head tip portion to the base portion side (upper portion in FIG. 2) of the recording head, a predetermined length: L is made thinner than the head base portion (thickness: d). ,
As a result, on the substrate lacking portion forming surface side of the head tip portion,
Thus, the concave portion corresponding to the substrate-removed shape is formed.

In this way, the recording electrodes 4 that come into contact with the film-shaped recording medium or the color recording paper are provided on both sides of the substrate 2, respectively.
With the provision of the return electrode 6 and the return electrode 6, the distance between the electrodes is defined by the thickness d of the thin portion of the front end of the substrate 2, and the formation or processing of the front end of the substrate 2 is performed. Therefore, the accuracy of the distance between the electrodes can be advantageously improved, and thus the quality of printing / printing can be improved.

Moreover, since the substrate 2 which is thick at the head base and thin at the head tip also serves as an electrode insulating layer between the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6, the entire thickness as an electrical insulating layer is obtained. However, it is not necessary to use a thin thin plate, and therefore, it is excellent in handleability and mechanical strength. That is, the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 at the tip of the head, which come into contact with the film-shaped recording medium or the color recording paper, suppress the crosstalk between them and form a desired size of printing or printing dots. The short space (d) that can be formed is maintained, and the space is uniform in the direction of wear, and the mechanical strength and mounting workability of the recording head are excellent.

In the recording head, the thickness of the thin portion at the tip of the substrate 2 is d, and the length in the wear direction is L, the electrodes 4, 6,
It is appropriately selected depending on the material of the substrate 2, the printing or printing characteristics required for the head tip portion, and the printing pressure when the electrode is brought into contact with the film-shaped recording medium or color recording paper. However, in general, its thickness: d is 150μ
m or less, preferably about 25 to 100 μm, and its length:
As L, 50 to 4000 μm, preferably about 100 to 1000 μm is adopted.

The thin portion of the tip of the substrate 2 is formed by a predetermined molding operation or a known precision machining such as grinding or slicing. For example, at least one surface side of the tip of the substrate 2 has a predetermined depth. And the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 are respectively formed on both surfaces of the substrate 2 including the cutout portion. It will be.
Further, the recording electrode or the return electrode may be formed on one surface side of the substrate, and thereafter, the thin portion at the tip may be formed by cutting the other surface side to a predetermined depth. The surface of the substrate 2 that extends to the thin-walled portion in the tip notch is an obtuse inclined surface here, but it may be a right-angled surface that gives a stepped shape. Even if the surface is shaped, it does not matter.

Further, the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 provided on both sides of the substrate 2 are made of a conductive material having a higher wear resistance than that of the substrate 2 supporting the electrodes, but especially chromium, titanium, tantalum, A metal such as zirconium and an alloy containing them, or a conductor material mainly composed of a compound thereof is preferably adopted, and since they are excellent in mechanical wear resistance, the consumption of the electrode due to an electric action is small, It is used advantageously. Among them, a conductor material mainly containing a metal, an alloy or a compound of chromium is particularly preferable, and a conductor material mainly containing an alloy or a compound containing chromium and nitrogen is particularly preferably used. And those recording electrodes 4
The return electrode 6 is formed into a film by a sputtering method, a vapor deposition method, an ion plating method, a CVD method, a coating method, a printing method, a plating method, or various types such as an etching method or a lift-off method using a photolithography technique. By using the pattern forming method, it is preferably provided in a thickness of at least 1 μm or more, and the surfaces of these electrodes are plated with nickel, chromium, tin, copper, gold or the like, if necessary.

Then, in this way, the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 are formed on both sides in this way.
In the substrate 2 provided with, the reinforcing plate 10 is adhered to the notch forming surface side of the tip end of the substrate 2 via the adhesive 8 along the shape of the notch of the substrate. The thin-walled portion at the tip of the recording head (substrate) is reinforced. In short, at least in the recess formed by molding the thin-walled portion of the substrate 2,
The reinforcing plate 10 is attached, and thereby the head tip portion is reinforced. Further, here, a heat radiating plate 12 made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as boron nitride or aluminum nitride is attached to the surface side of the substrate 2 where the cutout portion is not provided via an adhesive material 8. .

