JPS61230958A - Thick film thermal printing head - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To perform color printing only by once passing thermal paper and at least trebling a printing pattern when color printing is not performed even if the heating-cooling cycle of each heat generating resistor is the same as a conventional one, by forming three lines of heat generating resistors approaching with each other in parallel to the surface of one substrate and connecting a conductor layer insulated and separated by a multilayered structure to each heat generating resistor to separately drive each heat generating resistor. CONSTITUTION:A platen 50 has an almost columnar shape and equally presses thermal paper to be printed to first-third heat generating resistors 10, 20, 30. The conductor layers 12a-12n, 13a-13n connected to the heat generating register 10 and the conductor layers 22a-22n, 23a-23n and conductor layers 32a-32n, 33a-33n connected to the heat generating resistors 20, 30 form a multilayered structure insulated and separated by insulating layers 21, 31 and the heat generating resistors 10, 20, 30 can be separately driven. Further, the heat generating resistors 10, 20, 30 are formed in positional relation so as to equally press thermal paper to be printed by a platen 50.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] Industrial Omega Sarasato! This invention relates to thick film thermal printheads.

In conventional thick-film thermal printheads, one heating resistor is formed for each substrate, and there are two types, called center type and edge type, depending on the position where the heating resistor is formed. It is being

< η“ ゝIn conventional thick-film thermal print heads, the heating-cooling cycle of the heating resistor currently requires a minimum length of 3 m.
There is a limit to how high the printing speed can be increased due to the fact that s is required.

Moreover, when performing color printing, it is necessary to move the thermal paper to be printed on the heating resistor back and forth three times, which inevitably reduces printing efficiency.

Therefore, it is conceivable to simplify color printing and improve printing efficiency by gathering a plurality of the above-mentioned thick film thermal print heads, but it is currently not possible to implement this method due to the following points. That is, since the intervals between the plurality of heating resistors are wide, a platen is required for pressing the thermal paper to be printed on each of the heating resistors, resulting in an increase in the size of the apparatus itself. .

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a thick film thermal print head that facilitates color printing, improves printing efficiency, and allows the device itself to be made compact.

In this invention, three rows of heat generating resistors are formed in parallel and close to each other on one substrate, and each of the heat generating resistors is arranged so that each of the heat generating resistors can be driven individually. A multilayered conductor layer was connected to the body, and the heat-sensitive paper was pressed against each heating resistor using one platen.

In other words, when looking at one heating resistor, its heating-cooling cycle is the same as the conventional one, but by giving different printing patterns to at least three rows of heating resistors and driving them simultaneously or sequentially. Printing efficiency is low (improved by 3 times).

1. Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. A side view of a thick film thermal print head which is an embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 1, and a plan view is shown in FIG. 2, respectively.

The thick film thermal print head 1 shown in the figure has a first heating resistor lO arranged in the center among three rows of heating resistors and to which conductor layers arranged in a so-called center type alternating lead system are connected; It is composed of second and third heating resistors 20 and 30 which are arranged close to each other in parallel on both sides of the heating resistor 10 and are connected to conductor layers arranged in an arrangement called an edge type folded lead method.

Specifically, the first heating resistor 10 is formed along the longitudinal direction at the apex of a ridge-shaped glaze layer 11 formed by screen printing or the like at approximately the center of the surface of a substrate 40 made of, for example, ceramic. It is formed by The first heating resistor lO has one end of the conductor layers 12a to 12n extending to the right in the drawing perpendicular to its longitudinal direction, and one end of the conductor layers 13a to 13n extending to the left in the drawing. They are connected alternately at predetermined intervals. This conductor layer 12
The other ends of the conductor layers 13a to 12n are divided into two and connected to two power supply circuits (not shown) via two common terminals (not shown), and the other ends of the conductor layers 13a to 13n are Each is connected to an individual driver circuit (not shown). That is, this first heating resistor 10 has conductor layers 12a to 1
The recording dots (indicated by broken lines in the figure) separated by 2n and 13a to 13n are made to generate heat one by one.

The second heating resistor 20 has a first heating resistor 20 located near the surface edge of the insulating layer 21 formed on the left side in the longitudinal direction of the first heating resistor 10.
It is formed in parallel with and close to the heating resistor 10 . The second heating resistor 20 includes conductor layers 22a to 22n, 23a to 22n extending to the left in the drawing in a direction perpendicular to its longitudinal direction.
One ends of 23n are alternately connected at predetermined intervals. The other ends of the conductor layers 22a to 22n are common terminals (
The conductor layers 23a to 23n are connected to one power supply circuit (not shown) via a power supply circuit (not shown), and the other ends of the conductor layers 23a to 23n are connected to individual driver circuits (not shown). On the other hand, the third heating resistor 30 is formed in parallel with and close to the first heating resistor 10 in the vicinity of the surface edge and edge of the insulating layer 31 formed on the right side in the longitudinal direction of the first heating resistor 10. There is.

The third heating resistor 30 includes conductor layers 32a to 32n, 33a extending to the right in the direction perpendicular to the long plane direction of the third heating resistor 30.
.about.33n are alternately connected at predetermined intervals. The other ends of the conductor layers 32a to 32n are connected to one power supply circuit (not shown) via a common terminal (not shown), and the other ends of the conductor layers 33a to 33n are connected to individual driver circuits (not shown). )It is connected to the.

That is, the second and third heating resistors 20.30 are connected to the conductor layer 2.
2a to 22n and 23a to 23n, the conductor layers 32a to 3
2n and 33a to 33n, each separated recording dot (indicated by a broken line in the figure) is designed to generate heat in units of two.

The platen 50 has a substantially cylindrical shape, and the thermal paper (not shown) to be printed is placed on the first to third heating resistors 10.20.
．． 30 is pressed evenly.

Therefore, the conductor layer 12 connected to the first heating resistor 10
a to 12n, 13a to 13n, and conductor layers 22a to 22n connected to the second and third heating resistors 20.30.
, 238 to 23n and conductor layers 32a to 32n, 3
3a to 33n have a multilayer structure insulated and separated by an insulating layer 21.31, and the first to third heating resistors 10
．． 20 and 30 can each be driven individually. Furthermore, the first to third heating resistors 10, 20, and 30 are formed in a positional relationship such that the thermal paper to be printed is evenly pressed by the platen 50.

Therefore, the printing operation of the thick film thermal print head 1 having the above structure is basically the same as the printing operation of conventional thick film thermal print heads called center type and edge type, and the explanation thereof will be omitted here.

However, it goes without saying that the heating resistors 10, 20, and 30 can be driven simultaneously or sequentially in accordance with the conveyance pitch of the thermal paper.

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, but several embodiments can be considered by changing the arrangement of the conductor layers connected to each heating resistor. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the first to third heating resistors 16, 27, 36
The conductor layers connected to each other are arranged in a so-called edge type folded lead system, with an insulating layer 25. between each conductor layer.
It is conceivable that a multilayer structure is formed with heating resistors 16, 27, and 36 arranged adjacent to each other in parallel with each other in the vicinity of the edge portion of the substrate 41.

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, one platen can press the thermal paper to be printed on at least three parallel rows of heating resistors, and each of the heating resistors can be individually pressed. Since they can be driven individually, the device itself can be made compact, and color printing can be simplified and printing efficiency can be improved. Specifically, when printing in color, the thermal paper only needs to be passed through once, and when printing is not in color, the heating-cooling cycle of each heating resistor is the same as before, but the number of printing patterns is smaller (3 times as much). As a result, high-speed printing can be achieved.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a schematic side view of the thick film thermal print head, Fig. 2 is a schematic plan view of the thick film thermal print head, and Fig. 3 is another embodiment of the thick film thermal print head. It is an explanatory diagram. 1...Thick film thermal print head 10...First heating resistor 11...Glaze layer 128-12n113a-13n...Conductor layer 20...
・Second heating resistor 30...Third heating resistor 21, 31...Insulating layer 22a-22n, 23a-23n, 32a-3
2n, 33a to 33n...Conductor layer 40...Substrate patent applicant ROHM Co., Ltd. agent Patent attorney Takaharu Ohnishi No. 1II M2 Fig.

Claims (1)

[Claims] (1) At least three rows of parallel heating resistors are one
The heat generating resistor is formed on the surface of one substrate, and each of the heat generating resistors is connected to a conductor layer which is insulated and separated by a multilayer structure, so that each of the heat generating resistors can be driven individually. Thick film thermal print head.