JPH0627150U - Thermal head - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To provide a thermal head in which the impact force is not concentrated on the end portion of the heating element but is dispersed at the time of contact to prevent damage to the heating element. [Structure] Both ends 20, 20 of a holder 15 supporting the heating element 7 in a state where the heating layer 10 is projected are made to project more laterally than both ends of the heating element 7. With this configuration, when the heating element 7 is manually brought into contact with the paper surface, even if the heating element 7 is tilted, only the end portion of the heating element 7 hardly contacts the paper surface, and the end of the heating element 7 is hardly contacted. The end portion of the heating element 7 can be brought into contact after the end portion 20 of the holder 15 protruding laterally from the portion comes into contact with the paper surface or at the same time. Therefore, it is possible to disperse the impact force so that the impact force is not concentrated on the end portion of the heating element 7 at the time of contact.

Description

[Detailed description of the device]

[0001]

[Industrial applications]

 The present invention relates to a thermal head used for a manual printing device or the like.

[0002]

[Prior art]

 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a manual printing device called a handy writer that prints predetermined information by manually sliding on the paper surface. This manual printing device is an electronic device through a connection cord 3 by holding the device body 1 shown in FIG. 5 by hand and sliding it on the paper surface while pressing the print button 2 provided on the device body 1. The information given from (not shown) is printed. Such a manual printer has a thermal head 4 as shown in FIG. This thermal head 4 includes a holder 8 having a substantially semi-circular support groove 7 formed at the lower ends of a pair of front and rear support plates 5 and 6, and a tubular heating element 9 held in the support groove 7 of the holder 8. And a flexible cable 10 for guiding a drive current to the heating element 9. In this case, the heating element 9 has a structure in which a heating layer (heating portion) 12 is formed on the surface of the glass tube 11 by a thin film forming technique. The flexible cable 10 is connected to the heating element 9 and is sandwiched between the pair of support plates 5 and 6 and extended upward. In this thermal head 4, the heating element 9 is placed directly on the thermal paper, or is placed on plain paper with an ink ribbon interposed, and in this state the heating layer 12 of the heating element 9 is slid while generating heat according to the print information. By doing so, information can be printed.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the device]

 However, in such a conventional thermal head 4, since the heating element 9 is manually brought into contact with the paper surface, at the moment of contact, the heating element 9 may be inclined to the paper surface 13 as shown in FIG. For this reason, there is a problem that the impact force at the time of contact is concentrated on the end portion of the heating element 9 and the heating element 9 in that portion is damaged. Such a problem is particularly likely to occur because the heating element 9 has a structure in which the heating layer 12 is formed on the surface of the glass tube 11.

The cause is that the impact force is concentrated on the end portion of the heating element 9 at the time of contact.

As a result, if the impact force can be dispersed so as not to concentrate on the end portion of the heating element at the time of contact, it is possible to prevent the heating element from being damaged.

An object of the present invention is to make it possible to disperse the impact force so as not to concentrate on the end portion of the heating element at the time of contact.

[0007]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

 The means of this invention are as follows. (1) A heating element having a heating portion whose heating is controlled according to print information. For example, a heat generating layer that is a heat generating portion is formed on the surface of a glass tube by a thin film forming technique. The heat-generating portion is formed by arranging dot-shaped heat-generating elements in a line, and each heat-generating element generates heat in accordance with print information. (2) A holder that supports the heating element in a state where the heating section is projected, and has both ends protruding laterally beyond both ends of the heating element. For example, it consists of a single support plate or a pair of front and rear support plates whose bottom side is longer than the heating element, and an arcuate groove is formed in the lower end of the heating plate, and both ends of the groove protrude beyond the ends of the heating element. In addition, the heating element is sandwiched with the heating portion protruding downward. In this case, both ends of the heating element, which project laterally beyond the ends, may be provided with protrusions that are substantially the same height as or lower than the height of the heating element projecting downward.

[0008]

[Action]

 The operation of the means of this invention is as follows. When the heating element is manually brought into contact with the paper surface, even if the heating element is tilted, only the end of the heating element rarely comes into contact with the paper surface, and the holder protruding laterally beyond the end of the heating element The end of the heating element will come into contact either after or at the same time as the end touches the paper. Therefore, at the time of contact, the impact force can be dispersed so as not to concentrate on the end portion of the heating element.

