JPH03288665A - Electric-conduction recording head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent the occurrence of a printing failure by a method wherein a piezoeletric element vibrating in the thick or plane direction of a resistant layer of an electric conduction ink sheet is connected to a recording electrode applied with a voltage. CONSTITUTION:A piezoelectric element 10 vibrating in the thick direction of a resistance layer 4 is held between each recording electrode 7 and each vibration electrode 9. The recording electrodes 7 are individually connected to a drive circuit 8 by wire bonding 13. When the resistant layer 4 of an electric- conduction ink sheet 1 is heated by applying a voltage to the resistant layer 4 from the recording electrode 7 selected in accordance with a printing signal, the piezoelectric element 10 is driven by the drive circuit 8 and vibrates in the thick direction of the resistance layer 4 together with the recording electrode 7. In this manner, if a space between the recording electrode 7 and the resistance layer 4 is clogged with dusts or foreign particles, they can be removed by the vibration. Moreover, unevenness in printing density can be prevented from occurring. Alternatively, a similar effect can be obtained with an increased pixel size by providing a piezoelectric element 10 vibrating along the flat surface of the resistant layer 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a current-carrying recording head that applies a voltage to a resistive layer of a current-carrying ink sheet to melt the ink layer and transfer ink to a recording medium.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 59-182768, ink on a current-carrying ink sheet is pressed by pressing a recording electrode against a resistance layer of a current-carrying ink sheet and applying a voltage to the recording electrode. 2. Description of the Related Art There is an invention in which dust attached to an energized ink sheet and a transfer sheet is removed in a thermal transfer recording device in which ink in a layer is melted and transferred to a transfer sheet.

Problems to be solved by the invention The invention described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-182768 is as follows:
Although dust can be removed before printing, it is not possible to remove foreign matter generated during printing, such as abrasion scum from recording electrodes and abrasion scum from an energized ink sheet. When these foreign objects and dust adhere to the recording electrode, it becomes difficult to conduct electricity.
This results in printing defects.

Furthermore, it is difficult to bring the recording electrode into uniform, all-over contact with the low resistance layer of the energized ink sheet, and in reality, the recording electrode contacts the low resistance layer of the current-carrying ink sheet through a collection of point contacts. Therefore, if it is difficult to align the surfaces of all the recording electrodes on the same plane due to variations in the manufacturing process, there will be differences in the contact state between the individual recording electrodes and the resistance layer, and the temperature of the resistance layer will change. As a result, unevenness in print density occurs.

Further, if the resolution is, for example, 6 dots/mm, the area of the tip of the recording electrode forming one pixel is 166 μm on one side according to a simple calculation. However, this number does not allow for spacing between all recording electrodes. With current plating technology, it is difficult to form recording electrodes with a thickness of 100 μm or more, and in order to prevent contact between adjacent recording electrodes, taking into account manufacturing variations, it is necessary to form recording electrodes with a thickness of 130 μm
Only a recording electrode with an area of about 100 m can be obtained. As a result, gaps called white spots occur between pixels.

Means for Solving the Problems According to the first aspect of the invention, a piezoelectric element that vibrates in the thickness direction of the resistance layer of the current-carrying ink sheet is coupled to the recording electrode to which a voltage is applied.

According to the second aspect of the invention, a piezoelectric element vibrating in the plane direction of the resistance layer of the current-carrying ink sheet is coupled to the recording electrode to which the voltage is applied.

The invention according to claim 1 heats the resistance layer by a voltage applied from the recording electrode to the resistance layer of the current-carrying ink sheet, thereby melting the ink in the ink layer of the current-carrying ink sheet and transferring it to the recording medium. In addition, even if foreign matter or dust such as abrasion scum from the recording electrode or the current-carrying ink sheet gets caught between the recording electrode and the resistive layer, the piezoelectric element vibrates the recording medium in the thickness direction of the resistive layer. By doing so, the foreign matter and dust can be shaken off by vibration, and furthermore, the contact between the recording electrode and the resistance layer can be improved by vibration.

