JPS6278890A - Dot array device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To effectively prevent rust, abnormal discharge, leakage due to moisture condensation, gaseous discharge or the like by arranging drive circuits for driving light-emitting or heat-generating bodies within a sealed case. CONSTITUTION:A dot array 12 is provided along the length of a substrate 10. The array 12, consisting of very small heat generating bodies arranged linearly, is contacted with a heat sensitive recording medium for making records thermally. Circuits for individually driving the heat generating bodies are integrated circuits and packaged individually in a sealed case 14 arranged on the same side of the substrate 10. The sealed case 14 is evacuated so as to prevent gaseous discharge. An inactive gas may be contained in the sealed case 14. Further, the case may be simply formed airtightly so as to prevent the case from being invaded by foreign materials from the outside and to prevent abnormal discharge due to such foreign materials. The case 14 can be formed of a metal so that the internal circuits can be shielded from external noises.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention] (Technical field) The present invention relates to dot array devices.

(Prior art) A dot array consisting of dot-shaped light emitters, optical shutters, electrodes, or heating elements arranged in an array, and a drive circuit that drives these light emitters, optical shutters, N%, and mesh heating elements. A dot array device having, for example, L
It is known as an ED array, liquid crystal 7ya soter array, multi-stylus, thermal hand, etc. The dot-shaped light emitter, optical shutter, etc. are collectively called a dot-shaped segment.

In the above-mentioned dot array device, the drive circuit is usually integrated circuit, and the terminals of the drive circuit and the terminals of the dot-like segments are electrically connected. Wire bonding method, anisotropic conductive film method, tape carrier method, etc. are known as connection methods.
An appropriate method is selected.

Now, the drive circuit section refers to the drive circuit and its surroundings, and this drive circuit section has connections to the above-mentioned terminals.

There are parts where the conductor is exposed, such as connections, and leaks are likely to occur due to adhesion of foreign matter, dew condensation, contact with the conductor, etc.

In order to prevent the above-mentioned leaks and leaks, a method of coating with resin, etc. is known, but if the adhesive surface of the resin etc. is not clean, gaps may appear, the resin surface may rise, or the resin may harden. There are problems such as the expansion and contraction of the device causing curls in the device or impairing strong summer performance.

(Objective) The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a novel dot array device that effectively prevents the above-mentioned leaks and problems.

(composition) The present invention will be explained below.

The dot array device of the present invention includes a dot array in which dot-like segments are arranged in an array and a drive circuit that drives the dot-like segments.

The dot-shaped segment is a light emitter, a light shutter, an electrode or a heating element. The light emitter and heating element emit light by being driven by a drive circuit.

Heat is generated and the optical shutter opens and closes. Moreover, when the electrode is driven, it charges the recording medium in a dot shape.

The feature of the present invention is that at least the drive circuit section is
The reason is that it is placed in a sealed container.

The inside of the sealed container may be kept in a vacuum state, an inert gas and/or dry air may be sealed in it, or it may be simply kept in a sealed state. In addition, when enclosing gas, the enclosing pressure can be low pressure, atmospheric pressure, or high pressure.
Set according to the purpose etc.

Hereinafter, description will be given based on specific examples.

The embodiment shown in Figure 1 shows a thermal head as a dot array device. As is well known, a thermal head is a recording device used for thermal recording.

The substrate 10 is in the shape of a long and narrow plate, and a linear array of minute heating elements, ie, a dot array 12, which is a dot-shaped segment, is provided along the edge trap along its longitudinal direction. The heating element is a resistor, and by passing an Ic current through it, it generates Joule heat.

These heating elements are brought into contact with a heat-sensitive recording medium, and a second recording is performed using heat.

In Figure 1, the circuit that drives each of the heating elements is I
It is also fixed on the same side of the substrate 10 as the dot array 12. Reference numeral 14 indicates a cover, and this cover 14 and the substrate 10 constitute a sealed container.

The drive circuit section is arranged within this enclosure. Note that the connection method between the drive circuit and the heating element is T A B (
Tape Automated Bonding)
An automated connection method using a tape carrier called W A B (Wire Automated
An automated connection method using wires called Bondlng is known, but in an unimplemented example,
The former connection method is used.