[0009]

【Example】

 Hereinafter, the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The same parts as those of the conventional example shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be appropriately omitted. FIG. 1 shows a thermal head of this invention. In this figure, a holder 15 that supports the heating element 9 is composed of a pair of front and rear support plates 16 and 17. Each of the support plates 16 and 17 is formed in a flat plate shape whose lower side is sufficiently longer than the heating element 9, and arcuate support grooves 18 and 19 are formed at the lower ends thereof so as to face each other. This holder 15 has a pair of support plates 16 and 17 which are superposed on each other in the front and back to form a semicircular arc-shaped groove at the lower end thereof by the support grooves 18 and 19, and the heat generating layer 9 is directed downward in the groove. The heating element 9 is arranged in a projecting state, and the heating element 9 is held in a state where both end portions 20, 20 project laterally beyond both ends of the heating element 9.

In such a thermal head, when the heating element 9 is brought into contact with the paper surface 13 manually, as shown in FIG. There is almost no contact with the paper surface 13, and after the end portion 20 of the holder 15 protruding laterally beyond the end portion of the heating element 9 comes into contact with the paper surface 13 or at the same time, the end of the heat generating element 9 is reached. The parts will come into contact. Therefore, the impact force can be dispersed at the end of the heating element 9 without being concentrated at the time of contact. Thereby, even if the heating element 9 has a structure in which the heating layer 12 is formed on the surface of the glass tube 11, it is possible to prevent the heating element 9 from being damaged by the impact force at the time of contact.

Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The same parts as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals and the description thereof will be omitted. The holder 25 of the thermal head shown in FIG. 3 includes a pair of front and rear support plates 16 and 17, as in the first embodiment. The pair of support plates 16 and 17 are formed in a flat plate shape whose lower side is sufficiently longer than the heating element 9, and the heating element 9 is held at the lower end thereof. In this case, the both ends of the holder 25 project laterally beyond the both ends of the heating element 9, and the projections at the both ends are substantially the same as or lower than the protruding height of the heating element 9 downward. 26, 26 are provided.

In such a thermal head, as in the first embodiment, when the heating element 9 is manually brought into contact with the paper surface 13 as shown in FIG. 4, even if the heating element 9 is tilted, the heating element 9 is inclined. After the protrusion 26 of the holder 15 that protrudes more to the side than the end of the heating element 9 comes into contact with the paper surface 13 or at the same time, the end of the heating element 9 comes into contact. It is possible to disperse the impact force at the end portion of the first embodiment more than that of the first embodiment, and it is possible to more reliably prevent the heating element 9 from being damaged by the impact force at the time of contact.

[0013]

[Effect of device]

 According to this invention, since both ends of the holder that supports the heating element in the state where the heating element is projected are projected more laterally than both ends of the heating element, when the heating element is manually brought into contact with the paper surface. In addition, even if the heating element is tilted, it is unlikely that only the end of the heating element will come into contact with the paper surface, and whether the end of the holder protruding laterally beyond the end of the heating element comes into contact with the paper surface. Alternatively, at the same time, the end portions of the heating element can be brought into contact with each other, so that at the time of contact, the impact force can be dispersed so as not to concentrate on the end portions of the heating element, and damage to the heating element can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a thermal head according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the thermal head of FIG. 1 is brought into contact with the paper surface.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a thermal head according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the thermal head of FIG. 2 is brought into contact with the paper surface.

FIG. 5 is an external perspective view of a manual printer.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a conventional thermal head.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the thermal head of FIG. 6 is brought into contact with the paper surface.

[Explanation of symbols]

 9 heating element 12 heating layer (heating part) 15, 25 holder 20 holder end 26 protrusion

Claims (2)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A heating element having a heating portion whose heat generation is controlled in accordance with print information, and the heating element supported in a state where the heating portion is projected, and both ends of the heating element are more than both ends of the heating element. Also, a thermal head having a holder protruding laterally. 2. The holder, which projects laterally beyond both ends of the heating element, is provided with protrusions that are substantially the same as or lower than the protruding height of the heating element. The thermal head according to claim 1.