According to the second aspect of the invention, foreign matter and dust between the recording electrode and the resistance layer can be shaken off by vibration of the recording electrode, and by vibration of the recording electrode along the plane direction of the resistance layer,
By expanding the contact area of the resistive layer with the recording electrode, the size of one pixel can be effectively increased.

Embodiment A first embodiment of the present invention will be explained based on FIGS. 1 to 3. As shown in FIG.
is provided. This current-carrying ink sheet 1 is formed by laminating a heat-meltable ink layer 2, a conductive layer 3, and a resistive layer 4, and is conveyed in one direction together with a recording medium 5.

Further, a common electrode 6 and a large number of recording electrodes 7 are connected to a drive circuit 8 and pressed onto the resistive layer 4 . Furthermore, a piezoelectric element 10 that vibrates along the thickness direction of the resistive layer 4 is sandwiched between each recording electrode 7 and the vibrating electrode 9. Therefore, by driving the drive circuit 8, a voltage is applied to the resistance layer 4. At this time, current flows through the conductive layer 3 along a path indicated by a dotted line 11. At the same time piezoelectric element 10
A voltage is applied to. That is, the recording electrode 7 also serves as one vibrating electrode for the piezoelectric element 10.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording electrode 7 is connected to the substrate 12.
They are arranged at equal intervals on one side of the board, and are individually connected to the drive circuit 8 by wire bonding 13. This drive circuit 8 is formed on a substrate 14.

In such a configuration, when a voltage is applied to the resistance layer 4 of the current-carrying ink sheet 1 from the recording electrode 7 selected according to the print signal to heat the resistance layer 4, the ink in the ink layer 2 of the current-carrying ink sheet 1 is heated. It is melted and transferred to the recording medium 5. At this time, even if dust or foreign matter is caught between the recording electrode 7 and the resistance layer 4, the piezoelectric element 10 is driven by the drive circuit 8 and vibrates together with the recording electrode 7 in the thickness direction of the resistance layer 4. , the foreign objects and dust can be shaken off by vibration. Furthermore, even if the surface of each recording electrode 7 with respect to the resistance layer 4 is somewhat uneven, each recording electrode 7 can be vibrated against the resistance layer 4.
can be brought into sufficient contact with the resistive layer 4.
It is possible to make uniform the amount of heat generated and the degree of melting of the ink layer 2, thereby preventing uneven print density from occurring. Here, if a gap is created between the recording electrode 7 and the ink layer 4 due to vibration, a discharge phenomenon will occur between the two, destroying the current-carrying ink sheet 1 or staining the tip of the recording electrode 7. It is necessary to apply sufficient pressure to the recording electrode 7 to the resistance layer 4 to prevent the occurrence of this phenomenon.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 3, by driving the piezoelectric element 10 with a power source 15 having a higher frequency than the frequency of the drive circuit 8 that drives the recording electrode 7, the vibration frequency can be made higher than the recording frequency. This removes dust or foreign matter adhering to the recording electrode 7 and the resistance layer 4, and removes the resistance layer 4.
The contactability of the recording electrode 7 to the recording electrode 7 can be further improved.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 4 to 6. Components that are the same as those in the embodiment described above are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted (the same applies hereinafter).

As shown in FIG. 4, the recording electrode 7 is pressed against the resistance layer 4.
A piezoelectric element 10 that vibrates along the plane of the resistive layer 4 is sandwiched between the resistive layer 4 and the vibrating electrode 1O facing the resistive layer 4 with the insulating sheet 16 in between.

Further, the drive circuit 8 that drives the recording electrode 7 includes a vibrating electrode 9.
is connected. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the recording electrodes 7 are formed on one surface of the substrate 12 so as to be arranged at equal intervals.