Further, in this embodiment, the inside of the sealed container is in a vacuum state (degree of vacuum, several Torr or less), and the probability of occurrence of gas discharge is lowered, so that the withstand pressure can be increased accordingly.

Also in the sealed container are Ne, Ar, He,
An inert gas such as N2 may be filled in, or dry air not containing water vapor may be filled in, or a mixed gas of an inert gas and dry air may be filled in. The pressure of encapsulation also
Low pressure, high pressure, and atmospheric pressure can all be set freely.

In addition, simply making the inside of the sealed container airtight can prevent foreign matter from entering from the outside, and can effectively prevent abnormal discharge caused by foreign matter.

Furthermore, the cover 14 may be formed of a good electrical and thermal conductor, for example, a metal such as Ag or Fe, and may be grounded. In this way, the drive circuit section is electrically shielded, so that the effects of electrostatic noise, radio noise, etc. can be reduced.

Furthermore, the efficiency of dissipating heat generated from the heating element, drive circuit, etc. is also improved.

Regarding this embodiment, the above description applies to a multi-stylus used for electrostatic self-recording by changing the dot-shaped segment from the heating element to the stylus K serving as the electrode. Therefore, by applying the invention to a multi-stylus, effects completely equivalent to those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

The following embodiment is an example in which the dot-like segments are light shunters, and relates to a liquid crystal seven-layer array. Regarding the liquid crystal shutter array, for example,
Examples of liquid crystal light pulp disclosed on page 127 and below can be cited.

The LCD Nyanotar array is an LC that is made by arranging minute liquid crystals/Yasotar in a linear array as dot-like segments.
It has an S panel and an IC drive circuit for driving it.

Figure 2 shows an optical recording head using a liquid crystal/Yatter array.

Inside the outer casing 16, an inner casing 18,
Liquid crystal shutter array 20, focusing light transmitter array 22
is provided. These have a predetermined length with the longitudinal direction being perpendicular to the drawing. In the liquid crystal shutter array 20, minute liquid crystal shutters as dot-like segments are arranged in the longitudinal direction to form a dot array. Inner casing 18V
c is provided with a lamp control 18A1, a lamp 18B1, and a light transmission glass 18C;/). When the lamp control 18A causes the lamp 18B to emit light, the light is guided by the light transmission glass 18c and uniformly illuminates the upper surface of the liquid crystal display array 20 in the longitudinal direction. When opened, light passes through that part.This light is transmitted through the focusing light transmitter array (which performs lens action) 22 and the sword bar glass 1.
6A to a photoreceptor 17 (for example, a photoconductive one), and the photoreceptor 1 is
7. Let it form on the surface and record it.

Now, five embodiments in which the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal Nyanotar array are shown in Figures 6 (1) to V). The longitudinal direction of the liquid crystal dot array, and therefore the arrangement direction of the liquid crystal shutter (longitudinal direction of the dot array), are directions perpendicular to the drawing of Figure 3 (7i: direction).

Figure 6 ((In this, code 20A is LCS channel, code 20B, 2DC is IC drive circuit, code 20
D shows the transparent substrate on which these are placed. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5 (1), a sealed container is constituted by a substrate 20D and a transparent cover 20F, and the drive circuit section is sealed together with the LCS panel 20A. The inside of the sealed container may be in a vacuum state of several Torr or less, may be filled with inert gas and/or dry air, or may simply be made airtight.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 6 (II) K, a partition wall 20F1.
20F2 is provided to separate the drive circuit section from the LCS panel section. This increases the degree of freedom in selecting the gas to be filled in the space in which the drive circuit is sealed.

That is, since gas can be filled in the driver circuit section completely independently of the liquid crystal shutter, the gas to be filled can be selected independently of the liquid crystal shutter.

In the embodiment shown in Figure (III)K, the transparent substrate 20D
and cover 20C), drive'yJJ circuit 1 path 2OB, 2[
This is an example of a sealed container that encloses a drive circuit section including a JC. In this example as well, the degree of freedom in selecting the gas to be introduced into the container (() can be increased. Also, since the cover does not cover the LCS panel, the cover 200 does not need to be transparent For example, by forming it from a conductive material such as metal and grounding it, the internal drive circuit section can be electrically shielded, and electrostatic noise and radio noise can be effectively reduced.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 3-3 (IV) (V)K, the drive circuit 2
0B and 20C are arranged on the back side of the board 20D, and the LC
It is connected to the S panel 20A by a leader line 20J. In these implementations 911, the connection between the LCS panel and the drive circuit can also be made using through holes.