As described above, by sticking the reinforcing plate 10 to the substrate notched portion along the shape of the notched portion of the substrate 2, the thin-walled portion of the head tip portion is effectively reinforced, and therefore Since there is no coating layer formed by coating, etc. at the tip of the head, the coating layer does not slump or peel due to sliding with the film-shaped recording medium or color recording paper, and the slump or peeling This is an excellent feature in that an object is not sandwiched between an electrode and a film or the like, which does not cause a problem of hindering printing or printing.

Further, in the recording head having such a structure, the head end portion of the head is made to move in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2 to form a film-shaped recording medium (or color recording paper) 14
The platen 16 is pressed downward in FIG. 2 so that predetermined printing or printing is performed. Therefore, the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode of the recording head are 6 can be abutted (pressed) at right angles to the movement of the film-shaped recording medium 14 or the like, whereby the end faces of the electrodes 4, 6 and the film-shaped recording medium 14 slide smoothly, and the film It also exerts a characteristic that the recording medium 14 is not damaged.

In addition, on the side of the substrate lacking portion forming surface of the head tip portion,
As the reinforcing plate 10, which is a reinforcing body and is adhered along the shape of the substrate cut surface, a plate-like material having a hardness smaller than that of the recording electrode 4 or the return electrode 6 and easily worn is preferably used.
Among them, free-cutting glass ceramic plate, free-cutting glass ceramic plate containing mica, free-cutting plate ceramic plate, metal plate, metal plate whose surface is electrically insulated, etc. are advantageously used, and boron nitride and aluminum nitride are also used. If a plate-shaped body containing a material having excellent thermal conductivity such as, for example, is used as a main component, it can also serve as a heat dissipation plate. Especially,
When the same material as the substrate 2 is used as the reinforcing plate 10, the thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate 2 and the reinforcing plate 10 are the same, and thermal stress is less likely to occur at the bonding surface with the substrate 2, and between them, Therefore, it is possible to effectively avoid the problem of peeling, warping, or deformation.

Further, the heat dissipation plate 12 attached to the surface side of the recording head having no cutout portion as described above is generally
The reinforcing plate 10 is made of the same material as that of the reinforcing plate 10 and has not only the intended heat dissipation function but also the reinforcing function of the recording head.However, as described above, the reinforcing plate 10 also has the heat dissipation function. As a result, the heat dissipation plate 12 can be provided only for the purpose of reinforcement.

Further, as the adhesive used for such attachment, an inorganic material containing alumina, silica, boron nitride, or the like, or a resin material containing epoxy, phenol, polyimide, or the like can be used. A composite material containing an inorganic material such as boron and a resin material may be used, and among them, an inorganic material containing alumina, silica, boron nitride or the like is preferably selected.

Incidentally, the energization type recording head according to the present invention can appropriately adopt not only the structure described above but also the structure shown in FIGS. 3, 4, 5 and the like.

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, notches are provided on both sides of the portion of the substrate 2 located at the tip of the head to form a thin portion having a predetermined thickness: d and a length: L. The recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 are respectively formed on the surfaces on which the substrate cutout portions are formed on both sides thereof, and further thereon,
Reinforcement plate 10 and
18 is adhered via the adhesive material 8 to reinforce the thin and thick portion of the head tip portion. In addition,
Thus, when the two reinforcing plates 10 and 18 are provided on both sides of the substrate 2, the material is selected so that at least one of them also functions as a heat dissipation plate. Become.

Further, in the example shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the substrate 2, the recording electrode 4, the return electrode 6, and the heat dissipation plate 12 are used in the same manner as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Reinforcing plate 10, 10a so that it is located in the recess formed in the site
Are fixed by an adhesive material 8. In addition, in FIG. 5, the reinforcing plate 10b is further covered from above the reinforcing plate 10a so as to cover the cutout portion.
Is adhered.

