JPH01208157A - Thermal head and thermal printer - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable one printer to cope with two kinds of dot pitches, by a method wherein two groups of heating elements having different array pitches are arranged up and down vertically to a transfer direction of a thermal head. CONSTITUTION:A first and a second heating element groups 3, 4 are arranged in a row vertically to a transfer direction A of a head 1. A DIP switch 33 selects either the first group of one one hundred and eightieth inch pitch or the second group of one one hundred and sixtieth inch pitch. Whether power is supplied from a head power source 36 by a common electrode 7 or by a common electrode 8 is selected with the DIP switch 33, and a dot pitch will be selectable. It is selected by outputting a High or Low level signal to an output terminal 35 from a CPU 30 with an inverter 28, and transistors 24, 25, 26, 27 which are connected.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to a thermal head and a thermal printer,
In particular, the present invention relates to a thermal head and a thermal printer that can accommodate two types of printer specifications with different dot pitches.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, there are two main types of printers that are connected to personal computers, etc. When using a computer, you can choose a printer that matches the software, or
Alternatively, it was necessary to take measures such as correcting the dot pitch on the printer side.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

In these conventional examples, the dot pitch does not match depending on the software, so the intended figure may not be output. In addition, in order to be compatible with any software, a printer must be purchased for 200 yen, which is a factor in increasing costs.

An object of the present invention is to provide a thermal head that can handle two types of dot pitches with one printer, regardless of the type of personal computer or software, and a thermal printer equipped with the thermal head.

[Means for Solving the Problems] The present invention provides two heating elements with different arrangement pitches in the vertical direction.
This thermal printer is characterized by having a thermal head arranged in pairs, and a means for selecting an optimum dot pitch by switching the pair of heating elements according to the type or software of a host computer equipped with the thermal head and connected to the thermal head. .

〔Example〕

Examples of the present invention will be described in detail below.

FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b) are schematic diagrams showing an embodiment of the thermal head of the present invention, in which 1 is a base material made of ceramics, etc., 2 is an FPC that supplies power to a heat generating element 5, and 3 is a 2
A first heat generating element group in which 4 dots of heat generating elements are arranged, and 4 indicate a similar second heat generating element group. The heating element pitch P1 of the first group is 1/180th of an inch, and the heating element pitch P2 of the second group is 1/160th of an inch.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the thermal head of the present invention. 7 is a common electrode of the first group, 8 is a common electrode of the second group, 9
9a represents the first group of individual electrodes, and 9b represents the second group of individual electrodes.

The individual electrodes 9a, 9b are connected at connection points 10 in respective corresponding orders. The multilayer structure isolates the electrodes from each other except at the connection points. Reference numeral 11 indicates the 1st to 24th individual electrodes of the heat generating elements of the first group and the second group.

6 is a connection part for connecting the FPC2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a thermal printer according to the present invention.

Reference numeral 21 denotes an ink ribbon, and in this embodiment, the ink ribbon has a width that covers the row direction of the heat generating element groups of the first group 3 and the second group 4. The moving direction of the head is indicated by arrow A, and heat generating elements are arranged in a row in a direction perpendicular to this moving direction. 22 is a platen placed opposite to the thermal head, and 23 is a printing paper which is pressed in the direction of arrow B to perform thermal transfer.

30 is a CPU that centrally controls the entire thermal printer, 31, 32 is an I10 board, 34 is an interface for inputting print data, and 33 is a computer and its software that perform printing at 1/180 inch pitch in the first group. The figure shows a dip switch for selecting printing with a pitch of 1/160 inch or the second group with a pitch of 1/160 inch.

The dip switch selects whether power is supplied from the head power supply 36 to the common electrode 7 or the common electrode 8, and the dot pitch can be selected. This is output terminal 3
5 are connected to an inverter 28 and a transistor 24 .
25, 26, and 27, by outputting an Htgh or Low level signal from the CPU 30. The head driver 29 drives both the first group and the second group from 1# of the 1st dot to 24# of the 24th dot.

In this embodiment, a double-width ink ribbon is used, but a structure in which the thermal head is moved up and down may also be used.

〔Effect of the invention〕

In general, in thermal transfer printers, it is known that the closer the heat generating part is to the edge of the thermal head, the higher the print quality on printing paper with low surface smoothness. It is desirable that the heat generating elements are arranged at a pitch of 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.

Furthermore, since two types of pitches can be printed, there is no need to change the printer itself using software or a host computer. Furthermore, the image is not distorted by the correction, and is extremely simple.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIGS. 1A and 1G are schematic diagrams of an embodiment of a thermal head according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a thermal head according to the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a thermal printer according to the present invention. ■・・・・・・・・・・・・Thermal head 3.4...
...Heating element group and above Applicant: Seiko Epson Corporation (cL) (5) Figure 1 Figure 3

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) In a serial type thermal head in which a plurality of heat generating elements are arranged in a row, two groups of heat generating elements with different arrangement pitches are arranged vertically in the direction of movement of the thermal head, one above the other. thermal head. (2) The type of host computer to which the thermal head is mounted and connected may have means for selecting the optimum dot pitch by switching the group of heating elements according to the software used therein. A thermal printer with special features.