]・In the example in Figure 6 (IV), case 2 [J
It is surrounded by H. The case 20H is a sealed container.

Since the internal space of the container is 7 tons, which is divided in half by the substrate 20D, a desired gas can be filled in the space containing the drive circuit section (independent of the liquid crystal/yanotor).

In the example shown in Figure 3 (V), the cover 20 and the substrate 20D constitute a sealed container. A desired gas can be sealed inside, or it can be kept in a vacuum state.

The drive circuit 20 of the type shown in Figure j-3 (IV), CV)
B and 20C can be brought closer to each other, the device can be made more compact in the polar direction, and it is structurally effective in preventing warping of the substrate 20D. Note that when the present invention is applied to a liquid crystal Nyanotar array, a polarizing plate used for the liquid crystal Nyanotar may be provided in the cover.

Next, VC will explain the invention using an example of applying it to an LED array. Regarding the specific structure and operation of the LED array itself, please refer to the Electrophotographic Society of Japan, Volume 24, No. 2 (1985).
) Detailed disclosure is available from page 116 onwards.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 4, Figure 4 (1) is a plan view, and Figure (1) is the south side view. The code 60 is L E D
7 L/ (, code 30A is the board, code 3[]B c,
An array arrangement of LEDs as dot-shaped segments, that is, a dot array, 30C is an IC drive circuit, 30D is a cover, and 30E is a connector.

The LED dot array 30B is 64 bits or 128 bits.
Like a pit, multiple LEDs are made into chips, and multiple chips are joined in a straight line.
It is arranged at the center of the substrate 30A.

The engineered drive circuit 30C that drives these LEDs as dot-shaped segments is connected to the dot array 3 described above.
Deployed on both sides of 0B.

In this embodiment, a substrate 30A, a cover 30D and 2
It constitutes a sealed container that encloses the LED and drive circuit section, and the inside of the container is exhausted by an exhaust section 30DIK to a temperature of several Torr.
It is evacuated to the following high degree of vacuum.

Therefore, gas discharge and leakage due to dew condensation are effectively prevented, and the withstand voltage is increased.

In LED arrays, the LED and drive circuit sections have traditionally been airtight, but are conventional ones simply inconvenient due to foreign matter infiltrating from the outside? This is for the purpose of prevention, and does not have the effect of preventing discharge and leakage as in this embodiment.

In addition, since the cover 30D is made of transparent glass, plastic, etc., the entire surface or inner surface of the cover 30D is
By forming a light-transmitting conductive film and grounding this film, the interior can be electrically shielded and the effects of electrostatic noise and radio noise can be reduced.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, a cover 61 that constitutes a sealed container together with the substrate 30A and encloses a drive circuit section and an LED dot array therein is made of a metal such as aluminum or iron, and the cover 61 is made of a metal such as aluminum or iron. Only the portion 61A facing the VC is made of a transparent material such as a glass plate and has a window shape.

When working with an LED array, the drive current is large, so
The generation of Ziehl heat is also large, but if it is done as in this embodiment, the generated heat is transferred to the metal cover 3, which is a good conductor of heat.
Heat can be dissipated more efficiently than 1VC. Furthermore, an electrically shielded state can be achieved by treating the window-shaped portion 31A with a conductive material such as a transparent material and grounding the cover 61.

Also, O.4 Figure 1. (-5) In the various embodiments described with reference to Figure 5, instead of creating a vacuum inside the sealed container, an inert gas such as He, Ne, Ar, NQ, etc. and/or dry air may be filled. .

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the board 30A and the cover 62
Thus, a sealed container is constructed, and a drive circuit section including the drive circuit 30C is sealed in this concave sealed container, but the LED dot array 30B is not sealed.

The cover 62 surrounds the array arrangement 30B in an opening shape when viewed from a plan view, and has an exhaust section 32A.

In the embodiment shown in FIG.
6 and the substrate 30A form another sealed container that encapsulates the LED dot array. Code 64A.

33A is an exhaust section.

