JPH02116558A - Edge face type thermal head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To enable high speed high quality printing to be performed at low cost by a method wherein a plurality of lines of thermal resistant layers, a plurality of lines of feed individual electrode layers individually connected to the thermal resistant layer, and a common electrode layer are established on a head substrate, and an exposed top edge face of the thermal resistant layer flush with an edge face of the head substrate is made to be a recording part. CONSTITUTION:An edge face type thermal head is formed as follows. Electroless Ni-P-W plating is processed on a substrate 2, and a plurality of lines of thermal resistant layers 3 are formed by photoetching. A plurality of lines of feed individual electrode layers 6 are formed by processing electrolytic Ni plating on the thermal resistant layer 3 by using this thermal resistant layer 3 as an electrode for electrification. After cutting a top edge part, a common electrode layer 7 is formed on the substrate 2 and the thermal resistant layer 3 by vapour deposition of copper. A top edge face 4 of the thermal resistant layer 3 is made flush with an edge face 5 of the head substrate 2, and the top edge face 4 of this thermal resistant layer 3 is taken as a recording part. When power is applied to the feed individual electrode layer 6 of the thermal head 1, the thermal resistant layer 3 part is heated, and heat is transmitted to the recording top edge face 4. Ink of an ink ribbon 8 being in contact therewith is molten and is transferred to recording paper 9. Since the recording top edge face 4 is exposed, build up of heat in this part is less and high speed printing becomes practicable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an end-face type thermal head used in a thermal type or thermal transfer type printer or facsimile.

[Conventional technology]

In a conventional thermal head, a heating resistance layer, a power supply electrode layer, and a wear-resistant layer are sequentially laminated on an insulating substrate, and a heat-generating resistance layer is formed between the individual electrode layer of the power supply electrode layer and the common electrode layer. This section is used as a recording section.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in the above method, the heating resistance layer is formed as a thin film on the substrate, so it must be coated with a wear-resistant layer such as glass to maintain durability.
In addition to the complicated manufacturing process, there was a drawback that the print head was extremely hot, making it impossible to increase printing speed.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and is inexpensive, high-speed,
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an edge-type thermal head that enables high-quality printing.

[Means to solve the problem]

The configuration of the end face type thermal head of the present invention includes a plurality of heat generating resistor layers on a head substrate, a plurality of individual electrode layers for power feeding that are individually connected to these heat generating resistor layers, and a plurality of individual power feeding electrode layers connected to the plurality of heat generating resistor layers. A connecting common electrode layer is provided, and the exposed end surface of the heating resistor layer flush with the end surface of the head substrate serves as a recording section.

Preferably, the head substrate is made of ceramic having a hardness equal to or lower than that of the heating resistance layer.

[Effect]

Since the leading end surface of the recording portion of the heating resistor layer is exposed, the recording portion of the heating resistor layer receives less heat, allowing high-speed printing. In addition, by using ceramic for the head substrate that has a hardness equal to or lower than that of the heating resistance layer, the leading edge of the recording part of the heating resistance layer does not recede from the edge of the substrate, making it possible to maintain clear, high-quality printing. .

〔Example〕

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention, in which the head substrate 2 is made of ceramic containing silica as a main component (commonly known as machinable ceramic). The composition of this ceramic is shown below.

SiO□　　　64% kittys 25% 20 5% to Others 6% The hardness of this substrate 2 was +]v380.

Reference numeral 3 denotes an elongated band-shaped heating resistance layer of electroless N1-P-W plating, which is formed in plural on the substrate 2 at a predetermined pitch. The end surface 4 of the heat generating resistor layer 3 is flush with the end surface 5 of the head substrate 2, and the end surface 4 of the heat generating resistor layer 3 forms a recording section. The hardness of the heat generating resistor layer 3 was Hv500-600.

Reference numeral 6 denotes an individual electrode layer for power supply of electrolytic Ni plating formed on each heating resistor layer 3 except for the end portion on the side of the front end surface 4 of the recording section.

Reference numeral 7 denotes a common 1ffi electrode layer spanning between the heat generating resistor layers 3, and this common electrode N7 is formed of copper at a position near the recording portion tip surface 4 of the heat generating resistor layer 3.

The above-mentioned end face type thermal head 1 is constructed by applying electroless N1-P-W plating known as a resistor on a substrate 2, forming the heat generating resistor layer 3 by photo-etching, and then forming the heat generating resistor layer 3 on the substrate 2. As a current-carrying electrode, the heating resistor N3 is electrolytically plated with Ni to form the power-feeding individual electrode layer 6;
After cutting the tip, the common electrode layer 7 was formed on the head substrate 2 and the heating resistor layer 3 by vapor deposition of copper.

Therefore, in the end-face type thermal conductor 1 of the present invention, when the individual electrode layer 6 for power feeding is energized, the portion of the heating resistor layer 3 between the individual electrode layer 6 for power feeding and the common electrode layer 7 generates heat. The heat is transferred to the leading end surface 4 of the recording section, and the heat generated at the leading end surface 4 of the recording section melts, for example, the ink on the ink ribbon 8 (see FIG. 2) that is in contact with the leading end surface 4 of the recording section, and the recording paper 9 transcribed into.

In this case, since the leading end surface 4 of the recording portion of the heat generating resistor layer 3 is exposed, there is little heat in this portion, so high-speed printing is possible. Furthermore, since the head substrate 2 is made of low-hardness ceramic, the recording portion tip end surface 4 of the heat generating resistor N3 does not recede from the substrate end surface 5, so that clear, high-quality printing can be maintained.

In this example, the heating resistance layer 3 is made of electroless Ni-p-w.
Although it is formed by plating, it is not limited to this, and may be formed from conductive ceramic by, for example, a sputtering method or a vapor deposition method. Furthermore, it goes without saying that the individual power feeding electrodes N6, the common electrode layer 7, and the head substrate 2 are not limited to those described above.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, a plurality of heat generating resistor layers are provided on a head substrate, a plurality of individual electrode layers for power feeding are individually connected to these heat generating resistor layers, and a plurality of power supplying individual electrode layers are connected to the plurality of heat generating resistor layers. By providing a connecting common electrode layer and using the exposed end surface of the heating resistor layer flush with the end surface of the head substrate as a recording section, it is possible to provide a thermal head with a simple structure and low cost.

Since the recording part of the heating resistor layer is exposed, there is less heat in the recording part (high-speed printing is possible.Then, the head substrate is made of ceramic that has a hardness equal to or lower than that of the heating resistor layer). As a result, the leading end surface of the recording portion of the heating resistor layer does not recede from the end surface of the substrate, and clear, high-quality printing can be maintained.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

The drawings show one embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a portion of an end-face type thermal head, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing the use state of the end-face type thermal head. 1 is an end face type thermal head, 2 is a head substrate, 3 is a heat generating resistor layer, 4 is a recording section tip surface, 5 is an end surface of a substrate, 6 is an individual electrode layer for power supply, 7 is a common electrode layer, 8 is an ink ribbon, 9 is recording paper. Patent applicant Teikoku Piston Ring Co., Ltd.

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A plurality of heat generating resistor layers, a plurality of individual power supply electrode layers individually connected to these heat generating resistor layers, and a common electrode layer connected to the plurality of heat generating resistor layers are provided on the head substrate. . An end face type thermal head in which an exposed end face of the heat generating resistor layer that is flush with the end face of the head substrate serves as a recording section. (2) The end-face type thermal head according to claim 1, wherein the head substrate is formed of ceramic having a hardness equal to or lower than that of the heating resistance layer.