Therefore, as in the embodiment described above, by driving the drive circuit 8, a voltage is applied from the recording electrode 7 to the resistance layer 4, and a voltage is also applied to the piezoelectric element 10.
In this embodiment, the pressure 4jlt element 10 vibrates along the plane of the resistance layer 4, and therefore the contact area of the resistance layer 4 with the recording electrode 7 can be expanded. That is, since the melting area of the ink layer 4 increases, the size of one pixel can actually be increased, and thereby it is possible to prevent IJ2 from creating gaps called white spots between pixels. Of course, the vibration at this time can shake off foreign matter and dust between the resistance layer 4 and the recording electrode 7. Further, although the vibrating electrode 9 approaches the resistance layer 4, since the insulating sheet 16 is interposed between the two, heat generation in the portion of the resistance layer 4 facing the vibrating electrode 9 can be prevented. Furthermore, as shown in FIG.
By driving the piezoelectric element 10, the vibration frequency can be made higher than the recording frequency, thereby further promoting the vibration effect of the recording electrode 7.

Furthermore, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 7 and 8. As shown in FIG. 7, a resistance layer 4 is provided between the recording electrode 7 connected to the drive circuit 8 and the common electrode 6.
A piezoelectric element 10 that vibrates in the plane direction is sandwiched.

That is, the recording electrode 7 and the common electrode 6 are connected to the piezoelectric element 10.
It also has a vibrating electrode that drives the. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, the recording electrodes 7 are arranged at equal intervals on the substrate 1.
It is formed on one side of 2.

Therefore, by driving the drive circuit 8, a voltage is applied to the resistance layer 4, the ink in the ink layer 2 is melted, and the recording electrode 7 is transferred to the resistance layer 4 together with the piezoelectric element 10.
vibrates along the plane of Further, since the recording electrode 7 and the common electrode 6 also serve as vibrating electrodes of the piezoelectric element 10, there is no need to provide a separate vibrating electrode, and therefore, miniaturization can be achieved.

Effects of the Invention The invention of claim 1 is characterized in that a piezoelectric element that vibrates in the thickness direction of the resistance layer of the current-carrying ink sheet is coupled to the recording electrode to which a voltage is applied in a double series, so that current is applied from the recording electrode. The resistive layer is heated by a voltage applied to the resistive layer of the ink sheet, whereby the ink in the ink layer of the energized ink sheet can be melted and transferred to the recording medium, and
Even if foreign matter such as abrasion scum from the recording electrode or the current-carrying ink sheet or dust gets caught between the recording electrode and the resistive layer, the foreign matter can be removed by vibrating the recording medium in the thickness direction of the resistive layer using a piezoelectric element. In addition, the vibration can improve the contact between the recording electrode and the resistive layer, thus preventing the occurrence of uneven print density between pixels. It has the effect of

As described above, the invention of claim 2 is characterized in that a pressure element that vibrates in the plane direction of the resistance layer of the current-carrying ink sheet is coupled to the recording electrode to which a voltage is applied, thereby creating a gap between the recording electrode and the resistance layer. Foreign matter and dust can be shaken off by the vibration of the recording electrode, and the vibration of the recording electrode along the plane direction of the resistive layer expands the contact area of the resistive layer with the recording electrode, making it possible to reduce the size of one pixel. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of gaps called white spots between pixels.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show a first embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1 is a vertical side view, FIG. 2 is a front view showing the arrangement of recording electrodes, and FIG. 3 is a piezoelectric element 2. 4 to 6 show the second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the recording electrode. FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the arrangement state, FIG. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing the state in which the piezoelectric elements are connected to a high frequency power source, and FIGS. 7 and 8 show a third embodiment of the present invention. 8 is a longitudinal side view, and FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the arrangement of recording electrodes. l... Current-carrying ink sheet, 2... Ink layer, 4...
・Resistance layer, 5. Recording medium, 7. Recording electrode, 10. Piezoelectric element

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A large number of recording electrodes arranged at equal intervals are brought into contact with a resistance layer of an energized ink sheet and selectively energized to melt the ink layer of the ink sheet and transfer it to a recording medium. A current-carrying recording head characterized in that a piezoelectric element vibrating in the thickness direction of the resistance layer is coupled to the recording electrode. 2. A current-carrying recording head that melts the ink layer of the ink sheet and transfers it to a recording medium by bringing a large number of recording electrodes arranged at equal intervals into contact with a resistance layer of a current-carrying ink sheet and selectively applying electricity; A current-carrying recording head characterized in that a piezoelectric element that vibrates in a plane direction of a resistance layer is coupled to a recording electrode.