The cover 64 is U-shaped when viewed in plan and surrounds the cover 66 on six sides.

In the embodiments shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7, each sealed container contains:
Inert gas and/or dry air may be sealed, or the inside of the concave container may be kept in a vacuum state of several Torr or less. In these embodiments, the dot array of LEDs as dot-shaped segments is not enclosed in the sealed container enclosing the drive circuit section, so when gas is enclosed in the sealed container enclosing the Mrt circuit section, The gas to be sealed and its sealing pressure can be selected and set regardless of the LED 7C. Further, the cover 62,64 can be formed of metal, and by grounding it, a similar nord state to the drive circuit section can be easily realized.

In the case of the embodiment shown in Figures 3 and 7, the inside of the container containing the LED door array should be cleaned to prevent condensation.
On the other hand, there is N2 in the container enclosing the drive circuit section.
can be sealed to prevent rust and condensation.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the LED dot array 30B
is provided on the front side of the board 30A and is exposed (Fig. 8 (1)), and the drive circuit 30C is provided on the back side of the board 6OA and is connected to the LED and the drawer @65 by the conductive pattern. connected by.

The end plate 60A and the cover 36 constitute a sealed container, which encloses the drive circuit section (Figure 8 (■)). The inside of the sealed container is kept in a vacuum state or filled with inert gas and/or dry air. Incidentally, the connection between the LED and the drive circuit may be performed by providing a through hole in the substrate 3 [IJA].

In the example shown in Figure 9, in addition to the implementation 91 of Figure 8,
The cover 67 and the substrate 30A form another sealed container, in which the LED array 3[]B is sealed. For the gas-filled VC, a desired gas can be sealed in the central/auxiliary circuit sealing portion, regardless of the LED, using the embodiments shown in Figure J-8, [] and [91]. In addition, the cover 56 enclosing the drive circuit section is made of a conductive material, and by grounding it, an electrically rolled state can be easily achieved.Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 8, the cover 66 is connected to the connector 30g. Since the LmD array is provided on the same side as the substrate 30A, the entire LmD array can be made compact.In addition, in the example shown in Figure 9, a cover is provided on the surface layer of the substrate 60A, so there is a groove that is excellent in preventing warping of the substrate 30A. Also, in the embodiments shown in Figures 8 and 9, the cover 36 is made of gold V4 to improve the heat dissipation rate.Each fm L E D array shown here is If the dot-shaped segment is replaced with an LDK, it can be used as an LD array.

(Effects) As described above, according to the present invention, a novel dot array device can be provided. Since this dot array device is constructed as described above, it is possible to effectively prevent the formation of rust, abnormal discharge, leakage due to dew condensation, gas discharge, etc., and the withstand voltage can be increased.

In the present invention, when sealing a gas in a sealed container, the desired gas may be sealed once it is brought to a true state, or the desired gas may be filled in from one exhaust port while the desired gas is filled from the other intake port. Alternatively, a suppressed gas may be directly inserted at +/i:°C. In addition, the pressure inside the container is
It can be arbitrarily set to low pressure, atmospheric pressure, or high pressure depending on the purpose and usage situation.

In addition, the engineered drive circuit is a custom IC1TPT.
(thin film transistor), etc. are integrated. The dot-shaped segments are light emitters (LEDs).

(LD), the present invention can also be applied to various display arrays using them.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Figure 1 shows a thermal head that implements the present invention.
Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing five examples of embodiments applied to a liquid crystal shutter array; Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an LED array; LED
Figures 3 and 6 for explaining another embodiment applied to an array
Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining another embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an LED array, ]・7 Figure is a diagram for explaining another embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an LED array, 3-8 The diagram is
Figures 3 and 9 are diagrams for explaining still other embodiments in which the present invention is applied to an LED array.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining still another embodiment to which the method of the present invention is applied. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Substrate, 12... Dot array by heating element (b-shaped segment), 14... Cover (1,!F
j, 10 and whip' constitute a sealed container)

Claims (1)

[Claims] A dot array formed by arranging dot-shaped light emitting bodies, optical shutters, electrodes, or heat generating bodies, and a drive circuit for driving these light emitting bodies or heat generating bodies, and at least A dot array device characterized by having a drive circuit section disposed within a sealed container.