By the way, the results produced by the present inventors for the energization type recording head having the structure shown in these drawings are as follows.

First, in the recording heads shown in FIGS. 1 to 2, 4 and 5, a free-cutting glass ceramic substrate containing mica is used as the substrate 2, and the substrate 2 is used. A chromium film formed by a sputtering method is patterned on both sides of the substrate by a normal photo-etching method, and a heat treatment is further applied in an atmosphere containing nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas. The return electrode 6 was formed. The recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 both have an electrode pitch of 125 μm,
The electrode width was 70 μm, the electrode thickness was 6 μm, and the total number was 1000 stripes. The substrate 2 at the tip of the head had a thickness d of 70 μm and a length L of 1000 μm. Further, as the reinforcing plates 10, 10a, 10b, a free-cutting glass ceramic plate containing the same mica as the substrate 2 is processed and used,
Further, a boron nitride plate is used as the heat dissipation plate 12, and the substrate 2
Each surface was bonded with an inorganic adhesive containing alumina.

On the other hand, in the example shown in FIG. 3, notches are provided on both sides of a substrate 2 made of a free-cutting glass-ceramic plate containing mica (d: 40 μm, L: 500 μm), and each of them is provided on each surface. Then, the recording electrode 4 and the return electrode 6 were formed by the same method as in the above example. The pitch of each electrode is
The width was 80 μm, the width was 50 μm, and the total number was 50. In addition, the reinforcing plate 10 attached to the one side of the substrate 2 where the cutout is formed.
A free-cutting glass ceramic plate containing mica is used for the reinforcing plate 18 on the other cutout forming surface side, and a free-cutting ceramic plate containing boron nitride and aluminum nitride is used as an adhesive. Was an inorganic adhesive containing alumina.

Then, in the recording apparatus using the recording head manufactured in the above-described configuration, the electrode is slid on the film-shaped recording medium 14, printing is repeated, and an evaluation test for examining printing quality is performed. As a result, it was confirmed that, with any recording apparatus using any of the recording heads, high-density, extremely clear printing was obtained without change over time, and the contact between the electrodes and the film-shaped recording medium was good.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. Various changes, modifications, improvements, and the like can be made to the present invention based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It belongs to the category of the invention,
It should be understood.

For example, in the illustrated specific example, the return electrode 6 is composed of a plurality of striped electrodes, but instead of this, it may be structured as a single plate-shaped or layered common electrode. is there.

(Effects of the Invention) As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, it is possible to maintain the easiness of handling of the substrate and the mechanical strength of the substrate, while maintaining good performance between the recording electrode and the return electrode at the head tip. It is possible to provide a recording head that improves the accuracy of the distance and that is excellent in the quality of printing and printing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a cutaway perspective explanatory view conceptually showing a tip portion of a recording head according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional explanatory view in the electrode extending direction of the recording head in the figure. Further, FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 respectively show
FIG. 8 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 2 of a recording head according to another embodiment of the invention. 2: Substrate, 4: Recording electrode 6: Return electrode, 8: Adhesive 10,10a, 10b, 18: Reinforcement plate 12: Heat dissipation plate 14: Film recording medium 16: Platen

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An electrically insulating substrate, a recording electrode supported on one surface of the substrate, and a return electrode supported on the other surface of the substrate. In an energization type recording head in which an electrode is brought into contact with a film-shaped recording medium having at least a resistance layer to be energized or color recording paper, the substrate is formed of a material which is more easily abraded than the electrode. Further, a cutout portion having a predetermined depth is provided on at least one surface side of the tip end portion, and is made thinner than a portion on the head base portion side over a predetermined length from the head tip end portion to the head base portion side. On the other hand, a reinforcing body is attached to the substrate tip portion forming surface side of the head tip portion such that it is located at least in the recess formed by the tip portion, and the thin wall portion of the head tip portion is reinforced. Doing An energization type recording head characterized by: